driftlikesleep
Meteorite
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2023
TL;DR
Me
Yes
No
THE LONG VERSION
Hi there, I’m Donny; welcome to my dating sim. She/her, early 30s, UTC+2, looking for 25+ writers for a long-term, modern crime RP. Below you can find a more detailed explanation of my preferences as a writer. If you’d like to read about the particular plot and character I’m looking to write, you’re welcome to scroll down to the last 3 paragraphs.
25+ writing partners: I appreciate your interest, but please don’t contact me asking to plot if you are under the age of 25. The answer will be no.
Quality>quantity, show>tell: though I hate the term, my writing style is best defined as casual lit. I’m not a fan of novella or matching lengths just for the sake of it. My own posts can range anywhere between 1-5 paragraphs (100-700 words), depending on what a particular thread calls for - and if I feel like 100 words are all that’s needed for a particular post, I won’t be adding any fillers just to make my reply seem longer. Likewise, I will not be expecting the same of you.
It’s important to note that I prefer to either keep my characters’ internal monologue to a minimum, or exclude it altogether - which is the main reason my posts tend to be on the shorter side. I know that describing the characters’ thoughts and feelings is big for a lot of writers - but I find that it disturbs the flow of dialog and, more importantly, makes interactions feel less genuine. A good deal of real-life misunderstandings and drama stem from the fact that none of us are privy to each other’s thoughts; I want our characters to miscommunicate and have stupid arguments that could easily be avoided! I want them to struggle to understand one another! And while I don’t necessarily expect you to exclude your characters’ internal monologue altogether (depends on what you’re comfortable with) - if you like going into your characters’ thoughts and feelings at length, we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
At the risk of sounding like a dick: please do not expect to be the exception to this rule, because you won’t be. I’ve been roleplaying long enough to know what I like and what I don’t, and nothing kills my inspiration or excitement for a thread faster than feeling like I have to fluff things up just for the sake of making them seem longer. This is especially true if your own reply is filled with fluff that I have absolutely no use for (i.e.: your character’s thoughts about a side character that hasn’t even been introduced yet). This has happened one too many times and, at this point, I’m not sure how to make myself any clearer. Regardless of length, my reply will always contain something for you to work with: a call to action, dialog, etc. If you’re not comfortable with varying lengths or potentially short replies, please do not approach me and spare us both.
On a similar note: no pancake-stack dialog, please. There’s nothing that disrupts the flow of dialog more than characters talking in a bullet-point list, addressing anything and everything the other character had said regardless of whether the conversion has since taken a different direction. It’s not how real-life conversations work, and it’s not something I’m interested in writing.
I prefer writing in third person, present tense. I can do past tense if necessary, but would rather not.
Long-term plots: I tend to prefer character-driven stories and, as such, prefer to use the characters I’ve been developing over the years as opposed to making new ones. With that said, you’re welcome to do either/or. I’d be happy for you to either use one of your own pre-made characters, or create a new one from scratch - whichever you’re more comfortable with.
My characters tend to be queer, flawed men, mostly of the criminal variety. As I’ve stuck to writing them for years, it should go without saying that they all come with their own little worlds; well-thought-out, researched bios; and a bunch of minor characters surrounding them, which I would be happy to utilize and further explore and develop, as well.
On a similar note: I’m a dedicated writer. I like seeing plots through. When the story is good and the characters are compelling, I can stick with the same plot/ship/cast of characters for years and never get bored or tired of it. If you are unable to maintain interest for longer periods of time or like to switch things up rather often, we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
Original characters and content: give me your OCs! GIVE THEM TO ME! I love learning all about them, what makes them tick, all the little nuances that really bring them to life. I am wholly uninterested in canon characters of any fandom (sorry).
Additionally, I'm an active plotter. I try to work with the "yes, and" method as often as possible and rarely leave my partners hanging when it comes to driving the plot forward or working on character development. I expect you to be able to do the same. I'm sympathetic towards the occasional dry spell; none of us can be oozing with creativity 24/7; but if you consistently leave all the hard work up to me, I will get bored and respectfully drop the RP.
On NSFW, triggers and boundaries: I don’t like writing smut, but I will write sex. To clarify: I won’t write detailed, post-for-post description of sexual acts the same way I won’t write detailed, post-for-post description of a character brushing their teeth; it just isn’t that interesting or crucial to the plot. I do, however, care about the emotion, context and other aspects of a sexual relationship (be it a one-off or a long-lasting one) and I do love getting to explore them in writing. Ask me for further clarification/NSFW writing samples if you’d like to know more.
