Post Quality Guidelines
Created by Captain María Zavala on Sun Jun 16th, 2024 @ 11:32pm
Quality, moreso than quantity, is what we value in our writing. We would rather see one well-written post that furthers the storyline or deepens our understanding of a character than four rapid-fire posts written just to meet some arbitrary quota. At the same time, it is important (for the sake of the sim and your own sanity) not to let the “perfect” become the enemy of the “good”. Don’t get so hung up on finding the exact right words or writing so detailed that you lose the thread (or your inspiration for posting). Aim for the happy medium and you should do just fine.
Let’s be honest, though…there really isn’t a great (objective) way to measure post quality, especially when your in the midst of writing. And, while it isn’t all about the numbers, there are a few numbers that are good to keep in mind as you try to decide whether your post is ready for sharing.
Personal logs should be a minimum of two-hundred (200) words long. That’s roughly three paragraphs (or two, if one is of decent size). Think of these as diary entries (personal or professional). In most cases, unless a character has a penchant for recording all their thoughts and experiences in great detail, these are not going to be that long. But they are a great way to learn about what’s going on from the perspective of the character(s) (as opposed to an outside narrator).
Mission posts should be a minimum of four-hundred (400) words long – about four or five paragraphs. These are “scenes” like we see from an episode, play, or movie. They should encapsulate everything that happens in a particular space or time frame, and how it connects together. However, we must take care not to let them wander too far (or try to tackle too much) in one go, lest we lose our audience (and our own inspiration). Think about it this way: if the scene is over and the story is moving on, then the post should end. (Also, if the post is getting much beyond fifteen-hundred (1500) words, than you really need to think about breaking it into smaller posts.)
When it comes to working on joint posts (JPs) with others, make sure that you are responding to tags with enough material that others can work from it as well. If someone leaves your character space to analyze something, explain something, or work through a problem and you only respond with a single sentence, that doesn’t really help the team move things forward.
Follow-Up
Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed and should be directed to a member of the sim command staff via private message or mail.
See also:
Source: Adapted from the “Quality Policy” of the USS Highlander. Used with permission.
Let’s be honest, though…there really isn’t a great (objective) way to measure post quality, especially when your in the midst of writing. And, while it isn’t all about the numbers, there are a few numbers that are good to keep in mind as you try to decide whether your post is ready for sharing.
Personal logs should be a minimum of two-hundred (200) words long. That’s roughly three paragraphs (or two, if one is of decent size). Think of these as diary entries (personal or professional). In most cases, unless a character has a penchant for recording all their thoughts and experiences in great detail, these are not going to be that long. But they are a great way to learn about what’s going on from the perspective of the character(s) (as opposed to an outside narrator).
Mission posts should be a minimum of four-hundred (400) words long – about four or five paragraphs. These are “scenes” like we see from an episode, play, or movie. They should encapsulate everything that happens in a particular space or time frame, and how it connects together. However, we must take care not to let them wander too far (or try to tackle too much) in one go, lest we lose our audience (and our own inspiration). Think about it this way: if the scene is over and the story is moving on, then the post should end. (Also, if the post is getting much beyond fifteen-hundred (1500) words, than you really need to think about breaking it into smaller posts.)
When it comes to working on joint posts (JPs) with others, make sure that you are responding to tags with enough material that others can work from it as well. If someone leaves your character space to analyze something, explain something, or work through a problem and you only respond with a single sentence, that doesn’t really help the team move things forward.
Follow-Up
Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed and should be directed to a member of the sim command staff via private message or mail.
See also:
Source: Adapted from the “Quality Policy” of the USS Highlander. Used with permission.
Updated: 06/16/2024
Categories: Simulation Rules & Policies | Creative Writing Resources