#wrpsurvivalguide

[wrpsurvivalguide]

hey so i’m like a minor who trying to get into the rping scene on tumblr, and it’s just like, basically i’m checking everyone’s rules, and they all say minors dni, which is fine like whatever, people have probably had like experiences with minors that have made them not want to rp with them, like that’s understandable,

but like at the same time, i’ve already made a blog, and put all this work into a carrd and i do want to use it, i do want to rp with people (obviously). but it’s like sort of hard when everyone has this big keep out sign and shit, and i’m probably acting like a total bitch right now, but like i don’t want to wait until i’m 18 to start rping on tumblr, like i don’t know!

Okay so there has been a huge trend of people doing this and part of it is because a lot of those blogs owners are part of the older Tumblr rp crowd. Another part has been the authors of a lot of 18+ blogs wanting to engage in NSFW content and it being genuinely illegal to do so with or in-view-of someone under the age of 18.

This is definitely discouraging and disheartening and you're not wrong for feeling this way! But even though you feel this way, there is one thing you have to do: DO NOT LET IT STOP YOU!

You don't have to rely on older rpers to start rping! Sure, they might have the experience and writing style you're looking for, but if they aren't okay with Minors then they might not be a good fit for you as an rp partner ooc, and ooc chemistry is as important as ic chemistry.

Now, although it may take time and be difficult, you can overcome this! There are other minors out there in the RPC, you being here proves it. You are proof of that concept! All you have to do is find those others and help them find you.

With your blog set up with your rules, ask, and muse pages/Carrd set up, now it's time for Advertising your blog. This includes making rebloggable Promo posts, interest calls, and starter calls. This can also include going through different fandom/media material and posting In-Character reactions to the material or posting OOC musings and rp wishlist ideas related to those things. You can also do this by making Dashboard Memes or Dash games where you ask a question or make a quiz and then do the "Tagged by/Tagging" thing (I usually leave the "tagged/tagging" sections empty unless I have people who are following me since tagging randos might be seen as rude ><;; ).

However! When you're doing this, be sure to post it in the fandom rp tags you want to get into! Doing this will not only put content onto your blog that others can look at and decide whether or not they want to follow and interact with your character. This will also add unique thoughts and content to the fandom space you want your character to interact with, which will by extension, help people your blog and give them a chance to interact with it!

Examples of this would be having tags like "#Fnaf #Fnaf rp #rp promo #Looking for partners" and other such tags. This is actually something I do with my OCs regardless of fandom and though it does take time, I can say it does eventually work. But it takes a lot of work and patience for it to do so. Just be sure not to spam the tags though and that what you're posting/tagging is actually related and not just random stuff.

Also if you can find rp promo blogs - blogs that you can submit your rp starter/promo calls to, definitely use those to get the word out about your blog! Because at this point in time, it can be really hard and really scary breaking into a new community like the RPC. But just like trying to find blogs to share fandomless OCs with, I believe you can use these techniques to find your community too!

Anyways, I hope this helped and if you need any more help, definitely feel free to message me again! :D

-- Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

Quick note for Sideblogs:

When dealing with mutuals or mutual-only blogs, say in your description where you’re following back from so they know it’s you.

In the rpc, the term “Mutuals” means that you and another blog follow each other. You follow them and they follow you. Many folks are “mutuals only” as this can come as a sort of comfort to those who are anxious about their partner(s) actually wanting to rp with them, since one would likely need to be followed in order for their partner to see their posts and replies. 

However, things can get hairy when doing rp stuff on sideblogs. Because of tumblr’s set up, sideblogs can’t follow back and requires the user of that sideblog to follow back from their mainblog - the blog they sign into. Unfortunately, sideblogs aren’t automatically linked to their mainblogs so if you want to be mutuals with someone, you need to follow them with your mainblog while they follow your side blog.

This makes things incredibly confusing for those with rp sideblogs, but it can be cleared up quite quickly with 1 simple step: Putting in your description that your sideblog is a sideblog and showing where you’ll be following back from.

