I agree with Yuriy that it is certainly superfluous, and perhaps goes a little too far in expanding the simple act of making a cup of tea. Perhaps, as a roleplay post, I would have included other than solely actions, and described such things as the slight blurred vision of half sleep, the groan of yet another misty day in the city, commenting on how the tea would warm my character for the day ahead.

Perhaps this is another article, I don’t know, but what can also fill up a sentence is adding what I call ‘internal aspects’ relating to your character. Their thoughts, feelings, motivations, a little of their history. As an example on that final point:

“As I had done habitually since that first day my, now deceased, father let me taste the warm bitterness of his black tea, I headed for the kitchen to make my own cup.”

What I have found, through observations and conversations, is that new players who write perhaps one or two line only posts, do so because they only see the action… They don’t see the character as much more than a doll they move through their posts.

Now, I’m not disagreeing with the telescopic text, as it gives an excellent demonstration on how one can expand posts, I just have a firm belief that adding words for the sake of adding words, that give no progression to the story of a roleplay or expansion on a character, is a pointless endeavour.

I’m sure we all have read a seven or eight paragraph post that is full of, well, really, nothing. (See the link at http://www.roleplaygateway.com/how-say-nothing-500-words-lesson-writing-t7921.html)

A great technique to use of those days when no “great” posts come to mind: just start expanding it word by word. Great find!