PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO WRITE WHATEVER THEY WANT ON THEIR BLOG AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT ACTIVELY HARMING SOMEONE ELSE.
People are allowed to be picky. People are allowed to use graphics that make them happy. People are allowed to write “problematic” characters and “problematic ships”. You are under no obligation to follow or interact.
The ONLY lines are when someone is forced or coerced into uncomfortable situations, and / or things like racism/homophobia/misogyny/antisemitism/etc happen. because those are harmful ACTS that harm REAL PEOPLE. Someone being a villain, someone writing toxic ships, writing something other people view as ‘problematic’, someone formatting their blog as they like or being selective who they follow IS ALLOWED. We curate our safe spaces and content for ourselves.
You are allowed your squicks. You are allowed to say ‘no, that doesn’t vibe well with me’. You don’t have to think something is okay for you personally to let others live their lives. There’s a block button, there’s a tag block feature. Likewise, people may not like what you write or how you format either. As long as you and your writing partners are safe and having fun, not everyone HAS to like your content.
And callouts? Should be reserved ONLY for people who are posing threats of real harm to real people. Calling out someone who wouldn’t write with you or writes something ‘toxic’ is erasure of REAL HARM.
It’s so easy to get lost in anxiety brain, or otherwise harmful thoughts. A great way to put life into perspective is this: people are not NPCs.
Everyone is playing their own game, with their own supporting characters. They are the main character in their life, just as you are in yours. They help when they can, but have their own quests and achievements to complete. It’s not personal if they can’t be there every time you need or want them to be!
Try to remember this if someone hasn’t responded in awhile, isn’t capable of doing what you want them to do, goes offline, or has their own motive outside of your needs. Everyone’s doing their best, and while we travel together a lot on this site, it’s totally valid for people to have their own limits, time, and life and not be present 24/7. Not this quest, adventurer! Till we meet again!
Consider: RP is a hobby that is supposed to exist to bring its creator joy.
You are not entitled to another person’s time. You are not entitled to timely responses in-character or out of character. You are not entitled to an explanation to why someone is slow in response, or why they curate their content in a specific way. No one owes you their time or joy, either in character or out of character. No one owes anyone more than they are willing and able to give. The RPC should be a place of mutual consent and joy for creators to explore together. Causing someone undue harm or stress crosses boundaries, and is an utter lack of respect. Respect the people who provide you joy for free (despite whatever might be going on in their own lives), be patient and understanding, and respect boundaries, always.
A Gentle PSA & Reminder on Bullying and Mental Health Stigma in the RPC
A person’s Tumblr page is meant to be their safe space. Sometimes, it is their only safe space. People are free to adjust their experience to make it so for themselves, and that includes blocking, adding rules, banning faceclaims, or venting out of character sometimes. It’s okay if someone’s content or rules bothersyou, the beauty of this hellsite is that you don’t have to follow them and you can even block them! What is absolutely never okay is bullying someone based on their content, and that includes out of character posts (in general, but today we’re going to focus on mental health).
Imagine just for a second that you’re having a horrible day, and your brain makes you feel as though you have no direct safe space (you pick up the phone and have no one to call, you feel like you’re bothering your friends, etc.) so you post on Tumblr that you’re struggling with a mental illness because the people who are your mutuals are the closest thing you have to friends, but you don’t want to impose. Next, imagine being bullied because you opened up about something hard in your life that is happening to you.
This happens with all kinds of illnesses and disabilities, but there is a particular stigma surrounding people who are struggling with their mental health. The bullying happens all the time and it has got to stop. As stated before, it’s okay to not have the brainspace to see things pertaining to someone else’s mental health, and it’s valid to have triggers. Blacklist the tag, or block and move on. Do not use this as a platform to bully someone. Life is absolutely already hard enough.
And, to people who see the bullying and aren’t sure what to think or whether they should speak up: please remember that a person’s mental health issue IS an illness. It is no less valid than a physical health issue, and treating it as such is ableism, whether intended or not. Don’t be ableist. Educate yourselves, please. There are so many people on this site that are struggling in one way or another with illnesses (both physical and mental) and life is too short for hurting people over something they have no control over, that has never once made them a bad person, just a sick person. Have compassion, and be kind. Curate your space to be safe for you, but don’t take someone else’s safe space from them.
Remember: You are totally free to write whatever you want on your blog, but other people are equally permitted to unfollow/block you as a result. You don’t need to defend your blog content, and they don’t need to give you a reason as to why they blocked you.
