Quality or Quantity?

[Super Buu]

*Points to title* That's the question. When it comes to writing, do you prefer two posts, or one post that's better written?

I've been told more than once that I should pump out more writing, but unless I start compromising quality it ain't gonna happen.

You can tell the difference between a post that's taken about half an hour to write, and another that's taken an hour or two. And I don't mean length or word count, either. My favourite writer here on Chubbs (I won't give a name because A: I don't want to embarass them and B: I don't want to incite feelings of jealousy) takes a while between posts, but each and every one is a joy to read. I can't stand reading stuff that has obvious errors and hiccups that could easily have been rectified had the writer taken a little time to check it over and improve it.

It might take twice the time to finish quests and such, but I'd still much rather spend my time perfecting a single paragraph than just rushing on to the next. Discussion is open! What are your thoughts?

[Super Buu]

Originally posted by King Chapa
Why write 5 pages of something if you can explain it in two?

I'm probably going to end up sigging that quote - I agree, 100%. Often I'll cut out unnecessary filler from my sentences and paragraphs, simply because it makes it easier to read. Writers often forget that people don't want to read a crapload of stuff ... readers want to be able to read something and get the message, without spending ages having to 'decipher' it.

[Piccolo Daimoun]

Usually, if you keep a post going for too long, you'll run out of different ways to describe things and it'll feel like you're just re-reading the same paragraph. Anyway...

I prefer quality, mostly because I'll only write if I get a certain inspiration, (Or if I'm about to go MIA, heh.) I hate trying to force myself, and I know you can tell easily when I have to force myself to write.

I dunno, it's cool if you can pump out more, but don't force yourself too.

[Kazuya]

Personally, I prefer a little bit of both. Short posts drive me nuts, because I want to read some more, and it sucks when like, a week goes by still nothing, but, if it will be made up with the next installment, awesome.

Things that really drive me nuts is the misspellings and messed up grammar (even though, on a few occasions, I have been guilty of it myself). Even without a word processor with spell check, that is still not much of an excuse not to reread your post and fix anything that is off, and misspellings and other like that turn me off to reading that person's work. I know, it is wrong of me, but it just shows lack of attention, like they don't care.

To pop some egotistiacal stuff (cause it wouldn't be a Vi post without it ^_^) Yeah, I post alot. So what? I put some care into my posts, and especially with my personal saga, but what really fuels me is working with others that are more skilled than I am, for some reason, it makes me want to improve.

I would have to say that the people who have really sparked my interest is Super Buu initially, as his posts are just the cream in my coffee, and gawd knows I can't go without that. I swear I have withdrawls when I am finished reading his stuff...Working with him int he past (our spar was near freakin epic...enjoyed that alot.) and Red Stallions was just a pleasure unto itself, as was working with KB. Although we have yet to really work together beyond Red Stallions, KB's stuff (namely the Vini Vidi Vici....go read it people) kept me well entertained, and has to be one of my top three favorites here on Chubbs. Thirteen keeps me posting, he fuels my posts as I fuel his (stated to me but the man himself...just parlaying it...biiiig ego boost) Although some of his stuff has me rereading parts, the serious take on his character(s) is pretty impressive. I have more faves here, but those are the only ones that I have really time to comment on at the moment.

[Rem-13]

Well for me, I run my stuff through a spellchecker and reread it two sometimes three times after I've finished my first draft. This is not including redoing individual paragraphs along the way, and I always have spelling errors and missing letters and words. Its really annoying noticing them after the 10 minute edit is up.


Now as far as the question, its been discussed before. The general consensus was, (and I tend to agree) quality over quantity. Long and boring is even worse than short and boring.

[Kazuya]

Originally posted by King Chapa
There is some irony in what you said Vi, for in your latest post in your spar I found a typo.

He leg shot up and connected with the Saiyan's temple, sending him sailing through the feild, but he had reached out with one hand, grasping at the ground, and stopped, twisting his trajectory to dart back towards her again, and this time, the payload he delivered was one she would not soon forget.

Unless Vi had some sort of surgery that I don't know about, it should be:

Her leg shot up and connected with the Saiyan's temple, sending him sailing through the feild, but he had reached out with one hand, grasping at the ground, and stopped, twisting his trajectory to dart back towards her again, and this time, the payload he delivered was one she would not soon forget.

Aside from that little "mishap" I agree wholeheartedly with everything you all are saying, so lets keep this going.

Like I had said, I am guilty of the typo thing myself, but that whole thing was done without spellchecker. I tell you though, working within this community will improve your writing skills immmensly. I know I have improved since I began, and some stuff from my earlier posts kind of contradict my newer, plotholes, etc. But, I have to admit, I don't believe I post many things that could be qualified as sub par.

But my advice to the new crowd is to keep working at it, take your time, and reread your work. Always rereading your work, you can find things that you may not have caught previously, and if you do this preventative measure, you can beat the ten minute posting rule like the naughty dog it is.

[Ruhiel]

Yeah, this has been asked before, and it was an overwhelming consensus for quality over quantity.

Of course we all love to have quality over quantity. If a piece of work is very well done and obviously has some thought put into it, I'll usually enjoy it. If they can come up with interesting storylines and plot twists, it makes it even better. Describing things well always helps evoke images in the reader's mind, but too many cause problems. What I LOVE to see are people who have obviously thought through their entire storyline before they write it, and can create huge story twists, engaging sub-plots, and then weaving them all together at the end. Whenever that happens, I'm just like "Wow. They need to consider becoming an author." or at least, so long as they aren't already.

[Banned Dana]

I'm kind of with Vi on this one.

Quality and quantity.

as far as quality, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

If I can read through the entire ordeal and there is one or two typo's, maybe a few run on sentences or what not, doesn't bother me as long as the story keeps me entertained.

