#swynresolutions

[oh-phineas]

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2023! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

Following up and seeing things through! I had a version of this on here last year, but I think it still stands. I’m not a very organized person and I really tend to go with the flow as a RPer, which I think is fine because I’m just here to have fun, but I think I probably miss out on some fun connections and opportunities by forgetting to do the “confirm end of thread— see if the other person wants to do something new” thing when a thread is winding down. I def do this sometimes but I also frequently forget or let a thread fizzle without checking in and I just want to be more proactive about that. I’d also like to be more organized about plots I’m organizing, making sure I’m circling back on them if they hit a stalled moment.

Communication and being direct. I also always put this on my resolutions lol and I’ll talk about this more in my plotting style answers, but even though I know I come off chatty in main and often approach people for plots I can be kind of shy lmao which is SILLY y’all are my FRIENDS but ya know how it is. I just would like to be better about saying “hey, these characters are vibing, I might ship them!” or “hey, this thread is getting intense, we good with this direction?” Or “I have this goal, would you be down for helping see it happen?” Because I think the thing I tend to do instead is just hold back and hedge in my replies and I think it can make for more vibrant and exciting threads if I just communicate and then we can both jump in full force!

Showing not telling, and cooling it with the editorializing. I know this is a thing I have done for YEARS. I have a tendency to overexplain my characters’ actions, which I think can be good for comedic/dramatic effect sometimes, but I also think it can get a little heavy-handed and I just don’t think it’s a great habit to be in all the time. Like yes there is something funny about saying “Lightning just ignored that comment because he was a self-centered jerk and it was inconvenient for him to hear” but I think I need to find ways to communicate those things more… artistically idk and trust my audience to draw their own conclusions. Because y’all are smart! Tbh I think the problem is I get embarrassed when my characters do certain things and feel the need to like… distance myself from them and show that I don’t condone this even though I think it’s quite obvious. And if it’s not well that’s what the tags are for lmfao.

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Phineas: I want him to get in some sticky situations in the classic Flynn fashion :) But I also like when he learns something from these situations, so… idk boy has grown a LOT over the past few years. He’s done a lot of reflecting and changing and idk I think it’d be kind of cool if someone wrongs HIM and he realizes that he can’t always fix every situation through trying to be better, sometimes he just can’t change the other person’s behavior only how he reacts. I think that’d be cool. Alsoooo I’m excited about his newest business venture and I’d love to create some drama around that, whether it’s Phinnip drama or stuff with investors or clients or employees and just… yes. I’m simply obsessed with startup culture idk.

Tiana: Talked about this a lot in my voice memos but this year I’d really like Tiana to get tempted by fame/fortune/accolades/etc and lose sight of the point of Tiana’s Place a little bit and then learn a lesson. I don’t know how I’m going to make this happen but I think I just need to have a deep brainstorming session and really think it through. I’d also like to do more with her friend group and the awkward situation she’s kind of in with Vixey and Drakken and I’d REALLY love for her to date around a little and idk see what happens!

Aquata: Struggle through Board stuff some more. She has some BIG goals and I have a feeling they are probably not going to work out exactly the way she wants them to because they are BIG. And of course at the end of the day what she really wants is for the world to be safe enough that she can be out about being a mermaid, which is never going to happen unfortunately. So I think it’s also cool for her to achieve some goals and then still see they’re not going to get her exactly where she wants to be. I’d also like to explore her aversion to change, especially because there are a LOT of big changes coming for her family (JEFF is dating! Lana’s moving! Tina’s having a baby!) And she feels very Jo March about it if you catch my drift. I think that’ll be fun. And of course more fun stuff with the gym and her friend group there and school shenanigans with Drakken.

Anna: More interpersonal conflict! I’m really digging how many enemies she’s made lately and I have some fun plans for how that’s gonna intensify. She’s gone a slightly different direction from what I originally envisioned but I love this WAY more tbh and I’m really excited. I also need to figure out what she’s doing when she graduates, so I’d love to do more with her and older/mentor figures as well as her research/dissertation.

Bruce: Start his support group!! I’ve been building to this for a long time and the timing was just never right but I think we’re finally going to get there soon. He’s had a big turning point recently and had a lot of things come to a head and I think this is my opportunity to finally get this going. And I have another goal that I’ve alluded to a little bit I kind of don’t want to spoil it (it’s really not a big deal but it’s a big deal to HIM so…. ya.)

Annie: I want to explore more of her relationship to motherhood? She has some big stuff related to this coming up soon and I think also with the way I’ve been playing with her relationship to her mom lately I think it’s a good time for this. Because it’s really complicated for Annie and it’s more than just the “mommy blogger” “proud mama” etc persona that Annie portrays and honestly there’s a lot of stuff I never figured out so I just want to dig into that more. Maybe she needs more mom friends/enemies. Much to contemplate.

Tanya: More slice of life stuff. Typical college kid stuff like going to parties, maybe helping out around the Inn, having some RESPONSIBILITY for once, maybe even… getting a job??? Crazy I know. I would also really like to explore her relationship to death and life more, so this is a plot call for Demi… plz plz plz… although if that doesn’t work out I do think talking to our lovely mediums and spooky folks could help with this plot as well.

Mirabel: Definitely some school struggles. Moving back to Swynlake and having a support system has been really good for her mental health, but I’d also like to explore the idea that changing your circumstances CAN make a big difference but you also can’t keep ignoring the underlying problems. And I think it’ll be really frustrating for her in a good way if she’s worked so hard and changed so much and she just keeps struggling (because… look it’s a feeling I think we’ve all dealt with and I just rlly want to explore it as a writer) And once Mirabel starts addressing those underlying problems, maybe that can inspire the people around her to be more honest with herself and each other too. Just an idea :)

Lightning: Keep developing things with Cruz! This is gonna be a slow slow process and I do not want to rush anything at all, but I think the more we have them interact the richer their relationship can get. I also wanna have a major setback, like maybe they finally make some progress and then Lightning fucks up, etc. All things to consider. I also want to explore his flirty side more even though it literally makes me, the cringe captain, cringe so hard I wanna crawl in a hole sorry he is just SOO embarrassing but I promise it’s fun. Basically yeah I just wanna keep humbling him lmfao. Oh also a big one is I ammmm gonna need an excuse for him to stay in Swynlake this summer so… gotta figure that out.

