#it's literally so easy to develop a spending problem in these spaces if you're not careful!

[vpet]

going crazy bc adopts can be so toxic to neurodivergent people if you don't take care of yourself!

[dolokhoded]

hii this is the-reynolds-pamphlet (this is my main and i cant get rid of it LMAO im not active on here)

re what you said about the s4 pacing. LITERALLY i wrote that whole other post as an answer to another ask i got about how the chosen's storyline really sucks in some aspects and i said the pacing is going to be incredibly off for season 4

okay first of all. there's a huge timeline issue in season 3 concerning the holidays and how much time passes since season 1, i was gonna make a whole other post about all the timeline inconsistencies but i didnt get around to doing it (i probably should). but like at this point it has been one year minimum since s1, realistically it should be three years if the end of season 4 is palm sunday. then like ??? theyre gonna spend the entirety of s5 on ONE week? and for fucking what. i thought they wanted a "bingeable" proper show with pacing and everything, why would they zero in on that

but anyways about ramah. first of all im 99% sure it's because her actress has schedule conflicts and likely wants to drop out of the show (that's why she mysteriously left to go talk to her dad in season 3). but also it's kind of obvious that they're using her death as character development for thomas for the rest of the series (which is gonna be like 2 weeks maximum over 3 seasons anyway. unless they continue onto acts but that poses another huge pacing problem.) which is pissing me off like?? i had the same reaction when tamar was acting weird for like one (1) episode and then she told mary everything and just left. why would you not give them proper character development established over a long period of time and just confine it to singular episodes like that. im pretty sure tamar's backstory won't be brought up again lmao. also ramah doesn't really have much of a personality (which sucks because i got the impression she was a bit of a rich daddy's girl and there was potential for character exploration) and her character hasn't even been that established so like... partially it's easy to kill her but on the other hand, it isn't as emotional especially bc she wasn't even here the last season.

also remember how in the other post i was like why are they literally giving consistent character arcs and emotional plot for matthew, mary, simon & eden, and james & john but theyre basically forgetting everybody else exists. yeah like james just fucking launches himself at someone and gets knocked out in season 4 which is great but how long are they going to be just keep throwing new arcs for the main cast and keep ignoring thaddeus' existence. btw i watched a clip of That Scene in s4 (i didnt realize what it was when i was watching it lmao) with thaddeus and james and they're basically asking jesus why he's talking about dying. so thaddeus stays personalityless while big james is over there getting concussions #maincharacter. im not saying that scene w/jesus isnt necessary but im saying its thad's big scene and it is once again about Not thaddeus

this entire thing is incredibly bizarre to me because they COULDVE made an actual show with fleshed out characters and everything ??? they confined themselves to 8 1-hour long episodes per season, which of course restricts how much storytelling they can do while keeping in all the major gospel events they need to put in. but like first of all they couldve Not Done that. i think their audience wouldve gone insane for more episodes. second of all, if they WERENT gonna carry on character arcs and give everyone a fleshed out character then why did they introduce them as such??? i mean it was probably because they wanted to spark interest and then just forget about it but that kind of sucks. why did they do this lmao they literally had the opportunity to make it better

ok v rushed reply cause i have to go to the library the bus is coming in 15 minutes which means all the law students are leaving which means empty spaces BUT

you're so right the chosen's timeline is fucked up atp i can't really tell when it's been a day or a week or like. a couple months it's. i dont understand what theyre doing and why theyre doing it like this. cause like. even the characters who do have decent arcs like matthew and simon peter and james and john are not being developed properly cause the timing is so goddamn off. and i Know that in this new season they're gonna try to make john like Rise Above and start to kind of live up to his name as the favorite and have more understanding of jesus' teachings while james doesn't which is very stupid to me cause like. When. i think it was last season that this guy was bragging about getting to plough a field. how are they going to have john transition into one of the most competent disciples just. doesnt make sense.

and ALSO !!!! the reason all of these arcs are being so rushed is because they never get a break because as you mentioned literally nobody else gets any character developement. i wanna see more of thad. and little james. and nathanael while we're at it, and zee, and philip, and mary and tamar's friendship. why are they just throwing shit in there and never expand on it at all, unless you're thaddeus, in which case you don't even get that.

also i have a.,., suspicion, kind of, on where they're going with big james, and i can't be entirely sure, i'm not saying i'm correct, but just in case. Leave Tamar Alone ! i'm begging you ! dallas ! leave tamar alone ! not every single one of your female characters needs a romantic subplot ! i know big james is pretty and you want to give him a love interest so the repressed christian women in your audience keep watching your show, i see him, but for the love of christ actually ! leave tamar alone ! i know that if this happens you're only going to utilize her character for romance LEAVE TAMAR ALONE !!!!

[gruhapravesh]

Unlocking the Good Vibes: The Marvelous Benefits of the Money Plant as a Houseplant

In the world of houseplants, the money plant stands out as a superstar. With its heart-shaped leaves and reputation for bringing good luck, it's no wonder that this plant has found its way into countless homes. But did you know that the money plant offers more than just charm? Let's dive into the wonderful benefits of having a money plant as a houseplant.

Positive Energy and Luck: The money plant has a longstanding reputation for attracting positive energy and good luck. In many cultures, it's believed to create a harmonious and prosperous environment. While we can't guarantee financial windfalls, having a money plant around can certainly uplift your spirits and create a welcoming atmosphere.

Air Purification: Our homes can sometimes trap indoor pollutants, affecting the air we breathe. Thankfully, the money plant is a natural air purifier. It helps remove harmful toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from the air. This not only contributes to better air quality but also promotes a healthier living space.

Easy Maintenance: For those new to plant parenting, the money plant is an ideal companion. It's incredibly easy to care for and forgives occasional neglect. It thrives in a variety of light conditions, from low to bright indirect light. Watering is simple too – just wait for the top inch of soil to dry before giving it a drink. This low-maintenance nature makes the money plant a perfect choice for busy individuals or anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of plants.

Green Decor: Adding a touch of greenery to your living space can instantly brighten it up. The money plant's lush foliage adds a pop of color and life to any room. Whether you hang it in a basket, let it trail from a shelf, or place it on a windowsill, the money plant's elegant leaves are sure to catch your eye.

Stress Reduction: Spending time with plants has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. The presence of greenery can have a calming effect on our minds. The money plant's soothing appearance and the act of caring for it can provide a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Symbolic Meaning: Beyond its physical benefits, the money plant carries symbolic meaning. As its leaves resemble coins, it's often associated with wealth and abundance. In feng shui, placing a money plant near the entrance or in the wealth area of your home is believed to invite positive financial energy.

Versatility in Décor: The money plant's versatility extends to its decorative potential. It can be grown in various ways – hanging, trailing, or climbing. Its adaptable nature makes it a fantastic addition to different types of indoor spaces, from apartments to houses.

Mood Lifter: The sight of healthy, thriving plants can boost your mood and mental well-being. The money plant's presence can add a touch of nature's beauty to your surroundings, reminding you to appreciate the little things in life.

Easy Propagation: Want more money plants? No problem! Money plants are easy to propagate. Simply cut a stem with a few leaves and place it in water or soil. It will develop roots and grow into a new plant. This means you can share the joy of having a money plant with your friends and family.

Conclusion

In a world where stress and indoor pollution can take a toll on our well-being, the money plant comes as a breath of fresh air – both literally and metaphorically. Its positive energy, air-purifying abilities, and easy care requirements make it a fantastic addition to any home. Whether you're a seasoned plant lover or a beginner, the benefits of the money plant are sure to make you appreciate its presence. So, go ahead and embrace this green gem, and let the good vibes flow into your living space!

