hi so i haven't posted on here in awhile and that's because i've been having a blast at a newish roleplay that has one of the best admin teams and members i've had the pleasure of dealing with for the longest time! it's called boneyardfm ( @boneyardfm) and truthfully it's the perfect mix of horror and crime. they focus on poc, diverse, gender inclusivity. if you are looking for a new roleplay to join please check it out!
♡ 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 as requested ( for those stuck on starters! ) Here, you’ll discover PROMPTS for modern storylines. With a variety of settings, emotions, and relationship styles, you'll have the perfect prompt at your fingertips to kickstart any scene!
features a moodboard on one side and synopsis text on the other. there are two custom links in the navigation. the images are 200px squares, and there is an adjustable "image fade" option to make them look cohesive together like a moodboard. you can also set this to zero if you'd like to use your images as is!
edit colors and add image urls in the root section near the top of the code, then scroll down to the html section to add your wip title and synopsis text.
all images in the preview are from unsplash and dupe, where i highly recommend you find images! (instead of pinterest.)
pls like/reblog if you use, let me know if you run into any bugs, and pls don’t remove credit. thanks! ♥
y'all this whole jack abbott and samira mohan weird racist drama that my lovely friend g pointed out to me because i'm not on the fandom for it online ( listen i was in the supernatural fandom when the great cas/dean bullshit happened- i just don't normally do that anymore ) is really really REALLY reminding me of like tvd when people were shipping bonnie and damon- and people got UPSET. Y'ALL THAT WAS IN IN LIKE 2015- 2 0 1 5! it's gross and y'all can die mad because jack + samira is gonna be canon so *flips everyone who's misbehaving the bird*
this guide is for non-native roleplayers who want to write native characters respectfully and responsibly. if you’re not indigenous, you’re stepping into representation that’s not yours. this post isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a place to start.
i'm not the sole native voice in the rpc. if you'd like more clarification, please ask others in the community! if another native has a different idea than what i've listed below, that's fine! this is just to help those that don't know where to start try to understand things better.
naming your native muse
do not make up a "native-sounding" name for your character. names like "red thunder," "greyeyes," "whitefeather," etc. are often used by non-natives trying to signal indigeneity in the rpc, but they come from a very specific historical context.
these weren’t just aesthetic choices. many native people were forced to continue these names during colonization, often by government officials or missionaries, when forced to register for census, land allotments, boarding schools, etc. these names were often translations, misunderstandings, or simplifications of actual indigenous names or meanings. they were not chosen in the way settlers chose surnames. they became permanent family names through colonization, not by cultural tradition.
so when non-natives try to replicate that style, without knowing what the names mean, why they were given, or what community they come from, it’s shallow at best and disrespectful at worst.
what you should do instead: most often, native people today have common surnames just like anyone else (smith, johnson, etc.), or inherited names from the colonization period. best rule of thumb: pick a european name. of course, some natives have traditional names used within the community. if you're not native, don't try to replicate traditional names. it's not your place. for example, i have a kiowa gordon named joseph anderson. doesn't make him any less native to have a "european" name.
*also, try to stay away from "native sounding" words for names. i know non-natives can be named these things, but i always give a little side-eye to natives who are: sage, willow, river, storm, wolf, bear, echo, etc.
how much background should you include?
it’s important to say where your muse is from, what tribe or nation they belong to, what area they live in or grew up in, but you need to know your limits. don't info-dump cultural details unless you fully understand them, which, if you’re non-native, you probably don’t.
saying someone is diné (navajo), from arizona, and maybe was raised around certain customs or ceremonies? that’s fine. pretending you can describe those ceremonies or the “spiritual meaning” behind them? not fine. mentioning things to understand your character more is welcomed! we just don't want non-natives to write about the ceremony of a powwow in depth.
your native muse is more than trauma
one of the most harmful patterns non-native writers could fall into is making their indigenous character's entire identity revolve around suffering, pain, trauma, hurt, etc.
yes, native communities live with ongoing impacts of colonization; boarding schools, land loss, mmiw, racism, addiction, environmental harm, the foster system, and more. these are real, lived traumas. but reducing your muse to only these things strips them of their full humanity.
your muse should be more than what’s been done to them. they should laugh. they should have hobbies, bad habits, complicated family dynamics, love interests, favorite foods, weird dreams, inside jokes, petty opinions, and goals for the future. joy, humor, and resilience are central to indigenous life.
don’t write a tragedy with a face. write a person who exists, who happens to be native, whose life is shaped by history, but not defined only by it. again, having these things in a muses backstory / mentioning them does not necessarily mean it's a "bad" thing (i, for one, love fucked up tragic pasts) but give them more substance outside of that, too.
"native american" is not a culture
this should be obvious, but it’s often overlooked: there is no single native culture. there are 500+ federally recognized tribes in the u.s. alone, each with their own language, traditions, government, and worldview. if you're writing a native muse and just labeling them as “native american” without choosing a specific nation, you’re already off track.
"native american" is a broad political term. it’s not cultural shorthand. it doesn’t tell you where someone’s from, how they were raised, what language their family spoke, or what their values are. saying someone is "native" and stopping there is like saying someone is "european" and expecting people to know if they're french or romanian or english.
what to do instead: pick a specific tribe or nation, and do real research. if you’re not sure where to start, choose a region and look up federally recognized tribes in that area. don’t blend cultures. don’t invent one. specificity shows respect.
your muse is not a magical being
please don’t write your native muse as if they have innate spiritual powers, a mysterious connection to the earth, visions, or vague "ancestral wisdom" just because they’re indigenous. this is a colonial trope, built out of the "noble savage" stereotype, and it’s incredibly dehumanizing.
you might not think you’re doing it. but if your muse is always the one to deliver cryptic advice, commune with animals, feel the spirits in the air, or silently guide others with intuition, take a step back. are you writing a person, or are you writing an aesthetic?
native people have spiritual practices, yes. but those are specific, tribal, and usually not open to outsiders. spirituality isn’t a personality trait. it’s not something you can generalize or sprinkle in to make a character seem deep. if you wouldn’t do it with a character of another background, don’t do it here.
don’t box your muse into stereotypes
not every native muse has to be quiet, wise, brooding, or angry. let them be awkward. let them be funny. let them be annoying, overly ambitious, soft-hearted, selfish, bubbly, arrogant, flirtatious, whatever fits.
when all your ideas of indigeneity are rooted in solemnity or pain, you miss the huge spectrum of native personalities. native people are just people. some are loud. some are shy. some are deeply cultural, some are disconnected and trying to reconnect. some are traditional. some are queer. some are both.
don’t flatten your character into a type. don’t let their "nativeness" be their only character trait. and definitely don’t limit how they act because you’re afraid of getting it wrong. get curious. do the work. and write a full human being.
if you’re non-native, you’re writing from the outside. that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do with care, but it does mean you have to move slower, be willing to be corrected, and know when to back off.
respect begins with humility. you’re borrowing from someone else’s reality. treat it with the weight it deserves.
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