Smee: My newbie! Definitely want to do some adventures with Hook and the boy (idk why it just tickles me calling him THE BOY) as they prepare for their big departure. I also want to flesh out some backstory stuff, whether that’s through self paras, flashback threads, creative tasks, etc as he is my oldest character by far and has a lot of history. I want to build up more trust with the good people of Swynlake and SHATTER IT. We don’t rlly have anyone his age but maybe it could be an NPC or someone’s grandparent/parent— I think it’d be fun for Smee to date someone and have to break up with them to go hunt a crocodile lmao in a very “I MUST PROTECT YOU FROM THIS DARK WORLD” way lmao. Just think it would be dramatic but also kind of funny. Would love to draw some more people into the poaching world as he has done it before :) And idk give Squeaky the life of her dreams, my best dog

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Phineas: Finish making his app with Kim! Get an acapella solo! Get Build a Brand on the New York Stock Exchange! (Kidding but maybe just develop that and get some clients). Figure out his love life lmfao. Be legendary :)

Tiana: Keep Tiana’s Place open. Maybe attract some press attention! Support her friends. Create a delicious recipe that Seb can eat. Maybe meet someone…? And finally get over Jess :( Find a way to save Aurora!

Aquata: Pass her big initiatives and fulfill her campaign promises. Figure out how she feels about her dad dating Simba’s mom (ok she doesn’t reflect on her feelings enough to consciously want to do this but I think somewhere deep down she’s like I need to figure my shit out). Get out of Swynlake Secondary or get Prickly fired or something… but also she does want to make the Outdoors Club successful. Deep down. 

Anna: Finish her dissertation! Help with the Town Hall archive project! Help Evy at work, learn how to drive, get better at cooking, improve her fashion game, read more books… oh yeah and figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

Bruce: Figure his sharky little problem out… like for real for real. It’s not cute anymore.

Anastasia: Get what she wants in this custody dispute with Tom. Gain and maintain control of Southern Isles. Figure out who was behind the Pumpkin Smashing Incident. Bounce back from being cancelled last year. Help Toby with his big Hatter’s story! And maybe find another side hustle girl is struggling on the money front lol.

Tanya: New Year’s Resolutions are for suckers (but uhhh maybe… go to more parties with Mim and help Snow out around the Inn…)

Mirabel: Pass her exams, keep her life on track, go on more dates with Alice :) Figure out what she wants to do with her life lol

Lightning: Get the all clear from Harv so that he can get out of this place lmfao (and… okay, maybe he does really want to figure out what’s broken in his relationship with Cruz and try to fix it�� not that he’s admitting to himself anything is broken…)

Smee: Help Hook get his revenge, help Gen find the item she’s searching for, keep his business going strong, and give Squeaky lots of belly rubs <3

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

Okay so… I THINK I may have technically interacted with everyone in the RP (yay yay go Emma first prize for Emma yayyy) but here are some characters I know I have BARELY interacted with that I’d like to do more with.

Ting-Ting Qin: Can’t believe Ting-Ting is on this list again. I literally love her so much. Technically, I have interacted with Ting-Ting twice, once with Phineas when she was stuck in Mei’s body and the other time with Tanya on Christmas. I definitely think I could do something with both characters, the former because Phineas did cause so much drama in the Qin family earlier this year lol and is still friends with Mei, and the latter because Tanya just sent the Qins cookies and idk maybe running into one of them would be fun.

Flynn Rider: I think I may have had Anna interact with him once, but I’d really love to throw Bruce at him in light of the Holley situation lol. I’m not sure how much he knows the story there but I just think that with Bruce knowing Holley there could be something there.

Kristoff Bjorgman: Technically Tiana did a cooking lesson with him way back when and he had to go to the emergency room. I think that’s about it lol. But I love him!!! I’m sure there are all kinds of firefighter shenanigans I can use, or maybe something with his troll connections re: Smee!

Talk a bit about your plotting style – what plots are you most drawn to? Do you prefer to come with a fully-formed idea and plot off that, or throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks?

In terms of plots I’m drawn to, I’m very open to lots of different things! In general, I think I tend to gravitate toward the lighthearted and humorous, but with an emotional core if that makes sense. Basically, I think a lot of my plots tend to resemble a sitcom episode, lol. But that’s just the plots I tend to come up with— I’m generally down to write any genre, and I always like trying new things. The only thing I won’t do is smut— but I’m definitely open to exploring relationships of that nature, as long as we use the fade-to-black moments :) I love plots that drive character growth, that teach characters lessons, and that complicate relationships. But I also enjoy plots that are just silly and fun to write… my favorite are a combination of both of those things!

I think I’m probably more of a “throw stuff at the wall” person when it comes to plotting with new muns/characters and more of a “fully formed idea” person when I have a better sense of what we’re working with. Like sometimes I have an idea that I need to fit some characters into, and then I approach those people! Other times, I’m just looking to feel out the vibes and find a way to throw two characters together. But that is also sooo flexible. The one thing I will say is idk if I’m a big hc person before the characters have interacted… like of course if there’s a family connection or if we’re plotting an existing backstory (friends/exes/coworkers/etc) I definitely want to talk that through. But I get really excited to get RPing, and I kind of like to let the hc stuff come up as we write! So if it seems like I’m not like coming up with a lot of great stuff ahead of time I promise it’s not that I’m not excited, it’s just that my brain needs some time to like warm up lol. And I am always receptive to ur head canons and excited to hear them… I’m just not always the best at coming up with them myself before we’ve felt out the chemistry ya feel.