[aritany]

I know this is Very Specific but I'm planning on writing a couple of road-trip-type books, and since you're my favorite person and also wrote what I know will be my favorite road-trip book - any tips? Any tricks? Any advice on, well, anything about writing road trips?

keena! <3 thank you so much! i do in fact have a plethora of tips and tricks about this and unleashing them hits the serotonin button in my brain. i hope this is helpful!

Writing Road Trips 

while i could go on about this for days and probably will, my best and most valuable advice about writing road trips centers around tone, variety in scenes, and how you can utilize the structure of journey narratives to your advantage.

tip #1: tone

tone is HUGE in all writing, but the delight in road trip tone is that it is so specific, and there’s so much room to play with it. you can have a rich variety of settings, but underneath that, your aim is for a sense of liminality, a ‘not there yet’ that actually is the fuel behind every plotline ever written. in travel stories, that ‘not there yet’ sensation is quite literal, but there are also several ways you can use tone to do this subliminally. 

first up: give your prose a Vibe Check™. the vibes i was going for for with i wish you wouldn’t fell into the ‘coming of age, restless summer, unexpected stillness’ categories, so to emphasize that without saying any of it directly, i relied heavily on description and atmosphere to set tone. a LOT of the scenes took place in the ‘spaces between’, like dusk between daytime and nighttime, or gas stations, rest stops, a house that doesn’t belong to the narrator, in the car, etc, which set the precedent of liminality without me having to state it directly. if you’re smart about it, you’ll be able to say ‘and they weren’t there yet’ in reference to the emotional plot without ever actually saying it. 

let weather work to your advantage. in travel fiction characters are often more susceptible to being controlled by the weather, and since you’re god in this universe, work that to your advantage. let the emotional tone of weather influence how your characters feel, and how they respond differently to different circumstances. (this can also be VERY fun for juxtaposition, and this is a general point for all fiction: it can be very jarring (in the best sort of way) to for your character to be undergoing their dark night of the soul in bright morning sunshine)

depending on the genre of your novel, lean on specific aesthetics to get your point across. if you’re writing suspense, give your character an unreliable car. if you’re writing a love story, spend a lot of your time on the tactile (trust me). let your characters experience the places they are in a way that makes them vivid to readers. 

tip #2: variety in scenes 

i’ll be more concise here: don’t fall into the trap of ‘same’. when you’re writing travel fiction it’s easy to stick your scenes into the same setting, since they spend so much time travelling (usually in the car). try to avoid twenty scenes where they’re sitting in the car and talking. you can only talk about the hum of the engine or the beating of windshield wipers for so long, and repetition can be a problem especially if you’re aiming for vivid tone. give yourself freedom to play with location. give them odd and unexpected problems to overcome, and let the location of your plot points speak to character development.

tip #3: using the journey narrative to your advantage

journey stories are often both literal AND metaphorical. i touched on this in my first point about liminality. you want your story to lead somewhere, otherwise it’s just characters sitting around and talking about something. 

you have two choices: either your character’s emotional journey works in tandem with the literal journey, or it doesn’t. both options can be really cool. the first one could look like: a couple gets together when they finally reach their destination. (or someone confesses to a crime. or a character is absolved of their guilt) in this case, the literal arrival happens at the same time as the emotional arrival. the second one could look like: character a is on the run to get to a safe haven, and they think that getting there will solve all of their problems, but the arrival ultimately lets them down in some way (maybe the safe haven has been abandoned or never even existed), and they have to look within themselves to find another solution, and then their emotional arc is fulfilled later on. in this case, the literal arrival doesn’t happen in tandem with the emotional arrival.

in i wish you wouldn’t, i went with both options. the story feels like it’s going to be the first: i won’t get too specific for spoiler reasons, but An Important Moment happens upon arrival to the final destination. However, The Important Moment doesn’t actually happen until later, when the characters are preparing to return. 

whichever structure you choose, it’s about tension and release. if you let your characters arrive at their destination before The Important Moment, don’t let go of the ‘are we there yet’ reigns. keep your readers suspended (and here you can draw on tone to emphasize the ‘no, not yet’). 

i could continue to talk about this, but that’ll get even more long-winded, so i’ll leave you with that. good luck writing your road trip story! <3

[mannatea]

Hi. I used to follow your old blog on a different account. Hope you're doing well. Do you have any tips on thinking up stories that are *not* dark and depressing due to subject material? The last story I was working on I had to quit because the backstory I was developing for my passive male character was super depressing. At times I enjoyed researching it, though what won out was the thought I was wasting my time looking into angsty things for something I wasn't even planning to publish. Now I want to write something a little happier. But I have the most experience in writing angst and cringe comedy 😅 thanks for any help you can give. Stay safe out there!

By the way, good on you for dropping that manga you used to follow. I was happy most of the characters lived, but other than that, it felt "meh" to me (granted, I didn't read all the way from the beginning). The author was probably going for a "people will always be fighting each other" theme, but some of the imagery of what happened after a time skip could definitely be taken as pro-fascist. And I was disappointed the protagonist basically said he wanted to bring about destruction! I'm glad I didn't spend any money to read it.

Wow, hi! I’m doing all right, thanks for asking. I hope you’re doing all right, too. :)

As far as “that manga” goes, I’ve kept tabs on it. I’ve been on the fringes for the last two-ish years; I dedicated something like four real life years to that fandom and mostly had a good time while I was there (made some friends I hope to keep for life), so it was one of those situations where I just had to find out how it ended. I realized at some point that I was in a very negative space in the fandom, and felt it was better to publicly drop the series and the blog associated with all of my meta/discussion than to play in what had become a toxic pool for me. I didn’t really want to drop the account after my time there, but I couldn’t have dealt with the nonstop questions/messages/etc that would have piled in over the years, and eh, when you’re done you’re done. I criticize Hallmark television for fun, now, instead. It’s a lot less stressful! And literally nothing is That Deep so there’s very few delusions, at least on the Tumblr side of things. (Reddit, however, is insane, but I don’t post in the fandom there.)

As far as writing advice goes, I am going to apologize in advance for muddled thoughts. I just got out of work and have been staring at numbers all day, so it’s hard for me to think lmaoo.

In my opinion, any sort of character or personality type/flaw/whatever could have developed via a negative OR positive influence/catalyst, so that’s something to consider. I also think people tend to reach for “sad” or “traumatic” pasts either as a way to cope with their own issues/pasts/whatevers, or because it’s the “easy explanation” for why a character is the way they are.

If you WANT to write things a certain way, it’s sometimes a matter of changing the lens through which you’re viewing life, the story, the characters, or character writing in general. This is never easy, especially when you find a genre you feel comfortable in, but it’s always possible. When I was in college and submitted an autobiographical piece (Rot Tooth) for a creative writing final, I received multiple comments from classmates and even the professor that my talent/skill was in writing comedy. COMEDY!!!! I don’t think anyone who has read my writing from the last decade would say that I was a comedy writer. I stopped labeling ‘fics as humor/romance so long ago I can’t even remember when it was. But boom. I had written a comedy piece.

