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1.
You must write in the third person past tense. Translation:
Write, "Bob kicked the trash can," and not "I kick the
trash can." 2.
You must stay on the current game day and time. We're pretty
lenient here: it takes about four weeks to cover one game
"day," and each week covers a large chunk of time (midnight
to dawn, dawn to noon, noon to sunset, sunset to midnight). ALL posts
which take place before the current day and time should be labeled as
"BACKPOST" in the subject line. Moderators will now
unanimously reject posts for this oversight. Any difficulty in
remembering current day and time is easily remedied: check on the
Yahoo Groups list for the last TIMELORD post, or drop an instant
message to one of the moderators. 3.
Please use a consistent header for your post, before jumping
into the scene. We want to read your scene, but a little information
beforehand helps us understand what is happening and why. 1.
SUBJECT LINE ON EMAIL: Can be character name or the title of
your post. TITLE:
Fun to think up, helps set the mood. PART 1 of X means that for
convenience, you have split the post into two or more emails which
should be read in consecutive order. DAY:
The current game day, usually TIME:
"Morning" or "Evening" or "9pm", and
this is a great place to tell us how it dovetails with a separate
post. < EG: Just after "Roll in the Hay" and a few
minutes before "Here Come the Cops!"> LOCATION:
Where it all happens. "Lost in St. Louis" or "Felipe's
apartment" or "Under the Circus" CHARACTERS:
Who's in the scene? LIST EVERYONE INVOLVED. Non-player-characters (NPC's)
can be listed last and labeled as such. IE: Lars, NPCs Judge, Jury,
gun shop owner and a customer. MENTIONS:
Another important thing, especially if your characters are talking
about other people's characters. For example, if Paria and Storm are
talking and mention Madeline and Sanne, both should be listed, just to
be polite. NOTES:
Seldom needed, but a great place to stick a little warning about
violence or potentially offensive topics. If Anita visits a crime
scene, I'd hope to see a "WARNING: Graphic description of crime
scene" here. WRITERS:
This is VERY IMPORTANT if the scene involves more than one writer, so
list everyone! Now,
skip a couple lines and get to the good stuff! S
and get to the good stuff! 4.
You must stay in character when writing. Minor changes
(hairstyle, etc.) are okay, Mercer hitting Beth, or Paria having
coffee with Lars. For
original characters, consistency is important to create a sense of
familiarity and recognition, but you are the final judge of what is
consistent to your characters. 5.
Your post should do something, show something, or show
interaction between two or more characters. Otherwise, why do it? To
go into Starbucks and order lunch, then end the post "Tag,
Anyone" in hopes of striking up some interaction isn't likely to
get results. Try emailing someone off list and saying, "Hey, I'd
like for our characters to meet, any ideas?" Most members are
willing to work out any plausible scene if they have the time, and it
is flattering to be * asked * to collaborate on a scene. One small
plea: Short posts going back and forth for a dialogue should be worked
out off-list if at all possible. It is hideously difficult to remember
a conversation that spans days and dozens of posts back and forth. 6.
Interaction with other characters involves a simple rule: ASK
FIRST. This applies to any major interaction affecting other
characters or their property. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may you KILL
another player character without the writer's PERMISSION. 7.
Inventing people. We all do it. Hey, that's what a "player
character" is! But what about the store clerk your hero (still
appropriate English to use the masculine to include both genders, no
flames, please!) is talking to. That is a
"Non-Player-Character" or NPC. We assume that you control
the NPC' s you create, especially those you have gone to the trouble
of naming, but we also assume they're only going to be around for a
little while, otherwise, make them regular characters. IMPORTANT NOTE:
Those NPC's tat are named and have been used by as writer consistently
are theirs as well so please ask before you do something with them. 8.
NO PERSONAL BASHING. I've never seen it on the list, but we put
this in just to make sure everyone understands that while Nina and
Elora may have a fight, they are JUST characters and you do not have
the right to pick a fight with the other * writers *. 9.
We are the moderators. We reserve the right to change the rules
to accommodate the needs of the current players and we will certainly
be nice enough to warn you about it beforehand, but our authority is
final. Details,
details, details: 10.
NO GRAPHIC SEX SCENES. That may be how LKH writes, but some
people find them offensive and we do not write them. Foul language is
allowed where necessary; we are all adults here. 11.
You MUST post at least ONCE per WEEK per character. Two weeks
of inactivity without a note to the moderators ("I'm swamped at
work, will get back with you ASAP," is sufficient) will result in
an email from US giving you FOUR DAYS to post or be taken out of the
game. We're sorry to sound so harsh, but the game is a cooperative
effort and that means we need your help to keep it moving. 12.
If you want to email suggestions, comments or questions, that's
why we have moderators. PLEASE contact us. If we like your suggestion,
we'll send it to the list, giving you credit for it, and let the
players vote. If it passes, it passes. 13.
Character death is PERMANENT. No magic 'do-over',
resurrections, and no acts of the Deity of your choice. DEAD = DEAD. 14.
Every character that is not a vampire MUST have a job and a
place to live. Living in hotels is fine, but it does not count as a
permanent address. NEW vampires are assumed to be under the
supervision and support of their sire (creator). All characters not of
legal age are assumed to be in school. 15.
If you play a vampire or lycanthrope entering the game (i.e.,
the city) you MUST acknowledge this to the Ulfric, Nimr-Ra, or the
Master of the City on list Remember when writing this that you are in
character and asking a very IMPORTANT question, so make the request a
good one! 16.
Vampires cannot post between DAWN and mid-afternoon, due to the
need for sleep. We think seven hours is sufficient, but remember that
the weaker the vampire, the more sleep required. No posts set during
daylight hours may take place out of doors, for obvious reasons. 17.
All lycanthropes have to make allowances for the full moon. TWO
days prior to the full moon, all non-Alpha lycanthropes will shift if
they are in battle. Alphas will do so ONE day prior to the full moon,
except for the very strongest. (Usually the pack leader.) |