Hunger Games RPing Tips - To Be Moved Eventually

Since a new Reaping is fast approaching, I remembered this ol' thing and decided to come see if I could add anything to it. =3 As usual, I talked too much, but maybe you can get some use out of this.


Don't try to tie yourself to an idea. The Arena will change your character, and in other ways it won't, and neither can be predicted one hundred percent of the time.

Decide a few things at the start of the Games. What will always stay the same about them? What grounds them? What is likely to change about them? How will the continuities and changes affect each other? (For example, I knew I'd have to convince Ara to kill somehow, but I couldn't let her lose her love for the world, so I had to find ways for her to kill without malice; meanwhile, I expected that losing loved ones would strengthen her already-present fear of clouds.) What parts of their personality are probably going to be totally lost? Things like that.

Then change your mind.

Not all the time; perhaps not even most of the time. Just don't be afraid to be flexible. There will be surprises, and you might not like them because they don't fit your original plans or your concept of who your character should be. That's okay. Ignore yourself. Listen to your character (in non-schizophrenic lingo, that'd be more like "pay attention to how well the writing is going"). If they agree that it's a bad idea, don't do it- but don't follow plans that they're resisting, either. Either way, you'll end up with a stale, forced character. Sometimes it's best to keep your plans, but sometimes you need to go with the flow. (I must say, I wasn't pleased when I realized how easily Aranica's optimism was shaken; I always considered unwavering cheerfulness to be an underlying principle of her character and didn't know what would become of her if she lost that. I couldn't force her character back to that personality, though, and in the end I realized that it really did work. If anything, the fact that she can grieve at length and still remain herself helps her become a much more dynamic person. Who's happy all the time?)

Above all, stay realistic and true to character. Make sure your tributes come through as people.

Yes, we're talking about a futuristic world. No, that doesn't mean your character can stop being a human being. They are not the same person they were and never will be, even if most parts of them remain the same, but they are still real. Even when dying, even when hiding, even when killing they continue to experience real emotions, real thoughts. Perhaps they aren't the same reactions your darling would have had pre-Arena, but they are just as valid and should be treated the same. Make it believable. Make it visceral. No matter what's going on inside those tired little heads, be sure that your reader can understand it. Keep reminding yourself of who your character was, who they are now, and how both of those play into the things that the people back home are watching on-screen. Don't say that Timmy went into a homicidal rage and killed four tributes without even considering that he should feel guilty about it. Figure out why, and show us. Never allow us to take anything for granted.

Use. your. RESOURCES.

Anthems can give your tribute a chance to respond to a death they didn't see, or to respond a second time now that they've had some time after the fight/accident/whatever to cool down a tad. Board descriptions provide- get this- descriptions! Which you can, of course, use to add flavour to your setting. If your character is interacting with mutts or other tributes, pay attention to other people's posts. This isn't a one-man show, so don't be shy about using what's offered to you!