Example:

With your blog announced as a sideblog, anyone who wants to follow your hub blog can do so and know that that hub isn’t a random rp or personal blog, but you following them back. UuU b

— Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

Hi I’m doing an rp set in the 18th century any tips to help me improve doing an rp in a different time line?.

Hmmm, well I think it really depends on what your rping, where you want it to go, and where you want to improve.

My first bit of advice would be to research the timelines & scenarios you want to play with. Then you can make your plot points and go from there.

For time travel plots, once you have your plot points, all you need to do is figure out where your character is coming from (their native time period, location, etc) and where they’re going to (the time/place/etc.). Once you do that, you’ll have an idea of what your character is familiar with, what’s strange to them, and how they respond to what’s gong on. Whether it’s from future to past or past to future, this is usually how I go about things.

For AUs, the research plays a huge part because now your character is doing the “alt-time!version” of themselves where you keep your characters core characteristics while changing things around to fit the era. Keep things consistent within your character so that even when the world and the things that happen to them may change, they as a character, don’t. They stay consistent.

Example:

Premise: Bonely is a 1930′s magic gangster.

Time travel: Bonely has been thrown into 12′th century England and must now deal with being caught between feuding kingdoms. Solution: he masquerades as the simplest definition of himself (an average spell-user) so he can make himself indispensable to whoever is in power until he can get home. (plot suggestions: lingo misunderstandings. — locals being confused by Bonely’s curious turns of phrase and him defaulting to “sorry, English isn’t my native language and it’s a homeland phrase. Really it’s a lot funnier when not translated” )

Utilize what’s convenient in one area and how it or its absence becomes inconvenient in another.

Alt!Timeline AU: Alt!Timeline where Bonely is an 12′th century mage and is trying to work his way through the kingdom conflicts of the 12′th century. (Plot suggestions: use your character’s vices and virtues to keep them consistent. The methods may be different, but your character’s goals, temptations, and abilities are usually still the same)

So yeah, the biggest thing I recommend is definitely do research on the century you’re doing the rp in. If it’s a time travel rp, add the century your character is coming from to your research.

Other than that, doing the basic thing of discussing plot bunnies/story beats that you think would be neat while staying consistent with the era is all I can come up with to suggest. ><;;

I hope this is helpful!

—Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

How to RP IC Conflict without causing OOC Conflict

4 Steps in Rping conflict-centered scenarios without incuring conflict with your partners.

Conflict. One of the big ingredients to great stories and sometimes really bad rp experiences.

In-Character conflicts can be a lot of fun to engage in but they can also be a hot bed for god-modding, power plays, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings. This is often caused by miscommunications and boundary crossing in rps, which leads to hurt feelings and bad responses from both rp partners and portions of the rp community at large.

So to help prevent bad conflict situations and make a smoother rp experience for both you and your partners, here are some pro tips.

( 1 ). IM/Ask/Chat OOC with the partner you want to rp with BEFORE you initiate the conflict.

Yes, it can be scary IMing someone about things but you need to make sure your partner is okay with what you have in mind. Because if they aren’t okay with it, they will try to turn things toward things they are more okay with. This is doubly so for those who don’t know what you have in mind and whose interactions will more likely end in bitter, sour, or unfulfilling ways.

( 2 ). Plot the conflict out.

After IMing your partner and confirming that they are up for doing the RP conflict, plot it out. Decide how it ends, who will be hurt, and what will happen. You don’t need to plot it out post by post, but you do need to have plot points to measure things by so that you know in what direction you both are going.

This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT when dealing with OP/High Powered/Boss-level characters (Especially canon-based Boss characters).

All of us want to win or at least don’t want to lose, and nobody likes feeling like the continual punching bag. But we also don’t want our muses skills, abilities, and experience to be completely disregarded. Having a white-belt karate kid defeating a black-belt karate master without the master’s consent isn’t fun.

By plotting things out, you and your partner can determine your characters’ strengths and weaknesses and how they would be able to match up and make things fun without stepping on each other’s canon/character aspects.

