Okay ... so you've got an adult character. And you're probably wondering what to do with your adult character, aside from meeting people or drinking at the pub. And you can only do so many threads about going to work, yeah?
Well ... we the admins think we may have come across an answer for you!
We like to refer to it as a retrospective.
If you've been reading around the board, you may or may not have noticed a thread or two like
this one, between Rohan Shaughnessy and Blake Jameson. You can also find a thread or two of the same nature, featuring our resident newlyweds, Rohan and Susan Shaughnessy.
What we have done in such threads, is establish a background between characters who have presumably known each other for quite some time--like Shaun and Blake, for example. They've both been around in the Aurors' Office for decades, and they both have quite a few family members who work there. So naturally, it really doesn't make sense for them to just now meet up, all of a sudden.
Now, I don't know about you, but I am a right SUCKER for backstory and prequels.
So. We are presuming that some of you adult characters out there HAD to have known each other for some time. Now, you can either fodder the past into current threads .... or you can write out ficlets of what happened ... or you can share the stories of your past with the rest of the board!
So, here are the rules for a retrospective (as we admins have figured over doing a number of these):
1. Make sure that everyone in the thread has agreed to doing a retrospective. But that much should be obvious. >.>
2. Begin the thread with your characters in the present. We've found that it makes it a bit easier to set up when, where, and why the thread takes place.
3. Have a sort of outcome in mind, of course, or at least a goal ... but don't micromanage it. You never know, some surprises might crop up in the course of the retrospective. (For example, it was discovered in one retrospective that Susan nearly tore Shaun a new one, back when they were in school.)
4. Keep in mind how your character is now. Basically, what happens in a retrospective, should contribute something to your character's current personality.
5. NPCs are fine in a retrospective. Typical NPC rules apply, make sure you use a different color font.
6. It is best to do your retrospective in a different font. We used comic sans ms, but you can also try trebuchet ms. Just make sure that the font is readable. (For example, times new roman might be a bit small, unless you enlarge the font to size 12). Also, please be sure to use a font that nearly all computers would have.
7. You can put more than one retrospective in a thread. Makes it longer lasting and more fun that way!
8. End your thread in present time. We'd like to hear what your characters have to say now, about the events described in the retrospective.
9. To make it pretty and readable, we suggest that you separate past and present with a small line of asterisks (*). Three to five of them should be sufficient.
10. Have a reason in mind to do the retrospective, to begin with. Perhaps you want a reason to explain why your character has that nervous tic, or maybe why he/she freaks out at the sight of lizards? Or something along those lines. >.>
Hopefully, this gives you all a little more material for threads with your adult characters. Go back and play out what happened in school, or your early childhood ... really, the only limit is that it has to have occurred in the past.
Have fun with this!
Oh ... and if you have any questions about this, please feel free to PM an admin, a Jameson, or a Shaughnessy!
