The Story Tellers Oath - Roleplay Etiquette.

As a Storyteller,

I take this oath and promise to uphold these values to the utmost of my ability.

I vow to respect not only myself, but my fellow writers, the hobby, and this space.

I vow to care about the culture of this community and to honor the group’s focus and what is being built here.

Lastly,

I vow to uphold this oath with my actions and words, both in this space and in any projects I am a part of as a representative of The Storytellers.

I.E. hosting a roleplay, activity, or event on The Directory, our sister server.

I promise to…

🔹 Respect this space - The Writers' Room on the Storyteller’s server:

I understand and respect that this is a Non Furry/fandom, OC Only, Modern Fantasy, group roleplay community.

I understand that means that all aspects of roleplay will happen on the server and that all roleplays fall under the umbrella genre of Modern Fantasy in one way or another. And that all Roleplays here will have or are open to having several people to a story,

that this is not a 1v1 rp space.

I understand that this requires all players to have the knowledge and the skills to roleplay in the following ways.

That I must demonstrate the ability to comprehend, and write in accordance with a story that follows several characters in various spaces.

That I must be able to write and balance stories where all players get to contribute and share the spotlight/main character energy.

Additionally, I must be able to write with consistency when it comes to the stories themselves.

🔹 Honor the Hobby:

Roleplay is a give and take dynamic. The whole hobby revolves around collaboration and effort.

I understand that means I will not use this group as a means to only get my wants filled.

That being a part of this group, It is expected of me to share in fulfilling roles and wants in other people’s stories, as much as it is about getting my wish list filled.

That I am expected to help carry the mental load creating, building, and supporting stories in this space, and the space itself.

🔹 To Support the Healthy evolution of writing:

I respect that in this community there is a focus on the continually honing of skills as writers and world builders. That constructive feedback and advice is a common practice here, and something people should freely give and expect to receive.

That I should be focused on not just developing my own skills, but helping others build their skills as well.

I will not attack/degrade or call people names.

I will also have the maturity to handle healthy feedback/advice, and not take such things as personal attacks, nor will I engage in tone policing people/ expect people to use HR talk.

I will be mature enough to understand that people are behaving with kindness and grace in mind, before assuming malice.

🔹 To be up front with what I want, and what I can realistically commit to.

I will be clear about my expectations when it comes to the roleplays I host. I will not assume that everyone approaches roleplay the same, and will take the time to detail what it is that I want and expect.

I will also only commit to expectations that I know I can and am willing to honor. And if at any point that changes, I will speak up.

I will not shame others or expect others to water themselves down, just because I am looking for a more casual experience.

I will not persuade others to lessen their efforts or desire to hone their skills as a storyteller.

Additionally, there will be no shaming of others if they can not commit to something beyond what their schedule can handle, or something currently beyond their skills.

🔹 Honor my commitments and respect other people's time.

Excluding, a sudden “life has thrown you an unexpected curve ball” and you need a moment to shift your priorities around to deal with a large life event ( such as death in the family, injury, week of an extremely important final exams) or an illness that has knocked you on your ass and has you bed ridden.

I will respect the fact that each of us has the same 24hrs a day, and that it is my job to manage my time appropriately. I will not agree to things I can not easily keep up with. I will not “Overbook” or “overfill” my schedule.

I understand that agreeing to a roleplay or to a project is a commitment that I am expected to honor. And I will not frivolously back out or ghost. And if there are problems, I will attempt to find solutions first.

Additionally, I understand and respect the fact that we are all giving time to this hobby and each other. Time that could otherwise be given or spent on something or someone else. And I will not take advantage of that or any kindness extended to me in the way of understanding or leeway.

On the flip side, I respect the fact that everyone has the right to walk away from a roleplay or project, if the others involved are not honoring the commitment they agreed to.

🔹 To read the room and honor story:

A few things of note.

I promise to “read the room” and make sure that I am on the same page by accurately identifying the current emotional tone, narrative, and player intentions in a scene/story. And If I am unsure, I will ask questions and gain additional information until I am.

With this,...

• I understand that every character idea is not going to fit every story.

That doesn't mean the character idea itself is bad, it just means it's an ill fit for the story at hand.

• I will not force a character idea into a roleplay if it is gonna make for a difficult story to write. Or drastically takes away from the vibe/focus. ( Additionally, this goes for story elements too )

• I will not “be a stranger”, or write myself off into an “island”, breaking the flow of a roleplay.

• I will not expect people to stop what their characters are doing, to put in ALL the effort, and pull my unfriendly, or off by themselves character INTO the action of the roleplay. It is MY job to discuss and find an “in” for my character.

• I will balance being true to my character with the flow of the story.

If my first thought for a reply makes for a difficult or dull response, or kills the flow, I will take the time to brainstorm a reason as to WHY my character will take a different approach. I will not be a stick in the mud, but instead I will be creative.

With honoring the story,

• I understand consistency and logic matter, and I will not create glaring plot holes or suddenly resolve story elements, killing plot. I will not write things that do not make logic within the world or scene.

• I will honor that which has been established, and I will not actively write or build things that go against it.

• I will again, have the maturity to understand that doesn’t make the idea itself bad, just ill fitted for the current story/plot at hand.

• And I will respect and understand when people say no to something and not take it as a personal attack.

Additionally, On the flip side. I will always try to give suggestions on ways to tweak an idea so that it can work.

Instead of just shooting things down, I will highlight what is usable, and explain why the other parts do not fit. So that I can work with my fellow writers to find a solution everyone can be happy with.

🔹 To keep the OOC discussion alive:

I understand the importance of the OOC, and how paramount it is to keep it alive with chatter and discussion.

• I promise to use it as a place to banter with my fellow writers, so ideas stay alive and fresh. That way brainstorming stays constant and easy, ensuring the group keeps a friendly and good rapport with each other, while also having plenty of ideas to use and build upon.

• I will use the OOC to offer my writing partners lots of positive reinforcement.

• In addition, I will use the OOC to discuss aspects of the story that don't need to be roleplayed out, but should be established, to keep with consistent storytelling. As the roleplay should focus on more of the exciting scenes than the dragging mundane.

• I will also always use the OOC to bring up ideas, so I do not suddenly spring mechanics or plot on my writing partners that could derail what is going on, or break the tone/intention/ or narrative of the rp.

• I understand that roleplay isn't about surprising those I'm writing with.

It's about co-authoring a story.

That the true mark of a good roleplayer is not only getting on the same page as my partner/s, but maintaining it. So the writing feels natural and flows, gaining momentum.

🔹 To practice fair reply order:

In addition to honoring the agreements I’ve made with people on how often I will be making replies and how detailed those replies will be.

I will be fair about replies, and in most circumstances I will reply in order to the replies I have gotten.

First received, First returned.

I will not solely allow the “muse” to dictate who gets a reply and who doesn’t.

And I understand that at times, that might mean I have to put in more effort to be fair, and not ignore people.

Additionally, If I am really struggling with making a reply, I will utilize the OOC and work with my writing partners to find a solution. That way I do not hold up the whole group, and kill the flow of the roleplay.

🔹 To build worthwhile replies.

Each one of my roleplay replies will be formulated in some fashion to cover three main elements.

• In my replies, I will establish more to the story, so that it continues to move forward and grow.

• In my replies, I will react to all things directed at my character, or things that realistically they would have noticed.

• In my replies I will always add what is called a hook. There will always be at least one thing in my posts for my fellow writers to grab onto, to react and build with.

That way I am always contributing to the story, and I am giving my partners enough material to do so as well.