Example: 

Conflict: Bonely faces off with Lancelot. Desired end: Bonely bests Lancelot but doesn’t kill him and leaves him with points to think about instead. Thread plot point ideas:

P1 wants Bonely to lead Lance & his crew into the forest.

P2  agrees so Lance will follow & get ambushed.

P1 suggests that Bonely use the trees to swing himself around into the knights like a pinball (bc that would be funny).

P2 likes the idea of it but doesn’t want Lancelot to be hit. P2 says so and offers that Lance is very limber so he’d be able to dodge even if others can’t.

P1 agrees and has an idea: what if Lance gets an idea of Bonely’s pattern and uses a thing to break his rolling attack? Just knock over a big log and send him flying?

P2 loves it and adds that the two could tussle it out since Bonely’s not a big troll and Lance is beef-cake central.

P1 laughs and thinks on how the fight would go. With them tussling they’d be an even match. But Bonely is underhanded so he’d probably use a cheap shot like throwing dirt in Lances face before pinning him.

P2 likes the idea and sees how it would make Lance have an even bigger vendetta towards Bonely for later threads. P2 also notes that Lance would probably be mad and accuse Bonely of foul play.

P1 returns to the original idea of Bonely pinning Lance and instead of killing him, leaving him with things to think before retreating into the wood until their next encounter.

 All of these are interchangeable and editable, giving freedom to the rpers to because the end point is always the same, helping unify and smooth their rp experience.

By using plot points/plot bunnies, you and your partner are able to determine what you both want in and out of the conflict. What skills or cool moves you want to show off, what effects you want to happen to your characters, pretty much what you want out of the fight.

As you do this though, be sure not to make your character invulnerable or unhittable unless something to counter it is already plotted between you and your partner. Because being in a fight where one party always hits or misses is not fun and is a very susceptible to becoming a point of contention and ruining the experience for everyone.

( 3 ). Leave your characters attacks open.

Write down the effects of if it hit, not when it hit. That way your partner can decide if their character is hit or dodges the move. This helps the other rper know what would happen if it hit without their character being godmodded.

Example: Lancelot blew a lock of his hair out of his face and raised the crossbow. With Merlin’s Zapon magic filling each bolt, just one shot would send even the toughest the troll into a fit of electrified paralysis. With a squinted eye, the knight pulled the trigger and let loose the bolt.

This type of rp response allows the other Rper know what will happen if they’re hit and decide if it would be more fun to be hit or dodge, and determine what would happen next

( 4 ). Keep in contact with your partner.

Whether for plot bunnies or letting them know something is wrong and might need changing, keep in contact with your partner. Doing this will help you and your partner tie up loose ends, smooth out plot points, and keep the conflict rp running smoothly for both you and your rp partners.

Don’t forget: if something IC is making you uncomfortable, tell your partner and try to work it out. If you can’t work it out, don’t feel bad for letting them know and dropping the rp so you can do some retcon work and things can be a bit more comfortable for you.

By following these tips, I hope you will have less fear and uncertainty with conflict rps, and that you and your partners will have an amazing experience exploring this side of the RPC!

—Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

When Bad Things Happen, Apologize.

As it is in the life of every rper, we make mistakes. We break rules, misunderstand prompts, misunderstand answers, and maybe even take certain things personally that were only meant to be rp only. All of these can cause bad vibes, hurt feelings, and deep misunderstandings and misgivings between rpers and partners. Thus it is imperative that these events, actions, and choices be recognized by those involved—especially the one who made the mistake—and that those involved take the next step: apologize.

“Hey, I misunderstood/was hurt/made a mistake and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

It is indescribable the kind of healing and communication this opens up to rp partners. Admitting you made a mistake and then apologizing for it is an important step in being accountable and taking responsibility for yourself. Accountability, humility, and the care it takes to make sure one’s apology is both honest and sincere builds trust and confidence in both yourself and your partner and visa versa, and most often leads to good reconciliation.

Reconciliation is what will then help give both you and your mutuals a good basis on which to deal with and solve conflicts between you in the future.

