In Islands of Pern (IoP) there will be two mailing lists, the Islands of Pern Mailing List (iofpern) and the Islands of Pern Chit Chat list (iopcc). Iofpern is used for sending your posts to the list and iopcc is for Pern related discussions. These discussions can be informative, and we encourage everyone to participate, however, there are three guidelines you should follow in order to have an enjoyable and successful time online in IoP:

1. Think before you type
2. Be honest
3. Be considerate of other people’s feelings.

1. Think before you type.

Discussions on iopcc can get very lengthy. Be sure to read all the emails on a topic in your inbox before responding. This saves you from wasting lots of time composing a response only to find out that somebody else has thought of the same thing. Also, a well thought-out reply is generally better than an off-the-cuff response.

If you are contributing to a discussion you may wish to respond to particular points people make. Copy the relevant points that others have made into your email and respond accordingly. Be careful to make clear attributions as to who has said what when quoting other peoples emails. Nobody likes to be misquoted. Be sure to put a signature block on emails sent to iopcc (include your name, one or two of your personas, and your email).

Do not flame other members on the lists or privately. This cuts down on peoples enjoyment of iopcc and IoP in general. It also serves no useful purpose. Screaming at or belittling people does not help to convey your point; in fact, it usually has the opposite effect. Always step back and look over what you just wrote. If you read it and realize that you would not like to see such an email staring at you from your own inbox, then you should not send it to the lists.

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2. Be honest.

An online fiction club gives people some wonderful opportunities to meet and write with people they normally would not encounter. However, for such an online community to work, honesty is essential. Although it might seem like fun to pretend to be someone else sometimes, or to act in ways that you normally wouldn’t in real life, these actions tend to have emotional consequences for other people. Think how you would feel if it turned out the person you’d made friends with online turned out not to be a real person but someone else entirely. Remember, even though you’re online the people you are interacting with are real people with real feelings just like yourself.

You have a right to your feelings and your opinions. As long as you are considerate of other people, we want you to express them. Never feel that you have no right to speak up or share your thoughts, even if sometimes you’re disagreeing with other people, or saying something you think is unpopular or silly.

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3. Be considerate of other people’s feelings.

In all matters, follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is very important. IoP prides itself on maintaining a friendly and encouraging environment for all of its writers, and expects its members to behave accordingly. The Conclave of IoP will obviously not interfere with every little disagreement among club members, but it does not tolerate club members harassing other club members, and will take action if such cases do arise. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to: sending repeated abusive emails, swearing at other members, cyberstalking, and flaming someone publicly on the lists.

Occasionally, you may run across people who are rude, uncooperative, inconsiderate, or otherwise difficult to deal with. The best way to handle such individuals is to refuse to have any dealings with them or engage them in any way.

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Co-posting is what happens when you co-author a post or series of posts with another writer in the club. Co-posting relationships can be casual, long-term, or anything in between. Casual co-posting involves writing one or two posts or a small series. Long-term co-posting requires intense interaction between authors and characters for multiple, extensive storylines. Such relationships can exist for years at a time. There is no hard and fast rule for co-posting. Like all relationships, co-authoring relationships are highly individualistic. All the same, the following guide should provide you with a few helpful hints about co-posting.

1. How do I find a co-poster?

There are many ways to do this. One is to send an email to iopcc, introduce yourself and your persona to the club, and say that you would be interested in co-posting with someone. This almost always draws at least one response, and is a good way to get to know other club members as well as get your feet wet writing with other people. Another method is to rely on your mentor for help with co-posting. Mentors are almost always willing to write posts with their mentorees. They are also great resources of information, and may be able to point you in the direction of other people who are looking for co-posters. A third way is to approach an individual author whose characters and writing you enjoy, and ask them if they would be willing to co-post with you. The person may not always reply in the affirmative, but there’s no harm in asking. More often than not people are willing to co-post at least once if their schedules allow it.

Don’t be too eager to find a long-term co-posting partner right away. Good co-posting relationships develop organically over time. You’ll know if you click with another writer. Take it one step at a time. It’s generally a good idea to co-post with a few different people at first just to get a feel for the different writing styles out there.

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2. So I’ve found a co-poster. Now what?

Now the fun begins. The first thing you’ll need to do is discuss over email with your co-poster what sort of post(s) you want to write. Once you have established the parameters of your storyline, you’ll need to start writing. One person begins from their persona’s point of view (POV) and sets the tone. Then the second person joins in. Some people like to write from a single person’s POV for their posts (Anne McCaffrey’s Pern novels are written in this style), others like a mixed POV. Be sure to establish which of these you will be using from the outset with your co-poster.

There is no one right way to write a post or series. Unless you are fortunate enough to be living close-by to your co-poster so that you can meet in person to write together, you will be doing most of your writing over email. Some people like to write out the basic post from their persona’s POV, leaving blank spaces with hints and suggestions for their co-poster to fill in with their persona’s words and actions. Sometimes people like to send posts back and forth by email, but they write the story out line by line, first writing their persona’s words/actions, then sending the post on to their co-poster for their response, and so on until the post is complete. You and your co-poster will have to determine which way works best for you.

When the post or storyline is written to both you and your co-poster’s satisfaction it is ready for release to IML. Be sure to follow the format laid out in the posting guide.

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3. Is there anything else I should know about co-posting?

Yes. Open and honest communication is key to the success of any writing relationship. You need to be clear in your own mind about what it is you want from a particular co-poster, and you need to be able to express that. As in any relationship, there are likely to be disagreements or points of contention. These cannot be ignored or swept under the rug. Unresolved conflicts generally lead to unspoken resentments and a diminution of the writing experience. Speak frankly but considerately with your co-poster about your concerns. Many times what seems to be a big problem is really just a minor misunderstanding based on a poorly or hastily worded email.

Finally, follow the three netiquette guidelines laid out above. This will put you in good stead with your co-posters, and facilitate a positive writing experience for everyone.

Happy writing, and clear skies!

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Written by Keith G.
Last updated: 08/28/2004