Community Profile

Players welcome to come play in a Holmesian universe (OCs and AUs welcome too) read the role playing guidelines below and message an admin!

ROLEPLAYING GUIDELINES
A. Typical DreamWidth online roleplaying style:
a. Each character has their own toon specific account for role playing purposes.
i. The personalities are individuals and separate accounts make them more than one dimensional.
ii. Additional accounts are free and a person can have an unlimited number of them all going to the same e-mail address.
b. Many icons uploaded and used on tags to show expression
i. Nonverbal cues, shown on the faces of the different icons, are vital for communication. Without emotive icons, misunderstandings occur frequently. Text-based roleplaying is already a very challenging medium in this regard.
ii. Each account comes with 15 icons and players may use all of them for a full range of emotions. In addition, keywords may be made on each icon to further expand what the character is feeling.
c. When posting a tag to be responded to by other people, making initial posts requesting specific characters on memes should be avoided whenever possible. (Inclusion not exclusion.)
i. Online roleplaying is collaborative writing. Willingness to collaborate with new people and new ideas is an essential part of successful playing and interacting.
ii. Specific preferences are totally fine. The way to handle that is to either wait for the characters you are looking for to post or invite them to post the initial tag, and then reply to them.

B. WorldTurtle’s private community style (including but not limited to the typical DW style above):
a. We write thoughts galore and provide character history to just about every post (in addition to individual profiles/journals) for context.
i. Context is absolutely essential for actual human interactions and we’re going for some kind of emotional realism.
ii. Background material and internal dialogue help a character stay in their role and not do what they wouldn’t normally do. In the alternative, this information can begin to build a path or split off point where they would do something that canonically would be contrary to character.
b. We go out of our way to have character actions and conversation provide opportunities. Thoughts alone do not advance the plot.
i. Otherwise, there is nothing to reply to and play ends.
c. We see character growth as vital as good characterization.
i. We are attracted to exploring. Whether it is different outcomes of canon events, sides or depths of a character, different perspectives, or what-if’s and alternate universes, this is the place to try it out.
ii. If we weren’t interested in expanding the Sherlock BBC Universe, we would just watch the show again or post the scripts, if we wanted to see it done “right”. And if that’s what we did, then nothing new or interesting would ever happen here. BORING!
d. This is not The Love Hotel community. They can be found at: https://the-love-hotel.dreamwidth.org/
i. Writing together is not just about sex. Fun as it may be.
ii. Forming the relationships is something we consider the entertaining part.
iii. We do not leap in and just start with non-canon ships.
iv. You both want it? Have at it! :D


Storytelling by Madisyn Taylor
"Most cultures use storytelling to pass down family history using the power and energy of the human voice. Ever since our ancestors could first communicate, we have gathered to share our stories. We have passed along creation tales and tragic stories of love lost. We have repeated accounts of real heroism and simple stories of family history. When our forebears lived closer to the land and to each other, the practice of storytelling was imbued with ritual and occasion. Members of the tribe would often gather around the fire to hear their genealogy recited aloud by an elder or master storyteller. Listeners could track how their own lives, and the lives of their parents, interwove with the lives of the other tribe members, as everyone's ancient relatives once played out similar life dramas together.

As a custom, some cultures' storytellers repeat the same tale over and over because they believe that each time you hear it, you come to the story as a different person and view the plot and characters in a new light. Hearing the story over and over is a way to gauge where you have been and where you are now on your path of personal evolution. It also helps the younger generation learn the stories so that they can pass them to forthcoming generations.

When we hear others tell stories, we can laugh at their humorous adventures, feel the thrill of exciting encounters, see parts of ourselves in them, and learn from the challenges they face. Though most of our formal traditions of storytelling are lost, it does not mean we have to be without. We can begin new practices in our own families of listening to one another, of honoring our own journey, and witnessing the journeys of those around us. We can revive the fireside communal by gathering around the campfire or hearth with family and friends, sharing in stories. By building new practices of storytelling, we give ourselves and the ones we love an opportunity to draw ever closer in our shared human experience."