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The Hello Thread Debacle


Morrigan
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So Hello threads have a real fifty fifty way to go. They can go well or, like for most of them that I see they tend to die in a horrible fire of forced conversation that may or may not be OOC to get people to interact!

 

For me!? I hate them. I do understand that they are a somewhat necessary evil but I hate "forced" or impromptu situations. I actually consider it while I'm out. I think the last person in a line I actually interacted with was a woman at Christmas in a "Catdog" pajama and that was mostly because I couldn't believe she was actually wearing what I thought she was wearing. Still didn't get her name... or number.

 

I know we don't necessarily work on every semblance of reality because we're going above and beyond but doesn't that make these "hello" threads more obscure and crazy for us to adhere to? Shouldn't we be making our bonds more deep than a "trip and fall and I give you my number after a short chat?"

 

Introduction threads, to me, feel superficial. The way to introduce a pair to "ship" them. How do you work around that? How do you make an intro thread interesting?

 

For me? I either try to fabricate even a flimsy history! Even if they met at a frat party last week (give them something to chat over) OR! I make it less of an introduction and more of an adventure! I lose interest in awkward meet me threads and personally try to avoid them always.

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I occasionally make threads to meet people if I'm new, and I definitely join hello threads with characters that are more experienced in the setting and so, can show a new person a few ic ropes or connect them with a few other characters that make better fits for plots, but I prefer threads with more plot than a meet and greet does. A hello thread can evolve into a big adventure or mystery when handled well, but that's assuming the characters develop a reason to stick together through one another's problems or that the plot forces them to stick together. If characters don't have that motivation to stay together and interact, a hello thread can and will end very quickly or get awkward fast.

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OOC I will only post in intro threads if I'm new to a site where I know no one and they don't encourage or particularly participate in Discord/c-box. Maybe if there is a popular intro thread I might consider it. I just find them very arbitrary. 

 

For IC characters they can be pretty much the same. I like to go in with at least a working idea. An unexpected, entertaining, whatever- set up so the characters involved have a reason to interact. Or else I'll ask for another character to come in and make introductions. I know that my writing doesn't have to accurately mirror every aspect of real life, but I still like to dwell within the realm of plausibility. 

 

I think the last conversation I had with someone I didn't know (that didn't include me ordering food) was some guy in the cold and flu isle. He said "this is a popular hangout spot" and I laughed. He had a cold, my husband had a cold, we briefly discussed then said have a nice day. We ran into one another at the Walgreen's counter and left the store at the same time but didn't say another word to one another. So if my character bumps into yours in a coffee line, he isn't going to strike up a conversation unless something prompts him too. Existing in the same space for a fraction of time is not much of a prompt. It could be, but like Morrigan I feel like those interactions often end up feeling really forced. Better to go in with an idea, even if it's a small one to help them get through the weird ice breaking phase.

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I always get just a little sad when the other person says they want our first thread to be the characters' first meeting. I'm one of those writers that can take a boring interaction and turn it into an adventure if everyone is game, but when someone just wants to meet the first time it can be more difficult. I am upfront, though, and make sure the other writer knows that it is possible that the thread will only be a couple of posts before the characters move on. I often ask if they would like to do time jumps to show those small meetings adding up to their first adventure. I don't mind doing them in general because I have had a few people, mostly random ships, who find out that we don't mesh well as collaborators from these. Nothing like standing around swaying on your tip toes in thread while shooting down ideas ooc to show that there is no future with us. Whenever I make a wanted character, I make sure to spell out that I would like them to begin with an established relationship and we can hash out those early introductions ooc. I much prefer a casual, rapidfire/chat play style quickie in discord to get the introductions out of the way than a 1000 word and 10 post minimum introduction thread where both characters are 90% in their own head.

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There are many people who prefer to be brand new, so first meetings happen often. Usually, it makes sense that a newly arrived Navy man reports for duty and gets assigned to the ship, that a pirate or a privateer is looking to be hired, etc.  And it can work. I also prefer to start in medias res, but many people like writing everything out and not assuming any previous relationship, be it as coworkers or something.

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I like meet and greet threads. 8D But I would be bored if it was just "trip and fall" unless there's something special about it. Yeah, most people aren't gonna become best buddies in the grocery store line, but that's where we as writers just have to be creative. I'm not writing about my day to day life; I'm writing a fictional story and get to take creative liberties to make fun stuff happen. (But as for real life situations, I've totally befriended people I've met just out and about in public! It really does happen!)

 

I tend to do a lot of high stakes meet and greet threads, things that force the characters into a situation that they have to work together to get out of. Or, I opt for comedy.

 

I dunno, I've never struggled with this. But 90% of my threads are open threads with a situation set up for strangers to meet...and most of these threads currently have posts in the hundreds. Several are almost 2000 posts long now. (Edit: actually, they're over 2000 posts now, whoa. xD Didn't even realize until I checked!) I absolutely love random encounters and seeing where these characters will end up! (Even if it ends up being short--sometimes that happens, and that's okay! But I have had SO many epic plots develop from this very set-up!)

 

I don't really like to plot and plan, or at least not much. So random encounters are 100% ideal for my play style. If I'm long-time RP buddies with someone, I'll totally plan established relationships because I already know how we mesh and what I can expect, but for everyone else, I just can't anticipate how characters will hit it off before they've threaded together, and since I love surprises, I just love going in totally blind. ❤️

Edited by Viscount Rhi-Rhi
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On 2/2/2019 at 12:00 AM, Morrigan said:

Introduction threads, to me, feel superficial. The way to introduce a pair to "ship" them. How do you work around that? How do you make an intro thread interesting?

 

Add a bear.

 

Or an axe wielding murderer.

 

Or conflict between the characters.

 

Or all of the above.

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I don't mind meet and greet threads, but for me they tend to carry some objective to them, sort of like what @Elena mentioned. My character is there to give yours a job, or yours is going to give mine a job, or a job interview, or a puppy, etc. 

 

I think as well that the success of these kinds of threads can depend heavily on the kind of characters involved. I don't think that these things never happen in real life, and in fact have a story similar to this myself. I was out at the anniversary party for a bar, I saw a local musician there that I knew who was with his SO, and she introduced herself to me and the next thing out of her mouth was: "We should hang out." Zero effort made on my part there, and we're great buddies now!

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