But that being said… always feel free to come to me no matter how developed or nebulous your idea is! If you have a goal and you don’t know how to get there, I love the brainstorming process and I’m always down to figure out how we can make it happen <3 

Talk a bit about character relationships – what relationship are you most drawn to? How do you prefer to approach shipping (if at all!)? What, specifically, are you looking for right now for your character relationships? 

Like a lot of us, I really love friendships and family relationships. I like chill ones, sweet friends and happy families, but I also really love complicated weird hard stuff. I’m fascinated by miscommunication and resentment and judgment and power imbalances and how characters’ flaws impact the way they relate to one another. I think sometimes I hesitate to jump into this stuff right away because I definitely don’t want to make anyone uncomf or ruin anything for people, but if you’re down for that kind of stuff, always come hit me up. I really enjoy when my character gets to be the bad guy in interpersonal conflict even if they mean well and especially if they can learn something from it.

On that note, I enjoy enemies! Some of my characters have more of ‘em than others but I love ‘em all! I like when two characters simply don’t vibe, I like when they have ideological differences, I like when they used to be friends/partners but something caused a rift, I like when they have a deep tragic dramatic 200kslowburn reason for despising each other. Love it all. It’s no secret that one of my favorite dynamics of all time is the reluctant team-up: I do this over and over and over again lmao. Just love getting two characters who don’t like each other forced into a situation together with a common goal. Something about it idk lmaoooo. Maybe this is the Libra in me but I just like conflicts where nobody is right and also everyone is right and it’s complicated. 

As for shipping, I enjoy it! I am all about the canon ship, the hypothetical ship, the crackship, the AU ship, the short term ship, the slowburn ship, the ship that could be a ship but probably is just a friendship, all of it. I usually tend to write more short-term relationships and stuff with an end plotted out than “endgame” ships, but I’m open to both. Either way, I do like to feel out the chemistry before jumping into things.

I do want to improve my communication when it comes to shipping. Like many of us, I get shy lol (and afraid of coming off like I’m pressuring people) but I promise I’ll never take it personally if I pitch something and you’re not into it. We’ll just workshop until we have a direction that works for both of us! I also want to improve this because I really enjoy conflict in my relationships (this includes romantic ones) but I can hesitate with initiating it when it’s someone I haven’t shipped with before and I’m not sure if the other person is on the same page. So I want to get better at communicating so we can be on the same page and jump into all those juicy plots!

Talk about your dash reply style and your Discord reply style! (And if applicable, also your doc reply style). What do you like about each type of interaction? What is something you feel is difficult? 

I try to do some dash replies every day if I can! I usually post stuff right away, but I’ll sometimes queue if I know I have a busy week/weekend coming up or if I’ve gotten a LOT of replies on a character at once and I want to space them out. Usually I’ll indicate in #ooc-updates if I plan on queueing for IRL reasons. I like dash because it’s easy to keep track of, and I feel like it lets me take my time with replies and be very intentional about them. Time to marinate on ‘em, ya feel?

I like Discord and docs for time-sensitive stuff that I want to bang out quickly. I have a harder time with long-term Discord and doc stuff because I’m less likely to put it on my tracker and it can slip past me. So if it’s been a few days on something, always feel free to poke me :) I also like Discord stuff for quick back-and-forth stuff for relationship development or simply because I’m bored and want to RP <3 

In general, though, I’m very flexible! I lean more toward dash, but if other formats are easier for you for whatever reason for a given thread, just let me know and I’ll go with the flow.=

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #3 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it. Here’s an example.

ANNIE’S RECKONING WITH MOTHERHOOD/HARLYNNE’S DANCE CLASS

ANNIE is chatting with CORA about signing Harlynne up for ballet class, and CORA suggests that since Harlynne is pretty young, she should come to the parent/kid dance class at the gym

At the dance class, ANNIE runs into ELENA (#awkward) who is there with the twins. She tries to make small talk afterward by making some snarky comments about how it wasn’t “real” dance and Elena’s attitude about just getting to spend time with the kids makes her pause.

Still feeling snobby about the dance thing, ANNIE takes Harlynne to the dance showcase at Pride U (along with Rodmilla). She runs into GABRIELLA afterward, who mentions that she also dances at the Court. Rodmilla is scandalized and tells Annie that she really shouldn’t be bringing Harlynne to these dance lessons.

SELF PARA: Annie and Harlynne fight because Harlynne wants to go back to the dance class. Annie reflects on how much influence her mother still has on her as an adult.

After getting billed for legal fees, Annie concocts a scheme to try and borrow money from ELLA. What’s intended to be some kind of shakedown lol turns into a surprisingly deep conversation about their upbringing.

ANNIE goes to a show at the Court one night, talks to JESSICA afterward. It’s awkward, but maybe it makes her think.

SELF PARA: ANNIE brings Harlynne back to the dance class.

ANNIE runs into BABETTE at the gym, who’s bringing one of the kids she watches to swim class, and recommends the class.

#this is so long and rambly genuinely do not feel like u have to read it all lmao #swyntask #swynresolutions

[labellerose-acheron]

read here!

#swyntask #swynresolutions #oops #this got soooo long

[thehuntress-rose]

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2023! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.

I really want to work on my consistency with replies. Outside of RP life has been chaotic for most of my time here and save for this past month, I saw a huge improvement since I moved! I just want to take the new year and continue with that momentum and be more involved in my plotting and reply schedule! 

