I *definitely* need to find a happy place before I sit down and squeeze a post. Sometimes, if it's a good vibe I can write INFINITY posts-- others, it's a chore to get one out. I've found it's all about circumstance. There was a gap of about 2-3 years where I completely stopped rping, and in retrospect it was one of the hardest times of my life. It didn't feel like it then, but my mental well-being was pretty messed up; I was always stressed/depressed/lonely/insecure for many different reasons, and that not only effected my rping ability, but it also screwed with my art as well. It isn't until now, when my family situation is stable, I'm not on the street, I have my own bed to sleep in, and my horses aren't destroying fence and escaping every night, and I wasn't worried about social/romantic relationships that I can look deep inside and find creative inspirations.

I'm addicted to character creation, but I also believe in well-rounded individuals. I try to put a little of everything into the characters I create; I try not to be redundant with personality and appearance, and I always try to give my characters some sort of "purpose" to them. This purpose could be a plot, or sometimes I just want to prove a point or add some spice in the mix (IE Calvariam, an older character). Asking the hypothetical questions is a helpful tool-- you ask the same question for every character and determine how they would react. The goal is for every character to react differently.

Setting could also be a muse-stroker or a complete buzz kill. I lost TONS of muse for my character Safenger after he sat inactive and the Helovian setting shifted around him; the Veins became silent, and Catillatio started stalking the land, which was a role I was originally planning for Saf himself. I started channeling his personality through other characters as well, so he became pretty redundant. Maybe I can find a use for him later, but in terms of inspiration he has died in my mind.

Music is a big big BIG plus when it comes to writing posts. Assigning different songs/artists for different characters is also a good way to get into the mind of that individual. So far, I've broken it down to these categories:

ZIKAR-SIN is inspired by BEN FOLDS and TYCHO

CIRCE is inspired by COLDPLAY

LAILA is inspired by J-POP, K-POP, and anything bouncy/bubbly

BERNADETTE is inspired by JOE HISAISHI (composer for many Miyazaki films)

And so on :3 I also mix and match when the setting calls for different emotions.

Before I even start a post, I simmer over it in my head during the day, while I work or when I'm taking notes in class/doodling. I contemplate the general plot or the events in the thread, and I try to create a reaction that flows seamlessly with the goings-on. The longer I stop thinking about a thread, the worse the flowing is-- although if I don't immediately respond to one, it doesn't mean I'm not contemplating it. I try to take my time when I reply, as I've found impulsive ideas tend to be unfinished things that fizzle out in the end.

Once I figure out the appropriate way to respond to a thread, I break my "hypothetical" response into sections, giving the classic sequence of literary plot (introduction, rising action, climax, denoument). I place labels there for general idea, and when I finally sit down to write the post, I go back to those original ideas and flesh them out as I type. Sometimes truly epic quotes come to mind as I'm doing this-- other times, I find some sort of parallel in literature I've read before, and I either quote that particular lit or funnel inspiration from it.

So...read, kids :D

Finally, the most important thing I try to emphasize is that this is not the most important thing in the world to me. I have other things to do, and this is a surprisingly refreshing way to keep creative juices flowing and keep me occupied and happy. Channeling passion INTO something is different than being IMPASSIONED by it; when I start getting too 'into' it, I know I need to step back and take a breather. I'm not too bothered with word count, either; I feel that a 250 word post is just as good as a 800 word post, as long as the general point comes across and there's enough material to respond to. I also try not to be intimidated by other, inevitably better writers than myself; instead of thinking "WOW, I wish I can write like that!" I try to think "WOW, let me try to write like that!". It doesn't show, however, because I *obviously* have a problem with being long-winded. ^^;

You're awesome if you took the time to read all this XD I didn't mean to type all this but there it is! I guess the main points I want to emphasize is that I like to KNOW my character, HAVE FUN writing, DON'T STRESS it, and just DO IT :3