overview
SUNSET IS A SOL PB COMMUNITY set in los angeles, california and the surrounding areas. we welcome minor faux elements. let your imagination run free in a city with everything at your fingertips. our ultimate goal, that we hope to share with you all, is to write in a fun and easy going atmosphere that gives your character a good home. if you choose to give your character a celebrity claim, please know that this is primarily a sol community and we'd prefer that claims be limited. we don't want to create a hierarchy. no a-list actors or big-time pop stars, please!
basics
we want this game to be a welcoming, fun place for everyone with a heavy emphasis on plotting and writing. please include new and old characters in as much as possible. don't cause unnecessary drama—this includes but is not limited to crossing the ic/ooc line, swerving out of your lane, and godmodding.
any abuse toward other members or toward the moderators will not be tolerated and will result in your character's prompt removal. we heavily encourage everyone to ask the mods for assistance if there are conflicts you cannot resolve. we will do our best to mediate. we want everyone to grow and develop their characters; our goal is to provide a thriving environment which prospers on kindness. we encourage members to have their comments set to "friends only" to limit their interactions to members (and friends.)
we do not support the use of any outside apps. if we discover that you are using outside apps, especially to bully or ostracize other members, you will be removed. please bear in mind that while we have limited control over what members are doing outside of insanejournal and no desire to micromanage you, we will not tolerate bullying on any platform.
use the dropbox respectfully. anonymous, disrespectful, or aggressive comments will be deleted from the dropbox without response. we're open to feedback and discussion when handled in a polite and mature manner. when in doubt, just ask nicely! we are people too and we deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.
trigger warnings and sensitive content dark and potentially triggering content will come up in character bios, narratives, and entries from time to time. we expect that our writers handle this content maturely and respectfully: that means tagging all content appropriately, keeping it behind a cut-tag (and out of public spaces like ffas, pbads, etc.) and doing thorough research into whatever topic you choose to write about. if you notice any triggering or sensitive content not properly labelled, please contact the mods and let us know, and we'll make sure the writer in question takes care of it.
any abuse toward other members or toward the moderators will not be tolerated and will result in your character's prompt removal. we heavily encourage everyone to ask the mods for assistance if there are conflicts you cannot resolve. we will do our best to mediate. we want everyone to grow and develop their characters; our goal is to provide a thriving environment which prospers on kindness. we encourage members to have their comments set to "friends only" to limit their interactions to members (and friends.)
we do not support the use of any outside apps. if we discover that you are using outside apps, especially to bully or ostracize other members, you will be removed. please bear in mind that while we have limited control over what members are doing outside of insanejournal and no desire to micromanage you, we will not tolerate bullying on any platform.
use the dropbox respectfully. anonymous, disrespectful, or aggressive comments will be deleted from the dropbox without response. we're open to feedback and discussion when handled in a polite and mature manner. when in doubt, just ask nicely! we are people too and we deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.
trigger warnings and sensitive content dark and potentially triggering content will come up in character bios, narratives, and entries from time to time. we expect that our writers handle this content maturely and respectfully: that means tagging all content appropriately, keeping it behind a cut-tag (and out of public spaces like ffas, pbads, etc.) and doing thorough research into whatever topic you choose to write about. if you notice any triggering or sensitive content not properly labelled, please contact the mods and let us know, and we'll make sure the writer in question takes care of it.
applying
the faux element
as stated above, sunset is primarily a sol community. however, we are open to accepting some celebrity claims. our guidelines here are simple: no a-list and keep your claim to one specific celebrity. for example: credits of jennifer tilly, not credits of multiple different actresses in multiple different films. if you decide to give your character specific credits, please make sure you inform the mods so that we can note it on the credits page. we want to avoid any possible confusion when it comes to this element.
picking a pb keep your character within five years of the pb's actual age. los angeles is a very diverse city and we encourage our players to utilize diverse pbs. in saying that, please be culturally sensitive and do your research. don't change your character's race and please bear in mind the actual race and ethnicity of your character's pb. please try not to choose pbs with abuse or sa histories, as those pbs could be triggering to your fellow members. if you notice major issues occurring on the topics of race or abuse, please let us know. we might not be aware of everything there is to know about a pb.
picking a pb keep your character within five years of the pb's actual age. los angeles is a very diverse city and we encourage our players to utilize diverse pbs. in saying that, please be culturally sensitive and do your research. don't change your character's race and please bear in mind the actual race and ethnicity of your character's pb. please try not to choose pbs with abuse or sa histories, as those pbs could be triggering to your fellow members. if you notice major issues occurring on the topics of race or abuse, please let us know. we might not be aware of everything there is to know about a pb.
steps, caps & overrides
steps to apply
overrides we do not allow overrides. if you want to use a taken pb, please wait until they've been removed.
multiple characters/character cap our current character cap is 2 per writer. please ensure you're able to maintain activity with each character before bringing in another. you are required to disclose to the mods if you're bringing in another character. if you do not provide that information to the mods and we find out later, you are subject to removal.