I want to write more self paras! I feel like my characters go through so much behind the scenes that only ever come out in passing dialogue or HCs but I definitely want to be able to flesh out their experiences more via one shots. 

Cause an RP wide event, or at least be the driving force behind a big plot. I love to be involved in them, it brings me joy! But I want to have a character be the cause of something or just pioneer something that everyone can be a part of and craft a story that everyone can be excited to be a part of too. No ideas yet bestie ok.

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Rose: Make more connections outside of her huntress connections. Normal friends! San: Same as above, BUT I also want her to start looking for her mom for realsies. This could def include a lot of people! Potentially a race to find her vs Gaston?? Kill the Beast! (Save the Wolf Goddess) Susan: Get her to a spot to do something I have wanted since I got her. She needs to find a better balance and acceptance for herself tho before she will let herself be happy. Maybe even tell someone that isn’t Jess about what she is! Dian: Get better about handling his vampirism. Relapse. Get Worse. Struggle. (Sorry bby) Being a vampire isn’t easy. Laurette: More magic stuff! I loved writing her farmer’s market thread with the fortune telling! Let her use her gift more! Amy: Do more with Foul! It is such a great concept and I feel like I don’t utilize it enough. Lilith: Begin her search for Merlin’s Objects to give to Belos! Also be that Cool, but Strict™ professor. Sophie: Pull her out of her shell and let people in more! She is still new so she has room to grow, but I’d like to see her make friends and potentially tell them what is going on with her.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Rose: Visit Henry more often. Bury the Huntsgirl. Start her soft epilogue. San: Branch out more, humans aren’t so bad. Find her mother. Susan: Follow through with her campaign promises of making Swynlake safer for everyone. Help Magicks feel safer, no matter their kind. Dian: Get back to normal. Earn his family’s forgiveness. Laurette: Get passing grades, avoid drama! Maybefindaboyfriendtoookaybye. Amy: Find her fortune, hit some listener goals for Foul! Lilith: Gather Merlin’s Objects. Get her former protege back in line so that she doesn’t bring shame upon her good name. Sophie: Break her curse and go back home? Find true love?? 

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

CLAYTON: I know you have a thing with Isa rn, but I will be ur wife pls

Genevieve: She’s so cool, be worsties with Rose. I think they’d be neat

Drakken: believe it or not I have not done a thread with him, also know u are with Vixey rn but I’LL BE UR ENDGAME BBY

Talk a bit about your plotting style – what plots are you most drawn to? Do you prefer to come with a fully-formed idea and plot off that, or throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks?

I feel like I kinda suck at plotting lol. I tend to take a backseat and I really do like to fill plot calls when I see them and I feel like I have something applicable. And people tend to do the same for me! BUT! I would say I am a throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks until we can sus out the vibes of a pairing. Then I just love vibing. One of my resolutions was to get better with doing bigger plots and maybe big plots aren’t the meat of the RP, but I feel like my best characterization writing comes from the ripples of those waves. I don’t feel like I am that forward with plotting like “hey I want x, y, and z to happen! Let’s use those as anchor points for the thread” but I WANT TO BE. New year, New Kit. I will only get better and more unhinged from here folks. 

But as for plots I am drawn to, I wanna say I love a plethora. I love larger ones with lots of moving pieces, I just really like to be a player in a long game okay?!?! Like the shark week plot, the knights in elfhame, the fall of the order, Dian’s death at the Gala. Love big dramatic plotlines that make the town talk. But I also love messy relationships like with Tom and Rose and Laurette and Phineas. I think for realism, more people should break up. I love a good doomed relationship. It’s who I am.

Talk a bit about character relationships – what relationship are you most drawn to? How do you prefer to approach shipping (if at all!)? What, specifically, are you looking for right now for your character relationships? 

I love love love characters who bond over shared experiences. Whether it be a trauma or a shared affliction, I just love bonds forged by understanding. Because we all seek to be understood in some way or another and I feel like those relationships tend to last the longest. I am drawn to families and friends who my characters can really bloom around and vice versa! I love a good ship, but I think most of mine have either been plotted out via “hey I want this vibe and for this long with this ending” or purely vibes. Sometimes characters are just meant to be organically and it feels so satisfying to let them have that!! But don’t get me wrong, I like to plan a terrible end lol.

As for relationships I am seeking now, I’d love for San to dip her toes into a human emotion she hasn’t felt before for a human (love) I just think it would be a beautiful and natural part of er character growth to have her find a human that she can feel as protective and soft over as she does her pack. I would love to see Claudette pop in, just to fill the current separation Laurette feels from Paulette since being in school. A sister closer in age might have a bit more understanding than the eldest in her eyes! And maybe some coworkers for Rose (work at Interpride!!) because she needs some work hijinks! 

Talk about your dash reply style and your Discord reply style! (And if applicable, also your doc reply style). What do you like about each type of interaction? What is something you feel is difficult? 

Dash: I feel like I can be so inconsistent with my dash replies. I went from literally not tracking them at all and digging through my reblogs to find threads when I started to actually tracking them in an excel sheet. So we are making progress. I might not have them all up to date, but PROGRESS. And I am actively trying to be better with my dash consistency, especially in the new year :))

Docs: These can go two ways for me; we can bang em out super fast or I will close the tab and forget to do it for days. (I hate having 30 tabs open, it stresses me out). But that being said, I do really like them because they allow you to keep a plot secret until you are ready to drop all of it. And it’s so much easier for 3 or more muns to collaborate because I feel like 3 way threads can get so messy and cluttered on the dash! 

Discord: I love discord threads. I dunno why, but it feels like less pressure to have length or flowery prose (unless it’s an AU then I will go HARD for that shit). It’s quick and snappy and I think the event servers are always poppin and have great stuff happening in them. 

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #3 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it. Here’s an example.