And like violet said, I don't want to wait a week or two just to get to read the second post, if I do, I quickly lose interest in the story all together.

Personally, i rp, a lot. I honestly don't care if many people like or dislike it, I enjoy doing it. Sure I could spend about an hour or two re-reading it and correcting the errors, I re-read it once, and if I miss a thing or two, or twenty, shrug...I'm working with a word pad that has probably the worst dictionary, worst spell check, no word/character count, so I kind of have to glance through a regular dictionary that I have next to the computer to check myself.

Basically, I don't make RP'ing work...if it becomes work, it becomes less enjoyable for me, thus causing less rp's.

On the other hand, I enjoy reading rp's such as Vi's and Android 17's. They use words that reach far out, rarely have spelling and gramatical errors. My rp'ing has changed drastically becuase of them. SB has probably the funiest rp's btw...

but anywho, that's my little rant. The way I see it...quality and quantity kind of play with each other, find a happy medium, don't work too hard towards one, or you'll lose the audience.

[Mal Nova]

Yea.

Now my argument.

First off, it's quality over quanity any day.

Now then. Time for some small speech.

OK, well, I can look and tell IM not as good as I use to be when it ocomes to writing. I have weaknesses. I know what I need to do. But I can't do it.

I'm possibly one of the best SOB's when it comes to creating things.
But when it comes to wording things the way I want.. I suck!


And I have been here longer then alot of you... off and on... that is

Here are a few tips I can remember:

Kami: Instead of using he(or was it 'his') put something else

18: Description helps. Paint the picture.

Rad: Dont repeat. Be creative

Alot others were helpful. Burter... Old janemba...BKA Goku now I think.

After my drunken fallout that was misunderstood... I went to Evo... and Goku Jr. was damned there the main character as a hero. Till I vanished.

I was kinda good back then. After I got into it and had freindly help.

My advise to the whole community is this... Find a buddy.... and make them your RPing buddy.

Minoshia and myself (as Goku Jr.), but we partnered up on a quest that delt with guys robbing a bank. We were freinds. We both were... p[assable at the time. Then A16 challegend us to a fight Mino excepted it for US. I was confused till Mino told me and I backed him fully. A16 did his post. I was next. I had it planned. and told Mino my idea. Mino, the better writer executed the idea. All three died. Because of teamwork. My idea and his writing and our teamwork. The dude was stronger then us. Alot stronger.

BE NICE!

Being a f*cking prick will only piss people off... and will cause drama and poor quality.

Be helpful... everyone needs a freind.

But remember... be nice... thats the best way to usually help someone.

[Hellfighter 17]

Combined, weren't you only here four months?

Oh, and quantity = qaulity.

[Super Buu]

I would still say Quality > Quantity, because in the less time it takes you to read, you get more enjoyment from it. And besides that, you can't read all the stuff on the site, so you may as well spend it reading stuff that's taken time to write

Mainly I'm not talking about obvious typos and the like. Whilst they can tip you off to laziness, mostly I can tell if a post has taken time from how the depth of the message it's giving. I loved the analogy Reijin used for one joiner post, that some stuff holds so little thought it's just like "Jan can run. Watch Jan run. Run Jan run."

[Hellfighter 17]

The better the quality, the more naturally the quantity should come out. Thus, quality can equal quantity, but quantity doesn't necassarily mean quality. Like, how many times were you inspired so greatly that you wrote a five-hundred word post and it was your best? =\

[Super Buu]

Originally posted by HellFighter 17
The better the quality, the more naturally the quantity should come out.

True for raw, unrefined writing, but that discounts revising your stuff and improving it.

Like, how many times were you inspired so greatly that you wrote a five-hundred word post and it was your best? =\

I dunno about you, but I count writing pieces as a whole, ignoring the signatures and stuff inbetween. Post length doesn't matter to me; 2x500-word posts = 1x1000 word post in my eyes. Mainly I just post as I do stuff because it breaks it up and it's easier to get feedback as I work through the story as a whole.

But yeah, when you're inspired it is easier to write more, and that stuff is usually better than your generic uninspired writing. Writing fight scenes springs to mind as something that grinds after a while.

[Hellfighter 17]

If you take two posts that ar eboth good in their own respect and put them together and they flow naturally, I'd generally give them more when combined.

[Yamu]

Long posts bore me.

I think you should write the emotion and movement of the time treating each post like a chapter in the book that is the thread.

Giving the reader conveineint stopping points is nice as when I'm online I'm usually doing 20 other things and being able to read to a spot and get a nice logical ending then coming back is appreciated.

I think anyone who thinks any 6,000 word posts beats any 1,000 masterpiece is not only mistaken but is completely missing the point of writing in the RolePlay format.

There is no contest between quanity and quality. None.

[Burter Jr]

http://cdbzrpg.dracondev.com/forum/threa...8402&sid=&

[Super Buu]

Psh, that was a year ago, and we've got lots of new people now Besides, I feel like a big ol' debate/discussion *cracks knuckles*

[Orion]

Quality for sure, but I do always make sure I write so many words. Otherwise I feel I haven't put in enough description or content into a post. As long as it's more than about 2500 characters I'll post, but I much prefer over 5000. I do see quantity as a good thing, but quality should precede it.

[Burter Jr]

I write small posts, does that mean my writing sucks?

That's what some of your arguements are pretty much saying.

[Yamu]

I'm with BJ. The length of a post had not once come into play with how 'good' I thought it was. Saying if you don't put in a certain word count it isn't any good is just...silly.

Over the course of a thread, you might see the length to gauge a writer's effort but even that can be false. In my Healing training, I was writing about three posts for every one I posted. They were just not good enough and were thrown out...there is only 7 or so up there...but it was a good five or six hours spent on each.