Hello,
My name is Taryn and I've been lurking here for a while watching the ads go by. I realize I am late to this discussion, but after reading the *many* posts about it I wanted to say a few things.
I've been writing in the role-play universe for over a decade as both list owner and member. I know grammar, I know how to spell, and I feel that the characters I have created and written in the universes I have played in (sci-fi, sci-fi erotic, medieval Master/slave scenarios, one on one romance) are interesting to read and play off of. But after reading all of the things that annoy people I must say that I would be reticent to join *any* list at this point because I am certain I have done some of the things that annoy people. I'm sure that any neophyte players must be petrified by now.
That being said I would like to say that there is a difference between "red flags" and "pet peeves". Red flags are things that can be a detriment to all players and thus, the story and finally, the list group as a whole.
The biggest red flag in a world where people are writing is, people who can't write. I've seen a lot of ads come through here asking for experienced writers and demanding writing samples by people who themselves have misspelled the ad! That tells me (as an experienced writer), the level of experience and expertise on that list. Yes, we all make typos, but when I see the same word misspelled over and over in an ad, that is someone who can't spell and neglected to go over things with a spell checker.
Another thing is characters who vanish, either with or without extensive bios. Unfortunately a list owner won't know a player is a flake until this happens. It has happened on a few of my lists. All I could do is refuse to take back said player.
Everything else I've seen in the messages I've read (I haven't read them all) is pet peeves of individual list owners:
Characters who have odd name spellings / characters who have mythical creature companions / characters who are invincible / characters who are Mary-Sue / characters whose character name and handle are the same / characters whose skill-set and history don't match / characters with sappy backstories / characters with vague backstories / crossover characters / characters with dual-colored eyes / the list goes on.
These are NOT red flags. I mean, dual-colored eyes. Really??? If you can SPELL and write an engaging story I couldn't care less what color your eyes are.
I agree that invincible/too powerful/all powerful characters are no fun to play off unless everyone is like that, but again, that is just my own personal preference.
Me, I've used the same character name and handle - doesn't mean I'm stuck on myself. It just means I like the damn name. RP *is* wish-fulfillment to much extent. For some it's ability. For others it's an eye color. For me it's a name. We're all Mary-Sues too. Some people are more MS than others. Again it comes under wish-fulfillment which is what much of RP is.
In my own experience, lists made up of 10 or less people are the most successful, especially if all the writers were friends in the first place because they are generally all into the same genre/fandom and they all have the same goals.
I think these ads are wonderful, but courting strangers is the reason all these pet peeves are coming out because when someone creates a list, that is their universe and they have specific ideas of what they want to happen in their universe. Most strangers can never live up to what the list owner desires.
My advice, for what it's worth and you can all take it with a grain of salt: look at the writing quality first, reliability second. Everything else can be worked out. Good writers are worth their weight in gold in the RP world. If you get a good one, keep them :)
Taryn
:)
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