my interview with 2 Sookies & a vampire

How did you get started with Twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker: I was here on Twitter as a follower when I decided to try my hand at RP. I chose Lorena because I thought it would be easier to play a woman and I was at a point in my life where I needed to escape who I was. In addition, I knew she would be fitting into the story on True Blood in the coming seasons and thought I would have an opportunity to play along.

@BarmaidSookie: When I discovered twitter RP, I’d already been RPing for about six years. I’d RPed mostly in threads on forums, but the conversational nature of twitter RP really appealed to me. I loved that you could get a real time, immediate response, so I decided to try it out. I initially started with a much more obscure character, Halleigh, and eventually took on a few original characters before trying Sookie out.

@SookieSC: I actually stumbled upon True Blood Role play and actually Twitter RP in general. I was already a fan of True Blood, since right after the first Season aired on HBO and had already become a fan of the books its based off of. I checked out the True Blood page on HBO's site and under their fans section, I was surprised to read about @SookieBonTemps. I had never known people were RPing on social sites and while I had a real life Twitter account, I was completely uninterested in it. I made my first Sookie account on May 25, 2010. Dead in the Family had recently come out and I based that first Sookie off of Sookie after that book. I stumbled along for the first day. Trying to talk to Lafayettes and Arlenes who now I realize were in groups. But I found my way and had a nice following by the end of my 6th day. An OC I had become friendly with then offered me the account you now know of as SookieSC on that 6th day. She was originally part of a different group and I started off as her with over 1500 followers and now 9 months later, here I am!

+ + +

Did you have RPing or twitter experience before you started?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, I did not have any RP experience. I had dabbled in theater and creative writing, but never in this medium. I had a personal Twitter account when I made the Lorena account in April 2009.

@BarmaidSookie: Yes, six years give or take a couple months, all of it threading on forums, most of which I ran along with the same RP partner and real life boyfriend I’ve had for over five years now, @SheriffNorthman. It was definitely a strange transition going from thousand word posts to 140 character ones, but it’s been so much fun.

@SookieSC: None at all. I had heard of RP before, though I wasn't extremely familiar with the concept. I use to play Everquest for a few years and they had an RP server.

+ + +

 Your RL life is a secret from your followers. Is RP a secret from friends and family?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, my family is keenly aware of what I do. They do not always understand it or why I do it, but they know that I do. My friends, for the most part, know as well, though most of the people I see on a daily basis do not understand it. The friends I have met here, obviously understand my desire to RP in my spare time as they also enjoy it. I know a lot of them personally now and my close partners know who I am. That became vital to the trust factor for me.

@BarmaidSookie: Yeah, I’d say it is, at least to an extent. My family’s had no idea what I was talking about when I’ve tried explaining it to them, and it’s a part of my life I keep separate from my friends. Years ago I RPed with some friends I went to school with. It was pretty strange when the two worlds collided, and I can only imagine it'd be stranger now. My sister tried RPing a few years back, and it was too weird for both of us. It’s hard to pretend that someone you’ve known since birth is someone else.

@SookieSC: Truthfully, my RL family and friends know all about my Roleplaying. I do other things for the group I run and I usually run new graphics or webpages/sites past them for their opinion before showing them to the stream.

 

More comics here.



+ + +

Why do you people follow you? What is the role of the follower in the Twitter RP? How do they get involved?

@LorenaTheMaker:  I believe my followers choose to watch Lorena for a few reasons. The Lovers of Eric Northman do not typically like William and enjoy me abusing @VampireBill. There are also followers that like a tough crazy bitch, which I seem to do well. *laughs* I do know that I have attracted many followers due to my interaction with @VampireBill and I cannot say I am surprised. He is well liked in the community here and they wish to see what he is doing, so they follow who he talks to. If they choose to stay and watch what I have to say, that means I am doing my job properly.

The role of the follower depends very much on the followers themselves. I have had many who just want to talk to me, although I am often aloof and unkind since Lorena dislikes most humans. I have been propositioned, asked to bite or turn them, etc. Some of them get involved by becoming their very own original character. I have met quite a few that started that way.

@BarmaidSookie: Sometimes I think it’s because I follow a lot of people, and they think it’s polite to follow back. I’m beyond humbled and flattered that anyone does. I truly enjoy RPing, and my best guess and hope would be that it comes across in my writing. Beyond that, it’s not about me. I work with a fantastic group that comes up with amazing stories. I’m lucky to be a part of those plots. If I weren’t in them, I’d be following them too.

