I've been roleplaying since I was... maybe thirteen? Possibly younger, though I honestly can't recall. And now that I'm turning 21, I've realized something:
No matter how long I spend roleplaying, I will never be as skilled as someone else out there. Whether it's on PA, or some site I've never heard of, there will always be someone who is better at the individual parts that make up a brilliant post/plot/character, etc.
HOWEVER, if I know one thing, it's this: Practice makes... well, not perfect. But pretty dang close. And the point isn't even to be "perfect," here. That's not what PA is about. The point is to gain the experience to better a part of your writing, or all of the facets that are included within that topic.
I probably say it too much, but if I could publish novels, my life would be complete. (well, more or less). And that's because my stories - my characters - might make a difference for someone. They might matter, and they might be important. They might be
relevant. So, here's what I want to suggest:
If you aren't sure how your character is relevant, think about the site plot. Determine where they will fit even as you're creating the app. Or message an Admin and give them an idea for a character and ask us to find them a place. Ask us who we need or what faction at the least, and then make a character that speaks to you but is also useful for the plot.
If that character has already been made, start thinking ahead. If... Death Eaters become the faction in charge, how will your character react? Just ask yourself those things when you wonder after why you made a character. When you consider dropping them because you can't find a use for them. Even if they can't impact the site plot today or tomorrow, you can prepare both them and yourself by considering possibilities they might encounter, by writing with people you wouldn't normally. You may want to check the Jump Into The Site Plot subforum, where I intend to start some fun opportunities, and where the Admins can give you some suggestions for how to start getting involved. Also, take into account the fact that, even if you don't know it yet, the Admins are almost always wondering where the site plot can go next. If you show interest in certain sections, we can get a better idea of what types of characters you guys want involved! We want to make you happy and give you chances to get your characters some fun things to react to.
Also, we Admins won't pretend that we don't want to work on certain areas, ourselves. Because I can't speak for each individually, I won't make some sort of Admin-specific list. BUT! Here are some suggestions for things you can PM us about, to get some easy practice!
-Any of the above things, of course, are open for questions
-Practice with Dueling (We can set up a simple fight thread for adults or a dueling-club style thread for students!)
-Magical Creatures writing practice (not sure how a werewolf acts? PM an admin with a werewolf character for some hands-on thread experience! Same goes for other magical creatures, of course.)
-Working your characters into the site plot (We can go over some suggestions and act as a springboard for ideas if you just want to discuss them with someone! We're also good for helping with non-romance personal plotting, if you're interested in that.)
-Specific House characterization (Some of us have trouble making people from certain houses. Not sure how to make a character Slytherin enough to find good plots? Struggle with making a Gryffindor rowdy enough to cause trouble and bring about creative threads? The Admins have made characters of all houses, including Beauxbatons and Durmstrang graduates, which are options for those interested, so we can offer suggestions for apps before you even post them. I mean, it's easier to edit before than after, right? So let us know if you aren't sure about an app, in any capacity.)
And there are loads and loads more topics you might be unsure about. Starting posts. Replying to Open Threads. Building bad characters or bad relationships. We'd love to practice all of those, too. Undoubtedly, we can all help each other! So, feel free to PM us as you see fit, even if it's just to talk or ask questions
by 