I don’t think I can ignore that most of the comedic elements in Rot Tooth were brought about because humor is one of the ways in which I cope with things, but it was also a very conscious choice I made. I wanted people to be able to engage with the story without being grossed out, without getting bored, without feeling that it was a poor-pathetic-me story, and humor was the classiest way to do it. Here, read this long story that includes journal entries from Ye Olde Livejournal days, but it will make you laugh often enough that the depressing aspects of the story don’t weigh it down too much! It was probably the only way to make the subject matter widely palatable. 

As often as I joke about characters or scenes or moments that “just write themselves” the author does have control. I mostly write fanfiction, so let’s go with examples from that.

I’m (very slowly) working on a ‘fic called Three Years which features a character who, when last seen, was headed off to serve a prison sentence. They haven’t been on the show for three years and thus I assume they have been serving that sentence for the last three years. The story starts when this character is released from prison. They are a woman. This is a historical piece of fiction. Prisons were vile to women and yet...this is fiction. I have a choice. I get to choose. Does she get to start her life off carrying 25 bags of trauma or just 2? It would be unreasonable to expect that someone, especially a woman, who was imprisoned for 3 years in the early 1900s wouldn’t have some issues (at the very least, the isolation would have been awful), but it doesn’t really have to be much worse than that. It doesn’t.

I have the power to choose.

A character has anger issues. Sure, he could have had a traumatic past with an abusive parent who took his anger out on him or his mom or whatever...or maybe it is an inherited personality trait and the parent figure with the problem was never really That Bad about it, but seeing it normalized makes it harder for the character in question to realize it’s a huge problem and part of their character arc is realizing they need to get help, not because they don’t want to be like their dad, and not because they hate their dad, but because they just want to be a better person/they don’t want to let that struggle consume them.

Someone’s sweetheart goes off to war. Guess what? They don’t have to die there to force a traumatic past. They don’t have to come back a raging alcoholic either. Maybe the time apart, and the time fighting a war just puts a natural sort of crack in the relationship by making it clearer to each character what they want in life/what matters to them in their life.

A character is super passionate about their work/hobby. Maybe they have ADHD and it’s a hyperfixation. Maybe they’re autistic and it’s a Special Interest. It doesn’t have to be “their parents ignored them and forced them to be alone all the time and they used this thing to cope so it means everything to them because it’s always been there.”

Maybe you have a character whose greatest fear is losing the people they love. It doesn’t have to be because a pet died in their arms when they were four and it traumatized them. It doesn’t have to be because they only have one person they love in the whole world. It can just be a thing because that’s a valid fear literally anyone can reasonably have, and maybe it’s a bigger deal because they don’t have siblings or aren’t close to many people! (And the “aren’t close to many people” thing doesn’t have to stem from trauma, either. Most busy adults for example who get to choose their friends, are just like that.)

A perfectionist might just have the personality type; it doesn’t mean their parents criticized everything they ever did. A person with three failed marriages might hesitate to fall in love and try again but it doesn’t have to be because those three failed marriages were abusive. A quiet character may just be shy or introverted by nature. 

I think everyone carries some kind of trauma with them, so it’s never unreasonable to have some in a person’s past (you can’t write an ugly character without having to think about the fact that they carry some trauma from what it’s like to grow up ugly), but it doesn’t have to define them. It doesn’t have to overshadow everything else in their past.

You can always ask yourself, “Why am I reaching for angst every time I create a backstory?” Literally everyone has some kind of angst. Most kids were hurt by things said to them in school, for example, or made fun of for some reason. Most people did something extremely embarrassing as a kid and never got over it. There are a thousand little moments in our adult lives that go back to these little points—you might call them the tiny traumas. But they’re not defining. They’re not so heavy they also live in the present. Not all of them.

Why do you reach for the darkest corner? Why not for the light? Or a middle ground?

I encourage people to write basically whatever floats their boat, but it sounds like you’re at a point where you just feel weighed down by that sort of stuff, and that’s not a great way to feel, especially when it discourages you from working on a project entirely.

My final suggestion: look at some of your favorite characters from various types of media. Are they all traumatized? What are their defining characteristics? Black Beauty has some depressing stuff in it, but is ultimately a story with a happy ending. Pride and Prejudice has drama, but nobody’s past is filled with the darkest stuff imaginable. North and South has awful things to consider in it (cotton mills were sooo awful) but the characters are not wildly traumatized people.

What kind of story are you trying to tell? Do the characters need to be traumatized to tell it? Does the story have to be dark to get across the message you want to send? 

Way back in the day, when I was into “that manga” I made an RP blog for a one-off character that nobody gave a damn about. Like, he was so one-off that even back in those days nobody even remembered him having existed. It was sort of a joke RP blog that wasn’t supposed to be serious. The only canon information we had about this character was that he enjoyed drinking. I decided to make him a lighthearted character because the series was pretty dark and I wanted to send people hilarious starters instead of wading through the muck of depression with everyone else’s sad, abused characters. I decided his family was old money and he had a brother. Nothing super traumatizing in his past. Some family issues but not the sort of thing that would haunt anyone. He was not traumatized in his recent past any more than other characters were. Mostly just “a regular guy.” I really loved RPing him. He was fun! The story could get heavy but he didn’t have to be.

Anyway, dive head-first into the dark angst if you want, but if it’s not necessary to tell the story you want to tell, just remember you don’t have to go there. You have the choice.

[inkprintedfox]

OC Study

Tagged by @advena87 to fill out -THIS- OC question prompt.

I tag @starsandskies @1orweth @kanawolf

This is time consuming so I can understand if you guys don't want to do it, so no pressure. I spent roughly a week and a half, almost two weeks on this? No regrets, mostly took so long for me because I work full time and I tend to space out a lot and ramble. Lol

It is quite a bit of fun and a good exercise to help develop your characters so I do recommend It! Don't recommend doing more than three OCs at a time though, three was hard for me and usually I'm an over-achiever. Go easy and dont burn yourself out! Also would be a good exercise if you're writing with a canon character and want to get a handle on working with them.

I wanted to answer this in character originally but it would have been twice as long and probably taken me a month or more. 😅 Perhaps I'll do something like that one day....

Dragon Age OCs per usual for me.

Warden-Commander and Hero of Fereldan (DAO & DAOA)

Growing up in the Denerim Alienage has made Feiell a very bitter, angry, and agressive person. Biting and scrabbling to survive she also had to fight to keep her family and neighbors safe from the rich humans that liked to exploit the destitute elves. She gained a reputation as a protector but also a very hard woman.

She redibly accepted her conscription into the Grey Wardens, not only to escape the persecution of the law, but also to escape the narrow world of the Alianage. Collecting the people that would later be affectionately called "The Blight Brigade" exposed her to many new adventures as well as lifelong friendships, love, and personal growth that could not have happened otherwise.

The Champion of Kirkwall (DA2)

Laid-back, vain, and honestly somewhat lazy, Aiden has never wanted to be anyone's savior let alone a whole city's. Family has been the only thing that mattered in his life and after his father's death, he naturally took on the role of protector and main provider for his mother and siblings. This also made it very natural to take in the stray band of misfits that became almost like family and also why it is so natural for Aiden to constantly help people, even at times he would rather not.

His bleeding heart drags Aiden into the center of conflict far more often than he likes and he constantly berates himself for it. This automatic altruism has jaded him which fuels his sarcastic and sometimes bitter, self-deprecating humor. A tad over dramatic at times means that while he rarely, it ever, says no to aiding someone in need, it certainly doesn't mean he has to be quiet about it either.

