1. I don’t know much about the Victorian Era. Does that matter?
No, it doesn’t matter. We have a huge selection of photographs from which you can choose your character’s portrait, or you can scour the Net and find one that appeals to you. We also have a lot of links to sites that will give you information on such things as vampirism, and Victorian clothing, everyday life, inventions, language, and discipline. Also, you can always contact the group owner or a moderator, if you have a question.
2. How do I get started?
First, decide on an appropriate Victorian character name. After that, you’ll have to decide on your character’s physical characteristics: age, size, hair, eyes, height, nationality, etc. We require that your character is an adult.
Next, you’ll have to create a biography for your character. This can be as extensive as you wish. The more information you furnish, the easier it is for other characters to interact with yours. This is also a good time to elude to skeletons in your closet and secrets. Your character can be dead or alive, and belong to any social class. A biography must be posted before you write your first posting.
3. Once I join the group, what happens next?
You’ll get a welcome e-mail that describes how to maneuver our Yahoo site. There are photographs of the interior rooms of the mansion, the grounds, and the nearby village on the site. In addition, there’s floor plans, so you can visualize where all the characters are at.
Your first posting is your entrance to the scene. At some point after your arrival, a character will greet yours. This may take anywhere from a few hours to a week, depending on what the other characters are doing at the point of your arrival.. You will be assigned a room. Its location depends on your social status and mortal state.
Postings are done by e-mail. You write something and send it to our Yahoo address. Yahoo distributes it to the other members. Your first few posts are moderated for period content and accuracy.
We encourage co-postings between group members, but individual postings are also frequently done. With co-postings, members chat together in character, and one member either rewrites the script into a story, or the chat is edited for typos and OOC (Out of Character) content, and then it’s sent as it was written.
4. This sounds really involved. Is it?
It’s a writing group, so we expect you to spend some time exercising and sharing your creativity. But, if you can spare about a half-hour to an hour a week, it’s really worthwhile. (Most of us enjoy it so much that we choose to spend more time on it.)
5. What sorts of things do you write about?
We write a lot of erotica. It’s explicit, but it’s done with a Victorian flare, which makes it more soft-core than most of today’s writing. However, Victorians used many of the same expletives we use today, so don’t be shocked when you read them. We also write about alternative lifestyles (i.e., Domination and submission, bisexuality, lesbianism) and vampirism. If these (or similar) topics offend you, this is not a group you would enjoy.
6. What else do I need to know to get started?
Some of our characters joined individually, and some joined as couples. All are welcome.
Your fictional character will be a welcome addition to our group, and other characters will interact with it. Once you are a member, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with our Yahoo site. The welcome letter includes all the information necessary to get you started. If you need more information or have a concern, contact the owner or a group moderator through the e-mail addresses on the Yahoo site.
You are given (4) weeks from the day you join, before you are required to post. If you do not post within that timeframe, your name will be deleted from our member roll, and all privileges will be suspended. Although it may be flattering for others to desire to read our postings, it is only fair that every member participates. If you find the deadline drawing near and you haven't posted, contact the group owner or one of the moderators. Perhaps something can be arranged to extend your deadline.
Part of the fun of the group is in not knowing where the other characters might take the plot. You might have somethng in mind but, since you can only move and speak for your own character, it might not happen the way you had planned. The key is to be flexible and enjoy!
To ensure that everyone enjoys this experience, if the content of a posting is too extreme or offensive, the posting will be deleted and either the group owner or a moderator will explain the decision to the writer. Writers who insist on continuing to send offensive posts will be banned. This has never happened, because our members are very considerate of each other. When in doubt, contact a moderator BEFORE posting.
Last, but not least, we understand that you may feel shy about posting. Each of us has experienced some of the same types of feelings upon joining. But, know that we support and encourage each other. All of us are in this writing group to have fun. If a character makes a mistake, we adapt by covering over it or ignoring it.
If you're still here after reading all of this, we hope it means you'll soon join our group. Either way, we wish you well.
