There are several reasons why many roleplayers, despite claiming to be "novella" or "literate," have a near-allergic reaction to reading character sheets, lore, or request threads/posts. While each individual may have their own specific justifications, the general trends tend to fall into the following categories:
1. The Illusion of Literacy
Many roleplayers adopt the "literate" or "novella" label as a status symbol rather than an actual commitment to in-depth writing. It is a self-perception of skill rather than a practiced discipline. They write long posts, but that doesn’t mean they engage deeply with material outside their own prose.
They enjoy writing their own words, but reading someone else's feels like a chore.
They may have developed the skill of flowery verbosity but lack the patience for deep engagement with worldbuilding.
They focus on their character’s journey rather than integrating into the setting, integrating into the prompt, or integrating with the other player.
2. Selective Engagement & The Power Fantasy Fallacy
Many roleplayers want the benefits of a deep, immersive world but do not want to work within its framework. Instead, they wish to impose their own narrative without constraints. This is why many:
Skim lore instead of absorbing it.
Ignore character sheets unless the other character directly impacts their own arc.
Treat settings like a backdrop rather than something they must adjust their character to fit.
The aversion to reading means they miss vital information—leading to them proposing things that contradict the world or don’t integrate at all. When confronted with this, they often default to:
“I just play for fun.” (Translation: I do not wish to adapt or challenge myself. I lack passion.)
“I don’t like restrictions.” (Translation: Only the restrictions I want to matter. RP is not a collaboration but a one-way street of which I am the sole benefactor.)
“I didn’t see that in the lore/sheet/prompt.” (Translation: I did not read the lore/sheet/prompt, I skimmed.)
3. Overestimation of Their Ability to Absorb Information
Some roleplayers think they can understand the setting by osmosis rather than reading the provided materials. They assume their intuition is enough to guide them through interactions without directly engaging with lore.
They will ask questions already answered in the materials provided.
They expect others to summarize instead of reading it themselves.
They get frustrated when their assumptions about the world/character/prompt are incorrect.
This creates a loop of inefficiency, as they waste more time asking for clarification than they would have spent reading the material.
4. Instant Gratification Culture & The Skimming Epidemic
With social media conditioning people into consuming rapid, digestible content, many roleplayers simply do not have the patience for in-depth reading. They:
Skim for keywords rather than understanding context.
Only read the parts that involve their character directly.
Ignore anything that doesn’t immediately serve their narrative.
This is a death knell for any roleplay that relies on cohesion and worldbuilding. How can a player engage meaningfully if they refuse to understand?
5. The Fear of Commitment
Reading lore, character sheets, and request threads means investing in the world. Some roleplayers fear being bound by the details—as if engaging with the material limits their creative freedom rather than expands it. A falsity as creativity is impossible without limitations.
They don’t want to accidentally commit to something that restricts their OC.
They may want to bend things to an unrecognizable degree to suit their pre-existing idea instead of adapting.
They believe ignorance provides plausible deniability—if they don’t read the rules or material, they can’t be accused of breaking them.
6. Entitlement & The Expectation of Accommodation
Some roleplayers operate under the unspoken belief that integrating them into the world or plot is everyone else's job. Rather than making an effort to learn, they expect:
Other players will fill them in on lore during play.
GMs to compromise world consistency for their convenience.
Partners meet them at their level, even when they refuse to meet others halfway.
7. Overreliance on Tropes Over Depth
Many players default to tropes rather than researching because tropes are comfortable and universally recognized. Why read a character sheet when they can assume:
The gruff warrior is secretly soft-hearted.
The noble is arrogant but redeemable.
The assassin is brooding and mysterious.
This leads to shallow interactions where players recycle the same dynamics rather than forging something unique based on actual engagement.
The Ironic Conclusion
Many self-proclaimed "literate" and "novella" roleplayers are actually shallow in practice. Their issue isn’t a lack of intelligence but a lack of discipline, passion and investment.
They write for themselves, not the world or for others.
They prefer indulgence over integration.
They want to be the protagonist, not part of the story.
They see the other player and their creation as a self-serving prop to be discarded at the earliest opportunity. (Serial ghosters)
Thus, the issue is not just that they won’t read—it’s that they refuse to do the work required to truly be literate in a world that is not of their own making.