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Why limit yourself to one world for your character when you could write them into dozens? Nova, a young writer here on the YWP, invites you and your novel’s characters to enter into the wondrous world of online roleplay! 

Roleplaying is a very ambiguous form of collaborative writing that a lot of Wrimos really appreciate. It allows us to create any character we want in any universe with anyone. I mean, what could allow more literary freedom than that? Many see it as an escape route from reality, similar to reading a good fantasy novel, but it can actually help hone your writing skills.

Even if the setting is completely different than the novel you’re working on, submitting a character that you want to develop into a roleplay that mirrors one of your own stories can really further that character’s interactions and history inside your novel. Roleplays can provide some clever inspiration in ways you could never expect until you face them in a story navigated by many people working together (or quarreling, which makes things exciting) to form one plotline. It is a very sporadic and reactive type of writing, so if you know how to handle yourself well in a roleplay, you can conquer the age-old writer’s block that everyone seems to hit in the middle of a chapter.

If your novel is extremely specific in its setting, so you can’t possibly fit your characters into a different environment, starting your own roleplay with a few friends to expand the visualization of your universe is a terrific idea! You can brainstorm your own story in a controlled space where you can even receive critique from others.

Click here to read the full article on the NaNoWriMo blog!