RPU: The School To Learn, Improve, and Write!

Black Rose · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:54 pm

Welcome To RolePlaying University!

Introduction

Are you are new member and want to learn how to roleplay on the Animation Source Forums? Are you an older who has never ventured into roleplaying and want to try it out? Are you an active roleplayer and want to improve your skill? Are you an experienced roleplayer looking for a new challenge?

Then you are in the right place.

RPU is an annual event in the Open General RolePlay Section of the forums where the entire community of roleplayers can join together and participate in the writing activity we all know and love. There are many tasks for you to complete which will keep you busy all year long, or you can participate in just a few tasks whenever you have time to. The events will be individually run on your schedule. There are no dead-lines or due dates, just a list of fun challenges that will advance your roleplaying skills.

If you are too busy to participate in this long term event, look for the RolePlay Summer Camp this summer, a condensed version of RPU designed for those with lots of extra free-time during those summer months. (Note: You are allowed to participate in both if you have the time!)

The Task Set-Up

There are a total of twenty-three tasks divided into three sections: Beginnger, Normal, Semi-Advanced, and Advanced. As you complete tasks, you will move up through the levels.

Because the tasks are set up on an individual basis, the challenges will be sent to you via PM (or email if you prefer). You will post your response on this topic, though. I will then "grade" what you have turned in and send you your grade through PM or email to keep things confidential. I will also send you your next task.

You will have unlimited time to work on your tasks and you do not have to complete all the levels. The final week for submissions will probably be around the last week of May, and I will send out final "grades" on the first of June. This way, RPU will not conflict with Summer Camp.

The Levels

Beginner Course

- This is the shortest and easiest course that is a simple introduction to roleplaying. It will make sure everyone knows the very basics of roleplaying on Animation Source. There are only three tasks and, for older members, will probably take less then a week to complete. Once you do this course once, you never have to do it again. Next year, if you participate again, you can go directly to the Normal Course.

Normal Course

- This course will strengthen your ability to roleplay affectively with a single character. It will help you with creating your first post and responding to the most common situations that kill a roleplay story. There are only four tasks in this course.

Semi-Advanced Course

- This lesson is designed to help you create characters that interact well with the plot and the other characters in the roleplay. It will also help you strengthen your roleplaying with more than one character and making all of your character interesting and unique. There are six tasks in this course.

Mid-Term Challenge

Optional

- This marks the half-way point of all the tasks, but is also quite an accomplish for any member since you can now consider yourself a semi-advanced roleplayer! To celebrate and show off your skills, you will be challenged to create and join a roleplay. Consider this extra-credit if you want to raise your "grade" or a challenge to create the best plot and characters you have ever created. This will also help the roleplay board to become more active and is the first steps to completely the Final Project. (Details about this challenge will only be revealed after you have reached this point in the course-work.)

Advanced Course

-This course is designed to challenge the experienced roleplayer and explore your ability at creating plots and characters, keeping your characters acting like themselves no matter the situation, and pushing passed your comfort zone to write in a way you never thought possible. There are ten unique and challenging tasks in this course that will take lots of time and effort to complete.

Final Project

Optional

- This is the second part of the Mid-term challenge where the roleplay you created and the roleplay you joined will be gradely solely on your own posts. You will also be required to link another roleplay you were or are involved in that will also be graded on your posts. This is fairly difficult to complete since you will have to be active in at least three roleplays and have at least one unique plot, three interesting characters, and lots of well-written posts. (Again, details about this will only be revealed once you reach this point.)

Registration Form

If you are interested in participating, you must fill out the following form and post it in this topic. You will automatically be signed up and your first task will be sent to you within the week of you signing up.

Username:
Age:
Years Roleplaying:
Beginner/Normal/Semi-Advanced/Advanced RolePlayer:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Preferred Type of Plot/Characters:
Predicted Activity:
Why Are You Participating In RPU:

You may join whenever you want and can participate as much as you have time for. Your grade will not be affected by how many tasks you complete since we do not all have time to complete this many challenges. This is solely for fun and improvement, so join away!

CookieMonsterStable · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:29 pm

Hey! I would totally like to try it! Please....But you know that's up to you......But yeah I will tryout it sounds fun!Where do I sign up? Hehe lol...But yea I so want to try!

Black Rose · **Posted:** Fri Nov 16, 2012 1:14 pm

All right, everyone. I have set it all up and you can sign-up whenever you want! I am really excited for this and I really hope it will be a success.

Wolfox · **Posted:** Fri Nov 16, 2012 2:34 pm

Yeeeahhh! I'm ready, haha. I need some practice!!