SUSAN hears about BRUCE wanting to start a support group and chats with him about what he would like it to consist of, she suggests an AA type forum for Magicks because she has wanted to make a change for that community for a while. SUSAN talks to SIMBA about the AA aspects and how they work, and the BOARD about the arrangements while BRUCE fills out the petition (backed by SUSAN of course). 

SUSAN gives a speech at TOWN HALL about seeking community when you feel alone, how bonds are made with shared experiences and feelings, and how everyone deserves to feel that sense of community no matter who you are. She encourages Magicks to have trust in one another for this program to work. 

The petition passes, a meeting room is reserved after TOWN HALL hours for discretion, SUSAN asks BRUCE to be the point person for MA (Magicks Anonymous)! 

Step 5: Everyone prospers

#swynresolutions #swyntask #literally don't read this it is so long but look at the pretty graphic #oooooh aaaaahhh

[oh-phineas]

RP RESOLUTIONS AND HABITS

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2024! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

Reading more! And not just RP stuff, but all kinds of stuff— fiction, nonfiction, fanfic, blogs, the news... but ALSO I would like to get better at keeping up with the dash. I think reading makes you a better writer and I actually do think I did a lot more of this in 2023 but I want to do it even more in 2024.

Follow-through, organization, keeping track of interactions and relationships (I know I put a version of this on every RP resolutions lmfao) There are so many great one-off interactions I have that I simply forget to follow-up about and then months go by and I'm like oh YEAH these characters interacted and it was great WHY did I let so much time go by without doing something new?!?!? Maybe there's a way to incorporate this into my tracker or something idk. I don't have a great solution here other than just being more mindful when I close stuff but I really do want to get better at this.

Quality over speed: I think sometimes I get so excited about putting something out in the world, whether it's a oneshot or a task or a reply to a thread, that I speedrun it when it might benefit from marinating a little longer. I'd like to slow down and smell the roses more this year!

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Phineas: I want him to fail in some way! I think that'd be interesting to explore this year because things are going pretty well for him rn all things considered.

Tiana: Last year I talked about getting tempted by fame and fortune, this year I think I might actually be able to put it into motion! So I'll second that. Generally also just want to make sure I'm keeping up with some older relationships of hers, knights and stuff like that.

Aquata: Move her toward my goal of being involved in sports management stuff (y'know what she went to school for lol) with her work at the gym! Would also like for her to reckon with political stuff and what she's accomplished/hasn't accomplished on Board

Bruce: I hate to do this but I genuinely can't I'm sorry!!! But lots of growth and reflection and big decisions, that's all I wanna say at this point.

Anastasia: Introduce a new challenge with parenting Levi! I'd also like to delve a little more into her desire to get remarried because she's struggling with single parenting I think more than she expected to and I've written some stuff on that theme lately that I've really enjoyed.

Tanya: I haven't kept this a secret, she's gonna move on </3 But first I want her to get to a satisfying place in her relationships, which means working out her weirdness toward the Snow Quartz situation LMAO, maybe getting some closure with Penny, maybe open up a bit more about her past with Mim, stuff like that.

Mirabel: Get a little messy and #gayotic— she and Alice got into a monogamous relationship right off the bat and now I think it's time for her to explore. I feel like I kicked this off with Candace and now Penny but I want more stuff like that. Confront more of how she really feels about her history, and some family stuff that is #spoilers.

Lightning: I want to keep building toward him becoming a better person and rebuilding his relationship with Cruz! This year I also want to be better about portraying what's going on in the racing world because it's important and I sometimes let that fall by the wayside. I've realized in ruminating on his failures in his love life that he may need a female friend to tell him women's perspectives on things (sorry if that's reductive but he genuinely doesn't have any his own age and I think it would help him a lot LMAO)

Smee: Be a bad influence on the town's youth :D

Roz: Flesh out her relationships with Karen and Randall, maybe do some flashbacks??? I'd definitely like to do more RAS stuff with her, but also some regular situations where she draws on her RAS training. I think the big challenge with Roz is always Putting Her In Situations because she is an introverted/quiet character and you gotta be intentional with that sometimes so they don't stagnate.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Phineas: Still get Build a Brand on the New York Stock Exchange! Be a good boyfriend to Fawn. Expand SPF and do more outreach. Launch that conference he and Pip were talking about?? Set up Ed with a hot new partner!! Be epic :)

Tiana: Beat Gusteau's Continue to make the restaurant a success! Be there for her friends.

Aquata: Get her certification to be a trainer, get her job on the Board back, protect the other merpeople of Swynlake

Bruce: Learn how to make tempura! Keep his Letterboxd up to date. Listen to more informative podcasts. Help the other merpeople of Swynlake.

Annie: Teach Levi something new. ...get a new husband, maybe.

Tanya: Leave everything on a good note :')

Mirabel: Master the basics of DnD! Pass her classes! Figure out wtf she's gonna do after next year...

Lightning: Become a better person (???)

Smee: Get the crew back together and get the hell out of this place

Roz: Assist the Swynlake RAS team and accomplish the Society's goals. Do something nice for Bob's birthday. Investigate new methods of sharing information among Swynlake Secondary parents?

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

It's mainly new characters!!! Sorry folks the holidays have me running around like crazy!!!

Camilo - my cousin!! Let's flesh out that relationship!! Lots of exciting stuff coming up for the Madrigals so I think it'll be easy to make this happen

Tófi - insane that I have not written with our reptilian ruler yet. Something with Smee mayhaps? Let's throw those villains together >:)

Queen Clarion - I feel like we GOTTA throw her and Aquata together!!! I don't have a strong idea on this also but maybe something with Phineas because 1. he's a buffoon lmfao and 2. idk something to do with Fawn lol

Talk a bit about your plotting style – what plots are you most drawn to? Do you prefer to come with a fully-formed idea and plot off that, or throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks?