PSA: Please be mindful that not all RPers are comfortable being called pet names like honey, darling, sweetie, babe, etc! People can have all kinds of reasons for discomfort with those terms, including:
-being a minor
-having trauma
-those terms feeling too intimate
-those terms feeling degrading or infantilizing
-literally any reason
So when in doubt, please ask first before you use pet names for people.
what does it mean? basically, reblog the meme from the original poster. like me. or the meme blog that created it. basically, the very first person to write the meme out.
“ but soulmemes! surely it isn’t a terrible thing to reblog from the person i saw on my dash who reblogged it! ”
excellent remark, and terrible is a strong word, but it’s kinda rude to reblog a meme from someone who reblogged it, not only from the source, but quite clearly hoping someone might send one in. even if you do send one in, you’re flooding the notifs. and reblogging from the source is a far easier alternative.
“ well, what if the source blog is deactivated? ”
most memes are reblogged by other meme resource blogs. most memes are then reblogged FROM those meme resource blogs BY roleplay blogs. please do that. it’s aggravating as hell to receive a notif just to find someone reblogged the meme from you, and didn’t send you one in return. it’s fine once or twice. and if you have a good friendship with someone and they don’t mind, that’s fine too. but being used solely as a meme resource is pretty hurtful. and rude. and mean. don’t be that way. maybe you didn’t know. but now you do! i believe in everyone and in your kind hearts. but this is your little warning about reblogging from the source. okay? okay. ily. drink some water. have a snack. reblog from the source.
According to this tumblr help article, tumblr is tightening security on blogs to prevent bad actors (such as spammers) from using malicious JavaScript.
Unfortunately, this does affect much of the roleplayer and writing communities on tumblr, as many of us rely on custom coded pages for various information for everything from muse directories and verses to work-in-progress listings and fic recommendations.
At this time, the only solution is to contact support for them to potentially reenable JavaScript on your blog(s). Since this is such a new issue, there is no word at the time of writing this psa regarding how long that might take for them to do so, if they do so or, hypothetically, they see fit to rollback part of this security update if they find it affects more people than they originally believed it would.
REMINDER: If you are at all affected by this (meaning if your custom coded pages can’t be updated because of tumblr blocking JavaScript), you need to contact support.
The more people who contact support with needing JavaScript enabled, the more likely staff will come to realize that it affects more people than they originally thought, considering this is the announcement (relevant bits bolded for emphasis):
New: Improving Security on the Blog Network Hello, Tumblr.
We’re tightening security on blogs to prevent bad actors (such as spammers) from using malicious JavaScript on Tumblr. These changes likely won’t affect many of you, and no action is required on anyone’s part, but we wanted to be clear about them. Here’s what’s happening:
Javascript is not allowed at all in blog descriptions. If we detect it, we’ll simply remove it when the blog is viewed.
Blog pages cannot have JavaScript as well. If we detect it, we’ll remove it when the blog is viewed. If you try to edit a blog page that contains JavaScript, you’ll see an error message that reads: Looks like you’re trying to add some Javascript or invalid html to your page. You’ll need to contact Support if you’d like to use Javascript.
JavaScript in your custom theme code or installed theme is still fine and is not affected by these changes.
Hey wait. I’m doing [cool and not malicious thing] with JavaScript. Can’t you make an exception?
For sure. We love when people do cool and not malicious things on Tumblr. If you need to use some JavaScript on a page or in your description, reach out to Support and we’ll get it sorted out for you.
Reblog your mutuals’ promos; like or comment on their posts and edits! It really just takes a second. This is just a hobby, yes, but people still put a lot of work and energy into creating their blog, writing their replies, creating HCs and edits. And showing your support and appreciation to your mutuals is important.
Rp is a two way street, it’s a shared hobby. Taking the time to like a post or reblog a promo can make someone’s day! When mutuals feel supported, they’re more enthusiastic too!
if someone or something has you upset and you feel like sending harsh/rude/hateful anons to someone over things they like that is perfectly innocent, then it’s time to step away from the computer, put down the phone and or tablet, unclench your jaw, and take time to walk around your room or even go outside for some fresh air.
sending harmful messages can do way more damage than you know with some people. and it’s not something that “they need thicker skin” for, it is look in the mirror and ask yourself “would i want messages like that sent to me?” if you answer no to that then stop sending such harmful things! if yes to that… well, there’s a group for that where it’s not truly harmful.
tldr: step back, touch grass, use the block/unfollow button
Daily reminder to be kind and considerate to those you follow or see on your dash!
