Something I’ve seen people complain about often is that they want to plot, but potential partners rely on them to do most of the work. This is generally frustrating for everyone involved, so here are some helpful things to keep in mind when approaching someone to plot if you’re drawing a blank:
Establish a basic dynamic between characters. Discuss with your partner whether or not your muses should have already met (as not everyone enjoys first encounters as thread material), and regardless of the answer, take a moment to work out basic thoughts, feelings, and relationships. Are they likely to get along? What would their basic opinion of each other be? What reasons would they have to meet each other, and more importantly, to see each other again after that?
Ask about your partner’s muse. This is extra true if it’s the first time you and your partner are writing together. Things go smoother when you understand each other’s portrayal well. Get a feel for how your partner writes their muse to avoid awkwardness early on.
Talk about verses. It’s always nice when interactions fit neatly within both yours and your partner’s main verse, but sometimes you might find other verses work better. Don’t be afraid to explore those possibilities.
Discuss preferred genres. Everyone has something they love to write. Try to find common ground with your partner. Maybe you both like angst. Maybe you both like action. Whatever you prefer, it will be easiest to write if you aim for something that appeals to both of you. On that note…
Ask for their wishlist. A lot of people are too shy to ask for specific kinds of interactions they enjoy, but may have a tag for posts detailing exactly what they want. It’ll save both of you a lot of trouble to just read through a list of scenarios your partner wants to explore, and pick whatever happens to appeal to you.
Learn to take no for an answer. The first rule of asking someone if they want to ship with you is that you have to be ready to be rejected. Do not reach out to anyone for shipping if you aren’t willing to be mature and back down if they say no!
Be honest about what you want out of a ship. There’s some reason you want to ship with your partner, so go ahead and bring that up with them.
Be open to developing the ship. Not everyone wants to jump right in, and sometimes, they may not even be sure they want to write a ship at all. Try starting with a one-sided crush or something similar so their muse can decide how they feel after interacting for awhile.
Value their portrayal. It’s fine if you’re asking to ship simply because you like your muse with a certain character, but remember that each mun has their version of that character and is more than just a blank slate for you to force your ship bias onto. Understand that they won’t necessarily act out your every fantasy with you. If you cannot accept that their portrayal is still their own even while shipping, don’t ask to ship.
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