CLUB RULES

SECTION 9: POSTING

Posting format - Writing style - Punctuation - Coposting - Pern fact interpretation disputes - Posting timeframe and LOA - Club-wide storylines - Copyright notice - Nicknames and NPC names

A "post" is a fictional story sent to the mailing list. No posts or parts of posts may be "published" to a web page or sent via email to anyone not on the Dragonriders mailing list. The length of the post should be about one to two typewritten pages. Less than this, you'll be called lazy; longer, you'll probably get a scorching for being long-winded.

The subject line in your mail message should have the following format:

location: title of post

Our (mostly) clever list server (the thing that runs the mailing list) automatically puts "DRML: " at the beginning of each subject line, so you don't need to do it. Also, this helps you filter your DRML (DragonRiders Mailing List) mail to a separate mail folder for later reading, if this is what you want to do (most people do - it's easier! ~~grin~~).

"Location" is where your post takes place. Most posts occur in one of the following major areas, and we have developed abbreviations for these:

When continuing from another post, do not quote the complete post. It is necessary only to quote the relevant portion, generally the last few lines. Also, please do not use the "Reply" feature of your mailer, since this usually quotes the entire post. If you are continuing along the same storyline, use the same subject/title followed by "--(cont'd)--", or if you had planned on doing a series, use the title, followed by a number.

If it is necessary to bring a specific point to the attention of the Council concerning a particular post, the subject line should read: "COUNCIL: the title of the post". This will make it easier for the Council to respond.

9.1 Format of Posts

Please set your line width to 80 characters. This is standard over the net, so let's use it. Set your emailer to plain text, not rich text. The body should be in block form - no indents; flush left; double-spacing between paragraphs.

Please use a new paragraph for each speaker, including dragon thoughts or firelizard emotions.

From top to bottom in your post, follow this format:

TITLE: the title of your story
AUTHOR(S): include all writers involved if it's a copost: if you use a nickname, include it here. E.g. Author: Akyalara ("Lara")
SUBJECT: a short sentence about what happens (optional)
DATE: the Pernese date on which your story happens
LOCATION: where your post takes place
ATTN: anybody who ought to pay special attention
WEATHER: see the Weather/Thread page
THREADFALL: the closest future date of Threadfall
NPC'S: non-playing characters used in the post
MENTIONED: other members' PCs mentioned in the post
NOTES: anything else you want to add, including dragon nickname if you're using one

(Between the author, NPC and mentioned fields, every character in the post should appear in the header.)

WRITE YOUR STORY!

Signature block:
Persona's full name (no nicknames) and dragon/dolphin name
Persona's rank and location
Your email address.

Please don't make your signature block longer than six lines maximum.

Sig block location will be where your persona is located on the web pages (i.e. in "Pern life") and will be one of the following:

9.2 Writing Style

All posts must be written in full sentence form, third person, past tense (e.g.: "He opened the shutters and said..."). They should be checked for spelling and grammar.

Dragonriders of Pern is a club that caters to ages 13 and above. Because of this, the language and content of posts must be kept suitable for readers of all ages.

The following things are off-limits for DR posts:

1. Regarding Nudity and Sex:
   • No extended, explicit descriptions of nudity
   • No graphic descriptions of sexual anatomy (genitalia, female breasts)
   • No erotica, e.g. explicit descriptions of passionate kissing, rubbing, arousal
   • No explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse. Absolutely no graphic details
2. Regarding Violence and Gore:
   • No explicit descriptions of sexual violence or child abuse
   • No extended, explicit descriptions of the infliction of pain, e.g. by torture
   • No graphic descriptions of people or animals being maimed or mutilated
   • No graphic descriptions of people or animals being killed in a gruesome way, e.g. by decapitation, burning to death, etc
   • No extended, graphic descriptions of dead bodies being dissected or dismembered
   • No extended, graphic descriptions of decomposing human remains
   • No instructive or imitable details of armed combat, slaughter, murder or suicide
3. Regarding Drugs and Weapons:
   • No instructive or imitable details of procedures that could seriously harm someone if applied or could be deemed illegal, e.g.
     • Synthesis and/or purification of drugs and poisons
     • Medical or illegal use of drugs available on Earth
     • Manufacturing and use of explosives or weaponry
4. Regarding Language:
   • No insinuation or "advertisement" of post material beyond the guidelines above
   • No Earth swear words; only Pernese terms are allowed, e.g. shards, fardles, etc.
   • No profanity. There is no religion on Pern, therefore no use of religious terms

Note: "Explicit description" means the description of the act itself, rather than a "fade to black" or "aftermath" scene where the act is implied but not described. "Graphic" in this case applies to all senses and includes descriptions of visual as well as sound, smell, taste and touch. "Instructive and imitable" is defined as writing step by step How to posts on the subject in question. Any post that could be taken and recreated in a step by step fashion to create a drug, weapon, explosive, or give instruction how to hurt themselves or another person is prohibited by the PG-13 guidelines of this club.

If you are still unsure of whether your storyline or one particular post is suitable, check with the Council.

9.3 Punctuation

When dragons travel between, it is noted as: /between/.

Here are the appropriate "symbols" for thought and speech. We realize that other systems are in use, but these are preferred:

(Selected notation courtesy of Robert Morris at thepride@interpath.com.)