The Inqusitor (DAI)

Max has been fortunate for most of his life, from growing up in the wealthy Trevelyan family, to his good looks and, quiet frankly, fantastic smile it's easy to assume he'd be another spoiled rich brat. You'd be giving in to a stereotype that doesn't, quiet, fit him though. From a young age Max has always been outgoing and adventurous which made him a handful to raise. His father frequently grappled with finding things to keep his youngest son occupied in ways that he hadn't had to do with his previous three children.

Born with a naturally sharp mind and quick wit, Max picks up new concepts quickly and with ease. Which means he often grew board with tutors, burned through the family library in a handful of years, quickly became very competent on horseback as well as the breeding and rearing of them (part of the family business), and often terrorized his siblings as well as the hired staff. Once he exhausted most of the interesting things at home he started running off to search for new adventures. Boredom and frequent arguments with his father often lead to habitual bouts of running away from home. Hence where Max got to truly learn about the world and open his eyes to the kind of privilege he's been so lucky to be born with. Unfortunately this also has ingrained his habit of running away from problems he doesn't see a forward solution to. (*cough*theinqusiton*cough*)

OC Study

Featuring:

Warden-Commander Feiell “Fe" Tabris

Champion of Kirkwall Aiden Hawke

Inquisitor Maxwell “Max" Trevelyan

1. Is your OC easily bothered by things?

Feiell – Small things don’t really bother her but she is a tad hot-headed so if you give her a hard time you might not be in for the best experience. She also has zero tolerance for idiots or assholes.

Aiden – He’s a petty bitch that mostly whines and complains to annoy his friends. Also whining about petty things is a good cover for the bigger worries and anxieties he hides underneath.

Max – Mostly an easygoing, carefree type. It takes the numerous responsibilities of the Inquisition weighing down on him all at once before he starts cracking.

2. How easily does your OC make friends?

Feiell – Most defiantly not a people person. Her natural stoic demure and biting sarcasm keeps people at bay. You have to spend quite a bit of time around her before she warms up to you.

Aiden – For reasons he doesn’t really understand people like Aiden. It’s probably his easy smile and sense of humor which he uses to get what he wants or needs out of them. Not really manipulative just doesn’t feel like he deserves the attention. The humor mostly hides his pain and keeps people at arms length, mostly unintentionally. He hates to burden those he loves.

Max – Max loves people, mostly entertaining, or teasing them. His signature charming smile and good looks usually put people at ease which makes him very likable. It also lets him get away with the mischief he often gets into.

3. Does your OC go beyond what they have to do or do they usually do just enough work to get by?

Feiell – Has almost literally killed herself to get where she is. Her work ethic is legendary and she’ll do almost anything to support her family and friends.

Aiden – Will do the barest minimum to get by. Her lazy as hell, even though he is incapable of saying no when someone needs help.

Max – Believes in doing things right the first time and if not the first time then defiantly the second time. Whatever the job needs to get done he willing to do and if it’s a favorite project he can lose himself in it indefinitely.

4. Is your OC respectful of others?

Feiell – She will be as respectful to you as you are to her, but will out match you if you’re a dick to her or her friends.

Aiden – Respectful enough to not cause trouble and get people to leave him alone.

Max – Perfect manners, and ridiculously charming. He believes everyone deserves respect unless they prove otherwise.

5. Is your OC imaginative or more down-to-earth?

Feiell – Defiantly no-nonsense and down-to-earth. She believes in hard work to active your goals.

Aiden – More of a day-dreamer but pulls a practical side together to care for and help family and friends. Dreams are nice but plans put food on the table.

Max – Total idealist, truly believes even the most impossible is attainable if you work at it long enough. Most of that idealistic optimism is broken after Trespasser, but that’s a long story.

6. Is your OC comfortable with themselves?

Feiell – She’s always been comfortable with who she is and has never felt any shame for it. She owes that to her parents and cousin.

Aiden – Feels like a constant failure and a burden despite how hard he tries not to. Doesn’t feel comfortable with opening up about his feelings and weighing others down with them. Is also terrible with expressing more painful emotions.

Max – Is mostly comfortable with himself. Always felt like a disappointment to his family because he never had the kind of goals for his life he thought they would want from him. Also never really saw himself as reliable but the Inquisition changed all that.

7. Does your OC plan things and stick to it or do they make it up as their go?

Feiell – Always has a plan and is a master of adjusting things on the fly if needed. Prefers to stick to the plan but has accepted how rarely that can happen.

Aiden – He’s been winging his whole life and it somehow hasn’t killed him yet.

Max – Usually has more of an outline than a hard plan. Trial & error are his best friends and somehow he’s still alive, that’s probably because he uses educated guesses more that throwing things to the wind.

8. Was their life eventful before the start of the story, or was it more dull?

Feiell – Depends if living in poverty and oppression is dull to you. I guess since it was normal for her it was boring.

Aiden – The stress of hiding a mage father and sister was more than Aiden ever wanted. He would have preferred boring.

Max – While the constant mischief Max got himself into means things were never dull they certainly seem boring when compared to life in the Inquisition. Josephine certainly had her hands full going through all of Max’s past exploits.

9. Do they have the habit to insult other people?

Feiell – Is a salty, little bitch so defiantly yes. She has a sharp tongue.

Aiden – Bit of a smart-ass and occasionally he can’t help it so it gets him in trouble.

Max – Mostly no, it takes quite a bit to get on his nerves enough to make him snap at you. Usually very polite.

10. Would your OC be described as “the life of the party”?

Feiell – She can be described as the death of the party.

Aiden – Likes to think he is.

Max – Is the actual life of the party if he wants to be. Usually he is.

11. Are they critical of others?

Feiell – To a degree, yes

Aiden - Mostly critical of himself

Max – Not really, he’s pretty non-judgmental

12. Do they like art? what is their favorite type (paintings, songs, fashion, etc)?

Feiell – The art of war perhaps, but music is good too.

Aiden – He considers Fenris a work of art if that counts.

Max – Paintings, music, nature, pretty clothes (mostly on Dorian), Max loves it all. He was especially fond of watching Solar paint his murals.

13. Are they more accepting or more controlling of the people in their life?

Feiell – As long as you’re not bothering her and no one gets hurt she doesn’t really care what people do.

Aiden – He has no control over his own life let alone any one else.

Max – Very accepting of people but not above a subtle nudge to do things he feels might benefit them.

14. Is your OC a good listener?

Feiell – She listens more than she talks, so yes.

Aiden – The one who’s always there to listen when you need him.

Max - Yes, he also has a great memory so he's very good at keeping track of all the drama in life. Lol

15. Are they opinionated or more willing to change their minds?

Feiell – Pretty opinionated but not impossible to change her mind, not that it is easy to do so mind you.

Aiden – Too changeable at times and mostly keeps his opinions to himself.

Max – A few solid moral opinions that he won’t move on but open-minded on nearly everything else.

16. Are they the kind of person who’s always on the defensive?

Feiell – Much less than she use to be but definitely yes.

Aiden – Only when he feels blamed for everything, which he is often.

Max – No, he dose his best to own up to his mistakes and rarely takes things personally.

17. Do people like hanging around them? do they have a positive, friendly energy?

Feiell – I will file this under HELL NO. She scares the crap out of most people if she doesn’t piss them off. It can take quite awhile for friends to warm up to her, if at all.

Aiden – People love Aiden, but the older he gets the less Aiden likes people. They demand too much from him but he’ll never be able to say no, or miss a chance at a passive-aggressive joke. Or a regular bad joke for that matter.