I don't have any particular triggers and like getting into the nitty-gritty of the human psyche/behavior/existence. I'll obviously respect any triggers or boundaries you may have but, as a general rule: if you're especially sensitive to or easily triggered by themes common to the criminal genre (i.e. violence, substance abuse, etc.) - we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
Defining characters by their sexuality alone: I don’t subscribe to the whole bottom/top, sub/dom dynamic thing, nor do I subscribe to characters whose entire personality is defined by their sexual preferences, and not looking for partners who do. I believe sex and sexual desires are fluid and that things are more situational than that. If you ‘only write bottoms’, please move on and do not contact me. Additionally: not a fan of twinks and anime FCs. Nothing personal, it just turns me off both the pairing and the RP.
Clear communication, posts 1-3 times a week: these are pretty self-explanatory. Real life comes first, always. My own plate is pretty full when it comes to my OOC life. However, I’m usually available to post at least once a week, if not 203 times a week. I try to keep my partners in the loop if I may not be able to adhere to the at-least-once-a-week posting schedule or if I’m going to be unavailable OOC for a little while, and I expect you to do the same. Likewise, if something isn’t working for you, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to restructure/change things to accommodate you!
Matched enthusiasm, engagement and effort: this should also be pretty self-explanatory. If I feel like I’m the only one moving the plot forward, trying to engage in OOC conversation, expressing interest in your character or just generally feel like I’m the only one pulling their weight, I’m likely to bow out.
If you'd like to reach out, you can write to me either on driftlikesleep@gmail.com, or schmuckinsurance on Discord. As my own writing samples are available below, I’d appreciate it if you could include your own when approaching me. It would also be great if you could tell me about yourself when reaching out - how old you are, your preferences as a writer in terms of posting length and frequency, etc. Don't reach out to me if you're looking for straight-up smut. I'm not interested.
THE MAN HAS A GUN, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IT
The Mercenary, AKA Merc, is my longest-running character and my absolute favorite. He's in his late 20s-early 30s, homosexual/romantic, and - you guessed it - a mercenary combat operative. Think Blackwater, Wagner Group and the like. Standoffish, thick, self-destructive and extremely dangerous, he is also profoundly loyal, adventurous, charming and far more clever and sensitive than he lets on.
His themes largely include: crime, modern-realism, recent history, war, mental illness, transgenerational abuse, nihilism, moral ambiguity, violence and redemption. You can find his full character sheet HERE and several samples of my writing of him HERE.
While I don’t have a clear or specific plot in mind for him, as the collaborative aspect of RP is a big thing for me, I do have some vague ideas for the kinds of characters I think could work well with him and, by proxy, certain directions where we could take the plot, depending on the kind of relationship we come up with.
Honestly, I could see Merc working in a wide variety of scenarios and with all sorts of characters. I'd be equally thrilled to explore him with another criminal (another mercenary; a druglord, a high-ranking executive in a major corporation, or any other type of potential client; a fixer/cleaner; a bent lawyer; a forger; a handler; the list goes on) as I would with a character on the law enforcement spectrum (a government agent; a police detective or PI; a journalist; a straight-edged lawyer; again, the list goes on), or even an entirely civilian character who has absolutely nothing to do with Merc's world, but will inevitably get sucked into it through their relationship with him. He has plenty of hobbies and interests outside of his job and could easily make a connection through those. I'd also be more than happy to explore a relationship for him with a character in the healthcare industry: a doctor, nurse, first responder, vet, etc.
Whichever the case, I'd adore exploring the relationship in all its aspects and stages, as well as work on a wider plot/world in which everything will take place. I don't like for my roleplays to revolve solely around a romantic relationship between two characters (although I’m a sucker for a good, gut-wrenching romance), and I love expanding on lore and side-characters. All I ask is that your character feels 'real enough', if that makes sense, and that you give me enough to work with.
Me
- Donny, cis female, 30+
- UTC+2
- ESL
- Looking to write a long-term plot (and ship) for my long-running, queer crime OC with your queer, crime OC!
