RPGs...
Not many in the world know what RPGs are. Oh, sure, they may know it stands for role-playing game, but most just think of it as a Final Fantasy like game. For those of you who do know what an online RPG is, good for you! We need more of you in our RPing community.
Well, first things first. What really is an RPG? Well, as I said before, it's a role-playing game. A site is made for this purpose and if you enjoy creative writing I suggest you try it. It's probably best to start at a forum site such as Gaia, or even Yahoo forums would do. Here you can join great long threads. Read the rules that are set out first, and make sure you know what kind of species is allowed in that thread. Yes, you heard me correctly. RPGs are for people who want to 'pretend' to be animals. It may make some people laugh, but it really is an exhilerating experience.
You start with a name, an appearance, and perhaps a vague history about your animal. When I first started out, I didn't know a thing about RPing. I was told to 'get better' before rejoining this thread because my posts were so horrible that there was truly nothing to write about. If this happens to you, don't worry, just keep plugging away.
Since I started with wolves I guess my example can be for a wolf RPG. There should be a joining form on the site/forum that you want to role-play at. (Make sure to read the rules first, for a password could be hidden there to see if you have read them or not.) Here's a quick copy and paste from one of the wolf RPGs I play at.
Name: Kilika
Age: 4
Gender: Female
Appearance: Grey and white all over her body. A tinge of red can be seen near her head area.
Personality: She is very quiet and tends to not trust those around her. It takes time for her to open up, but if you are patient, she will.
History (optional): She grew up in a normal pack, but one day it was raided by a neighboring group. She was forced to run away, and she hopes to live a new life here.
Picture (optional): N/A
It doesn't have to be anything complicated, as long as it gets the job done. Just make sure to use proper English, and no internet speak! That's a definite minus if you want to join a site RPG. Also, make sure you know something about the animal you are playing. You don't have to be a complete expert on the species, but having the common sense to look something up you aren't sure about is always a plus. Especially if you are joining a realistic wild horse, try to pick a breed that would survive out in the wild (not a high maintenance Thoroughbred or anything of the type) and keep the height, appearance, and age in mind. It's definitely a pet peeve of mine when I go to a wild horse RPG and see that all the horses around 18 hands high. Of course when you join an RPG you want a territory and you want to be a leader, but joining humongous horses won't help you win. It may give you an edge in battle, but if the other horse is small it has more speed. Anywho, judges do not judge by how large a horse is, they judge by the posts of the RPer.
So when you join a Mustang, make sure it is around the height they are (around 14 hands) instead of being 18hh. Some breeds, if they are allowed to join, are usually one colour. So if you want to join a Friesian, again, do not join a chestnut one. I don't believe there is such thing, and having characters that are special isn't always a good thing.
Of course, this is just me and my supreme iron fist rule on realisticity... If the RPG lets you have weird colours and heights, be my guest to use them. Just don't go overboard is what I mean. ^^;
Now back on track, once you are accepted (if you aren't talk to the owner and ask if they don't tell you) feel free to start role-playing! When you role-play try to make things interesting for yourself and the other. It'll give you more muse so that you can make more delicious posts for the both (or maybe even more) of you. If you have nothing to say, try to explain the scenery. This gives you at least a hundred words (maybe more) and it's always nice to know what the area your wolf is standing in looks like. Is it a clearing, a thick forest, a flat piece of grassland? Is there light streaming through the trees, or is it all dark? What's the weather like? Is it sunny, cloudy, windy, stormy? All of these things you can include in your post, alongside with the actual thinking and speaking.
I personally enjoy posts where the animal thinks about things and reveals a bit of their past along with it, but that is different for everyone. Avoid one liners, or anything less than 100 words. Though it can be effective, not many that post that little manage to develop their characters without a billion threads.
Try to stay away from the stereotypical personalities, or 'perfect' characters. Flaws make it fun to play, and you don't have to be the best of the RPG. People will like you all the more if you can admit that being perfect isn't everything. Instead of an immaculate white coat, two perfect sky blue eyes, want for a mate, and a gentle personality try to mix things up a bit. Try a tattered coat that used to be white, and probably could still be with a lot of cleaning. Dark blue eyes that seem foreboding and it's obvious the wolf is hiding a secret. She wants a mate, yes, but she won't go looking. He'll have to come to her. Her personality is all over the place. One moment she's happy, the other she's throwing herself at another wolf trying to tear them to bits. See? The latter wolf would be so much more fun to play. Others would be curious as to what that 'secret' is, why her personality is so jumpy, why she looks so haggard.
There are almost no limits in the RPing world (definitely no limits if you join a fantasy RPG) so... Let your imagination run wild! Enjoy!