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Posting EtiquetteGuidelines for Role-PlayingThis list of guidelines is for members both new and old, to walk you through some common problems or curiosities that pop up in threads.
Thread Markers- Thread markers are identifiers in brackets that go before and after the thread title:
[Oct14] Title of thread [OPEN]
For the timeline dates, start threads within our current three-month timeline (shown in the sidebar on the main page) to make it easiest to react to plots. You may finish threads started before the current timeline at any time.
The ‘characters invited to participate’ markers let members know which threads they can jump into. A list of these common markers and their meanings are below:
- Open: The thread is open to any character that has reason to be there.
- Closed: The thread is closed to any character that has not been specifically invited.
- Character names: This thread is only open to those characters listed.
- Character name, then Open: After the aforementioned character has made a post, any other character can post too.
- PM or PM for invite: To participate, you need to send a private message to the characters involved and ask if you can join.
- M or Mature: Threads that contain substance abuse, sexual content, graphic violence, and controversial themes should be marked by an 'M' or 'Mature', both in the title of the thread and the first post of the thread (as stated in our Code of Conduct).
In addition to putting thread markers in the title of your threads, you can use tags to organize your threads by date, characters, and plots.
Godmoding- Godmoding means controlling the actions, reactions, speech, or thoughts of other writers' characters. Examples include: determining or predicting the effect of an action (such as a spell), and writing or predicting the dialogue of another character.
Godmoding should be avoided unless you have permission first from the other writer.
Regardless of how you plan out a thread, be cooperative about editing a post if you control a writer's character in a way they don't like.
Metagaming- Metagaming means giving your character information that they would not logically have. Examples include: reading another character's thoughts, guessing plot points ahead of time when your character would not have enough information to put the pieces together, or never allowing your character to make mistakes.
Sometimes characters will hear about other characters' actions and plans through the grapevine, and that's ok! Keep it realistic, and check with other writers whenever you're in doubt about what your character would know.
Posting Order- Posting order is when members take turns to post in a thread.
There is no rule about posting order at Absit Omen, so you can post 'out of order'. Just keep in mind that posting very frequently might make it difficult for other members to respond and understand how their characters fit in.
Posting 'out of order' can be a lot of fun if you have an exciting reply that’ll push the plot forward. It’s also useful if members need to skip a character because they've stopped responding to the thread for a long time.
Post Length- At Absit Omen, there’s no paragraph or word limit that you have to reach. Post enough content to respond to the other writers who posted before you, and to keep the thread moving forward. If you write in a way that introduces new things to a thread, the length or shortness of your post won’t matter.
Starting a Thread- Below are some suggestions on starting, continuing, and finishing threads so that other writers are encouraged to reply.
- Pick a location that gets a lot of traffic. The Great Hall is a good idea, as opposed to a tower that’s rarely visited by anyone.
- Make the situation approachable. If your character is sitting quietly, doing a private activity (like reading, writing, or homework), the outgoing characters might respond, but the shyer characters might not have a good reason to interrupt.
- Putting your character into a humorous, embarrassing, or action-filled thread often encourages others to join.
- Include props and describe the setting. Whether it’s your character’s purse, journal, or friendly pet rat, these objects allow other characters to interact with their environment. Adding detail to setting, like a sentence about the roaring fireplace, can inspire other characters to warm their hands in front of it or react in another way.
Continuing a Thread- Think about how to advance characterization or use this thread for future plots.
- Try to have your character respond to others with some kind of action, even if the character is very shy and reserved. A sentence of dialog or a small gesture can make a big difference.
- Internal thoughts and memories can be very interesting to read, but it’s important to keep the thread focused on the present. If you’d like to include your character’s thoughts and feelings, try sprinkling them into each post, instead of writing them all at once.
- How do you know when to end a thread? A good indicator is when it stops feeling fun. However, if you’re just losing steam or you want to liven up a post, talk to the people involved first to see if you can come up with something. Inviting more characters to join can often make the thread more fresh and exciting, as well.
- Despite our best efforts, sometimes a thread isn’t going anywhere. It’s okay to stop and move on to other threads. If you do stop posting, it’s always nice to let your role-play partners know.
Ending a Thread- If you’ve role-played out the purpose of the thread and you’re ready for it to end, there are many different ways you can complete it.
- One or more characters can simply make an exit, leaving the location of the thread.
- Role-play any small actions, or mention lingering thoughts that your character might have. Make it minor enough so that it doesn’t require a response from your partner(s) in the thread.
- Create a cliffhanger. Introduce a new plot, idea, or problem that can be role-played in another thread.
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