SO, YOU’RE NEW TO ROLEPLAY?
A Friendly, Beginner-Safe Guide to Tumblr RP (G1N Edition)
Welcome!!
If you’ve wandered into the Gotham 1 News inbox and thought:
“How do people write as fictional characters??”
“Do I have to be good at writing?”
“Do I even need a special account?”
“Why is everyone yelling about multiverses?”
“What am I supposed to DO?? 😭”
Then congratulations — you are exactly who this guide is for.
Tumblr RP can look intimidating from the outside, but it’s actually incredibly welcoming once you know the basics.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, step by step, using clear examples and friendly language.
And at G1N, we specialize in being beginner-friendly — so you’re safe here.
Mun = the real-life person behind the blog.
If someone runs an account as Wonder Woman, she is the muse (the character), and the human typing is the mun.
It just helps people know whether you’re speaking as the character or as yourself.
Extra info:
Some people will write their OOC (“out of character”) comments in parentheses so you know which voice they’re speaking with. Examples:
((OOC: I’ll reply later!))
((Mun Note: Sorry for the delay, life is chaotic!))
You NEVER have to do this in a perfect or specific way. Everyone has their own style.
An RP account is a Tumblr blog where you pretend to be a fictional character.
You “write” as that character in asks, posts, and threads — like acting, but through text.
There’s no special setup required.
Your blog is your character when you talk in-character.
You can make your own storylines with that character and it does NOT have to be related to canon at all.
You can even change the character to be anywhere from slightly to completely different from that character's canon (we call this the Multiverse: Anything can be explained via different multiverse, timeline, or dimension!!)
Extra info:
On Tumblr, most RP blogs fall into loose categories, and you don’t have to pick one — but here are the terms you’ll see:
Canon Blog: Writes the character as they appear in the official source.
AU Blog: “Alternate Universe.” The character is changed but recognizable.
OC Blog: “Original Character.” Entirely created by the mun.
Crossover Blog: Mixes fandoms (ex: Naruto meets Batman).
Crack Blog: Chaotic, meme-heavy, not serious.
Serious Lit Blog: Writes long, descriptive prose.
ALL of these are valid.
You don’t have to “fit” in any box to RP.
✨ How RP interactions work here at G1N
You can send asks to us as your character, and we’ll respond as Gotham 1 News, like you’re in a shared universe.
Totally beginner friendly! You don’t need fancy writing or special formatting — just talk as your character would.
“Hello G1N, this is my detective reporting a strange creature sighting—”
“My hero would like to submit a tip to the newsroom.”
“My witch character wants to yell about whatever just came out of the sewers.”
We accept:
✔️ Canon characters
✔️ OCs (That means your own Original Character; someone not written into the canon of a universe, but instead you created it to be there, like if you wanted your character to be Tony Stark's kid in the Marvel universe; that's an OC! For another example, Gotham 1 News is actually an OC!)
✔️ Crossovers from literally any universe
✔️ Multiple versions of the same character
✔️ Silly, serious, chaotic — whatever your vibe is
If you ever get stuck, just ask! We’re happy to help.
Extra info:
You can write in ANY length:
There is no “wrong” way to RP here.
✨ What “THIS IS FOR A PRIVATE RP” means
Sometimes people want a news story written just for their storyline.
We’ll write the news report
But other people won’t jump into your thread
It’s only for your character and whatever story you’re working on
We won’t treat it like an open starter for everyone else
If you don’t write this, we assume others are allowed to join in and interact with the news post. Sometimes, a roleplay thread will say "CLOSED RP". This is the same thing; they're asking for it to be private.
Extra info:
Public threads = great if you want to meet other RPers.
Private threads = great if you’re building your own dedicated story.
A pinned post is a post we put at the very top of the blog so it’s the first thing you see when you visit. It's not required; but it makes RP so much easier!
Think of it like the front door sign or welcome desk of the blog.
important info for roleplayers
quick guidelines so you’re never confused
any rules you want for interaction (i.e. This blog is 18+ only! or No NSFW please!)
any artwork of your character (if you want!)
description of your character (again, not required, but still fun!)
yours and/or character's pronouns
Make sure to always check another RP's pinned post before interacting! It will save a lot of confusion.
If you’re new, start with making yours — it tells everyone everything they need to know before jumping in!
Extra info:
Pinned posts can also include:
DNI lists (Do Not Interact)
Verses (different versions of your character)
Again: You DO NOT need all of this.
You can add things slowly over time.
✨ What if I don’t know how to ‘sound like’ my character yet?
Totally normal.
Most people grow into their character over time.
Write however feels natural
Ask questions whenever you need to
RP is about fun, not perfection.
Extra info:
A lot of RPers start off nervous and gradually become SUPER confident.
There is no timer.
You learn by doing.
The ONLY rule is:
Have fun.
✨ What tags you should know
Not required, but helpful:
OOC = out-of-character (you speaking as the mun)
Ask = a message someone sends your blog
Starter = a post you can jump into to start an interaction
Thread = the ongoing back-and-forth between characters
You’ll learn the rest as you go — promise.
Extra info:
Other common tags you might see:
Queue — pre-scheduled posts
Headcanon — your personal take on a character
Mains/Exclusives — people you RP with the most
Verse — a specific AU or storyline
Dash-only RP — RP happening on the dashboard, not in reblogs
Reblog Karma — “If you reblog a meme from me, send one back” (optional rule)
You DO NOT need to use these unless you want to.
“Mun” = the real human behind the blog
You send asks as your character
We reply as Gotham 1 News
Write “THIS IS FOR A PRIVATE RP” or "CLOSED RP" if you want a story only for you
Crossovers and beginners are 100% welcome
You do NOT need special formatting, skills, or experience
You’re already doing great just by asking!
If you need anything — explanation, tips, or help starting — we’ll happily walk you through it 💛
(More will be added to this post as the need arises; it will also be included via link in our pinned post!)