Username: Wolfox
Age: 14
Years Role-playing: I'd say about 3-4, when I FIRST started... 1 or 2 more serious ones...
Beginner/Normal/Semi-Advanced/Advanced Role-Player: Semi-Advanced... tough I wouldn't mind a bit of the keeping role-playing alive bits, either.
Strengths: Dialogue, posting often, certain types of characters and roles?
Weaknesses: Posts tend to get shorter in more boring spots, characters usually the same... rely on dialouge too much?
Preferred Type of Plot/Characters: Usually Anthro, or human, high school dramas, etc.
Predicted Activity: Frequent posts, some shorter than I'd like, trying hard to do my assignments
Why Are You Participating In RPU:
Strengthen my strengths, and weaknesses too! Overall, just become a better writer!

Wolfox · **Posted:** Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:41 pm

Hope we finds ways about double posts, haha. Oh well!!

"You can't do that!" Jenny frowned as one of the school's bullies ripped a comic book out of her little brother's hands. She marched up to the bully and snatched the book back from him, glaring the whole time. She ran away as soon as she did this, avoiding being caught, and possibly a potential fight as well.
"Here Tim," she smiled, giving her little brother the book.

Windancer · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 10:15 pm

Username: Windancer
Age: Unless it's absolutely necessary, I'd prefer to keep it confidential.
Years Roleplaying: Four
Beginner/Normal/Semi-Advanced/Advanced RolePlayer: I would consider myself semi-advanced to advanced.
Strengths: Grammar, imagery, and characterization.
Weaknesses: Some of my posts tend to be a bit sporadic, jumping from one thing to the next randomly; I guess the flow of my posts in general.
Preferred Type of Plot/Characters: No preferred type of plot really; I'm pretty flexible. I'll do everything from tragedies to sweet little romances, though I tend to write suspense a bit more. Characters...again, I'm flexible. I guess I prefer humans, humanoids, and canines.
Predicted Activity: My posts probably won't be all that frequent; I'll try to be on as often as I can, but it depends on my schedule at the time. My posts will probably be at least a full paragraph (probably two) though.
Why Are You Participating In RPU: I would really like the chance to hone my skills and expand my horizons, something I've been meaning to do for a while. I think this will provide an excellent opportunity to do so.

Wolfox · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:48 pm

Second Challenge... Balto plot, Balto's perspective!

Balto frowned. We really shouldn't have another litter, especially after how Alue turned out... what if that happens to more of them? What if the whole litter turns out to look like wolves? What if... he furrowed his large, furry eyebrows in thought. He began to pace, mind racing. He tried to calm himself, Maybe they'll all turn out to be fine racing dogs, and get adopted quickly. After all, their big brother is on the mail team, he could help me to teach them..., and with that, the wolf dog sat down, sighing. He knew it would all turn out ok in the end, however.

SeptiplierAway · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:22 pm

Username: VinDieselLover
Age: 13 years old
Years Roleplaying: From 2009-2012 so about 3 years
Beginner/Normal/Semi-Advanced/Advanced RolePlayer: Semi-Advanced
Strengths: Keeping posts of good lengths, Following a plot line, and Making character biographies. Grammar and punctuation too.
Weaknesses: Changing the sentences up to rapidly. Like changing from one thing to another in a post. Also I have a small weakness in describing setting, moods(in my character), and thoughts(in my character).
Preferred Type of Plot/Characters: Something thats more of action/adventure with a little romance involved. Also roleplays with survival, families, drama, zombies, school, ect.
Predicted Activity: I might not be able to get on all the time but I'll get on as often as I can. I won't be gone though for weeks at a time though, it really depends on if I get my own computer.
Why Are You Participating In RPU: I want to be able to be vivid and descriptive in a way that makes you feel that your standing with the characters and I really think this could help me.

SeptiplierAway · **Posted:** Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:03 pm

My Task (1):

Quote:

Task One: Read the following roleplay post and correct all spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style errors. *Bonus points if you improve the post in other ways*
(Story: Tommy, your character, stops a fight between his sister, Natalie, and another girl)
Tommy: *hears yeling and runs in middle of Natalie adn Trudy*
Natalie: Get out of hear!
Tommy: Wat is going on?!?!?!?!?!
Trudy: None of you bussiness!!!!!!

----
I wasn't sure how you wanted me to correct/add to it so I tried what I'm used to...(Second way)
First way:
Tommy: On his way to school he passed by his sister Natalie and one of Natalie's classmates, Trudy, catching them in a heated conversation. Seeing the hazard, Tommy stepped between them.
Natalie: "Tommy this has nothing to do with you, get out of here!"
Tommy: "What's going on?" He asked sternly.
Trudy: "None of your business!"