I think every new follower is a new opportunity of someone I could possibly interact with in the future. I absolutely love reading what other RPers come up with, so for me it’s another story I get to watch develop, which is a lot of fun. I’ve always been an avid reader, so getting to read everyone’s storylines is sort of like getting to read a bunch of books all at once. 

I’d say followers can get involved any time there’s any sort of open RP going on, which would be any interaction taking place in a public space where others don’t mind you getting involved. My classic example of this is whenever I have Sookie working at Merlotte’s, or out shopping, or suffering through a visit to Fangtasia, that sort of thing. As a general rule, I usually feel that if a character’s in a public space, it’s okay to approach them unless they’re having some serious, private conversation. If they’re in a private space, like a house, then it’s always polite to ask first. You never go into someone’s home without knocking; it’s just good manners. It’s always good to know what a character is doing and where they are before you start talking to them, and if they’re already involved in a narrative, it’s a good idea to ask first.

@SookieSC: They're bored? *laughs* Um.. truthfully? It surprises me when I get DMs from people who actually not only follow my account, but follow my SL. I never really think of doing this as something that someone else is watching. This is for me. For my human. I do this because I enjoy it. Though I appreciate the compliments I receive.

Some followers, follow merely in hopes of being followed back to build their own follower count (is not opposed to this and I follow everyone who follows me). Some, such as other RPers do it as a means to help support one another. I am a big fan of this and if Twitter would be nice and lift the Follower limit, I would follow many more RPers who are out there, regardless of what kind of RP they do. Several followers actually follow along. They enjoy the interactions and the SLs and in fact, several members in my group have started out that way. I do try and talk to anyone who talks with me. Many eventually make that leap into RP themselves.

+ + +

What are the challenges of twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker:  Twitter itself can often be a challenge. It seems to have so many issues with it's interface. It has gotten considerably better in the last year or so, but it used to shut down a lot. It was quite unnerving.

@BarmaidSookie: I think the most obvious challenge of twitter RP is trying to get anything at all said in 140 characters or less. With forum RP, I think you have a greater opportunity to get into the thought process of your characters, to really flesh out the details of your stories and take the time to paint exactly the picture you want. With twitter RP, the challenge is to do exactly that, only with way fewer words. I prefer the immediate response of twitter RP, and the real time progression of plots to the slower, more drawn out style of forum RP, where a thread that takes a month to finish is really only a few hours in your character’s life.

I’ve supplemented my twitter RP with blogging as Sookie, which I think fills in some of the details from her story that just aren’t expressed in 140 characters or less, and I’ve really enjoyed that. My background is in forum writing, so I’m always going to be a little detail-oriented, but there’s absolutely no substitute or comparison for the amount of interactivity you get on twitter. It’s a much bigger world for your character to live and thrive in, and while there are definite complexities to navigate and overcome, there’s also a much greater pool of opportunities and talent.

@SookieSC: *laughs* Like with anything, there are dozens of challenges with Twitter RP. Whether its the timezone differences (RPing with someone in another country for example), language barriers (the distance thing), the 140 character limit and of course, the #FailWhale attacks.

I think the biggest challenge is finding RPers who are willing to take on roles that are not exactly ideal. Several Canons are difficult to find and in most groups, you'll find several characters are played by the same couple of people and sometimes that is the best fit. Another challenge is sometimes you just don't mesh with the person you are RPing with. Just like in RL, you aren't always going to instantly get along with everyone and sometimes your characters just aren't a good match for one another.



More social media comics here.



 + + +

Any advice for Twitter RP newbies?

@LorenaTheMaker: Find a character that you adore playing. This will make every moment of your time on Twitter more enjoyable.

@BarmaidSookie: Read before you leap, probably. If you’re trying to get involved with a plot or even a discussion with another character, make sure you’ve read a little bit of their back story, even just their bio or their most recent tweets. It’s awkward to have someone trying to shake your hand while your character’s showering. Originality, creativity, and respect all go a long way in all RPing, not just on twitter. Listen to those around you, and keep an open mind.

@SookieSC: Relax. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to people you don't know. Be respectful to the fact that when someone is in storyline they may not immediately respond to an outsider and don't be discouraged if they don't respond. Finding your place in this world we've built (for ALL characters) takes time. I was lucky in stumbling into that place early on, not everyone is. Be patient. It will come and you will find your way.

+ + +

Stay tuned for more excerpts from my interviews with some of our favourite True Blood Twitter RPers. Whether you're an RPer or a fan, feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on my questions (or if you have questions of your own).

You can email me: becoming.truebie@gmail.com
Or ask me anything on formspring!

Follow me @becomingtruebie