#oocasks

how you word things matters, especially ooc. i don't mean 'be overly cautious in how you speak to people'. i mean it as just be mindful and don't be afraid to communicate!

follow people you have an interest to write with, not out of feeling obligated to return a follow. if you're open to writing with non-mutuals, make sure you state it in your rules/guidelines or somewhere clear. it's okay if you lack an interest or may not know how to engage further. whether it's with a roleplayer you want to write with or one you're unsure of, just communicate to them if you are struggling to come up with ideas. this is a collaborative effort and i genuinely detest when people view it as a slight that someone who is interested may not always know how to figure out a plot before even conversing. :I side note to that: if you do have ideas, share them! even if it's vague or small, or just a concept! if you have a plot you think is interesting, share it! if you want to ship, mention it and why you feel it could be fun or interesting.

if you feel overwhelmed and can't communicate individually due to low energy, irl stuff, what have you, you can always just make an ooc (out of character) post saying as much. i value communication, but i know i am busy af and spotty online because of it - or i can have low energy in the little downtime i've gotten. so i try and give a heads up with a general post, so the wonderful folks who are interested know i'm not disinterested. ofc, there are other ways to do that, too, if that isn't your style. :)

don't be afraid to reach out! even if you're shy. i will send anons to people to feel out things, sometimes a few asks here and there to let the characters play off one another. if i follow first, i make it a habit to be the one to message first. if i don't follow first and follow back someone, i'll give it a few days before reaching out (unless i'm busy irl). one of the biggest issues i've had with this blog is people feeling intimidated or shy. so i try to do the heavy lifting when i'm present and break the ice. i haven't been able to for a while due to irl stuff, but that's why i try to leave update posts. that's just an example of my method, haha. if you're shy, you have to find a way to reach out and engage. you can't expect someone to do it for you. they might be just as shy. liking posts, sending asks, leaving little comments on appropriate posts - these are also ways to show interest and engage to build courage to private message them to plot/engage. or you can say you're nervous. personally, i've never had an issue with people telling me if they are. it helps me know i need to put in more than 50% for a bit until the other person feels more comfortable and can put in their 50%. any relationship isn't always going to be an even split, sometimes we give more or less for brief periods. ^^

i'm not going to say everyone has this, but some roleplayers mention in their rules/guidelines how they like to be approached. so i always encourage to read their rules! it's not just important to them, it should be important to you! maybe they write things you don't want to see. it's your responsibility to curate your space.

there's a thing called godmodding/godmod. you'll usually see some form of it in most rules saying 'please don't do this'. it generally means 'please don't write my character for me or force them into situations they cannot react to'.

you need to know going into this space if you're okay with nsfw or not. it's hit and miss with roleplayers. be sure to read their rules to know if they are cool/not cool with it. additionally, if you're a minor, you need to stay out of adult spaces on here. be honest. there are plenty of minors who roleplay, find them. please do not lie. it can get actual adults in trouble. if you're an adult, leave them kids alone. idc there's no ill intent, uphold the standard of 'minors, stay out of adult spaces' because you're contributing to the problem by engaging. finally on this subject, list clearly your age. i don't mean your specific age, only if you want. but state clearly if you're a minor or if you're 18+, 21+, 25+, 30+, etc.

know your comfort zone with writing. do you write one line? a paragraph? a few paragraphs? novella? have some kind of idea. i prefer multi-para roleplays upward towards novella. lately, though, i've preferred the shorter end due to my energy being low from irl stuff. know your limits, don't force yourself to write if you're not in the space to.

know your worth. do not exhaust yourself chasing people to write with. if someone is busy or not in a space to prioritize you right now, that is okay. they should communicate that. if they don't and you keep sending things and never getting anything back, stop burning energy on people not giving it back to you. this is a collaborative hobby. find people who want to engage. i used to hop into the search bar and look at whatever roleplayers came up, seeing who might click. participate, but don't exhaust yourself if that participation isn't returned. determine what is acceptable to you in terms of a level of effort.

have information on your muse. an about page or bio, whatever you want to call it. it can be a post or page on here you have a link for people to read and check out. it could be fancier, like other people use. do whatever you're comfortable with. i'm a basic bitch and usually too lazy to invest time into making nicer pages. i still haven't even set up mobile options, lmao (sorry). but everyone is different, some people like having fun with that effort, some don't. just so long as you have something there.

having a faceclaim is optional. idc what anyone says. roleplaying is about writing. so tell us what your muse looks like. if you have references, cool! if not, cool! there is never enough information you can provide on your muse. personally, i want it all. xD

when writing, be descriptive. a lot of people prefer third person writing prose, like you'd have in most books. "Dialogue is spoken like this." While actions, emotions, etc. are described outside of quotations. by 'be descriptive' i mean give your roleplay partner stuff to work with that contributes to moving the roleplay forward. don't just have a talking head, write about the movement, expression, internal feelings and thoughts. you can describe the surroundings, a festival going on or a bustling city. a quiet night. it doesn't have to be long, but provide context to the situation and your character. and just as importantly: involve the other muse. when you write, ensure you're acknowledging the other. if your muse is a good listener, have them paying attention. if your muse is arrogant, they can acknowledge pieces and brush off the rest. but always find ways to make sure the other's reply is heard and incorporate it into yours because it ~*collaborative*~.

i'm forgetful. i tend to have docs that list stuff for me to remember with people and their characters. if you're forgetful, it's fine. but my suggestion is to find tricks to help yourself. i'm sure you want the info you share to be heard, remembered and then inquired upon or talked about with your roleplay partner(s). they want the same. one of the worst things you can be as a partner is just someone who isn't curious, who doesn't remember and ends up talking about your own muse without ever providing a space for them to talk about theirs. the most fun i have is letting people pop off. i'm admittedly pretty fucking bad when it comes to openly talking about my own stuff, but i'm grateful for my friends here who remind me to. i tend to overlook myself in this area, especially since i tend to also being very interested in peoples' oc's or their interpretation of fandom/canon muses. i'm working on it. :')

please trim your roleplay threads in the posts. xkit/xkit rewritten is a tumblr support extension for the browser (i know it's available on chrome and mozilla, idk what others) that can help you trim your posts (little scissor symbol once you check it off in the configuration menu). if you cannot trim your posts, just tell your partner privately or in the tags area. i know a lot of folks answer stuff via mobile (madlads, all of you) and can't trim. i'll gladly handle that on my end since it's really nbd. some people get annoyed about roleplays not being trimmed, so just communicate if you can't at the moment or just wait to reply until you can.

if you haven't guessed, a lot of these answers boil down to 'communicate'. we're all people on the internet here, which means we all interpret text tone differently. just be mindful of that. give the benefit of the doubt that someone might sound mean or something. if you feel they are upset, ask them if need be. it's also their responsibility to share. if you're uncomfortable, you can tell someone you want to stop engaging. alternatively, you can soft/hard block people. i think unless it's a serious issue, reaching out to try and fix something or communicate ending something is a better way to go. you can't expect people to make changes or understand you need something changed if you don't give the chance.