However, if you do make a mistake or not-so-great decision, know that you will feel bad about it either now or later. These bad feelings, if not dealt with properly, can fester and become anger and resentment toward yourself and your partner, leading to bad things. Don’t fall prey to those feelings. They aren’t a measure of your worth, but an alarm system letting you know that something bad just happened and that your partner likely feels the same.

Be aware of them and how they affect you and your partner(s), but also realize that you are not responsible for their feelings, only your part in what happened. Don’t approach the situation from the “I did this which hurt/upset someone, so I must be a bad person”. Approach it as a friend who made a mistake, who’s coming to apologize because you honestly didn’t mean to hurt or upset them and go from there. Do your best to apologize and reconcile with your friend but don’t force them into accepting your apology. Just give it and wish them the best.

If you are the one who was hurt, let your partner know but try to be tactful. Get some space between you and the event, pinpoint what it was that hurt or upset you and how, and then bring it up privately with the other mun. Chances are, they didn’t mean to hurt or upset you. If they did, well, time to block and unfollow. If they didn’t, then there’s still a chance for reconciliation. Be open to their side of the story and the apologies they make, as this process is a 2 way street.

A good way to begin might be with a phrase like this.

“Hey, what you did -insert issue here- really bothered/hurt/upset me. —insert how and why—” 

Once the conversation is started, then you can start working through the problem with your partner and receive both closure and reconciliation between you, building deeper friendships and a stronger foundation between you in the future.

—Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

OOC: Tempers and Posting

Hey guys, just a quick note on something ooc.

If someone does something that upsets you, don’t do something immediately. Get up. Take a deep breath. Walk away for a time and come back when you’re not upset.

If you can’t do that and need to get your thoughts out, get out a pen and paper or a google doc and write out your feelings and response. Save them in a draft or something but DO NOT POST IT. When you write angry and post it, the person you’re writing to and the people who see it will become angry, which means you become even more angry than before. It becomes a self repeating spiral of angry.

Instead, when someone online makes you mad, acknowledge they made you made and unplug. Getting off the internet will provide you the distance you need to cool off and look at things from a different perspective. If you need to vent your feelings to a friend, do it with someone who will keep your confidence (keep it private) and won’t try to act on your behalf (such as getting back at someone for upsetting you).

Everyone deals with conflict and disappointments. But even though sometimes things get us mad and we lose our temper, we need to understand that us being mad doesn’t give us the right to hurt someone else. We need to be more self-aware, recognize when we feel emotionally compromised, and take the hint to take step back and cool off.

Just as social distancing and self quarantine has help stop the spread of COVID-19, so too can us distancing ourselves from certain situations help stop the spread of anger and vitriol that would otherwise spoil many people’s online experience and relationships.

Remember, between the stimulus and our response is a moment, and it is in that moment that we can choose what we do next and in doing so, take control of our lives and the negativity within it.

[wrpsurvivalguide]

PSA: ic ≠ ooc & we need to be responsible as Muns

Hey guys, with the new influx of rpers into the community I’ve started noticing a trend that’s kind of running a danger zone.

That trend being the blurring of ic & ooc lines and people taking ic interactions personally. As someone who’s been in the tumblr rp community for going on 9 years now, I’ve seen how this little trend can make communities very toxic for both the mun and the community around them.

Now, I know there are a lot of folks who use their characters to vent their frustrations, their trauma, and feelings on things. Writing dark stuff is a coping mechanism for many and often gives people a chance to vent those feelings in a safe, non-impactful way.

However, with this in mind, I know there are times when we all talk through our character to voice an opinion we don’t want to be held responsible for or be attacked for. The problem with putting our words into our muse’s mouths is that when someone else responds, we don’t see it as a response to our characters, but to us as people. It blurs the line between ic and ooc and suddenly we’re taking personal what happens in a literal game and that turning hurt against the other rpers.

When we start inserting ourselves into the game instead of our characters,things get dicey, drama happens, and people who were once friends end up not wanting to be friends any more. All because they took an ic interaction and internalized it on an ooc level.