I’d like to say once more to be kind and considerate to those you interact with on the dash! You never know what sorts of things they are going through right now. So keep in mind to tag things they ask to be tagged for their sake and do more than just be a passing by reader! Spread kindness to those that need it! If someone is having a bad day or is wanting asks or things tossed their way to help them feel better do it! Ask them about their muses and ocs! Tell them how much you love seeing them on the dash!
SPREAD THAT LOVE AND POSITIVTY!
Some may only have tumblr as their only means to escape from what’s bothering them so do what you can to make their time here better!
Be kind and courteous to those on here like you would with people in real life! After all we are all people too!
Communication, is the key that can make or break a friendship, a relationship, and an overall bond. So, let’s talk on the many things with communication.
Venting to friends
Some might have their bad days and need to vent it out to someone instead of putting it down on paper or notepad. Talking with a friend on the issue can help improve or resolve what is bothering you. But sometimes the person you may be reaching out might not be in the best mindset to help you out. Neither are mind readers when it comes to knowing how the other is doing, and with that, if one suddenly vents to the other with no warning, they may add onto the stress. One the other hand the one that may be listening to the other vent might not be prepared to deal with such things and would want to say that now is not the right time for them to hear things such as that. But when one drops it all with no warning, it leaves little room for the other to say they can’t help them for the time being as it might make the other more sad or upset.
This can and has ruined friendships. I’ve dealt with this and others have to. But the worst of it all is when the one venting to the other is older than the one listening to them. Teens have been vented to by adults on here which shouldn’t be happening a tall. A teen should not be the one to help resolve your problem. And while the other way around on this would make more sense, it still doesn’t mean the other has to listen to the other.
And while it may be easy for some to tell the other they can’t help or listen to them right now, there are those that struggle to say no to their friends.
The best way to resolve such issues is to communicate better in which the one that wants to vent should ask if the other is ok with letting them vent. This gives the other the chance to tell them if they are in a good mental condition or not for such things. Both parties need to make it clear if they can talk on what might be bothering the other before listening to them if they are well enough to. As how the world has been lately, it wouldn’t be hard to believe if everyone is in a down mood.
Issues in what a friend posted or said
A friend might have posted or said something that bothers you or upsets you. but you don’t want to confront them on it. But ultimately you have to reach out to them before it eats away at you and ultimately tears the friendship apart.
The best thing with this would be to reach out to them to ask about it. Do not see it as confronting them as it could be a mistake. Not everything that is said first is worded how they mean it to be. No one is perfect. There is no such thing as someone who is mistake-free. One mistake should not be the point tears everything apart. They might not realise what they said or did was harmful or upsetting, and once pointed out they can amend the mistake. If it becomes and ongoing issue or they never go about to change it then you let them know it’s time for the two of you to go your separate ways.
Dealing with one’s excitement
There can be a mutual that might be overexcited for a plot or thread which you aren’t too crazy over or isn’t going how you like. With this some have chosen to end the communication without warning which can upset the other as well as confuse them as they have no clue what they could have done wrong, which can ultimately discourage them or turn them away from wanting to talk on their plots or excitement with others. It’s something that can be harmful for a writer, more so is one goes along with what the other says but ultimately isn’t interested in how the other wants things to go.
Talk with them on it. Do not just cut communication out of the blue. If you don’t want things to go in that direction, tell them. It might hurt the other a bit but at least that way they can be open for changing things up that works in both your favours.
If there’s more that you feel that needs to be added feel free to add onto it!
[ID: A screenshot of a retweet by @bbwi_ that says, “quick translation - the creator of these picrews that had been circulating is known for posting underage nsfw content of pripara (prism paradise) characters. please don’t support them or use their picrews anymore :(“. Beneath the retweet is a screenshot of the various picrews, all of which are written in Japanese. One of the picrews is named “GORILLA_ART. End ID]
I’ve seen people using the picrew on the very left so I’d like to issue a warning!
direct communication is your best friend! don’t ‘send hints’.
set clear boundaries in your rules pages and explain your muse simply on your about page
have a wanted plots tag or memes tag readily available
ask them about common interests to get to know them
avoid the use of confusing and inaccessible formatting such as multiple spaces between words or hard-to-navigate blog themes
Feel free to add your own tips in reblogs!
don’t get annoyed at them over their favorite things or what they are hyper-focusing on! instead talk with them on it and ask on other things they like just as much. don’t suddenly change the topic as it can really hurt us as it is something that means a lot to us and makes us happy.
don’t just ask on the spoon theory! look it up to know it’s just a measurement on our energy.
encourage their autistic headcanons if they have some for their muse! there’s hardly any rep in the rpc for those with autism. don’t bash on the hcs as it really hurts us.