- Contact:
Discord: schmuckinsurance
Email: driftlikesleep@gmail.com
Yes
- 25+ writing partners
- Quality > quantity, concise and engaging writing
- Show > tell
- Casual lit, 1-5 paragraph posts
- Third person, present tense
- Long-term plots and/or dedicated writers who can stick to one thing for a long time
- Drama, crime, realism, history, war/military, subversive subcultures, slice of life, romance, (some) fluff, hurt/comfort, angst/dark subject matter
- Original characters and content
- In-depth character development
- MxM
- NSFW optional
- Clear communication
- Posts 1-3 times a week
- Matched enthusiasm, engagement and effort
No
- Flakes
- Discourse, drama, politics, hate
- Purple prose
- Pancake-stack dialog
- Novella, matching post lengths and/or writing fillers just for the sake of matching
- Pure fluff
- High fantasy, superhero, supernatural, canon material/characters
- Posts once or more a day
- Posts less than once a week
- Outright smut
- Defining characters by their sexuality alone
- MxF, FxF
- Leaving all the work up to me, either IC or OOC
THE LONG VERSION
Hi there, I’m Donny; welcome to my dating sim. She/her, early 30s, UTC+2, looking for 25+ writers for a long-term, modern crime RP. Below you can find a more detailed explanation of my preferences as a writer. If you’d like to read about the particular plot and character I’m looking to write, you’re welcome to scroll down to the last 3 paragraphs.
25+ writing partners: I appreciate your interest, but please don’t contact me asking to plot if you are under the age of 25. The answer will be no.
Quality>quantity, show>tell: though I hate the term, my writing style is best defined as casual lit. I’m not a fan of novella or matching lengths just for the sake of it. My own posts can range anywhere between 1-5 paragraphs (100-700 words), depending on what a particular thread calls for - and if I feel like 100 words are all that’s needed for a particular post, I won’t be adding any fillers just to make my reply seem longer. Likewise, I will not be expecting the same of you.
It’s important to note that I prefer to either keep my characters’ internal monologue to a minimum, or exclude it altogether - which is the main reason my posts tend to be on the shorter side. I know that describing the characters’ thoughts and feelings is big for a lot of writers - but I find that it disturbs the flow of dialog and, more importantly, makes interactions feel less genuine. A good deal of real-life misunderstandings and drama stem from the fact that none of us are privy to each other’s thoughts; I want our characters to miscommunicate and have stupid arguments that could easily be avoided! I want them to struggle to understand one another! And while I don’t necessarily expect you to exclude your characters’ internal monologue altogether (depends on what you’re comfortable with) - if you like going into your characters’ thoughts and feelings at length, we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
At the risk of sounding like a dick: please do not expect to be the exception to this rule, because you won’t be. I’ve been roleplaying long enough to know what I like and what I don’t, and nothing kills my inspiration or excitement for a thread faster than feeling like I have to fluff things up just for the sake of making them seem longer. This is especially true if your own reply is filled with fluff that I have absolutely no use for (i.e.: your character’s thoughts about a side character that hasn’t even been introduced yet). This has happened one too many times and, at this point, I’m not sure how to make myself any clearer. Regardless of length, my reply will always contain something for you to work with: a call to action, dialog, etc. If you’re not comfortable with varying lengths or potentially short replies, please do not approach me and spare us both.
On a similar note: no pancake-stack dialog, please. There’s nothing that disrupts the flow of dialog more than characters talking in a bullet-point list, addressing anything and everything the other character had said regardless of whether the conversion has since taken a different direction. It’s not how real-life conversations work, and it’s not something I’m interested in writing.
I prefer writing in third person, present tense. I can do past tense if necessary, but would rather not.
Long-term plots: I tend to prefer character-driven stories and, as such, prefer to use the characters I’ve been developing over the years as opposed to making new ones. With that said, you’re welcome to do either/or. I’d be happy for you to either use one of your own pre-made characters, or create a new one from scratch - whichever you’re more comfortable with.
My characters tend to be queer, flawed men, mostly of the criminal variety. As I’ve stuck to writing them for years, it should go without saying that they all come with their own little worlds; well-thought-out, researched bios; and a bunch of minor characters surrounding them, which I would be happy to utilize and further explore and develop, as well.
On a similar note: I’m a dedicated writer. I like seeing plots through. When the story is good and the characters are compelling, I can stick with the same plot/ship/cast of characters for years and never get bored or tired of it. If you are unable to maintain interest for longer periods of time or like to switch things up rather often, we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
Original characters and content: give me your OCs! GIVE THEM TO ME! I love learning all about them, what makes them tick, all the little nuances that really bring them to life. I am wholly uninterested in canon characters of any fandom (sorry).
Additionally, I'm an active plotter. I try to work with the "yes, and" method as often as possible and rarely leave my partners hanging when it comes to driving the plot forward or working on character development. I expect you to be able to do the same. I'm sympathetic towards the occasional dry spell; none of us can be oozing with creativity 24/7; but if you consistently leave all the hard work up to me, I will get bored and respectfully drop the RP.
