Kazza’s Color Schemes || #43: Clairaudients
Anonymous asked: Hi Kazza, Can you please recommend any banner themes with four customizable links? Thannks!Banner themes? I’m going to assume you want a theme with the possibility of having a header image? Here are a few options for you:
Hopefully any of those are to your liking.
Anonymous asked: this is probably really pathetic but i want to roleplay and i've never done it before and know nothing about it. all these character bios and applications make no sense to me at all and i definitely have no idea how to get involved since i'm socially anxious anyway. i don't mind if you don't but you're my writing idol and you seem to know a lot about that so would you mind explaining it to me maybe? ily anyway and you're blog is my lifesaverAww, no, don’t worry; it’s not pathetic in the slightest. Roleplaying, especially on Tumblr, can seem confusing and intimidating at first, but I promise you it’s fairly easy to get a hang of once you begin and ease into it.
I’m going to direct you to some fantastic posts and guides already out there, which should hopefully help you along the way:
I especially recommend taking a look at the first link, as it provides a masterlist of guide posts about pretty much anything and everything you need to know about roleplaying, on Tumblr and in general. If there’s anything else you want to know or would like explained after having sifted through the links above, please don’t hesitate to come back and I’ll try my very best to help you out.
virago-rp asked: Hey... how would you suggest getting word out about your roleplay, if it's so unique/original that there have been no others like it... so the usual tags don't really apply, and you're having trouble getting exposure? We already do the usual, but we don't like to abuse tags that don't apply to us.That is quite the tricky issue, considering I don’t think I’ve ever been faced with a similar situation. However, you can still use the generic tags rp, rpg, and roleplay to promote, even if you don’t feel as if there are more specific tags that apply. If your roleplay is an original roleplay (meaning the ideas is yours and not based on, for instance, a movie or a television show) or new, you could use the original rp and new rp tags to promote, as those are fairly common ones that people check up on. Hopefully you should get some exposure through those, and from taking a quick look at your roleplay, I’d say they do apply to you.
Depending on what you mean by ‘the usual’, additional recommendations would be to submit promos to RPCHAs who accept them, seeing as that tends to be a good way of getting people in the community to notice your roleplay, even if it’s not through the tags but rather while browsing their dashboards. Ask for reviews and see whether or not they offer you some useful suggestions. If whoever reviews your roleplay feels as if you’re doing a good job you might end up on a list of recommendations, which also might give you some exposure.
And finally, try to get a small but loyal group of players to begin with, for instance by asking friends from within the roleplaying community to join, and make their experience the best possible it can be. Happy players tend to bring their friends, who in turn bring theirs if they are happy, too. Don’t focus on getting as many members as possible within a short period of time, but rather, members who will stay long-term and recommend the roleplay to others. I’ve found that is usually the best way of getting the word out; starting at the root and letting it grow upward.
Hopefully this helped at least a little, but if not, please don’t hesitate to come back and I can try to come up with further ideas for you.
Kazza’s Color Schemes || #42: Fury Oh Fury
Kazza’s Color Schemes || #41: Gravel and Wine
Kazza’s Color Schemes || #40: Zodiac
I keep seeing the argument, “But, but, we aren’t stealing themes, since we are giving credit to the original maker.” Here’s a newsflash for you—it is not about whether or not you are giving them credit.
A lot of theme makers ask those who use their themes to like or reblog the post. That is literally the only form of payment or appreciation they get from spending hours and hours on coding those themes for your benefit. Some theme makers also like to check up on their themes and see how they’re being used, and they do that through those likes and reblogs. By reposting their codes, no matter how edited, no matter whether or not you are crediting them, you are robbing them of that control, and it’s pretty freakin’ disrespectful.
Here’s a simile: Imagine you spend several hours on making a graphic, just because you have mad as fuck Photoshop skills, and it’s something you enjoy doing. You absolutely love the end result—in fact, let’s say it’s the best goddamn graphic you have ever made, and you just can’t wait to post it on Tumblr and have other people reblog it so you can see their reactions. You go back and check the tags in which people are marveling over its beauty, and all is well in the kingdom. But wait! Someone decides to repost your graphic. SHOCK. HORROR. They are giving you credit by listing you as the source, but because they have reposted instead of reblogging, you are not getting the recognition you deserve for your graphic. Would you be okay with that? I’m guessing the most likely answer is no, so why do you keep doing that exact same thing to theme makers?
Yes, most theme makers say you can edit the theme to your liking, but that refers to personal use. I have yet to see a single theme maker who allows for you to redistribute their themes, unless it is specifically made as a base theme. So cut it the fuck out, because it pisses me off to no end.
Kazza over and out.
Anonymous asked: How many locations should my rp have?It’s difficult to give you an exact number, seeing as that really depends on the nature of the roleplay. My advice would be to consider what locations you need in order to support the plot and to make it easier for players to figure out where their characters could be hanging out, and then create the locations according to that. Some roleplays might get away with no pre-established locations whatsoever, while others might need quite a few.
