Post Formatting Guidelines
Created by Captain María Zavala on Sun Jun 16th, 2024 @ 11:29pm
One of the main things we do as a simming group is write stories together. And, while the important parts are to have fun and to share our creativity, it’s also good to make sure we are doing so in a way that we (and others who visit our site) can follow along with and enjoy. A big part of this is formatting, which is why we’ve provided the following guidelines to help us all stay on the same “page”.
Types of Posts
A mission post is any post written by an individual author about their own character and/or non-playing character(s).
A joint mission post (JP) is any post written by more than one author about their own characters and/or non-playing characters.
A backpost is a form of mission post that takes place sometime prior to the ‘present’. It can be written individually or cooperatively with the purpose of revealing information relevant to the development of characters or mission plot lines.
A personal log is any post written by an individual author about their own character and/or non-playing character. Unlike mission posts, personal logs are written from the perspective of the character making them.
Point-of-View & Tense
Most sims operate in a novel-style format. As such, all posts should be in third person (i.e. replace “I” with “Jane”) and written in the past tense (i.e. replace “I am doing” or “Jane does this” with “Jane did this”).
Personal logs, dialogue, and monologue (aka speech) are the exceptions to this rule. They should be written in first person and present tense format. Personal logs, in particular, should read like the written transcript of the character’s personal log recording.
Out-of-Character Messages
When working on a post or sending one out for public viewing, it can sometimes be necessary to include messages from an out-of-character (OOC) perspective. These messages can be used to help other writers or to try and keep the plot of the post running along intended lines.
Out-of-Character messages can be added either at the beginning or the end of a post using the following format:
OOC from Zavala: This is an out-of-character message.
It is always helpful to include your character name or a name by which the majority of people reading the message will recognize as you. If the messages are on a work-in-progress post between multiple authors, then they may take on the form of a conversation and it can often be difficult to understand who said what if names are not included.
Out-of-Character messages should be removed from the post before sending it out unless the message is intended for public viewing, in which case the name can be omitted from the tag. For example:
OOC: This is a message letting everyone know something prevalent in understanding the context of this post.
Tags
A tag is a form of out-of-character message used when writing joint mission posts with one or more other players. It indicates where another player should be responding and can also be used to convey messages about how the person who created the tag would like the plot of the post to proceed.
[tag Zavala – a brief message to the other player about this tag]
Note that the tag is enclosed with brackets and that the name of the character has been written in bold text so that it will be easier to see within the body of the post. You can address a tag to a specific person, department, or to the group as a whole (i.e. “any”). If you don’t need to leave a message for the other player, the tag simply ends with the character’s name.
Communication System
It is a well-known fact that all areas of Starfleet, alien space forces (e.g. Klingon Defense Force), and even most civilian groups use some form of communications system (aka comm system). These systems utilize a variety of communications equipment. In the case of Starfleet and others, this includes a small, flip-open device carried in a pocket, holster, bag, or other container.
The only time specific formatting is required for the communications system is when the computer is speaking or a person who is not at your present location is speaking over the system to you.
Messages coming over the communications system should use italics, such as in the following example:
“This is the preferred format for talk through the comm system,” the computer announced.
Thoughts
It will sometimes be necessary to illustrate what your character is thinking at a particular moment.
In order to differentiate thoughts from regular speech or descriptive narrative (i.e. regular text), all thoughts should be put in italic text, such as in the following example:
Strange sense of timing, Zavala thought.
Telepathy
Some races (e.g. Betazoids, Vulcans, etc.) have some minor telepathic abilities. They can sometimes sense the thoughts of others or project their thoughts into the minds of another individual.
Telepathic messages and thoughts should be enclosed by tildes (~), such as in the following example:
~ I know what you are thinking! ~
Follow-Up
Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed and should be directed to a member of the sim command staff via private message or mail.
See also:
Source: Adapted from the “Post Formatting Policy” of the USS Highlander. Used with permission.
Types of Posts
A mission post is any post written by an individual author about their own character and/or non-playing character(s).
A joint mission post (JP) is any post written by more than one author about their own characters and/or non-playing characters.
A backpost is a form of mission post that takes place sometime prior to the ‘present’. It can be written individually or cooperatively with the purpose of revealing information relevant to the development of characters or mission plot lines.
A personal log is any post written by an individual author about their own character and/or non-playing character. Unlike mission posts, personal logs are written from the perspective of the character making them.
Point-of-View & Tense
Most sims operate in a novel-style format. As such, all posts should be in third person (i.e. replace “I” with “Jane”) and written in the past tense (i.e. replace “I am doing” or “Jane does this” with “Jane did this”).
Personal logs, dialogue, and monologue (aka speech) are the exceptions to this rule. They should be written in first person and present tense format. Personal logs, in particular, should read like the written transcript of the character’s personal log recording.
Out-of-Character Messages
When working on a post or sending one out for public viewing, it can sometimes be necessary to include messages from an out-of-character (OOC) perspective. These messages can be used to help other writers or to try and keep the plot of the post running along intended lines.
Out-of-Character messages can be added either at the beginning or the end of a post using the following format:
OOC from Zavala: This is an out-of-character message.
It is always helpful to include your character name or a name by which the majority of people reading the message will recognize as you. If the messages are on a work-in-progress post between multiple authors, then they may take on the form of a conversation and it can often be difficult to understand who said what if names are not included.
Out-of-Character messages should be removed from the post before sending it out unless the message is intended for public viewing, in which case the name can be omitted from the tag. For example:
OOC: This is a message letting everyone know something prevalent in understanding the context of this post.
Tags
A tag is a form of out-of-character message used when writing joint mission posts with one or more other players. It indicates where another player should be responding and can also be used to convey messages about how the person who created the tag would like the plot of the post to proceed.
[tag Zavala – a brief message to the other player about this tag]
Note that the tag is enclosed with brackets and that the name of the character has been written in bold text so that it will be easier to see within the body of the post. You can address a tag to a specific person, department, or to the group as a whole (i.e. “any”). If you don’t need to leave a message for the other player, the tag simply ends with the character’s name.
Communication System
It is a well-known fact that all areas of Starfleet, alien space forces (e.g. Klingon Defense Force), and even most civilian groups use some form of communications system (aka comm system). These systems utilize a variety of communications equipment. In the case of Starfleet and others, this includes a small, flip-open device carried in a pocket, holster, bag, or other container.
The only time specific formatting is required for the communications system is when the computer is speaking or a person who is not at your present location is speaking over the system to you.
Messages coming over the communications system should use italics, such as in the following example:
“This is the preferred format for talk through the comm system,” the computer announced.
Thoughts
It will sometimes be necessary to illustrate what your character is thinking at a particular moment.
In order to differentiate thoughts from regular speech or descriptive narrative (i.e. regular text), all thoughts should be put in italic text, such as in the following example:
Strange sense of timing, Zavala thought.
Telepathy
Some races (e.g. Betazoids, Vulcans, etc.) have some minor telepathic abilities. They can sometimes sense the thoughts of others or project their thoughts into the minds of another individual.
Telepathic messages and thoughts should be enclosed by tildes (~), such as in the following example:
~ I know what you are thinking! ~
Follow-Up
Questions, comments, and concerns are always welcomed and should be directed to a member of the sim command staff via private message or mail.
See also:
Source: Adapted from the “Post Formatting Policy” of the USS Highlander. Used with permission.
Updated: 06/16/2024
Categories: Simulation Rules & Policies | Creative Writing Resources