On NSFW, triggers and boundaries: I don’t like writing smut, but I will write sex. To clarify: I won’t write detailed, post-for-post description of sexual acts the same way I won’t write detailed, post-for-post description of a character brushing their teeth; it just isn’t that interesting or crucial to the plot. I do, however, care about the emotion, context and other aspects of a sexual relationship (be it a one-off or a long-lasting one) and I do love getting to explore them in writing. Ask me for further clarification/NSFW writing samples if you’d like to know more.
I don't have any particular triggers and like getting into the nitty-gritty of the human psyche/behavior/existence. I'll obviously respect any triggers or boundaries you may have but, as a general rule: if you're especially sensitive to or easily triggered by themes common to the criminal genre (i.e. violence, substance abuse, etc.) - we probably won’t make a good match for one another.
Defining characters by their sexuality alone: I don’t subscribe to the whole bottom/top, sub/dom dynamic thing, nor do I subscribe to characters whose entire personality is defined by their sexual preferences, and not looking for partners who do. I believe sex and sexual desires are fluid and that things are more situational than that. If you ‘only write bottoms’, please move on and do not contact me. Additionally: not a fan of twinks and anime FCs. Nothing personal, it just turns me off both the pairing and the RP.
Clear communication, posts 1-3 times a week: these are pretty self-explanatory. Real life comes first, always. My own plate is pretty full when it comes to my OOC life. However, I’m usually available to post at least once a week, if not 203 times a week. I try to keep my partners in the loop if I may not be able to adhere to the at-least-once-a-week posting schedule or if I’m going to be unavailable OOC for a little while, and I expect you to do the same. Likewise, if something isn’t working for you, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to restructure/change things to accommodate you!
Matched enthusiasm, engagement and effort: this should also be pretty self-explanatory. If I feel like I’m the only one moving the plot forward, trying to engage in OOC conversation, expressing interest in your character or just generally feel like I’m the only one pulling their weight, I’m likely to bow out.
If you'd like to reach out, you can write to me either on driftlikesleep@gmail.com, or schmuckinsurance on Discord. As my own writing samples are available below, I’d appreciate it if you could include your own when approaching me. It would also be great if you could tell me about yourself when reaching out - how old you are, your preferences as a writer in terms of posting length and frequency, etc. Don't reach out to me if you're looking for straight-up smut. I'm not interested.
THE MAN HAS A GUN, HE KNOWS HOW TO USE IT
The Mercenary, AKA Merc, is my longest-running character and my absolute favorite. He's in his late 20s-early 30s, homosexual/romantic, and - you guessed it - a mercenary combat operative. Think Blackwater, Wagner Group and the like. Standoffish, thick, self-destructive and extremely dangerous, he is also profoundly loyal, adventurous, charming and far more clever and sensitive than he lets on.
His themes largely include: crime, modern-realism, recent history, war, mental illness, transgenerational abuse, nihilism, moral ambiguity, violence and redemption. You can find his full character sheet HERE and several samples of my writing of him HERE.
While I don’t have a clear or specific plot in mind for him, as the collaborative aspect of RP is a big thing for me, I do have some vague ideas for the kinds of characters I think could work well with him and, by proxy, certain directions where we could take the plot, depending on the kind of relationship we come up with.
Honestly, I could see Merc working in a wide variety of scenarios and with all sorts of characters. I'd be equally thrilled to explore him with another criminal (another mercenary; a druglord, a high-ranking executive in a major corporation, or any other type of potential client; a fixer/cleaner; a bent lawyer; a forger; a handler; the list goes on) as I would with a character on the law enforcement spectrum (a government agent; a police detective or PI; a journalist; a straight-edged lawyer; again, the list goes on), or even an entirely civilian character who has absolutely nothing to do with Merc's world, but will inevitably get sucked into it through their relationship with him. He has plenty of hobbies and interests outside of his job and could easily make a connection through those. I'd also be more than happy to explore a relationship for him with a character in the healthcare industry: a doctor, nurse, first responder, vet, etc.
Whichever the case, I'd adore exploring the relationship in all its aspects and stages, as well as work on a wider plot/world in which everything will take place. I don't like for my roleplays to revolve solely around a romantic relationship between two characters (although I’m a sucker for a good, gut-wrenching romance), and I love expanding on lore and side-characters. All I ask is that your character feels 'real enough', if that makes sense, and that you give me enough to work with.