Second way:
Tommy walked casually along the side walk, on his way to the dreadful art school his mother had signed him up for. It was mid autumn, leaves were changed and the weather was quite nippy. Over head, thin grey clouds hung in the sky, seeming to never end as Tommy continued walking. Seeing his breath against the cold air. Faint yet familiar voices seemed to grow stronger as he neared the school, Natalie? Trudy? Tommy thought, picking his pace up. The voices were now clear, his prediction had been right. But what on earth were they saying? Words rushed and spoken angrily towards one another raised a red flag for the young boy. At the last possible second Tommy caught a glimpse of the two hot headed burnettes, rushing between them before anyone started to swing. Only to realize that one of those burnettes was his sister, Natalie.
"Tommy this has nothing to do with you so leave." Natalie growled, folding her arms tightly across her chest.
"What's going on?" He asked sternly, looking between the two shorter girls.
"None of your business!" Trudy snarled, glaring up at the taller. Tommy smirked, not moving still until he was convinced that the girls wouldn't try to get at each other. Slinging his arm lazily around Natalie and pulling her off to the side, "Nat, c'mon. We're going to be late. You know how much Ms.Yager hates us being late." He said, walking slowly. Natalie mumbled things under her breath as she walked with him, still mad about how Trudy was talking to her lately. But that didn't matter now, nothing went down so the fire that had sparked between them had been extinguished. For now.

Windancer · **Posted:** Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:16 pm

Frankly, it had been a long day. Sarah was sure her hair was a mess, but she didn't bother fixing it. Same with her bookbag, which was hanging half open; if her textbooks were going to fall out, let them. She honestly didn't care anymore. She was exhausted both emotionally and physically; she had only gotten two hours of sleep last night, because of both homework and the fact that her parents were fighting again. She was secretly terrified they would get a divorce, but she didn't want to say anything; maybe they would be happier if they were apart, and she didn't want to interfere with that. All of this meant that Sarah was ready to snap at even the most miniscule thing.

Shoulders tense underneath the heavy weight of her bag, she continued walking. A small rattling noise grabbed her attention however, and Sarah glanced over with hesitant brown eyes. Unable to help the curiosity burning inside of her, she dropped her burden to the dirty ground and leaned in for a closer look. A small dog, a black and white terrier, cautiously poked his head out from behind the trashcan. His fur was slightly dirty and his body was thin, but his big eyes were filled with unconditional love and trust. Sarah couldn't help it, the walls around her heart crumbling immediately. "Look how cute!" she squealed, careful to keep her voice soft despite the high-pitched tone. She frowned as she fully took in the poor dog's condition. "You look so lonely," she said softly. She pulled out what was left from her lunch and offered it to the puppy, who eagerly snatched the food from her fingers. "And hungry," she chuckled.

Once he had finished inhaling the food - eating it far too fast for it to actually be called eating - the terrier nudged Sarah's hand with a cold wet nose, anxious for more. The teenager let out a small chuckle, rubbing his ears affectionately. "I'll take you home," she assured, surprised to find herself in a much better mood than she had been mere minutes before. The puppy had quickly softened her tired, battered heart and filled a hole she hadn't realized she had been there. Smiling fondly as he nibbled on her fingers, she pulled him into a loving hold and stood. Before walking, she murmured words so soft they were barely audbile. "Everything will be fine now."

SeptiplierAway · **Posted:** Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:25 pm

My task (2):

Quote:

Task Two: You must choose one of three of these prompts and follow their directions. These prompts will test how well you can keep a canon character "in character." Your post can be however long or short you want, but you are only role-playing from the perspective of one character. *Bonus points for creativity*

*Balto Situation: You are to choose any character from any three of the Balto movies and create a post from his/her perspective in reaction to Balto and Jenna having another litter of puppies. You can choose Balto, Jenna, or any other major character or minor character with a strong personality.

*The Lion King Situation: You are to choose any character from any three of the Lion King movies and create a post from his/her perspective in reaction to the Outlanders joining the Prideland (the events following The Lion King II: Simba's Pride). You can choose any major character or minor character with a strong personality.

*The Lady and The Tramp Situation: You are to choose any character from either The Lady and The Tramp movies and create a post from his/her perspective in reaction to Scamp running away from home (the main event of The Lady and The Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure). You can choose any major or minor character with a strong personality.

** The Lion King Situation** Kovu's perspective
As the Outlanders slowly walked into the prideland territory I had a hint of doubt in my stomach. Something just wasn't going to be same anymore after today but I failed to see what it was. Maybe it was now that I wouldn't have to live in fear any more of my mother finding me and hurting me or the love of my life, Kiara. I sighed inwardly, trying to think of all the positives. But how could I? My parents were dead, those evil lions I had moved to get away from were now living next door... Everything was happening so fast. Kiara nudged me, telling me that it was time we go. As I turned in the slippery mud my legs gave way from under me, causing my fit body to plummit into the muddy ground. I came up slowly, reborn out of mud and earth. Kiara laughed at me, as always.