Max – People love Max almost from the moment they meet him. There is just something about him that puts everyone at ease and makes it easier to trust and smile. Must be the charming smile, yeah, has to be. He’s not bad looking either.

18. Is your OC a procrastinator? if they are, what’s an example of how much?

Feiell – People die if she puts things off, so no. Some days she wishes she could put many things off though. Like dying anytime soon, there’s too much to accomplish.

Aiden – What is productivity? If nobody is dying or it’s not dragging him, kicking and screaming, by the hair then its probably not getting done. At least no time soon. Guilt trip him hard to speed things up.

Max – Important things get done but if it’s not a pressing issue then it often can be temporarily abandoned for more enjoyable activities. Even if it’s set aside, the thing will still be done in a reasonable amount of time. Unless he forgets, which can happen frequently.

19. Do they tend to panic in certain situations or are they more calm?

Feiell – Always calm, if something bothers her you’ll never know.

Aiden – Panics constantly. Somewhat hides it well…somewhat…

Max – Takes most things in stride, the sudden dump of responsibility and people’s lives was really stressful but he adjusted to it.

20. Are they vengeful?

Feiell – I literally made a post of her being a deity of vengeance lol.

Aiden – Petty or bitter, perhaps, but not full on vengeful.

Max – Yes, touch the people he loves and see a whole different side of him.

21. What are some skills your OC has a talent for and what are some that they worked for?

Feiell – She’s has a natural flair for swordsmanship, her mother started training her and Fe kept up the practice even after her mother’s passing. Her leadership skills were…a little more rough. She had to learn how to organize and lead people on the fly because of the Blight but luckily she learns quickly.

Aiden – He’s scary good at lying, not even Varric can catch him in one. (Honestly most of his book is just Varric's best guess on Aiden's thoughts) Knife throwing took quite a bit of practice though. He can now nail someone at 100 pages and is unmatched at darts.

Max – Politics and navigating the Great Game are weirdly natural for Max even though he kinda hates it. His archery skill is something he is extremely proud of because he’s practiced relentlessly to be as good as he is. And he really is good, until a natural like Sera comes and shatters his ego. Lol

22. Are they more socially awkward or socially confident?

Feiell – Awkward, but in the way that she doesn’t care what people do or say. She dose her own thing and ignores everyone else.

Aiden – Smooth on the outside, tired wreak on the inside. Not that anyone will ever know.

Max – Social chameleon, and life of the party. Until he slips away unnoticed somehow.

23. What is something really dumb that irritates your OC a lot?

Feiell – Dumb questions about her hair: “How long is it?”, “Why do you keep it that long?”, “Is it really that red?”. Usually answered with “Why do you care so much, it’s not your hair.” Also people touching her constantly, she doesn’t see the need to constantly clap people on the shoulder or grab their arms when somethings funny.

Aiden – Orlesians, if you don’t know anything about DA then I’m sorry, this probably doesn’t make sense to you.

Max – Assuming he's stupid or that because of his wealth that he doesn't do any work. He's a natural busy-body so assuming he sits on his are all day is really irritating.

24. Do they tend to see the good in people?

Feiell – No, she’s had too many bad experiences before so distrust is her default until proven otherwise.

Aiden – Sometimes, mostly sees people in shades of grey. No one is 100% good or bad.

Max – He sees the good in people as often as he can and tries to pull some good out of those who are sometimes a little lost.

25. What does it take for your OC to trust someone?

Feiell – Doing what you say you will, not hiding things, sticking up for others when it clearly has no benefit for you, and give it a few weeks….or months and she may trust you.

Aiden – Help him out in a hard spot, or help family/friends.

Max – If you’re not openly malicious or he doesn’t feel like you’re lying/hiding anything his default if to trust until proven otherwise.

26. Do they have a lot of mood swings?

Feiell – Not really, she’s not a very emotional person. Unless you count her temper which can light like a matchstick.

Aiden - Known to be moody, to the point of it being a well known joke among friends. On bad days he can even out do Anders.

Max – Only if the stress is overwhelming him or he’s pretty sick. Otherwise he’s pretty even tempered.

27. Do they like to be the center of attention or do they prefer to be in the background?

Feiell – Hates being the center of attention and would rather be left alone. Unfortunately she’s had to get use to the attention after becoming Warden-Commander.

Aiden – If people could forget who he is it would be really nice. Likes being the center of attention among friends and family, doesn’t like it with crowds of strangers.

Max – Loves entertaining people and making them laugh which makes him great for parties. He grew up attending big gatherings and is an expert at navigating them, which means he's also very good at slipping away from them when he tires of the crowds.

28. Do people think they’re pretentious?

Feiell – Sometimes, her natural expression can give that impression but most of those people that make this mistake are racist shems that don’t like the power she has. Or the fact that she could kill them without breaking a sweat.

Aiden – No, his face is too friendly and if that doesn’t do it the self-deprecating jokes do.

Max – Yes, it’s easy for people to assume that since he comes from money. He’s never thought himself better than anyone though and tries to dispel that impression, but you can’t control what people want to think of you.

29. Is your OC detail oriented or do they focus more on the big picture?

Feiell – Details, details, you add them all up and that’s how you get a bigger picture. Other words, very detail oriented.

Aiden – Big picture. How you get there is a mystery though.

Max – Big picture first then an outline of the main details to get there.

30. Which high school movie stereotype would they fit best?

Feiell – The ice queen/The strict, scary teacher.

Aiden – Class clown/Troublemaker/Weird but laid back teacher

Max – The jock that befriends the weird kid/Hot science teacher

31. Are they good giving advice?

Feiell – Defiantly not, she’s better at giving orders.

Aiden – Only ask if you want to get in trouble. Ok, that’s not completely true, occasionally he can give good advice. Particularly to help cheer someone up.

Max – I would say yes, he’s gotten quite a bit of good advice over the years and likes to pass it on.

32. Which one of the 7 deadly sins fit your OC more? do they see it as a flaw?

Feiell – Wrath: Only a flaw if you think beating your enemies is a bad thing.

Aiden - Sloth: Regrets this flaw. If he had acted sooner on many things they might not have escalated the way they did.

Max – Pride: A flaw he has worked hard to temper over the years. Was more of a problem when he was younger than now.

33. Is your OC more likely to keep their feelings to themselves or to share them?

Feiell – Keeps them mostly to herself. A couple close friends may get a glimpse but only Zevran knows her well. He’s learned when to prod to get her to open up.

Aiden – Doesn’t like to burden others so keeps his feelings to himself even when he shouldn’t.

Max – His oldest sister is his best friend and confidant, she gets to hear everything. Max has started to lean on Dorian in this way too. Basically immediate family and good friends will know what’s up.

[rpbetter]

There's a new roleplay website that's supposed to be coming out soon, and I was really excited for it at first, but I keep seeing announcements coming out about how it will have gamified aspects, which are weighted towards frequent posters. But we don't all RP rapid fire, every day! I'm sad because it's so easy just to not have that kind of thing on a roleplay website, to NOT make it like a contest, it's also so alienating to people like me. I don't know, am I just being too hard on the dev?

Hello, Anon!

Well, firstly, unless you're being unreasonably hostile to the dev, no, you're not being too hard on them. They did put themselves in the position of this massive undertaking that requires, or was supposed to require, community input that isn't always going to be positive. That undertaking should be appreciated, but it doesn't make anyone or anything without flaws, neither does it strip you of opinions. You have a problem with something, you don't like it, and you are entitled to those feelings so long as you're not using them like a blunt object on anyone.