- character journals can be ic or ooc, as long as there are no underscores or numbers.
- please have two backdated posts: one in character and one out of character. your ooc post must have comments screened.
- your ooc post should have a brief bio that clarifies the character's name, occupation, and age, as well as providing some background information on who the character is. as examples are no longer required, the bio helps us understand who you're writing. other details are both welcomed and encouraged. we don't have a word requirement.
overrides we do not allow overrides. if you want to use a taken pb, please wait until they've been removed.
multiple characters/character cap our current character cap is 2 per writer. please ensure you're able to maintain activity with each character before bringing in another. you are required to disclose to the mods if you're bringing in another character. if you do not provide that information to the mods and we find out later, you are subject to removal.
activity
intros
intros should be posted within 72 hours of acceptance and the majority of comments should be replied to within three days' time. failure to intro or reply to comments on one's intro will result in removal.
updating the minimum update requirement is one post per month, but we encourage writers to go above and beyond this. since we have a low activity requirement, we ask that all updates turned in for activity be substantial. options include: narratives, collaborative posts (ffas, events), and coded interactive posts like moodboards, social posts, multimedia posts, etc.
if you are unable to update in a month, you also have the option of turning in four links to interaction on the fp. these interactions have to be more than one reply. we are looking for 3+. ffas will count when indicated by the mods. member ffas may also count if the member requests permission.
to count as an activity, updates must be visible to the entire community and must not be backdated, i.e. visible on the friends page.
updating the minimum update requirement is one post per month, but we encourage writers to go above and beyond this. since we have a low activity requirement, we ask that all updates turned in for activity be substantial. options include: narratives, collaborative posts (ffas, events), and coded interactive posts like moodboards, social posts, multimedia posts, etc.
if you are unable to update in a month, you also have the option of turning in four links to interaction on the fp. these interactions have to be more than one reply. we are looking for 3+. ffas will count when indicated by the mods. member ffas may also count if the member requests permission.
to count as an activity, updates must be visible to the entire community and must not be backdated, i.e. visible on the friends page.
engagement, tracking & status
community engagement
updating is the minimum activity requirement here. it's also vital to be engaged with the community by commenting intros, other members' updates, ffas, and/or pbads posts. we don't expect everyone to be around all the time, and we know some characters can be more shy or reserved, but we encourage people to remember this is a community and not a psl. the goal here is engagement. if we notice deadweight is getting out of hand, we will likely put up activity checks or alter our update requirements.
tracking activity
extensions and hiatuses extensions and hiatuses will be granted on a case-by-case basis. hiatus requests must include an end date. extensions will be for 1 week past the due date by default unless mod approval has been obtained for another duration, and you cannot request extensions two months in a row unless you've received mod approval. requests for both should be left in the members post.
removals activity removals will be done at the end of the month. the mods will do fl checks on the 15th of every month. failing to update your fl will result in removal. please run the button at least once every two weeks.
pb changes current members are allowed a maximum of 3 pb changes, including if you return to a previously used pb. you cannot change the race of your character.
tracking activity
- if you are added after the 15th of the month, your intro counts as your one activity.
- all other members should turn in at least one update a month.
extensions and hiatuses extensions and hiatuses will be granted on a case-by-case basis. hiatus requests must include an end date. extensions will be for 1 week past the due date by default unless mod approval has been obtained for another duration, and you cannot request extensions two months in a row unless you've received mod approval. requests for both should be left in the members post.
removals activity removals will be done at the end of the month. the mods will do fl checks on the 15th of every month. failing to update your fl will result in removal. please run the button at least once every two weeks.
pb changes current members are allowed a maximum of 3 pb changes, including if you return to a previously used pb. you cannot change the race of your character.
etc.
mods will post activities including ffas, community-wide plot posts, special events, and potential other options for engagement tba.