Alrighty, so here goes. I've decided that I am going to host a few Roleplaying 101 classes. I'm developing my curriculum, and I will post up events as classes are developed. So far, I have the very first one ready for all who are interested. Here is the event notice.
http://www.gaiscioch.com/events/1918/
Introduction to roleplaying:
-Why roleplay?
-Key terms to know
-How exactly does one "roleplay?"
Now I'm not a loremaster in the Tyrian Universe, but for a simple 101 class, I'm not certain that I need to be a master of the lore.
Now before you ask "who is Ragmar to run a 101 event?" even though I doubt that question would ever cross the mind of any Gaiscioch, I'd like to give a little bit of my background in roleplaying.
-I've been "roleplaying" since I was little, about 4. My brothers and I used to make up stories as we ran around outside. I had numerous characters I could pull out of my head, and even managed to play two at once a couple times. That starts my experience.
-As soon as I was old enough to understand the more in-depth concepts with the numbers, the rolls, and the reading all at once, about 9 or 10, I started engaging in tabletops like D&D, Serenity, Warhammer 40k, Recruited, etc. Also, in the 4th grade, I wrote a 7 edition series of short stories for my grade of 150 students. It was enjoyed by all.
-Upon entering middle school and through high school, I took lead roles in most of the straight (non-musical) plays that I performed in. That was about 6 different plays, and developed characters that garnered compliments and awards from people throughout my community.
-Two years ago, I created and successfully managed a roleplaying guild on the Earthen Ring server of World of Warcraft, known as Honourbound. I guided my guild through 2 successful storylines, and we became a well-known guild throughout the server.
-I've been reading and writing at a level higher than my own for years. In the 3rd grade, I was operating at a 9th grade level. Come 6th, I was rated to perform at a college level. Since then, I've continued to dominate in my classes that have involved these two aspects.
This gives me roughly 13 years of experience, and quite a bit of credibility for what is generally termed a "young adult" or a "kid." I don't mean to toot my horn, make myself sound like an expert, or any of the above. I simply want to quiet any concerns about stepping into this role. Blame my own insecurities. We all have them. I'm certain that we have someone out there whose achievements in the acting and literary fields would blow me out of the water. And I would welcome the chance to be blown out of the water, to see what I could learn from them. That way I could take my own game to the next level, so to speak.
Anyway, I hope to see you out there. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Check back here for later classes on more aspects of roleplaying.