General

'Souls is, essentially, a writing community. We like to write; we like to write well, and we like reading good writing. We value easy readability and clarity and delight at particularly skilled prose. While no posts are completely perfect, 'Souls has a basic expectation of quality for all members; all players are expected to adhere to the Writing Guidelines outlined in the Joining forum.

The Importance of Proper English

Using proper English is important for two reasons -- first, it is much more difficult to read something that contains many spelling and grammar mistakes, and you want to make your fellow roleplayers' lives as easy as possible. If people consistently struggle to read and understand your posts, you may not be able to find partners as easily.

Second -- and just as important -- proper English is crucial for clear understanding of your posts. As roleplaying is a collaborative effort between players, it's very important to be as clear as you can while writing -- others are not in your perspective. It is possible that others will misinterpret your post if you fail to use proper English. This even can lead to larger In Character misunderstandings if neither party communicates OOCly.

Basic Standards

1. No netspeak. Period. If you wouldn't use it on an English essay, please don't use it here. It's not too hard to hit an extra two keys and turn "u" into "you." If you can't do that, we are going to ask that you learn to do so before accepting you into the game.
2. Use third-person past tense perspective. This is the traditional format of play-by-post roleplaying, and it becomes confusing and awkward when players use other formats, such as first-person or present tense. Remember: first person (he, she; not I) in the past tense (walked, howled; not walks, howls).
3. Improper grammar is bad. Yes, we all make mistakes, but it is difficult to roleplay with someone whose writing we can't understand. This is an advanced writing community -- everyone should able to write in English at either at or above a high school level. If you are not at this level, we are more than happy to help, but you must be willing to put in the effort and want to improve. The Grammar section of this guide is a good place to start. Note that most automated grammar checkers are not reliable and may make your writing incredibly awkward.
4. We understand that English may not be everyone's first language, and while we encourage you to try, standards are standards. If your English is incomprehensible, there isn't much we can do to help. It is your job to try to reach a level where we can understand you. After a minimal level is achieved, there will likely be many members perfectly willing to help you improve even more! Don't be discouraged! We have tons of wonderful international members, many with impeccable English!
5. Improper spelling is inexcusable. Maybe a missed homophone now and again is okay, but with so many spellcheck options these days? There is simply no excuse.
   • Dictionary.com provides suggestions for improperly spelled words.
   • So does Google.
   • Microsoft Word has a spell checker. So does Open Office.
   • SpellCheck.net does it for free.
   • Quite a few modern browsers, such as Firefox and Chrome, provide a built-in spellcheck.

More Information & Resources

1. Writing Resources @ the Resource Thread -- Check here for a list of writing resources; there are some wonderful off-site links that can help you out.
2. Check the FAQ for a list of writing-related questions.