Plots I am drawn to!!!

I am generally pretty open-minded! I do a lot of silly little slice of life plots, hence my army of Mundus characters lmfao. I sometimes struggle with more intense lore-heavy plots but if you have an idea I am always down to clown just let me know what you need from me. I think I said last year that my genre is a sitcom episode (which doesn't mean there can't be drama and tears and magic!) because I am frequently very lighthearted but I like when things have a bittersweet emotional core. I like romance and shipping but I think my plots tend to more often be about friendship and family just because I write what I know and those are the big things in my life right now haha.

Also bears repeating from last year I think— I don't do smut but I'm always down for a steamy plot as long as we can fade to black or zoom out for the actual deed if that makes sense (I don't mind if we describe how the Scenario went, I just don't really want to get into the nitty gritty details basically). I think there is a lot of interesting stuff that happens around those situations and I'd love to explore that!

I also write a lot of fights and conflict and morally questionable characters, so as always, please feel free to come talk to me if an interaction is going an uncomfortable direction for whatever reason! At the end of the day this is supposed to be fun and I really want to make sure my partners are always having fun <3

Plotting style!!

I am a big fan of just throwing characters together to see chemistry vibes, especially if they have some interesting thing that connects them. This doesn't always lead somewhere groundbreaking, but sometimes it can be a good foundation and since my rping background before this was with a very plot-light group, I still like to use those improv muscles every now and than! So if we're in a thread like that and it's starting to stall sometimes I like to throw in a Quirky Situation lol.

With that in mind, PLEASE always feel free to let me know if you're not comfortable with the direction of something and we can retcon/walk it back/pause until we figure out the right direction! I hope that doesn't sound scary lol when I say "twist" I literally just mean like idk maybe my character suddenly spills their drink or maybe they say something goofy but I'd never want to ruin a thread for someone with something like that so yeah I am always flexible!!

ALL that being said, I am also always down to plot something out very specifically, whether it's a big arc or just a minor silly thing. Please don't feel like you need to have a fully-fleshed idea to approach me— I am always down to brainstorm. Sometimes I might ask if you have something in mind but if you don't that's totally okay! I just like to ask before I start taking over haha. I know I will frequently approach people like "hey I had this idea and I'm not totally sure how to accomplish it but if you're down to brainstorm...." and tbh sometimes I may ask if we can pause so I can noodle on something but again that's not due to a lack of enthusiasm that's just because sometimes my brain needs some time to marinate on an idea

Talk a bit about character relationships – what relationships are you most drawn to? How do you prefer to approach shipping (if at all!)? What, specifically, are you looking for right now for your character relationships? 

As I mentioned before, I write a lot of friend stuff and a lot of family stuff! I like when that stuff is complicated, when maybe communication has broken down or people struggle to understand each other or hurt each other even though there is love there. But I am also very happy with sweet chill relationships and I enjoy those greatly <3 I also write a lot of enemies! I'm very drawn to rivals and stuff that exists in kind of a gray area. I think it's fun when characters are wrong about each other or let their judgments and biases get the better of them.

I'm also down for a good ship! Ngl I tend to lean toward short-term stuff or at least relationships that change a LOT— I've never really done an endgame ship and I'm not opposed to them at all but I just don't have a lot of experience there! Honestly to me if a relationship is interesting I'll probably find it interesting whether they're together or broken up or friends or whatever. I always say this but I definitely need to be less shy about saying so when I ship something bc I tend to be a little shy lmaooo. But I promise I will never be offended if you don't ship something that I've said I do, as I've said we're all just here to have fun and I wanna work together to make a plot that works for both of our characters <3

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #3 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it. Here’s an example.

LIGHTNING LEARNS TO RESPECT WOMEN MORE

LIGHTNING attends a panel at Pride U on women's history month as a way to try and become more #educated and to help him on his #journey. Afterward, he approaches one of the panelists, QUEEN CLARION, and puts his foot in his mouth by trying to flirt with her.

HERA, overhearing the conversation, remarks that he's incapable of having a conversation that doesn't go a flirty direction, which he disagrees with. They make a bet.

To test the bet, they go to Pixie's. They relay the story to MARLIN, who is skeptical of Lightning but also offers some helpful tips about royal fairy protocol.

On the walk home, LIGHTNING and HERA actually have a deeper conversation about how LIGHTNING'S attitude is harmful. He confesses some of his reasoning for acting the way he does, but vows to do better.

Taking what he learned from HERA, LIGHTNING approaches CASS to apologize for how their date went. She quickly declines the idea of another date, but he clarifies he's just here to apologize— and they discuss whether they can eventually be friends.

At another town event, LIGHTNING once again runs into QUEEN CLARION and says something stupid— but this time, he remembers what MARLIN told him and manages to salvage the interaction.

He relays the whole story on a run with DOC, who rags on him but is ultimately proud of him.

#swyntask #swynresolutions #the mock plot is so silly lmfao but i was kind of stumped #and isnt everything i do with lightning kind of silly anyway

[labellerose-acheron]

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2023! 

One of my biggest resolutions is to focus on more one shots. I always have ideas, they are always on my to do list, but I usually get sidetracked and I find answering replies to be more important, so they get pushed and pushed until they are no longer relevant. (RIP to the one shot about bellou I was going to write...) I have a few I want to do upcoming with Simba specifically, but I also have another backstory series for Elinor planned. I think that most characters can benefit from them every now and then. Plus, it’s good to flex my prose muscles from time to time.

I also wanna keep working on myself! Being chill. Letting things go. I’ve worked really hard over the past years and it is a continual thing for me. I want to have more relaxed plots, be more loosey goosey, and just enjoy the journey. Not worry so much about making sure I’m doing replies for people and that things get done on time, and everything is formatted properly...(okay, maybe not that last one, formatting is important. :)) But, yeah. Just in general! Everyone makes mistakes (everyone has those days.) Growing forward is important to me.