As muns, we need to recognize and remember that we are not our characters. I am not Salem, Bonely, Owl, or any of the muses I play. Yes, all of them have root in my likes and experiences and I love them very much, but none of them are me. They are my creations, just as your ocs or your interpretations of canon characters are your creations. You are not your creation, neither is your rp partner, and we should not be treating each other as if we are the creations at hand.

As Muns, we need to exercise in taking a little more responsibility of our writing and recognizing if, when, and where we’re going too far. Even if our emotions are high and the muse is there, we need to have the sense to consider how our reply will affect our partner and talk with them if we have any concerns about how a thread, ask, or character interaction is going.

That way, if something does happen in rp (whether it’s an ask or a thread event) and one of us feels uncomfortable with it (be it something our post or theirs), we can talk about it to each other and if we can, change our posts so we can go a different direction or drop the thread entirely.

This takes courage and trust to do, but doing so takes sooooo much drama and discomfort out of rping. It makes the game of rp feel fun and safe again!

So talk with your partners. Plot with them— especially when dealing with angst and relationships because those tend to affect both mun and muse the most. Don’t be a pantser by going in with unplotted, unscripted angst or heartbreak, especially without consulting your partner(s) about it first. Because sometimes that can put your partner in a very awkward or compromising position.

Also, be careful about how much you rely on your partners for your muse’s health and happiness. I mean, it’s fine to have depressed, anxious, unhappy muses. But to have their happiness literally depend on another mun & muse makes it very hard to rp and have a good time without being scared their muse having a good time will make your muse do something bad/harmful.

Being in that kind of dynamic is hard and abusive specifically because one party is literally punishing the other through their characters for not doing what they want. No one ooc should feel responsible for the well being of someone else’s character ic.

If you do feel like this is happening to you and that you have to cater to someone else’s muse to keep from feeling guilty about what they or their character does, let your partner know. Let them know that it’s making you uncomfortable and that you need to either drop the thread, plot out a way for it to have a better ending that doesn’t involve their muse being so dependent on your muse, or drop the them as a partner entirely because this isn’t a healthy rp dynamic.

This is part of being responsible as a mun: recognizing+separating ic/ooc, communicating with our rp partners, setting boundaries for our experience and not forcing someone else to do our will.

We do not control how other people write or who they write with, but we do have control over what we do and who we write with. We have control over our literary and rp experience. We need to accept that we and others will not rp or write on certain topics and that it is not our place to control or put restrictions on what other people write or how they write it beyond their interactions with us.

No one has the right dictate how others should write or who they write with, but we all have the right to communicate and discuss things with each other when something goes wrong and how to do things in a mutual beneficial way.

—Mod IE

[wrpsurvivalguide]

Your love is what keeps your character going.

Something that’s come up several times recently has been writer’s dissatisfaction with their characters and the changes they’ve made or that their character isn’t “liked enough.” This quandary really bothered me until my sister brought up an interview between the Game Grumps and the creator of Rick and Morty.

He was asked if he was surprised that people liked Rick and Morty and he told them no bc he was the show’s first fan.

That concept — the concept of being your creation’s first fan— is so important it’s almost beyond words. Because when you’re a fan of something, you love it and when you love something you’ll talk about it, theorize about it, write about it, draw about it, fangirl/boy over it and make it grow.

That is the creator’s most important task: rooting your story in love. Not making love the theme of your story, but giving it a foundation of confidence you can only get when you root you’re creation’s value in how much love YOU have for it. If you love your creation, it doesn’t matter what other people think. You love what you love and them not liking it has nothing on how much you do like it.

And the more you love your creation, the more you want to create things for it. The more you create, the more things people will see of your creation. The more people see, the more likely they’ll become fans and want to interact with the wonderful thing you’ve created.

Granted, there will be times, sometimes very long period of times, when no one will show interest and it will only be you and maybe a handful of other people who know or care about your character/creation. Those times are going to be hard to deal with, but don’t give up! Be patient, breathe, and focus your energy on building your character and their story, putting out promos, and getting advice on how to do things better or make your blog more appealing. Things will be ok! Just keep going, you’ve got this!

—Mod IE