Hi,
I was reading about how some of you guys write snail mails to eachother and wondered if any of you also Role Play (Rp) when you write letters. Something like making up characters who live in a certain time and place setting, then writing letters to eachothers characters that deal with the setting?

~lanfear

Oh, that sounds like fun! I'm writing a journal for a fictional character but I've never tried role-play letter writing.

The novel 'Sorcery and Cecilia' by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer was written this way.

I had doing this once years ago and the person got a blast by it, I also saw some thread where there was a picture of an detailed packet that was the letter but was created out of other documents. Can;t remember who did it.

There is a published role playing game called "De Profundis" that is played entirely by post. You play by inventing a character inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft and, essentially, telling a horror story (psychological or supernatural) to the other player or players.

Play proceeds by the players writing letters to each other, so that a completed game is essentially an epistolary story. The rulebook (which is really more of a set of atmospheric suggestions and play examples) strongly encourages players to try to make everything look authentic to maintain atmosphere (so no email or fax if you are playing in the "standard" 1920s setting of Lovecraft).

I just started writing to one of our own here. She had sent me a letter introducing herself and I almost..... almost..... wrote back a lie. I was going to explain that I was a homeless person, living in a park and that I stole the stationary from blah, blah, blah. I thought it would be a fun way to start off, but I chickened out at the last minute. Now you're telling me I should have done it.

This idea has piqued my interest. Tell me more. /Craig

Sounds like fun!! I would be up for starting something like that.My preferred time period being 1860-1900 or 1925-1945.Probably europe.

Jim

Good heavens, with the perfection of the Fulton machine and the steps forward in transmitting its power to a water-screw, trans-Atlantic adventures are within the reach of the meanest peasant!

It does, however, sound like a ton'o'fun. I hover on the edge of buying a De Profundis rulebook, just to have some kind of common ground-rules.

And it's a truly delightful book, if you're fond of Georgette Heyer. Or even if you've never heard of Georgette Heyer. Although it would help if you like frothy tongue-in-cheek epistolary novels about two young women in Regency England -- but a Regency England where magic works.

Edit: Sorry, a little off topic , but I hadn't thought about Sorcery and Cecilia for awhile.

I have read her mystery's. _No Wind of Blame_ is one of my favorite mystery stories of all time.
They are SO hard to find in the US though.

I once wrote a friend a letter entirely in kennings, does that count?

This sounds like a lot of fun. Rules?

I'm not sure if there are many rules. Aside from De Profundis, mentioned above, I haven't found a lot of references to RP letter-writing, aside from its educational uses. I guess if a couple of people agreed on a genre, time-period and setting they could do just about anything they want. They could decide on their own limitations or rules before starting. Maybe the OP will chime in again with their ideas about it.

I like this idea too.....wow letter writing AND creativity all rolled into one.....

Bump.

Has anyone started? How does one join in?

I haven't heard if anyone has started, although I've been thinking of it lately. Do you have a particular genre/setting in mind? I'd try posting a new topic saying what you'd like to do, and see if you get any takers. There seem to be people from all genres here, so you might find someone who'd like to try it.

This seems an intriguing idea, If anyone does try it I would like to hear what they think of it.

This also piques my interest...

Ditto!

Heck I'm new here-- might as well plunge in with both feet. I'm willing to post if we have any takers & can agree on how we'd go about it.

Even have a story in mind. Circa 1920's involving a haunted house-- or maybe not really haunted... An expedition to find out!

I took a swig out of my flask as I stood behind the lace-trimmed curtains of my bedroom window. The real McCoy this-- the scotch went down smooth-- not like the bathtub concoctions that could send the unknowing into hospital. Such a sad lonely looking house across from mine. Was it the scotch or just my own melancholy musings? Ghosts next door, or just my own sentimentalism? Spirits of the departed or merely what they had so suddenly and mysteriously left behind? Like faded snapshots in time-- a collection of dusty, tarnished, and moth eaten bric-a-brac most likely. I stood at the window trying to place myself in the crepuscular light of times long past-- a way of life long gone except for the dilapidated old two story structure whose stubborn existence seemed a kind of silent statement. Or perhaps bearing witness, but but witness to what? "Oh, Rubbish!" I thought to myself, deciding to put such gloomy thoughts aside in favor of some quiet time with an old rocking chair and my delightful briarwood pipe. At least they hadn't outlawed tobacco!

But how would we do this? How many words per post? Scan a page? (I take it the idea is to *write* not type, but a string of scans might take up bookoo server space)

Anyway, great idea Lanfear! I'm up for it if anyone else is.

--Bruce

Not just spanking somebody if they send a letter written in biro, then?

Sounds intriguing.

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but quite the newbie here.

Has this idea kind of stalled out, or have I missed something? I mean how do you go about it? PM each other & it gets mailed? How do you get on the "mailing list" or is there one?

thx

--Bruce

I don't think there is a mailing list. My suggestion would be to post a new topic (because it might get lost if you post it here) and say what genre and setting you are interested in and ask if anyone is interested. I'm not sure exactly how other people have done it, but I get the impression that it seems to work best with only two people. But then again, it could work with more, if you figure out how to co-ordinate it.

It would be nice if someone who has actually done it could give us some info about how it's done. Maybe dreg, who ordered the De Profundis guidebook, will tell us more about it when his book arrives.

Cool. Have vague memories of playing 'Call of Cthulhu' during undergrad days, but that was many moons ago.

Hopefully Dreg will get back to us then.

thx

--Bruce