assortedmutts
do not feed the strays
- Pronouns
- she/her
I came across this little post a few years back - not sure I'd call it an article - and have been practicing the concept ever since with willing writing partners.
In essence, the idea behind seamless writing is that, rather than playing post-by-post, both writers get to interweave their writing with one another's. In my experience, it helps dialogue flow better and makes scenes feel more organic.
It's a very case-by-case thing, and it has never quite looked the same for me from partner to partner. Some people are more comfortable with certain aspects of it than others. Part of the appeal for me, though, is that it can go beyond simply interjecting with your character's reactions: we can actually edit each other's writing.
If there's something in the middle of a paragraph that we think would improve its structure or meaning, we can add it. If something becomes redundant or no longer works after the other writer has interjected with their character's reaction, we can take it out. The result feels more cohesive to me - less like two people taking turns posting, and more like two people collaborating on a cohesive story.
I get that it's not for everyone. I'm not particularly attached to my own creations, written or otherwise, and I'm comfortable letting others edit my work. In fact, I've found that practicing seamless writing has improved the way I approach writing myself: I think more about what I'm putting where, when, and why.
It's become my favorite form of RP since I started practicing it, which has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it's allowed me collaborate with some genuinely incredible writers on a level I hadn't experienced before. On the other... traditional roleplay has become kind of meh by comparison.
Anyway, I figured at least some of you might find it interesting. I'd love to hear if anyone else has practiced seamless writing before, or what your general thoughts are on the concept.
In essence, the idea behind seamless writing is that, rather than playing post-by-post, both writers get to interweave their writing with one another's. In my experience, it helps dialogue flow better and makes scenes feel more organic.
It's a very case-by-case thing, and it has never quite looked the same for me from partner to partner. Some people are more comfortable with certain aspects of it than others. Part of the appeal for me, though, is that it can go beyond simply interjecting with your character's reactions: we can actually edit each other's writing.
If there's something in the middle of a paragraph that we think would improve its structure or meaning, we can add it. If something becomes redundant or no longer works after the other writer has interjected with their character's reaction, we can take it out. The result feels more cohesive to me - less like two people taking turns posting, and more like two people collaborating on a cohesive story.
I get that it's not for everyone. I'm not particularly attached to my own creations, written or otherwise, and I'm comfortable letting others edit my work. In fact, I've found that practicing seamless writing has improved the way I approach writing myself: I think more about what I'm putting where, when, and why.
It's become my favorite form of RP since I started practicing it, which has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it's allowed me collaborate with some genuinely incredible writers on a level I hadn't experienced before. On the other... traditional roleplay has become kind of meh by comparison.
Anyway, I figured at least some of you might find it interesting. I'd love to hear if anyone else has practiced seamless writing before, or what your general thoughts are on the concept.