If you want some inspiration or ideas (don’t copy, though), you might want to check out Valley’s, Children of Athoria’s, August Burns Red’s, and Killing Moon’s locations.
Anonymous asked: I'm in this RP and I took a hiatus, with some paras unanswered and everything. Should I start over or continue?I would say that depends on how long your hiatus was, and whether or not the paras you had going are still relevant. If you feel like the interactions have become outdated in your absence, the best thing to do would probably be to drop them and plot for something else with your roleplaying partners. I’m not so sure how much good it would do to start over with a para that has already progressed a bit, though.
If your hiatus was shorter, you feel like the paras could be continued without it being a forced effort, and the interactions aren’t outdated, I don’t see why you couldn’t pick off where you left off. The best thing to do in this situation would probably be to start by messaging the people you were paraing with, and ask them if they want to continue still, or if they’d be up for coming up with something new.
Kazza’s Color Schemes || #39: Rage and Serenity
Kazza’s Color Schemes || #38: On Powdered Ground
This is an old post of mine, but I decided to make it rebloggable as others may find it useful as well.
Anonymous asked: I’m in a very very good roleplay and I feel seriously insecure. I typed up a self-para once and didn’t dare to post it. I’m really afraid that the people there would judge me because their English is just so good and I’m… not. It was a shock to get accepted and my activity’s low because of this fear. What can I do and do you have any tips? Thank you.
I understand you so very well. Feeling insecure in the company of other writers or roleplayers is something I’m fairly sure most of us have experienced at one point or another. There are a few pieces of advice I can think of right off the bat.
The admins accepted you for a reason
This is probably the most important thing I can tell you. Admins usually know what type of people they are looking to have in their roleplay, and everyone is accepted for a reason. If they had thought you weren’t good enough, or that you weren’t up to par with the other roleplayers, they most likely wouldn’t have accepted in the first place. Trust their judgment, as they should know their players better than anyone else.
Don’t compare yourself to others
This is easier said than done, really, but still an important point. There are times when writers compare themselves to ones they consider better or more famous; and that is only healthy. But don’t take that comparison too far. You are you, and hopefully you have your own style when it comes to writing. Don’t worry about what everyone else in the group is doing, and instead, focus on being happy with your own writing. Challenge yourself, and strive to improve in comparison to pieces you have written before, not in comparison to what others have written.
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid to write something you think is terrible, and to let yourself make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to share your pieces, and to interact with other players. The only way for you to overcome your insecurities is by stepping out of your comfort zone, and to take a chance. I constantly write things I think are utter horseshit, but I still put that writing out there. Being critical of your own writing is only natural, but don’t be too critical to the point where it starts to hinder you. You can always ask a friend to read through your piece before you post it, and ask them what they think. Most likely your writing is much better than you think it is. And most importantly, don’t be afraid of being judged. There will always be people who judge you, and others who don’t even notice. The most important thing is that you are proud of what you have accomplished.
You learn by doing
The only way to get better at writing is—yes, you guessed it—by writing, writing, and writing. Chances are you will never develop if you let your insecurities take over completely. This kind of relates to the previous point, but don’t be afraid to write something you think is terrible. If you’re unhappy with the first draft, edit it. Then edit it again, until you’re satisfied. Let the words flow without thinking too much about it. Experiment, and have fun with it without worry. You’ll learn and improve by doing and being fearless; that’s a fact. No one is magically an amazing writer right from the start. You get there by practicing.
Read up on things you’re insecure about
You mentioned that the other players’ English is really good, and that you worry they will judge you. One’s grammar and language skills can always be improved, by reading up on things you’re insecure about. Expand your vocabulary by reading lots of books. If you’re unsure what a certain word means or in what context it should be used, look it up in a dictionary. If there are grammatical rules you don’t quite grasp, look up articles online. Make sure to proofread your writing, and to run it through a spellchecker. Ask someone you trust to read your writing, and ask them if they notice any errors or discrepancies. Do your research, and expand your horizons.
Ask a previous writing partner to apply
If you’re insecure within the roleplay, and feel as if you’re not “good enough” to interact with the other members, why not ask a previous roleplay partner of yours to apply? Someone you’ve had fun with and been comfortable writing with in the past. Having a solid rock to lean back on might be a good idea in the beginning; and once you’re more comfortable in your own skin and when it comes to writing your character in the roleplay, you can start broadening the spectrum of your interactions.
Hopefully this gave you some material when it comes to trying to overcome at least some of your insecurities. Just remember that you are just as deserving of being in that roleplay as any of the others. After all, you were accepted, which means at least the admins think you’re good enough; and in turn, that probably means your fellow players will think you’re good enough too.
Here are some additional links that might be of use to you:
Good luck!
Anonymous asked: How do you make a confessions blog for an rp?I have never made a confessions blog myself, but I would assume the only thing you really need to do, is to create a sideblog for it; just like you would with a promotions blog, for instance. Once the blog is up and running, you ask your members to submit confessions through the ask box or submit. You can either publish them as is in ask form, or make them into graphics depending on how much time you want to put into it.