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s).

Belle: This year I want Belle to open her own law practice. It’s something I’ve been working towards with her and the accumulation of a few plots is hopefully gone make that go forward.

Simba: Have him interact with as many new characters as possible and deepen the relationships with characters he already has. I wanna make sure that he is remembered. :’) Also, this year is the 10 year anniversary of his father’s death, so I have few things planned I want to do with that. I have a few other things, but they’re spoilers.

Toulouse: Get him back on track with his life. Do some more important art commissions around town. Start planning for the future properly...some other things that are spoilers, lol.

Thomas: Explore the tension between being a single father with the brio, I think there is some really juicy stuff there with growing pains of this new lifestyle for everyone.

Candace: I talked about this in my response to Anya on the voice memo, but I wanna delve more into Candace’s relationship. I also want to start our women in STEM club at PrideU and get her involved with that. Grow her confidence as a scientist. Maybe reveal her as CaNDyPoP101?

Vishaka: Spoilers, sorry. :)

Danny: Have him connect more with his family. Maybe have him explode at some point. Repair his relationship with Jane.

Thistle: This is also spoilers, lol.

Elinor: I want to delve more into her grief and also her curse! I also want to get her in position to open her museum this year. Also toying with having her run for Board in the fall.

Gem: Explore his magic more. Explore his relationships more. Gem is a slow boil kind of character. I’d like to get him some more long term arcs. I have one in the works that could lead to some good drama, so hopefully I’ll be able to flesh that out.

Isabela: Spoilers. :D

Evangeline: I would like to use her magic more. Maybe have her confess to someone what she is. Have something bad happen where Evy is in danger. Grow her relationships...I don’t know honestly, she’s just vibing.

Gaston: Get him into poaching. Create the Villain Squad. Bother Belle and cause some tension with the mayor, lol. Start his slow decent into madness.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters.

Belle: Help her children get back to their time. Be a better mother.

Simba: Come to terms with leaving Swynlake. Be a good husband. :)

Toulouse: Toulouse only subscribes to resolutions when he’s in a good place and he is not in a good place.

Thomas: Be a good father.

Candace: Get top marks. Be a good RA.

Vishaka: Figure out what she wants to do. (Good resolution, Vixey, lol.)

Danny: Danny doesn’t do resolutions, they stress him out.

Thistle: He does not subscribe to the mortal calendar.

Elinor: Do better by her children. Repair her relationship with Merida. Open her museum. Quit the bookshoppe. Run a 5k. Read 50 books.

Gem: None.

Isabela: Get to a million followers. Deepen her relationship with Clayton (and make sure she hangs onto him.) Do yoga once a day. Stop and smell the roses. :)

Evangeline: Oh! Resolutions are so fun! Evy wants to get better at her job and be a good friend and love life!

Gaston: Bench 225.

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so.

Milo, Cruz, Riley, Hook, and King are the only characters I haven’t interacted with, I believe. I’d love to change that for all of them!

Obviously, I have Hook and Gaston, so that is easy. I have Candace for Cruz potentially, though also Simba as a fellow native and sporty person. I think they could do something fun with InterPride and Magic Prix.

I want to have Riley and Belle, because I think that could be an interesting interaction, considering Belle’s relationship to Amity. If not, I have some uni kids I can throw at them. I feel like they’d get along with Gus when he comes, he’s very sporty too.

For King, I will be bringing in Gus soon! They have a fun relationship in the show. The reason I haven’t really interacted with him yet is because Candace has been busy and Danny is the worst, lol.

Milo is harder for me, just because he is in secondary and I don’t have any concrete connections there right now! But, I believe that we can make something work. We have an interesting connection with Milo x Gaston right now potentially!

Talk a bit about your plotting style.

So, I’ll just come out and say that I’m really bad with relationships and threads that are more spontaneous and don’t have a plotted end. It’s not that I don’t like them! I just am bad at throwing characters together on the fly. (This is a reason that Discord events is hard for me, but see below for that.)

I have some tools to circumvent this. Usually, if you come to me to plot I ask a series of pre-prepared questions: which of my characters are you interested in? (I have so many, it can be hard to choose unless some sort of connection/interaction jumps out immediately.) Do you have any characters that need threads or need something specific in their story I can help with? I have a hard time with open ended stuff so it helps me brainstorm a bit more if you have an idea beyond an IDK.

It is something I am working on, but it can be super difficult for me--and then I feel bad because I think it makes me sound unenthusiastic. Which isn’t the case! I just get really in my head if I can’t come up with a good idea.

I love all types of plots, but I gravitate towards “bigger” ones. I put bigger in quotes because I usually just mean...long term. I like being able to plot a relationship, to see the end, and to successfully reach it. There is just something so satisfying to me. It’s like finishing a good book!

That isn’t to say I don’t mind one offs. And really, I LOVE just being a cog in the machine. If your character wants to open a business but they need someone to randomly inspire them in a coffee shop, hit me up!

Additionally, I am not shy about coming up with ideas to get involved with current plots, because I think that is the most fun and collaborative part of the RP! For example, when the plot dropped for Marie, I asked Bee if she’d be okay with me having Gaston set up a team to go into the woods “tracking” the beast. I just saw an opportunity for my character and I ran with it. That means sometimes I might jump into your DMs when a plot drops or something exciting happens.

I love to be involved, but I am also extremely respectful of other people’s stories. If Bee had said “No, actually, I’d prefer you didn’t do that because [whatever reason]” I would say no problem! That’s why I asked! I have an extremely open communication style, which I know might come off a little callous sometimes, but its just because I want everyone to be on the same page and make sure that everyone is satisfied with the story. If anyone has any problems, I am always wiling to talk it out and reshape plots so that everyone is happy.

