…at least to some of us in the roleplay community it’s not. Some might argue that crack, the genre that can be defined as anything nonsensical, outrageous or just silly, is not worth time or energy, but I would argue otherwise. In fact, here is a whole list of reasons why you should indulge in some absurdity every now and again.

1. Interactions you never thought possible are suddenly a reality. Sure, a cartoon character from 21st Century and a historical figure from the 18th Century probably won’t have a lot in common if you try to devise a legitimate plot that requires a setting and cause for interaction. However, throw them together with ingredients to make a birthday cake for the President of the United States and a deadline, and watch them take off! Sometimes you just have to suspend reality a bit to open up new ideas.

2. Low stress/high productivity makes you feel accomplished. We all have days where our drafts pile up to our throats and we feel like we might cry if we get another multi-para reply to add to the stack. Roleplay can be daunting and sometimes feel like a chore we just do not want to do. It’s okay to take a break and focus on some short, silly replies that are quick to turn around and don’t require a lot of thought. Sometimes it’s refreshing to put the angst aside, give yourself a break, and have a little fun. Your drafts will still be there when you’re done.

3. You will learn things you never imagined about your character. Part of throwing your muse into uncharted territory is the opportunity to find out more about them through situations they would not normally encounter. You are bound to learn different opinions and skills they have when you branch out from recycled plots and tropes.

4. You will end up creating genuine relationships. Crack threads tend to be short and sweet and (for the most part) don’t carry on for hundreds of replies. However, sometimes a spark lights or an idea is formed that leads to a lasting relationship or characterization that your muse will carry on longer than the duration of the thread. While the situations may be contrived and ridiculous in a crack thread, the exchanges will be genuine and those bonds will then be easier to incorporate into reasonable verses.

5. It will make you happy! There’s a reason why crack has the name it does. Like its namesake, it’s bound to leave you both smiling and addicted. At the end of the day, isn’t that kind of the point of roleplay?