Roleplay Tips

Back to Basics: 'Literacy' Levels

In my experience, there are four-ish different levels of literacy in RP - these broadly include from illiterate, semi-literate, literate, and advanced literate. These, to grossly simplify, show how much you write, and how much detail to use. There is nothing wrong with any of these styles of RP, but if someone says they're advanced literate, don't give them semi-literate responses, or vice-versa, and definitely don't claim you're an advanced literate RPer, if you're actually semi-literate. This is a mistake a lot of people make, and it can be very frustrating. To clarify what these look like, here are some examples and explanations!

Illiterate:

If you use asterisks (these symbols *), and write only one or maybe two lines (on a phone screen), you probably do illiterate RP; as previously stated, there is nothing wrong with this - not everyone wants to channel the spirit of Victor Hugo when they sit down to RP. Here's an example: *smiles and picks flower and gives it to u*

Semi-literate:

A lot of people say they are literate, but are actually semi-literate. It's a little more difficult to define, but generally speaking if you write 3-5 lines (one a phone screen) on average, and are more relaxed on grammar and spelling you probably do semi-literate RP. Here's an example: She blushes and smiles and tucks her hair behind her ear. "you know how much i like flowers." she said.

As for literate, it again can be a little harder to define, but generally speaking you'll have a fairly good to good grasp on grammar and spelling, you'll write about 6-20 lines (on a phone screen, as ever). Of course, if you write a lot but are still very relaxed when it comes to grammar and spelling, then you are probably still semi-literate. Here's an example of literate RP:
It's hot and bright in the desert, making Liz's eyes hurt, she thought she might get sunburn. She wished she'd brought water. Victor didnt look much better, and looked very warm as well. "How much longer until we get there?" Liz moaned.
"I don't know. We get there when we get there," Victor snapped.

Now advanced literate RP (which is what yours truly is, if you're curious). If you do advanced literate RP, you have a very strong grasp on grammar and spelling, as well as at least a passing knowledge of literary techniques like metaphor, and you probably (but not always) write a fair amount - about 20+ lines (say it with me now, folks, 'on a phone screen'). Here's an example of advanced literate RP (yes, it is from a Black Butler Roleplay):

There was a brief burning sensation, like you were bathed in boiling water, accompanied by that feeling you get when you stand up too fast and the floor seems to shift. This was entering Hell, after all, it was never going to be pleasant. You knew you had arrived when your skin started burning, either because it was scorchingly hot or bitingly cold - in this case they got bitingly cold.
When the world around Grell and Sebastian reappeared, they were stood in a forest, not the pretty kind with sun filtering in through the green leaves leaving dappled leopard spots of light dancing across the earthen floor, this was the sort of forest you doubted you'd ever come out of, with trees that seemed to twist into grinning faces or withered hands, where the shadows drop wicked hints at what could be lurking beyond, and the pine needles above grow so thick that you're stuck in uncomfortable half-light - bright enough for you to see things, but not light enough for you to tell what they are. In these sorts of forests, something is always watching, and anybody with any sense will know not to dawdle.

Sebastian inhaled through his teeth. Living in Southern England, you forgot what it felt like to be somewhere truly cold - sure, it snowed, and sometimes it could get quite miserable if you had to stand out in the rain too long, but it was never the sort of cold that could kill a human in ten minutes, or freeze flowing water in its tracks. Here, the cold didn't jut nip at you, it gripped you between its leviathan jaws and didn't let go. He'd always preferred the bone dry heat of the deserts, which was the only other alternative in Hell, and that had been where he'd stayed, and it was where Vesper stayed as well - insects didn't do well in the cold either, so it made sense really.
Sebastian gathered his wings around himself, and cursed younger him's liking for skimpy, tattered clothing, which by all means worked fine when you lived in the Hellian equivalent to the Sahara Desert, but did not work nearly so well when you were up to your knees in snow. Still, Ciel wasn't going to save himself, and if it was Vesper who had taken him then Sebastian didn't want to leave it too long lest Vesper got impatient. Sebastian slipped the sword into a scabbard on his belt, and put the compass in his pocket, before setting off.

Welp, so that was literacy levels. If you're still not sure, feel free to DM me or comment, send me an example of what you usually write, and I can give you an educated guess. If you want to do some advanced literate RP, you can also comment or give me a DM, though I do have three going at the moment so I could be a little slow. As ever, thank you for reading, Serpent Author, out!