octomoosey:

                     ——approaching someone to rp——

so you followed someone, right?  you want to rp with them?  maybe they followed you back?  you can generally take that as a sign that someone is interested in you/your writing/your character and that – yes – they want to rp with you.  

…but if you’re eager to interact, here are a few ways you can do so…

• send & reply to a meme response.  many rp’ers are happy to turn meme replies into threads ( though it’s best to ask before replying, just to make sure! )
  
• drop into their ask box.  though try to avoid the ‘wanna rp?’ approach.  because yes, they probably do – hence the rp blog – 😐 .  have a think about what your character and theirs could be doing.  perhaps even consider whether this is a first interaction between two individuals who wouldn’t know each other, or if there’s something you might be able to pre-establish between them.  if you need ideas for things to propose check the next point…
• pick something from their/your wishlist.  have you looked at their ‘verses’ or ‘wishlist’ page/tags?  maybe ask if they have one if you can’t spot it.  or pick something from your own verses/wishlist and hit them with an idea.  it’s so much easier to respond to a potential thread idea than it is to a ‘wanna rp’ ask. 
• keep an eye out for starter invitations/look for open starters.  many rp’ers will pop up a ‘like this for a starter’ post from time to time when they feel like they can take on more threads.  don’t be afraid to hit that like button, but remember to be patient – the starter might not appear instantly.  coming up with random starters can be a little tricky sometimes!  you can also check to see if the player has an ‘open starter’ tag or link, and maybe you could jump onto one of those.

 ——communication, dropped threads, following etc.——

remember – communication is key.  i honestly can’t stress this enough.  if you ever feel like you’re getting frustrated/anxious/stressed – it’s usually because of one of the following things….

• no reply/dropped threads.  do you have a thread that maybe someone hasn’t replied to, but they’re active on the dash?  don’t stress or get upset about it.  you can politely enquire with your partner as to whether they have it in their drafts.  sometimes people just have stronger muse for certain threads than others, or perhaps they are writing your reply as you speak.  sometimes people honestly don’t know where to take a thread, or they might have lost impetus with the plot.  dropped threads are – nothing – to stress about.  it’s generally not a reflection on you or your writing.  it depends on muse, time, inspiration etc.  and don’t forget – you can always start a new one.  
  
• a sudden psa that you think may refer to your thread.  instant anxiety?  questioning or doubting yourself?  don’t worry, darling – it happens to all of us.  if something’s not sitting right with you in one of your threads, or perhaps it’s not going the way you envisioned – TALK TO YOUR WRITING PARTNER.  the hint is in the last word there – ‘partner’ – because there are two of you and it should be something that’s enjoyable for both.  don’t ‘go along with’ something if you don’t want to or it doesn’t feel right.  the vast majority of rper’s out there are more than happy to tweak/edit/rewrite if you ask them.  remember, your partner isn’t psychic ( even if their muse is ) – so talk to them.  perhaps your partner – or you – feel the need to clarify something through a psa because of something that crops up in a thread, but it’s always good manners and common courtesy to speak to your partner – FIRST – otherwise you may well be discouraging someone from interacting with you further if they are unsure as to the intent or purpose of the announcement, or whether it refers to them or not.
• watching from afar.  frustrating, isn’t it?  but remember – just because you have no immediate interaction with a character doesn’t mean that the mun doesn’t want to rp with you.  now, don’t get disheartened if there’s not an instant greeter on your dash – not all rp’ers write them.  some people prefer to plot before any interactions.  some people might have as many current threads as they can handle and may just be waiting till they have more time or close down some of their current threads.  have patience, or drop them an ask.
• some interaction then nada.  oh god, did i do something?  are they annoyed with me?  more anxiety, yes?  likely as not, it’s probably just a dropped thread.  maybe they’re shorter on time than they were – but either way, it’s very unlikely that you’ve upset/annoyed someone.  and we go back to the ‘talking to your partner’ thing here.  just drop them a little ask, say hi, see how they’re doing and if they would like to interact.
• they don’t follow or they unfollowed you.  it’s never a fantastic feeling when someone unfollows you.  but remember, it’s not the end of the world.  if you haven’t interacted, or maybe haven’t interacted for a while, they could just be doing a dash clean up.  a lot of rp’ers will follow people they’re interacting with only – just for the sake of their own sanity and being able to find things on their dash.  if they only write with mutuals, talk to them ooc about a plot or interaction and they may be more than happy to follow you at that point.
• sent an ask but they didn’t reply.  again, nothing to fret about.  they may never have gotten your ask ( because tumblr can be a mighty butthole ), or they may not have gotten round to replying to it yet.  have a little patience, give it a week or so and then maybe send another.  just don’t get over eager – bombarding someone with asks can sometimes make them feel pressured or disinclined to respond – just because someone pops up on your dash doesn’t necessarily mean they have oodles of time at that moment to write responses.  but one or two won’t hurt.  

just remember, there are plenty of reasons for these things – time, rl getting in the way, lack of muse –  and getting stressed or anxious about them isn’t going to do you any good.  try to be objective and understanding about people taking a break or hiatus or being slow with responses to threads or asks.  

rp is a hobby, it’s something we do for fun.  always keep that in mind when you log on and you do the things that make you happy.  

love from
octomoosey ♥