The other approach is to write extended paragraphs. It is done by turn, first one person, then the other. Within each paragraph you can develop great detail of the setting, your feelings and emotions and your actions or reactions.
While the first technique is more flowing, the second has the potential to be richer in detail. But there is a drawback, and it is the drawback that moves me to the first technique in my personal RP’s, and that is it is slow. It takes time to type and most here are not 60-70 word per minute typists (no one is a fast typist when typing with one hand because the other is busy doing something else (use your imagination as to what they might be doing) and that is fairly common in Second Life RP’s), so it takes time for each person to inject their part of the story, and of course you can’t begin typing until you know what is going on, or being done to you. So it can take 1 to 2 minutes or more between turns, and if you are sitting there with bated breath to see how they are going to react to your tremendously cleaver trickery, then you are going to be sitting there awhile. First they have to think how they would respond, then type it. I sit there yawning, looking at the clock and if it’s a sexy RP, then my excitement starts to abate, and that is not a good thing for me or my RP partner.
So, what do you say in RP? Well, there are three things which are typical. This is not in any specific order, but first a reaction to the input from your partner in the RP, then perhaps an emotional response, how it makes you feel, and finally your responding action.
This brings us to another word that is important to know and understand, and that is “emote” or “emoting” that is defined as the active display of emotion. As it applies in our case, in a typed description of that display of emotion.
So a good RP is one that is flowing, and engaging. One of the essential keys for me when I am in a RP is to try to inject myself mentally and emotionally into the role, and as it applies to Second Life, to inject myself into the character of my avatar.
Much of becoming a good Role Player, will be a result of trial and error, and with multiple efforts you will find the style and technique that will suit you.
A couple of important things to also keep in mind in regards to RP. First, and i think this is a common error many people make, (I included) don't get impatient. Don't emote for the other person(s).
One other thing to keep in mind, if you are in RP and you need to converse about anything not directly in the RP itself, then bracket that text so the other player recognizes and realizes what it actually is. Some people use a single bracket and others use a double bracket. ((this is a sample of a double bracket))
It is my hope that this offers you some aid in becoming an accomplished role player; after all, the next partner I may role play with could be you.