These are also feelings, when on a topic like this, you can only base on the information you're given, and even in that new platform's server, it hasn't been super informative on this. Going off of the information provided on tumblr, all of which has been in response to anons having some concerns, and what has been said in the server, I am not exactly thrilled either, Anon.

On my list of things I am not thrilled by in regards to the platform, this might rank pretty low, but it has made that list. Something all of those things have in common is feeling like a space that was supposed to be concentrated on RP, when we have historically had the biggest RPCs on platforms not meant for RP (specifically, social media platforms), is increasingly turning out to be alienating to some RPers in its attempts to be extremely inclusive and versatile. I don't feel like it is unreasonable to be a bit annoyed that a platform whose development and existence was repeatedly billed as being for RPers by RPers continually seems to be veering into social media based around the topic of RP, and that any suggestions or constructive criticism is responded to the way it has been.

Including this.

It's valid that the desire present is to attract and keep RPers from as wide of a spectrum of experiences, interests, and engagement types with the hobby as possible. It's just, perhaps, not the best idea to do so much, so quickly, while also disregarding opinions on it. As we see quite a lot on tumblr when problems come up, muns not only have an array of differences in how they RP within any tiny sample pocket of the RPC you could possibly pick out, but they also tend to have anxieties about RPing. Not just anxiety, as in literal General Anxiety Disorder and/or other mental health issues that generate anxiety as a very real symptom, but specifically anxiety that develops around RP. That's honestly something one should expect, as any population who leans more to the side of having mental illnesses and differences is going to generate a plethora of varieties of anxiety around anything they engage with enough. Even things they enjoy. That's kind of how anxiety works, your enjoyment does not preclude experiencing anxiety or finding something to pin it on.

I don't know about any of you, but I've not been in a single RPC, from forums to social media platforms to Discord, where muns didn't place anxiety on numerical factors that could simply become competitions. Real or imagined ones. Friend/follower counts, post notes, the size of one's group RP, how many people are in the server, and so on. I've even seen muns express anxiety over knowing the count of their own posts - too many posts and it might make them look one way, too few, they'll look another way.

So, the idea of starting out with something muns can earn and spend on things to collect is a bad one, in my opinion. If this was a feature added eventually, after the RPC got established, I think it would not be so terrible. Or, if "opting out" was more literal than simply not participating. (As in, you could select an option that would not display points or anything related to it on your own end.)

Why? Not because I am the least fun bastard there is, rather because it's exactly like one of RS's recent answers to this very problem stated - human beings like to collect things. Every game utilizes this to some degree, and many browser games make the money to stay open this way. If you make collecting easy enough by allowing people to start out with and earn points, then make some of the items to collect exclusive, you will have people who will drop actual money on the site to buy in-game points in order to buy that exclusive, available for ten days only badge, emoji access, background for a digital pet's home, or pet for that digital pet.

Look, I'm not even judging here. I have a stupid browser game I've been into for an embarrassing amount of years. And in that game, I, too, really thought I needed to spend ten whole real dollars I could've put in my gas tank or bought fast food with instead of being hungry at work in order to buy special game currency so I could have an utterly pointless collectible that, in retrospect, I didn't even want particularly bad. Because that's how it works!

Yes, it's great that RS is neither going to advertise what anyone's point total is nor has monetized points. (Though, I would reasonably expect the latter to happen at some point.) However, it's going to work out the same way. You can opt out and feel like the badges or whatever are absolutely ridiculous, but once the majority of the community is using them as signaling and creating their value, there is pressure and desire to have them.

Think of it like this scenario...if I get points enough to spend on a badge that states I was a beta tester, that Says Something about my account. A year from now, two years from now, it doesn't say much, there will be many muns who have that badge. As time goes on, however, it says more as those muns vanish and my account is still there, five, fifteen years on. Every special, seasonal badge, every badge made in jest over a serious bug or development, every special participation action along the way that results in a badge is a record of how long and how active I've been there.

It's weird because, in the tumblr RPC, we're the only community that treats muns like they're less valuable for having been here longer, but having a graphic signifier of that is very, very likely to change it into a scenario you see in games where those accounts not only become respected but also literally valuable. As in, two years ago, I witnessed a bidding war over an account in a game that was twelve years old and had every possible collectible item and title one could get over that period of time. Someone seriously paid almost four hundred dollars, real-life currency, for this account that is, in all other ways, identical to every other account in terms of gameplay. No extreme benefits to having this account other than the status of it.

Yeah, that's illegal on many platforms and my concern isn't the monetization going on, my concern is just demonstrated by how extreme this gets. The principle of what becomes valuable in the intangible realm of the internet is my concern. The anxiety that will be stirred up because of it is my concern. And any too unfair advantage in how one can get points is my concern.

You will be able to see your point total, you will see the offers to earn more points, and you will or will not have these things attached to your account that signal your "importance."

How is that not going to make muns uncomfortable?!

Seriously, if we have muns who have to hide their follower counts from themselves, I cannot see something like this being a good thing.

And yes, it is, additionally, something that concerns me as pertains to fairness.

When points were first mentioned, my thoughts were that this isn't a great idea and I wish we'd cool it on things that are going farther and farther away from roleplay (I'm not here to not RP while socially engaging with people about RP? I'm not here to play a game? My actual engagement is the RP? Can we ever, ever, just get back to RP?), but I didn't have a huge issue with how I understood that they'd be earned. At that time, it seemed like the point system would primarily revolve around what was stated as, but not explained, "writing contests."

That seemed fair. Many muns will make their own writing contests, after all, either challenging themselves or doing so with friends, it's not a big deal to have site-sponsored contests that would maybe allow you to "buy" a badge/sticker or something that says you completed it or whatever. If it's not your thing, you're not going to be anxious about getting those since it isn't something you want to begin with. There isn't much of a way to give anyone extreme advantages that make it unfair, either, if it was based on objective factors like entering the contest, completing the contest, word count, points pre-affixed to topics, etc. I was good with that, no matter how superfluous I thought it to be, as an unfun person who is just here to RP and wants a functional site on which to do so with more controls aligned to the needs of RPers. So, it's probably not for me, a lot of things aren't, I'm still happy that other people enjoy them if I can avoid them.

Then, it was "using the site." And I started to have a problem with that. How? What falls under that description? Just logging in daily, or is it making a certain number of posts, visiting certain areas, and utilizing aspects of the site? Since it was not outlined in terms of criteria, who knows, but regardless, it begins creating advantage gaps quickly.

For example, I don't have a real interest in participating in this, but if I did, I would be at a disadvantage because of the minimal number of site features that would benefit or are necessary to the way I RP. I don't even literally log out of anything that doesn't log me out, full confession here. I'm an adult, it's my laptop and my house, who is going to be in my business, the cat? I don't have to log out, so, I don't. Alright, there are daily points I am not earning already, unless RS will be automatically logging users out after a period of inactivity, in itself a whole other potential problem that we're not going to discuss here.

Additionally, like you, I do not post daily. There is also the issue of the major diversity in opinions on OOC posting, so, are we now encouraging people to post a shit ton of OOC in order to get points? I don't have problems with a filthy, filthy dash myself, but I can see this being a serious issue for other muns.

This site seems to be primarily geared toward large multimuses who do one-liner to single-para RP and are relatively socially active, interested in using the site in that way and others that are not singularly focused on RP. Someone who writes a lot but posts little, stays in their area and only interacts with writing partners, has under five muses, and generally is not interested in doing anything on RS that isn't related to RP...is at a disadvantage with the way the point system is being spoken of. That's an issue, I have no doubt that some muns more like myself would enjoy collecting, but they are now at a disadvantage.

