Mas’ Ten Tips for New RPers.

enigmatic-elegance:

1. Be kind to yourself.
You won’t get thousands of follows/asks in a few weeks. Just because you are an unknown does not mean you are a poor writer. Write for yourself first. People will see that you write with passion, not because you want followers or notice, and that passion is what draws people to you.

2. Be kind to others.
People want to be treated like they matter. Even if you disagree with someone, or don’t like their character, or think they are a total jerk, there is never a reason not to handle it with grace and show respect. And if you don’t get respect back? Shrug it off. Trust me, if you do, everyone will see the other person as the asshole, not you.

3. Be open to critique.
If someone is just mean without reason, then shrug it off. But if someone offers you lore advice or RP etiquette pointers, listen to them and be open to improvement. If you shun those who try and help you, not only will you never grow but you’ll prove to people that you’re uncompromising, and RP is all about compromise.

4. Initiate.
I see a lot of people who complain about getting no RP/asks but rarely send out asks themselves or perform walk up RPs. You get what you give. A good way to go about it for starters is the ‘reblog meme rule’. If you reblog an ask meme to your blog, then go to the blog you got it from and send them a few questions off the meme. It shows a willingness to connect, and is also just a nice courtesy. Either way, the more you endeavor to put yourself out there, the more people will try to connect with you in return.

5. Study.
Whatever RP world you are joining, study it. Study the lore, study the timeline, study the races, the cities, the world. No one expects you to be perfect, but totally disregarding the lore of the world you are entering shows you don’t respect it.

6. Establish personal standards and hold to them.
These are your ‘lines’. Know what you are comfortable RPing and what you are not and don’t compromise yourself to please others. Don’t be afraid to respectfully decline someone trying to push against those lines. In the end, you are only obliged to yourself and there is no shame in upholding the RP environment that you are comfortable with.

7. Consent.
Everyone has their limits, just as you do. Disregarding those limits of others is a fast way to find yourself ostracized from an entire community. Remember that just because you are okay with a topic does not mean others are. Always ask permission before engaging in topics that could be considered ‘heavy’ and maintain open communication. Everyone has the right to determine where their lines are.

8. Strive for quality.
Push yourself always to write better, improve your grammar, and give better and better quality to the community. People can see the RPers endeavoring to give their best, and they will want to engage you. And do not be afraid to ask experienced RPers for assistance. That is often better then fumbling by yourself, and also is a great way to make connections to other RPers in your community.

9. Every failure is growth.
This connects back to being kind to yourself and others. If you RP often enough, inevitably you will error. Either in a story or with another RPer you will break a rule or hurt someone. Be willing to humble yourself and apologize, and know that you are only human and it’s only ever a true failure if nothing was learned. So try to take a lesson from the error and improve yourself. On the same topic, if someone hurts you, you don’t need to ‘call them out’ or ‘ruin’ them. If they apologize, strive to forgive. Let them improve themselves and learn from their own errors. And if they don’t? Cut ties, but let them pass. You are not obliged to correct or police other RPers. Learn from those who hurt you as much as you learn from yourself, but ultimately don’t obsess over those who hurt you. Carry on, and find better people to enjoy your time with.

10. Have fun.
Cheesy, but true. Remember that we are all here to enjoy ourselves. If you find yourself loathing RP, then try to identify the problem and correct it. Remember that this should be a fun hobby to engage, not a source of stress. People who have fun are not only magnetic, but they are infectious. Fun people are fun to be around, and you’ll find yourself drawing people in if you maintain a positive atmosphere and don’t get saturated in the drama. Just let loose, create a few characters, and have a good time! Now get out there and make some stories!