by L.C.

Created on: April 21, 2009

Role-playing can be a very useful tool for many writers, regardless of their age, experience, or the genre they write in. Many writers might choose to role-play in a larger group consisting of several members, while others prefer to role-play with a single partner. While there are a number of different options out there for aspiring writers who wish to improve their skill, role-playing is a (generally) free and enjoyable option.

The idea of role-playing is to assume the role of a certain character, and then interact with other role-players in a fictional world. Sound confusing? It might be at first, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. Role-playing is essentially like writing, except it's a collaboration between a minimum of two people, and there's usually little more than a general plotline. For example, two people might decide that they are going to role-play about a man and a woman who are stuck on a dangerous planet and attempting to return home. The two role-players would briefly introduce their characters, stating facts such as their ages, appearance, and a few personality traits. They would then commence the actual role-playing, where they would write as though they were composing an actual story, describing the setting, their characters' thoughts, actions, and speech. The plot would then develop however the role-players see fit.

Many times when I have role-played, there has usually been a stronger and a weaker player. As many of the people I role-play with are Japanese, they tend to view this in a Japanese way. That is to say, the better role-player is the senpai of the relationship, meaning they are more experienced writers and generally stronger at the art. The other, the kohai, is typically not as proficient with grammar or punctuation rules, or their style and skill level might overall be weaker. Most kohai are younger than their senpai, though this might depend when dealing with online relationships, as ages of the role-players are sometimes not given as a means of protecting one's identity.

In this way, while the senpai might certainly learn something from the kohai, it is generally to be expected that the kohai role-player will learn much more from the senpai. This, as you can imagine, is a great experience for both writers. While role-playing is typically quite low-pressure and entertaining, it also provides both aspiring writers with an opportunity to practice and learn from one another. Frequently, after role-playing, players might point out any problems they noticed with one another's texts. This is an excellent way to receive a constant stream of feedback.

Eventually, a kohai might become so advanced that he or she could potentially be the senpai of another weaker, less experienced writer. Many role-players will belong to many different groups or have quite a few partners; in some cases, they will do much of the teaching, and in others, they shall be instructed. Regardless of the situation, role-playing is a great tool that literally anyone can use to improve their craft and be exposed to new styles of writing, all while having fun. I would therefore highly recommend joining a group of role-players to anyone interested; you surely won't be disappointed.

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