A chat usually stalls because nothing new is happening, or because one reply took the story somewhere you didn't want. Here's how to fix both.
Give them something to react to
End your message with an action, a discovery or a question. "Okay" gives the character nothing to work with. Say you're chatting with a librarian. Instead of "Sounds good.", try:
"Sounds good." I slide a paperback across the desk. "Someone's written notes all through the margins. Any idea who had it last?"
Ask open questions
Questions that can't be answered yes or no get the character talking about their past, their plans and what they care about. With a musician you meet in a record shop, ask "What got you into music?" rather than "Do you like this album?"
Add a small twist
You don't need an explosion. A text you weren't expecting, the power going out or a regular who doesn't show up gives you both something new to talk about, and the character decides how to react.
Move the scene on
When a scene has done its job, write the jump yourself. With a mechanic, for example:
Next morning I'm back at the garage with two coffees. The car still makes that noise.
This works best right after a problem is solved, when the obvious question is "what now?"
Fix a reply that misses
Sometimes a reply repeats itself, forgets a detail or heads somewhere you'd rather not go. You don't have to start over:
- Regenerate gets a new version of the character's latest reply. Browse the versions and keep the best one.
- Edit, in the message menu, changes what you wrote. Handy when the character misunderstood you or your message didn't give them much.
- Rewind to here takes the chat back to the message you choose, for when things were fine until a certain point.
- The suggest-a-reply wand drafts a reply from the chat so far. Send it, edit it, or just use it for ideas.
- Retry tries again when a message doesn't go through.
The message menu also has Copy, Rate, Pin, Report and Delete.
A rescued chat
Say you're practicing for a job interview with a coach character, and the last three replies have all been some version of "Tell me about yourself." Use Rewind to here on the last good reply and send something with more to grab:
"I've answered that one. Ask me the question you think I'll struggle with, then tell me what a strong answer covers."
If the next reply is flat, Regenerate and compare a couple of versions. Still stuck? Tap the wand, or move the scene on: "Okay, the interview's over. How do you think it went?"
When to start fresh
Some stories just end. Start a new chat when the goal's been reached, when rewinding and regenerating still doesn't fix it, or when you want the same character from another angle.
Some characters have alternate greetings, and each new chat picks one at random, so a fresh chat can open somewhere new. Switching persona before you start also changes how the character sees you. See Personas explained.
New to Privee? Start with your first chat.