If the point is meant to be engaging to a wide variety of mun types, that is falling short of the mark in a way that does not fall under "can't please everyone."

That within a matter of minutes of RS announcing getting closer to beta testing and mentioning the point system in that post and in the server, you had concern being expressed very much speaks to that reality. And I think they continue to receive messages about it because people are feeling alienated in that they're not being listened to and do not feel like RS is living up to their initial mission statement already...they've not even launched yet, that's not good. The idea here was that we're all really fed up with not being listened to, not having a platform specifically for RP, made for and with development input from RPers.

In the anon received on this matter that asked for the consideration of not awarding points based on daily posting, this one, the response was to ask for feedback on how they could award points more fairly. That was after this one, expressing a lot of concerns, receiving the response that they've thought all this through, though. And then, you get the anon who did what was asked previously, giving feedback on what would be more fair - suggesting that it should be a monthly/weekly competition that could be entered, going back to what had been stated in the damn server, mind you. The response was to fix on the anon wondering why this is even necessary, that they think RP should be the incentive on a platform for RP.

I'm putting all that down because I'm positive that there are people out there, those who don't have a problem with this or don't care about this either way, who are annoyed that this is an issue being expressed. I can hear the "it's JUST a fun thing you can opt out of." Yes, in theory, it might be, but the underlying issue here is how having problems with RS ideas continues to be addressed. If the feedback is not overwhelmingly positive, it does not appear to be treated as viable feedback, only an opportunity to (at times with a less than winning tone) expound on the feature's virtues and the effort being put into development.

I'm sorry, but that's concerning.

That's not an actual process of feedback and response, which is not to say that when asking for feedback one has to implement every bit of it/not implement things. It's also not to take away from the effort that has been made, or that there are not merits to things that have problems but could use some tweaking. Just, again, it is concerning when a platform that kept hammering in being made by and for RPers doesn't actually want to hear when something is a problem. So, I think this continues to be a topic in their inbox because muns are trying to make the issue clear in a way that seems to be failing, given the responses. And/or those muns have also been watching and participating for months are uncomfortable with seeing this again with another topic.

Yes, if the point system is a thing you're into, if you're a person who likes to collect things like the DA llamas or have badges on their Discord profile or a limited edition item for your browser game and on and on and on, that is great and I am super happy YOU are happy! But the problem isn't with having the damn badges on your account, even if several of us are deeply confounded by why you need to make a RP platform like this. The problem is: not being listened to, the unfairness inherent to any point system that is not based in fair competition, and the concern over anxiety when we're right back to a RPC that posts its own "counts."

There is absolutely a solution here to make everyone happy. No, I don't think it is remotely necessary and just one more thing that has taken time away from release, I don't think it's a good idea, I think it's a little ridiculous, especially right now. However, plenty of other people will love this, like everything else I don't like and won't use because that's the way life is, and that's fine so long as it isn't negatively affecting those who don't want to participate. The fairest way to have points used for collecting things that does not incite undue and widespread anxiety or leak into the portions of the site that aren't interested in it is to keep this to monthly tasks.

You want engagement? You want to "gamify" things? I am totally pleading for you to look at games who have these incentives and compare and contrast the success. Let us, right now, take two relatively popular browser games over the last decade who have this and who are based in the same sort of genre: Flight Rising and Furry Paws.

They're both games that run on the idea of having digital creatures you interact with, they both have large social aspects, in-game games, and point systems you can both accrue through use of the site and purchasing them. Flight Rising has a monthly event, every month there is a festival that drives users to participate expressly so that they'll collect that festival's specially themed items. Furry Paws has four yearly events, one for the winter holidays, one for Easter, one in the summer, and one for Halloween that seek to engage users in multiple aspects of the site and gameplay in order to get special event items. If you haven't heard of FP but have heard of FR, there's a good reason for that and it isn't just that it's hard to compete with dragons. FP not only requires more consistent gameplay effort throughout the year, on and off event times, but also, its events are more effort-based, they're very spaced out, and many of the items have not been unique or desirable for years.

Again, I used these examples because they've got similar premises and once had a decent overlap in players, they both also once had a lot of users who were willing to drop a lot of time and real money to collect things that mean exactly nothing in the tangible world. I can't say how things are at either place today, only what I've observed throughout the years as they've come and gone next to each other in various places I've been. That observation is in the favor of FR, and posits that RS making its point system nowhere near as widely inclusive as thought while not concentrating it on something users can be drawn back to every month is not looking at the engagement in the right way for the sort of user who will be interested in it.

I think it is likely that you'll have some die-hard collectors who will be all over this and impossible to sate, with many other users utilize the points for bragging only, some users who were initially caught up in the collecting will get bored with it having such open parameters, and still others who didn't want anything to do with it are going to be annoyed or anxious.

I've been kind of harsh about RS in this, so, I'd like to repeat that I do appreciate the effort that has gone into it, I do believe the enthusiasm and intent comes from a great place, but I'm not going to lie about having my concerns double since the last time we discussed the platform on this blog. I didn't lie about having reservations then, I'm not going to now. Appreciation =/= mindless loyalty.

Do I still plan on trying out RS? Yes, I do.

I haven't tried to get people involved, tried to represent concerns and points expressed by others as well as my own, and watched this show not to. I really want to believe that once RS is in active beta and beyond that the ability to listen without becoming offended and defensive will be a bit better...or, simply and a bit depressingly, that it'll still at least be a more functional place than tumblr for what I do. That I can at least have my pocket of gross, serious RP partners somewhere that I can paste text into with formatting lol and just be left alone to live my life, ignoring the vast majority of the site's features, since they're wildly inapplicable to me.

I'm very much willing to test this and hope for the best while not allowing myself to be any more disappointed, and I sincerely hope that you, Anon, and all the rest of you out there, are as well. You guys are the RPC. No matter if you RP like I do or the polar opposite of how I enjoy it, I value you all and would love for you, too, to have somewhere more reliable and geared to you than tumblr is. The RPC deserves it!

Unfortunately, nothing comes without a cost, folks. If we knew how tumblr would be, or the last place we were before that, would we have so willingly joined in? Very likely, no, we wouldn't have.

My issues with RS might include some transparency (even if I do not think that is intentional) and focus problems, but the dev has at least really tried to update as to the process until pretty recently. The problem with that is that it means we do know so much more about RS before we ever get the chance to sign up. There are more things for us to take issue with before we ever interact with the site, and I do think that sometimes, the frustration that comes across in responses (though, I do not approve of it and feel there are better ways to handle that, I understand it to a degree) is due to that. The feeling that hey, you guys haven't even TRIED it yet. We haven't, no, but a lot of us have been here since the beginning or near to it, so, the intention to make the community feel like it's a part of the platform has worked. That has a cost to both sides.

When people feel like something is theirs, they feel invested in it a way they aren't going to in something like tumblr that has become ours with heavy reminders every so many months that it could not be less ours. That's great when it comes to the potential for users to be loyal and invested long term, it's great when future users are tossing out exciting ideas that are agreed with or already in progress, but it doesn't feel so great when those users disagree with something you were stoked about, it doesn't feel great to those users when they think you're ignoring them and doing things the way you want only.

I think both sides of this equation are caught in the intersection of it, and personally, I'm willing to keep dragging up a little more patience and hope. Even if I really, really don't like the way this has been handled, and think the answer is extremely clear. That this solution would go a long way to making future users feel more assured and confident about RS again.

