{{NOTE: I know there are already a few threads like this, but I wanted to give my own in-depth look view on what completely clueless newbies should do in situations where they might panic or make fatal mistakes. Sorry if this was all for nothing.}}
I remember when I was a newb to roleplaying - and it was only a few months ago. I was horrible at it, to say the least. So, in order to help others whose skills are not the best, I've written The Roleplaying Survival Guide for Newbies. If you're new to RPing, or just not very good, reading through this might help you improve.
Part I - Characters
No matter which site you play on, you must have a character before roleplaying - everyone knows that. Though the minimum length for each part of an application varies depending on the site and how advanced it is, the three parts of an appy that are always longest are Personality, Appearance, and History (Some sites require an 'Other' section as well, but since SotW does not, it will be overlooked in this guide).
The appearance is pretty bland unless you're on an unrealistic site. Try to make your wolf an individual - with special markings and physical traits, as long as they're realistic. In my opinion, the scar above, below, or through the eye is a bit overdone, but if it's what you want to do, most people won't slaughter you for it.
Unique personalities are important if you want to have fun roleplaying. Now, a wolf that kills anything in its path one moment and plays in the flowers while singing the next is a bit too far-fetched, but there are plenty of things within reason that you can do. Perhaps your wolf has a special fear, or dream, or even mental condition. An average, everyday wolf is no fun to play as or with. Trust me, I've been in both situations.
Ah, history. It's best to write this before Personality, because a history is usually what shapes a wolf's behavior. Some sites only require about 15 sentences, but some require much longer histories. Of course, a pup will not have had many things happen to it, but it doesn't give you a reason to just skim over its entire life. Try to describe all of the sights, scents, smells, events, and creatures that were parts of your wolf's life in as much detail as possible. Histories must be unique. I cannot stress this enough. The big, tragic death of a wolf's whole family is a bit overdone, but this doesn't mean it's off-limits. But try to do it for just one or two of your characters rather than all of them.
As an ending note to this section - don't be afraid to work on your application in short periods. You don't need to sit down and have the whole thing finished by the time you stand up again. Take your time. The longer your wolf's history takes, the better it can be.
Part II - Roleplaying
Most sites require posts to be written in prose - a story format, and most have to be in the past tense. Use terms like he, she, ran, saw, etc. rather than I, me, runs, sees, and suchlike.
You also have to keep in mind that OOC and IC are two different worlds. If a person's wolf hates yours, it doesn't mean the person hates you. I have spent way too much time brooding over things others' charries said to mine, all because I didn't know this. Don't let it happen to you.
Different sites have different minimums for the number of sentences in each post. To make your posts as long as possible, try to describe all of the sights, sounds, scents, etc. that are around your wolf. Also, check your Spelling and Grammar. If you can't do this with your computer, just find a program that will do it for you using Google or another search engine.
Part III - Responses
So let's say you've made your post, and someone has replied to you! What now? Once again, keep in mind that OOC and IC are two different things. Your wolf's feelings should be determined after you've posted back and forth for a while - it is unrealistic for characters to hate or love one another from the moment they meet.
Don't be afraid to go wild. If your wolf is bold and you are shy, just try to suck it in and make your insane wolf do something, well...insane. If you are incapable of doing this, you probably shouldn't be playing such a bold wolf.
Also, keep in mind that wolves are just wolves. They cannot know everything, do everything right, or be perfectly angelic or perfectly evil. It's much more realistic if your character is unable to read others' intentions and thoughts - even if it causes bad things to happen for your character.
Keep in mind that you cannot edit your charrie's actions once someone has replied.
Part IV - Common Courtesy
I cannot stress this enough. Be courteous. Everyone makes a mistake sometimes, whether it regards weather, setting, or another person's wolf. I accidentally said that my Maua, a charrie on another site, was glaring at a fox out of her left eye. The problem is that she's blind in her left eye, and I forgot. I just pretended that Maua was trying to intimidate the creature with her 'freaky-eye.' Try to do that - convert your mistakes to in-character mistakes or ideas. People will usually not blow up at you if you do this, nor will they do so if you apologize for your mistakes. But don't take this as gospel - some roleplayers are downright mean, and they can and will chew your head off for a simple mistake. Just don't fall to that level.
Part V - Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you improve your roleplaying skills. Keep in mind that a good way to get better is to read other peoples' posts and examine just how they write and play their characters.
Thanks for reading!
~Nearah/Sophette and Marion/Savior
Wow, awesome guide Nearah! I'm sure any o0b can benefit from this, no offense to any newbies of course! ^^