Yesterday, I talked about how a GM or a writer can keep from misplacing characters in a character-dense scene. But while it’s harder for someone who controls multiple characters to keep perfect track of all of them, it’s still possible for even a PC to be misplaced in a scene. Everyone’s talking too fast, it’s hard to act—it’s easy for one or two characters to just fade out. So what do you do to prevent it?

• Do something that draws attention. While it’s best to do this by asking a question or presenting an idea—directly contributing to the situation—it’s also possible to do it just be, well, doing something, even if that something is changing posture a little, curling up more tightly in one’s hiding place, or (in-character, mind you), creating a Pascal’s triangle out of d10s while the rest of the party discusses the thing that’s over your head. This is particularly important when playing by text, both in IM-style chats and play-by-posts; without the occasional in-character action, even if it is just “Fighty Barrelsmasher sits with a stupid look on his face, trying to follow the conversation”, how are they supposed to know you’re still at the computer?
• Try to find a way to apply your skills to the current situation. Yeah, I know, some people have an easier time with this than others. It’s hard for anyone other than the driver to be relevant to a chase scene, and a pain in the neck to try to contribute to a combat when you know perfectly well that forget the housecat, a gerbil would be a match for you in a fair fight. But often, the character has a strength that will be useful in any given scene; you just have to find it. In the car chase, for instance, a character who knows the city well might suggest an alternate path to cut off the quarry or shake a pursuer; one who has a gun and knows how to use it might try to shoot out the other guy’s tires; one with good senses might keep an eye out for other dangers before they catch the driver flatfooted.
• You might not be the only one who’s been misplaced, and whoever else has is probably just as interested in getting back to doing something as you are. If you can’t find a way to break back into the scene on your own, plot with them instead; there might be something the two of you can do together, utilizing both of your specialties, that either one of you on your own wouldn’t be able to pull off. Or, if it’s a conversation and not action in progress, there’s always just talking about something tangentially related and potentially useful.
• If it’s a medium in which thoughts are fair game, why not think loudly? Surely there’s something going through the character’s head that might be worth sharing.

It’s no fun being misplaced in a scene, but it’s even less fun waiting for people to un-misplace you. If stuck in a situation like this, don’t be afraid to try to help yourself.