So, in my opinion, your feelings are entirely valid and then some. I don't know what the answer is, and I'm sorry about that. If I had the money, I'd just do this my damn self, but I don't. It would have happened twenty years ago if that was the case!

I think it's again a matter of what you can do for you. Go ahead and be upset about it, it makes it a little easier to get over and try to proceed.

If you think it'd be helpful, start a discussion in the feedback channel of the server. I'll back you up, I don't think I'll be alone in doing so, either. Maybe, if enough people politely but clearly, and perhaps repetitively, state that the glaringly obvious solution here is engagement via points only through monthly competitions, it'll be listened to. Without anyone feeling like what is being said is, "this is stupid and bad all around, no one wants to do this." Since that's not true, but is what keeps hanging up the conversation. Like, there's no war on collecting going on, I promise! lol it's the way we're supposed to get points!

If you think it's promising, you can send an anon to RS and try to keep it only to this suggestion. The point thing can only be fair if we do it x way. Just...no one do anything rude like spamming or taking a nasty tone, neither is going to get anyone anywhere and is unnecessary.

If it's something you're socially capable of, you could be even more direct and message the blog or go the distance and message the dev himself to privately discuss your concerns and suggestions. This is something he seems to be open to, and he definitely isn't frightening! I'm absolutely scarier, but you sent me an anon because this was important for you to talk about, so, I believe you can do it if you do, Anon! If that's the right route for you and you think it'll make a difference, you go for it!

I don't honestly know what would be most promising of those options, it does seem like the idea isn't going anywhere and it might well only be a circular conversation to be ended on a high note. But, if there's a chance, I think we should always go for that chance.

In the end, what you totally can do is what I'll be doing. If you're not entirely put off of the idea, anyway, you can go ahead and join RS when it is possible. Treat it like anything else that cannot fire or evict or murder you - if you don't want to participate, don't participate. If muns want to use this in a popularity and relevance contest, take that as a boon to your block list, I will :) And know that you're right, it really is something that is easy to simply not do on a roleplay site, since it is not roleplay or roleplay-adjacent, and is clearly an issue at this juncture.

I hope at least you feel in good company, Anon, and that you enjoy salt. That I've given you something that you can post up on and lick like a happy goat. (Who doesn't like goats?) Sometimes, that's the only win or salve when we're not the ones in control of something important to us. It'll be alright, Anon, but it's okay to be upset about it and I'm sorry that you feel alienated already by this, that isn't a good way to start off on something new.

[trilies]

Me and a friend actually talked about this the other night! And that conversation, if it’s valuable to this one at all:

J: Yeah, same, and I think it's a conversation that has to be had, like... carefully, without a hair trigger because like, yeah, sure, maybe some creep ass is writing creep ass shit but also, and incredibly more likely, especially with the kind of fanbase that some of the more notable real life minors have (see: minecraft twitch/streaming sphere) it might just be a dumb teenager and i think, like... we just gotta treat that situation differently then how we would a convicted predator and have a plan of action that does not SOLELY rely on targeting ao3 because that won't solve the overall actual issue because it's just! one fanfiction site!

C: Yeah, I honestly think that conversation needs to target things like parasocial relationships as a whole, and what's appropriate and inappropriate re: how we treat people we are fond of through their content but who are, essentially strangers to us, just as we are complete unknowns to them It involves a broader societal addressing of boundaries, I think 

J: it requires a complex and nuanced approach so of course people hate wanting to do it 

C: I don't know if it's something that needs to be Government Regulated so much as, like, developing some shared social mores Where people don't not do something just because It's Illegal, but people don't do something because it's super inconsiderate and rude and that's just generally understood? Like, it's not illegal to slam doors in people's faces, but most people don't just casually do that because we have Established Social Boundaries (Not the best example of what I mean, but you know what I'm getting at)

J: yeah. i only heard this secondhand in a plurk, but apparently in RPF it was sort of understood that you Don't Write About Minors? but i'm wondering if that is in more, like... established RPF circles that have older fans that focus on things like, idfk, hockey stars while streamer circles have more young fans and thus the established isn't as well known

C: Yeah, and like...that also runs into the problem that parasocial relationships are getting formed by people who are younger and younger, with people who are younger and younger So it's a case of both "younger generations don't know the rules" and "as the subjects skew younger, the rules are increasingly hard to follow" Like, if you're writing Jared/Jansen RPF from the Supernaturals, it's easy to avoid writing about kids because, hey, they aren't kids But when you've got parasocial relationships formed between sixteen-year-old fans and sixteen-year-old content creators...

J: Yeah. Like I have said repeatedly re: all of that, it's a weird and tricky area that is certainly not helped by the fuckery that tries to drag it in as a talking point

C: And then you've got things like idol kayfabe complicating the matter even further, where fictional personas are an established sort of thing and relationships are teased practically like fandom shipping Where the line between fictional characters and real people is blurred, and people are encouraged to treat relationships between real people like fandom ships because they're being fed a narrative similar to fictional fandom narratives 

J: And if you, like, spend a lot of time with idol RPF, or are gravitating from there to other places, you might carry stuff from there to the new RPF space, even if it's not actually a good or appropriate fit it's a Whole Thing we'd have to talk about collectively, that isn't solved by going "anyone who writes it is a pedophile" or "RPF is icky"

C: Yeah, exactly And like, damn If things like merchandising don't make it harder We sell fucking BTS dolls at my store "Play with real people like they're literal Barbies" No wonder people are increasingly fucked up about Where The Line Of Acceptability Lies

J: thinks about all the youtubers who specifically put on a sort of stage face or gimmick that makes it easier to think of it as just An Act, and it's The Act one writes about instead of the actual person....

I like a03 as much the next person but I do find it v weird they allow people to post porn about irl children. People can be grossed out about seeing the site allowing work feature ACTUAL kids being written into nsfw thing.

"should RPF (explicit or otherwise) be allowed?” is a question that has rolled around the internet for as long as it’s existed and it’s too much for me to get into or pretend I have any kind of valuable opinion about. But as long as it continues to be legal under US law, the guidelines that AO3 adheres to, AO3 will allow it to be posted, whether its subjects are adults or underage. And I believe it’s genuinely not the sinister epidemic that people using it as their primary argument against AO3′s policies present it as.

@thebluemeany actually put some concrete stats in the notes on my AO3 post demonstrating that RPF also tagged “underage” represents just “39 fics out of 7.5 million hosted on there [or] 0.00052% of the works on there.” It is a vanishingly small percentage of the total stories on the archive. And @vovertherainbow, also in the notes, said something that I also strongly suspect, which is that “probably most of [the fics] are written by minors themselves fantasizing about their celebrity crushes.”

This is kids writing stories about their favorite celebrities and Minecraft youtubers’ personas and whatever. Is it still creepy of them to do so? I mean probably, sure, I think it’s invasive and weird, but I’m an adult, and this is the kind of fanfiction written by young people still developing their senses of taste and boundaries, and in the meantime AO3 gives them an outlet for their imagination.

To sum up: the number of fics out there with this subject matter is tiny, the audience is tiny, and AO3 has hurdles built in (like filters and that consent click-through for explicit fics) to let people very easily avoid reading the stuff entirely.

Somebody is always going to write fiction that you’d morally object to, and find somewhere to post it online. AO3 is sticking to general US law, and giving you tools to navigate their website according to your own comfort level. I think that’s fine.