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Welcome to Black Dahlia Roleplaying, a multi-genre writing website for adults (18+) serving writers of all levels and abilities. Our goal is to provide a fun and creative space for writers and roleplayers to come together to explore new worlds, settings, and characters.
Site Philosophy
BDRP is built on a culture of inclusivity. When we say that BDRP is a place for adult writers of all levels and abilities, we mean it. We place the community first.
Founded in August 2017 by members of a previous community, BDRP has been strategically built to avoid the past mistakes of that community.
All of our events and programs are built to emphasize that culture of inclusion and community. We did this because we watched competitions and contests divide communities on other sites. They led to hurt feelings and pain, which is something we never want to intentionally cause our members. We do not do contests. All events, activities and programs on BDRP are for anyone to enjoy and enter. Everyone who joins in gets a medal. It takes effort and bravery to join a writing activity, to share a piece of art, etc. We believe that everyone who tries and puts themselves out there should be rewarded for efforts.
We are open to community suggestions, but also thoughtful of what kind of impact those suggestions might have. The loudest voice does not necessarily reflect the wants/needs of the majority of members. Sometimes the loudest voices will actually drown out the quiet or timid voices, so we always have to think about the feelings of those who may not be as willing to voice their opinion. Some members also see reporting or giving feedback as ‘starting conflict’ so they may be hesitant to share their opinion. As staff, we do our best to be thoughtful of all voices.
Rules are in place for the safety and security of the community. We don’t ban or warn without cause, but if someone has shown they are not contributing to the community or they are purposefully rude towards staff or other members on several occasions, we can make the call that they are no longer welcome in the community.
We try to be helpful and welcome, but we also try to avoid enabling attention-seeking behavior. On past sites, members would rant about leaving, serious mental health issues, etc.
While we try to act with empathy in all that we do, we do not engage with members who are looking for attention. If someone wishes to leave the site, they can. It’s okay. We don’t need to drag them back. If someone is dealing with serious mental health issues, they need to seek out professional or personal help in their real life. We just aren’t qualified to help them and even if we were, it is not worth risking a practicing license to help someone who may or may not be authentic with their issues.
We ask members to keep RPs onsite because onsite activity keeps the community going. We don’t restrict members from sharing contact information and only intervene if they are publicly advertising offsite RP requests. Again, if BDRP is not the right place with them, we can encourage them to join our affiliate sites that may serve them better.
Staff is here to help guide the community. Staff has more of a say in the direction of the site and in what programs we keep and create than members would, just because staff are spending their free time investing in making the site and community a better and more positive place. We still welcome and value member input, and have several avenues for members to ask questions and give suggestions.
Founded in August 2017 by members of a previous community, BDRP has been strategically built to avoid the past mistakes of that community.
All of our events and programs are built to emphasize that culture of inclusion and community. We did this because we watched competitions and contests divide communities on other sites. They led to hurt feelings and pain, which is something we never want to intentionally cause our members. We do not do contests. All events, activities and programs on BDRP are for anyone to enjoy and enter. Everyone who joins in gets a medal. It takes effort and bravery to join a writing activity, to share a piece of art, etc. We believe that everyone who tries and puts themselves out there should be rewarded for efforts.
We are open to community suggestions, but also thoughtful of what kind of impact those suggestions might have. The loudest voice does not necessarily reflect the wants/needs of the majority of members. Sometimes the loudest voices will actually drown out the quiet or timid voices, so we always have to think about the feelings of those who may not be as willing to voice their opinion. Some members also see reporting or giving feedback as ‘starting conflict’ so they may be hesitant to share their opinion. As staff, we do our best to be thoughtful of all voices.
Rules are in place for the safety and security of the community. We don’t ban or warn without cause, but if someone has shown they are not contributing to the community or they are purposefully rude towards staff or other members on several occasions, we can make the call that they are no longer welcome in the community.
We try to be helpful and welcome, but we also try to avoid enabling attention-seeking behavior. On past sites, members would rant about leaving, serious mental health issues, etc.
While we try to act with empathy in all that we do, we do not engage with members who are looking for attention. If someone wishes to leave the site, they can. It’s okay. We don’t need to drag them back. If someone is dealing with serious mental health issues, they need to seek out professional or personal help in their real life. We just aren’t qualified to help them and even if we were, it is not worth risking a practicing license to help someone who may or may not be authentic with their issues.
We ask members to keep RPs onsite because onsite activity keeps the community going. We don’t restrict members from sharing contact information and only intervene if they are publicly advertising offsite RP requests. Again, if BDRP is not the right place with them, we can encourage them to join our affiliate sites that may serve them better.
Staff is here to help guide the community. Staff has more of a say in the direction of the site and in what programs we keep and create than members would, just because staff are spending their free time investing in making the site and community a better and more positive place. We still welcome and value member input, and have several avenues for members to ask questions and give suggestions.