February being the month to go back in history and shine light to those that helped bring more rights to the black community I’d like to take the time and say that even to this day there are rights still being fought for for the black community.
For the black rpc I’d like to thank you all for your not only amazing writing but your portrayals of your muses. It’s sometimes hard to write in the rpc I know as there’s still racism that happens and those that might not know better. For that we nonblack muns should do our part to help snuff out such hate from a community that should be bringing people together and having fun as well as educate those that might want to help support the community and as well as give more representation.
Support black muns not just for this month, but for all the months and years to come.
It doesn’t matter what your blogs AESTHETICS are. Or how fancy your blogs tags are. When it comes to triggering content you need to use basic tags. Just words. Nothing fancy. Your tags for anything triggering should look like this:
No alternate key codes such as ☺☻♥♦♣♠ or anything like these things. Stars, circles, moons, you name it all of these things make it impossible for people who are triggered by such things to filter and/or blacklist your tags which means the content is still triggering them.
A lot of people in the RPC don’t seem to realize this so we’ve decided it was long overdue that we made a small PSA about it.
Reblog if you want people to let you know if they see negative things posted about you. Especially if they make you believe that unfollowingyou is the best option to get away because of whatever it is you’re being accused of.
No one likes losing friends and followers because of false rumors being spread by someone out of jealousy. There are a number of reasons this sort of thing happens. They include but are not limited to:
Jealousy on the posters part.
The one spreading them seeking attention.
The one spreading the lies is petty and wants you to leave Tumblr.
The problem with these sorts of things is that the person who is typically the target of these people has done nothing wrong. Of course, there are times where that isn’t true. Not everything you read about a person online is true. We know that it might be hard, but before you block or unfollow that blog you’re seeing rumors about, you might want to take the time to talk to the mun. Especially if you’ve never seen the stuff you’re seeing them accused of on the dash before.
Chances are someone has spread a rumor and is trying to ruin their time here on Tumblr.
Sometimes all it takes to cheer someone up is asking them how their day is going. It’s the small things in life that can have the biggest impact on others. Remember to be kind and courteous, and to treat others how you, your self wish to be treated.
No one knows what sort of thing is going on for someone behind the screen of their phone or on their computer. Keep that in mind before you decide to send hate. If you’re thinking of sending hate to someone take a moment to think about what you’re writing. If you read it and think ‘wow, I wouldn’t want this to show up in my inbox’, then DON’T send it.
Not only that, but anon hate is illegal and you can get into serious trouble when you’re found out. So save yourself the trouble and don’t send it. Instead, do something more productive with your time.
Aggressive Reminder that if you want to ship with me.
TELL ME!
Please, I’m not sure who all wants to actually ship with my muse and I’m an anxious mess more than half the time. I’m afraid to approach people out of fear of being laughed at or otherwise.
Ok, I’m not a big fan of these kinds of posts, but lately, I’m becoming more and more disheartened so I need to know if you’re out there.
Please reblog this post if you are willing to write with ‘un-shippable’ muses.
I’m talking about those muses who are perhaps elderly, who are married/taken and not liable to affairs, muses who are asexual/aromantic, or even just muses whose muns don’t really want to ship.
While I’m always happy that anyone would want to write with me, sadly, over time I have realised that my older/married/ace muses are very rarely (virtually never) requested. So please share this on your blog so that people know they can throw their muses at you who are not going to wind up in ships or with smut threads.
Sometimes someone has something in real life going on and they’re unable to respond to asks, IMs or threads.
Or maybe they’re unable to rouse the muse for the thread, or the setting and not the actual thread itself. It could be any number of things.
Some people, such as myself (the OP) suffer from anxiety or any number of other issues that make them not able to respond to everything all the time. Keep this in mind and just be nice.
What To Do in this kind of situation:
If it’s been a couple days, a simple inquiry about the status such as:
‘Hey, I was just wondering if Tumblr alerted you about thread x.’ ‘Not to be a bother, but I just wanted to let you know I got to thread x the other day, and I didn’t know if Tumblr alerted you.’
Be polite and remember they’re also human behind the screen. If it’s been a few days, perhaps a small check in on their well being would be also be acceptable.