TL;DR: This is very long, so I’ll just end by saying I am so, so excited to be included in any plot you have--if you think my character might suite your plot, please let me know! And I am not shy at all. If I want to plot something with you or I see a plotting opportunity, I’ll absolutely jump into your DMs--but you are never obligated to say yes. Just be honest and communicative! 

Talk a bit about character relationships.

I love any and all character relationships. Family, friends, enemies, frenemies, lovers, exes, one night stands, neighbors...

I will always always say yes to feeling out some characters! Never hesitate to pitch a relationship with me. You want your character to date mine? GREAT. Obsessed with the idea already. You want to get in a fight? Put ‘em up! I am totally down. You wanna plan an elaborate bank heist? I’m honored to be invited to commit crime with you.

There is really only two scenarios where I will say no:

1) I am full on threads and would like a few to close before I start something new. In which case I will ask if we can hang on to it until something finishes! If not, that’s okay, I understand.

2) It isn’t in character or not something I want for my character in that moment. I feel very firmly that everyone should be able to tell the stories they want to tell--within the confine of everyone else’s story! That means, sometimes, I will say no because it isn’t the path I want for my character. It is never anything personal and always simply has to do with my character’s trajectory! I would hope people tell me the same, if I ever pitch something to them that doesn’t work for what they want for their character.

Finally, shipping. While I LOVE shipping and love a good ship, I have two different kinds of ships: long term and short term.

For short term ships, I am always down for whatever. Cheating? Explosive break ups? Turned down proposals? Let’s get it! Short term relationships don’t mean I don’t care about them. I fall in love with any character falling in love with mine. Truly. I’ve had many short term relationships that give me the warm fuzzies, that make me incredibly fond of those characters, that relationship. Lou has dated several people--and especially his six month relationship with Peri still holds a soft place in my heart.

I will always communicate and be up front with my expectations and I will ask you about yours, so I can make sure they match and no one’s feelings get hurt. I will say “I think they should date for six months and then X should be their reason for breaking up.”

Long term ships are much more rare for me. Usually, if my character is in an “endgame” relationship, there have been many discussions about it before it happens. (And usually a few break ups before they finally get together, lol.) I tend to ship these endgame ships with active, participatory members. I have been burned before and am cautious to tie my character’s romantic relationships to someone else, as I love to play them and tend to have them feature heavily in my character’s story and it’d absolutely break my heart to lose my character’s soulmate. Again, this is nothing personal!! If our RP styles don’t match, that’s totally okay.

And, honestly, if the chemistry is there (and a good story, I’m a sucker for a good, angsty story)--the rest doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, it comes down to whomst my character loves. <3

Talk about your dash, doc, and Discord reply style!

Dash: I reply nearly every day. I tend to reply twice if we have 4+ threads, and once if we have less than that. Often it might be a few days, just because I don’t do all my replies in one day. I average about 10 and I prioritize by mun, how long it has been, and my character’s activity. If it has been more than THREE days, I have probably missed something. I generally have one of the biggest thread loads in the RP -- over 50, consistently, so sometimes things fall through the cracks. I will NEVER drop a thread without discussing ending it first. I think it is a rude thing to do, lol. However, if it has been 3+ weeks, please message me before responding because often time I have marked those off my tracker.

Doc: These are generally reserved for secrets, smut, and sensitive material. The three S’s, if you will. Plot drops are common. I prefer smut off dash, just because I hate tumblr’s formatting, lol. Sensitive material refers to triggering material. If I know a thread will heavily feature something triggering (such as severe mental health or gore and violence), I will usually suggest doing it off dash. I keep doc threads on my replies list and italicize them when it’s my turn to reply, so they don’t get lost and I’m pretty on my game about replying to them.

Discord: For some reason, Discord has gotten hard for me. I used to love Discord events and would really throw myself into them. Recently, they’ve been a little more overwhelming and I feel very lost in the shuffle. Therefore, if we plot an event thread but we don’t get very far or I don’t seem engaged, it’s not you at all!! It’s just a me thing. I prefer dash or docs. Hopefully I’ll get over this hump and ready to jump back in! (Also, Discord replies are SO easy for me to lose, I forget about them in a blink, lol.)

Plotting Exercise!

VIXEY GIVES UP HER SHOPPE

1. Something happens (maybe a town emergency, or I fabricate someone getting an injury) and VIXEY goes to the hospital with someone, where she runs into FELIX or TIBBS or DIAN -- and has a chat with them about being nurse, they compliment her on her expertise in handling whatever situation.

2. After this experience, VIXEY confides in TIANA that she isn’t happy with the shoppe, who feels hurt and betrayed that Vixey would give up on her shoppe. She tells Vixey that she just is going through a rough patch and owning a business is hard.

3. Bucking up, VIXEY goes about her days, but is still feeling hurt and restless. She runs into NEMO, who is also struggling with his life path and school. They have a heartfelt chat and Vixey gives Nemo some advice...that she reflects on and decides to take for herself.

4. VIXEY talks to AL and JUN (separate paras) about her feelings and what they think she should do. Either one (or both) advise her to try and find someone to take over the shop from her.

5. PLOT CALL -- for someone to take over From Farm to Table. A para where Vixey does this. (I don’t know how--putting out an ad, making a heartfelt Instagram post?) Someone answers!

6. Several threads where VIXEY and [REDACTED] negotiate handing over the shoppe, ending with BELLE signing on as the lawyer to finish the deal.

7. Once VIXEY is free from her shoppe, she returns to the hospital to see if this is what she really wants...

#swyntask #swynresolutions #resolutions #this is EXTREMELY long #i could've said any of this more succinctly probably #but what u see is what u get