This isn’t something I’ve seen mentioned before in the whole “people who plot thoroughly” vs “people who improv on the fly”, comparison before so I’ll go ahead and mention it.

A lot of the time improv guys will get some flak for being flaky or having threads drop off exc exc.

But uh, personal experience?

8/10 plotters I have threaded with spend so much time brainstorming things that could happen or thinking of stuff to add that they always just talk and gush about said thread and while enthusiasm and hype are so very cute — they never actually write it or even start / respond to the thread because they’re distracted by just imagining and not….actually writing.

I don’t think thread longevity or active posting is a thing that plotters are exemplar at either.

Feral be making sure that screenname is right, LOL

I feel like that sort of behaviour might stem from insecurity/perfectionism: as long as it's in your head, it's pristine and immaculate, but once you commit it to reality, it comes out flawed, so you don't want to post until the planets align, it's the morning of a solar eclipse, and five rainbows are simultaneously in the sky while your muse has come down from the heavens wearing the most beautiful dress ever while fawns hand you a handcrafted mechanical pen to write your post with.

I don't really have an issue plotting and responding easily. I find when I don't plot, the other person tacks on drama or something random to keep a thread going when it could have died or had a personal touch to it. Like 'oh ho ho I did this' and it's like, sure that works some of the time. I live in Florida so I'm used to random **** just happening at all times but there's usually a tangential reason. If someone's just adding stuff to a thread to make it more dramatic, more interesting, etc - when it feels it doesn't fit, I'll just find it easier to respond to a thread that does.

I do think those who plan too much can be annoying, wanting to talk about it more than the basics and having some plan - but sometimes (and hot take and general theys) they can like the idea of writing more than writing itself. Writing is a pain in the rear end and those who might not have the brainpower to do it, keeps putting it off, both from insecurity and perfectionism (as traveller mentioned) but also not being able to be flexible. I don't really think that's a *bad* thing - but personally I find both camps flaky considering the world is on fire and people have to work their jobs, etc.

I write with a lot with both camps - and I feel like I have a good middle ground as long as everything is taken seriously. I just wish that people could communicate more up front and the like. On my next site - I'm going to have a role on discord, lol.

Being as I’m insecure I get that angle, but personally I’ve come to not like thorough planning very much.

Any time I got excited or hyped from those plotlines they just…never actually happened so now I kind of just shrug my shoulders and don’t plan anything beyond an end goal.

To be honest, there are flaws and perks of both plotting archetypes and really depends on personal preference. I kinda stick in the middle where sometimes I have plot beats, sometimes I like seeing where the thread takes me. However, I also love being surprised.

Legit was just pleasantly surprised with a wanted ad recently where a person made my character’s sister a lot different than I expected. Now it is really exciting cause from spontaneity comes potential plot ideas once I get a feel for their character.

Though I suppose that is another reason. I get a feeling for somebody else’s character best in role-play. How they react to my character and certain happenings play crucial roles that cannot always be gleamed by application information or questions. So I prefer a mixture of plotting and improv. Allows things to be planned while leaving room for abrupt changes, but that is just me.

I hate it when people try to force a ship on you because of a character's fc.

I'd say the plotters and the improvisers each just have different strengths and different weaknesses. I think most people are more in the middle than not, though. Rarely is anyone purely one way or the other.

An analogy I used for my own plotting-style is this: I'm directing a boat on an unpredictable sea, charting the stars to guide me to my destination. Those 'guiding lights' are things like character motivations, existing character dynamics, site plots, etc. I keep those things in mind, and I try to use them to direct where I go. Sometimes the sky is clear and the sea is calm, so directing is easy. Other times, the sky is so full of clouds I can't determine where I'm going, so I just trust the current to guide me safely. Either way, the story should take me where I want to go.

Plotting too rigidly can make you inflexible, but understanding the inherent nature of plotting makes you better at creating satisfying character beats and capitalizing on opportunities when they arise. Improvising too blindly can lead to outcomes you don't necessarily want, but understanding how and when to improvise allows you to riff when you hit unexpected storylines, and lets you discover unexpected synergies that change your overall story in rewarding ways.

But all this requires follow-through. If you don't write posts at all, nothing happens. Whether it's plotted out or improvised. I've seen both 'types' of writers struggle to finish writing a story for different reasons.

Got so bored, I started making my own roleplay site. Will never open, but it’s a fun exercise.

Absolutely love it when I start to work on the next character’s profile, only for a different muse to kick their way in and go “me!” instead.

I looked 'pon my works and despaired.

Now that I'm satisfied with bingo will I finally be able to get back to my threads again?

i don't want to say that i hate that this is a mood i'm having but. maybe this could be a fun exercise to try just to do it.

me: am I making these characters' backstories too angsty?
me: no, bc the nature of them having powers means something probably went wrong enough in their life to ask for supernatural help, right?
me: ok now I feel better about it. :3