What NOT to do in this kind of situation:
Message them EVERY single time you respond or reply with things like ‘Replied’ ‘Your turn’. This stresses people out, and makes them not want to continue. Especially if it comes to where you’re spamming them. Do not harass them, or badger them. This can send even those who don’t have anxiety into panic attacks.
Never say things like ‘You’re responding to x and x, but not me.’
Guilt tripping people is NEVER okay.
Just remember, building friendships or even relationships in Character require positive interaction out of character.
Always remember, those you’re interacting with do have lives outside of Tumblr. Jobs, college, some could be in their final year of high school. They could be a married person with kids.
People have responsibilities outside of Tumblr, thus making the site, not their maid priority. Keep this in mind when you’re interacting. If interactions drop for a few days, a simple check in, or a simple ‘Hey how are you?’ should suffice.
Remember the saying goes ‘Treat others how you wish to be treated.’, and not ‘Treat others like crap and expect them to like you.’
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:
Threads
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.
Ships
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.
BE MATURE AND BACK DOWN IF THEY SAY NO
The importantance of this cannot be stressed enough. Too many people in the RPC are literally incapable of taking ‘no’ for an answer. They keep pushing to get what they want. They cry, whine, complain, etc. until the object of their desire is fulfilled. If they still don’t get it, they make themselves out to be a victim when all it is, is them not being able to handle not getting what they want.
Behavior like this is disturbing on so many levels and is why a lot of people are too afraid to have “open communication” with their partners and why ghosting is so common. They are too afraid to say ‘no’ or ‘I’m not feeling this ship anymore’ because their partners might flip out on them and begin begging/harassing/call outs. So, what happens? Their partner ghosts. Just because someone isn’t emotionally mature enough to handle rejection.
Bottom line, do not force your muse onto someone else’s muse. That’s forcing a ship. Take ‘no’ and move the hell on. Accept that some ships don’t last forever and you’ll be able to find a new one.
You are NOT annoying if you send asks to me. You are NOT bothering me if you IM me. You are NOT bugging me or irritating in any way shape or form.
You can send me as many memes as you want, you don’t bother me. You’re not annoying or a bother.
If you don’t see me answer an ask you sent in, there’s a high chance I didn’t get it because I’m fairly sure more than half the time I am sent asks I don’t get them. So if you send me an ask, and I don’t answer it, please… IM me and ask about it. I’ll tell you if I got it or not. I don’t bite, I promise.
Something I’ve noticed in the RPC is that there seems to be a rather huge lack of communication on a lot of mun’s parts. Especially when it comes to matters of ‘Ships’ or ‘Mains’. Here’s a little list to help you out if you need it.
If you have expressed interest in someone’s muse, take the time to let them know you still want that interaction/ship.thread.
If you’ve dropped someone, let them know so they don’t keep checking to see if you’ve responded to them.
If you ended a/all thread(s) with a Mun, let them know.
Communication is a big part of the RPC that seems to be lacking.
Talk to your partners. Let them know you’re interested, or even if you’re not. Most people are fairly understanding.
TL;DR: Communication is key. Talking to someone about what’s going on/why you’ve not responded to the thread(s) with them? Telling them if you’ve dropped them would be a good idea. Dropping people without telling them is not only rude but it reflects negatively on you as a roleplayer.
Also, don’t expect your partners to all jump at the chance to interact with you, if you make no move to actually do what you plotted out with them. If you want to ship with someone, you NEED to talk, to interact. To build a ship with them. You can’t expect someone to have a one-sided ship. If you want to ship OR interact? EXPRESS INTEREST.
HEY – IT’S FREE NOT TO COMPARE DUPLICATES!!SOME PEOPLE HAVE DUPLICATE ANXIETY. INSECURITIES. SOME TRY REALLY HARD TO FIND INDIVIDUALITY IN THIS LARGE COMMUNITY. COMPARING THEM TO OTHERS WHO WRITE THE SAME MUSE, OR STATING THERE ARE BETTER ONES OF SAID CHARACTER IS REALLY UGLY AND YOU SHOULD BE REALLY ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR NOT ACCEPTING DIVERSITY; EVERYONE PORTRAYS THINGS DIFFERENTLY JUST LIKE WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT FAVORITES OF EVERYTHING. YOU LIKE ONE BETTER THAN ANOTHER KEEP IT BETWEEN THEM AND YOURSELF. DON’T DISCOURAGE ANOTHER WRITER. COMMON ROLEPLAY ETIQUETTE. BE MINDFUL. NOT HATEFUL.
