Sanctum Writing Guide Roleplay Primer

You've come to this site in search of roleplays. For that, you will need at least one person to write with you - often referred to as a roleplaying partner, a writing partner or simply as a partner. Ideally, this will be someone whose interests align with yours. Whether you're looking for some serious world-building, crave the kinkiest of kinks, or prefer a nice middle ground, you'll find like-minded people here if you know where to look.

Now, if you're new to the site, you may be wondering...

...How do you find like-minded people?
...Any tips for having more successful roleplays?
...And what do all these puzzling acronyms and slang words mean?

Finding partners | Tips for a successful roleplay | Acronyms and roleplay slang

• If you don't already have a specific person you'd like to ask, browse the recent request threads (link) (the first 2-3 pages will suffice). If nothing tickles your fancy, write your own request thread in the sub-forum that seems most appropriate for your interests. If this is your first time, read What Makes A Good Request Thread? (link) and you're good to go.
• - Before approaching a potential roleplay partner, read their request thread thoroughly. Knowing in advance whether you have compatible interests is the first step to an enjoyable roleplay. A well-written request thread will give you a good idea of how compatible you will be with that person.
  
  - Express interest. Tell potential partners why you want to write with them. Which pairings do you both love? Which themes/settings/kinks are you both into? Do you have anything you'd like to add onto any existing plot ideas they may have mentioned in their request thread? Do you have any ideas of your own which they might be into? If you've got your heart set on writing with someone, get them equally excited about writing with you. Otherwise, your roleplay could flop before it's even begun.
  
  - Be willing to negotiate. Your partner will often have their own ideas and interests which don't necessarily wreck your initial concept. Listen and consider how these things can work with what you've already got. You may even discover new interests.
  
  - Respect your partner's language capabilities. Whether they're dyslexic, don't have English as their native language, or simply aren't as sharp with words as you are, consider whether you should keep language-related feedback to yourself. This isn't school. We're not grading each other's roleplay posts. If you can read their posts, cut them some slack.
  
  - Be understanding of real-life struggles. Shit happens. People have lives. You wouldn't want someone lynching you for having needs or bad luck, either.
  
  And for the love of fuck, do not cold-call. Don't message people without reading their request thread. It wastes your time. It wastes the other person's time. You'll find infinitely more enjoyable roleplays if you take a little extra time to look through request threads.
• Have I missed an important definition? Message me (@microhexa) and I'll add it.
  
  

  Term	Definition
  RP	Roleplay
  RT	Request thread
  PM / DM	Private message / direct message (note: DM can also refer to Dungeon Master - check the context)
  F-list	Fetish-list
  Ghosting	Taking an unannounced hiatus from a roleplay or abandoning it without notice
  DM	Dungeon Master (DM may refer to 'direct message' - again, check context)
  MC	My character (usually - always check if this makes sense in the context)
  YC	Your character
  Muse A/B/C	A way to refer to different characters in a roleplay idea. Usually used when the creator does not care which role they play
  MxF / FxF / MxM	Male x Female / Female x Female / Male x Male
  MxA / FxA	Male x Any / Female x Any
  OOC	Out Of Character (i.e. as a writer)
  IC	In Character (i.e. as a character)
  Non-con	Non-consensual sex
  Smut-based roleplay	A roleplay primarily involving sex
  Plot-based roleplay	A roleplay primarily involving plot, i.e. things other than sex
  Non-sexual roleplay	A roleplay with no explicit sexual encounters (though they may Fade-to-black)
  Fade-To-Black	When a story ends a scene (often a sexual one) in a way that implies what happens afterwards without showing it
  Fandom	A roleplay set in an established world or universe, often (though not always) using canon characters
  Canon Character (CC)	A character who is being taken from an existing work of fiction and used in a roleplay
  Original Character (OC)	A character either created explicitly for a roleplay or created by one of the participants and used for the story