9.4 Coposting

Co-posting is defined as working with another member to write a story. Please note that the sig blocks of ALL authors must be included at the bottom of the post. Each co-poster is responsible for the content of the post, so if a retraction is required, all authors will be held accountable.

Occasionally, your co-poster may suddenly disappear. Your emails bounce, or maybe you just never get a reply. When you begin a coposting relationship with someone where there'll be a commitment of time and/or storyline, you have the option to "log permission" with Council so you can take over writing for your absent coposter's personas in that copost. The limits (such as how long this permission would be in effect, etc.) of that permission will be your responsibility to state. Also, it's your responsibility to ask your coposters for them to log their permission. So, if the unfortunate happens and your coposters vanish, you'll still be able to finish that storyline.

9.5 Pern Fact Interpretation Disputes

Any disputes about writers' interpretations of Pern fact must be taken to Council and resolved by the Council members.

9.6 Posting Timeframe and Leave of Absence

The real life weeks that correspond to each sevenday within a Pern month are listed on that month's weather sheet. Members are encouraged to keep to this guide with no more lag than two (2) Pern months behind or ahead no more than one (1) Pern sevenday to keep the club in the same general Pern timeframe.

Each persona must author or co-author a post at least once every calendar month, regardless of how many personas the member has. A member's PC personas can co-author with each other; however, this should be a true contribution by that persona and not simply a mention in order to receive posting credit. NPC personas are exempt from this posting requirement rule.

Members with Premium or standard PCs that are exempt from this rule include:

• Mailing List Keeper - i.e. Listmum
• Current Council Members
• Previous Council for one month after their term expires
• Webbies
• Join Form Reviewers
• Posting Log Keeper
• Charterholder

No Club members with ranking personas are exempt from this rule.

Members who are unable to meet their deadline may go "on leave" for a minimum of one month, and a maximum of three months by notifying Council. If they do not return to active (posting) status after that time, they are assumed to have quit, dropped from the list, and their personas removed from the web pages.

Members with ranking PCs or who are coordinating a major storyline who request a LOA must supply an active member as a contact person. Anyone who does not supply a contact acknowledges Council's right to approve mentions of their ranking PCs or release control posts for the major storyline while they are on leave.

If a member is still under mentoring at the time they make a leave request, it is considered an implicit quit and their persona will be removed from the website. The mentor can request an exception from Council for the new member at their discretion.

A member who is not able to meet posting requirements and has received a notice from Council regarding their posting history can request a leave of absence, as defined by the club rules. Upon their return from leave, they must maintain their posting requirements for all of their PCs for a minimum of three months before they can request another leave. If they request a leave before that three month period, or fail to meet their posting requirements, they will be considered to have implicitly quit the club. Council will consider extenuating circumstances on a case by case basis.

A member who is not able to meet posting requirements for one of several PCs and has received a notice from Council regarding their posting history can request to change the status of that PC to ONPC, under the conditions that the minimum posting requirements for ONPCs (20 posts) have been met for that persona and that the member still retains an active PC persona. Members must maintain their posting requirements for all of their PCs for a minimum of three months before changing such an ONPC back to PC status or creating a new PC persona.

9.7 Club-Wide Storylines

Control posts for a major club-wide storyline including any entry on the Storyboard, Hatchings, etc., need to be ready for release according to the current Pern posting time frame. Council requires that at least 50% of the control posts should be written and ready to send by the correct Real Life/Pern Date before announcing/releasing a major storyline.

When establishing a club-wide storyline, the member takes on the responsibility of ensuring the Control posts will be sent to DRML in a timely manner since a delay would affect members planning to post off the Controls. To help prevent this domino effect from occurring, the member organizing the storyline should have a Backup who can take over writing the Controls should he/she become unable to send the posts out on time. If there is no Backup listed with Council or the Backup becomes unable to send the post on time, a Council member will either release a Control Post so that the general club membership will not be held up or, if there hasn't been any interest, remove the item from the Storyboard. In the event that the main storyline coordinator for a major storyline drops out of contact the Backup coordinator should wait for a period of no less than 7 days, then check with council first before taking over.

For more details on storyline coordination, please also see the Storyline Coordinator's Reference Page.

9.8 Copyright Notice

A copyright notice is to appear at the bottom of all posts (this is automatically inserted as the post goes through the mailing list server).

9.9 Nicknames and NPC Names

Every persona mentioned in a post must appear in the Intro block somewhere (Author, Attention, Mentioned, NPCs), and if a nickname is used within the post for a persona, it should be noted in the intro block, along with that persona's full name; e.g., Author: Aykalara ("Lara").

Signature blocks must contain full names (no nicknames).

Dragon nicknames may only be used by the dragon's rider. If used within the post, the dragon's name and nickname must be defined somewhere in the intro block along with its rider's name.

The writer must use common sense as to when to have a rider refer to his/her dragon by a nickname. It might be acceptable to refer to his/her dragon by a nickname in front of a spouse or other family member, but it would not be appropriate when speaking with, say, a holder from whom he/she as a sweep rider has just accepted a message for delivery.

Last updated on 27-Nov-11.

Dragonriders of Pern: A Fantasy-Fiction Writing Club - www.dragonridersclub.com

The Dragonriders of Pern^® is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.