Detailing Ones Words

[Shiyami]

So, this question is actually more OOC than IC. The question is, how do I consistently post detailed works? Well, some of you would say that I do detailed posts sometimes, and yet at others, they would say I post like crap. So...I guess I can say the problem, in detail.

My posts are usually dictated by how detailed my fellow threaders within the thread post. Generally, if someone posts a very detailed post, I can post detailed as well. Now...if I thread with someone who just posts the dialogue, and that's about it, I end up responding with a similar post. Why? My current style of posting, is to take what the other person wrote, change it to how my character sees it, and then expand on it. However, with the less detailed posts...I have nothing to work with, no stepping stones, if you will. Nothing 'cept dialogue, i have no other way to respond except with dialogue. So, I guess the question can be reworded to: How do I expand on nothing, into something?

[Colt]

Generally, I'd suggest keeping the five senses in mind: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. While this might not seem like a very important way of sprucing up a post, you'd be surprised; one can walk through an alley that smells of dust and shadow, or one can go through an alley that smells of slime and death. Each of these gives off a very different feeling, and both can help set the stage in different ways. I personally enjoy using smell; it's said to be the most powerful trigger of memories there is, even more so than sight or touch.

However, the five senses really only come in handy when your character is actually doing something, as in moving their body in some way that changes the physical realm in some way from the last post(writing, moving a box, punching a wall, running through a field, etc.) For dialogue, however, I'd suggest internalization; even if someone's writing really minimal posts, your character can be examining theirs and making up their own opinions. What is the other character wearing? Does it make them look like a thief? Does it make them look like nobility? What does your character feel about thieves and nobility, and does this change the way your character sees theirs? Do they hate nobility, so if another PC has fancy clothes will your PC automatically label them as snotty brats?

I guess the big thing to say is that your characters aren't the only ones in the world. Yes, PCs are important, but it's how they fit into the world around them that makes the story. Build on this. Describe your PC fitting into the world around them. Describe how they fit with other PCs, instead of just throwing them together. Don't just tell, tell us why and how.

Bleh, that's not really as coherent as I wanted it to be, but there ya go. Just my personal opinion on the matter, no real fact, so take what you want from it and leave the rest.