Help for new people to forumS!

New people on forums. I have no hate against them, and I’m newish to be honest. But I was thinking about making a thread for links, tips and things about forum for new accounts here in our community, I’m sort of sick (again, I don’t mean to be negative) of seeing posts like hey I’m new here can someone make my cover or posting their stories on threads that aren’t about posting links to stories.

To help new people to forums with a thread what kind of tips, links, threads etc should I be adding to help them out?

Tell me your thoughts!

Tags (SORRY):

@hibiscusgravy and @Nessya (I tagged you guys because you always have such smart words to say about topics, btw, Vera’s heart (or not so) had me shook :joy::sob:)

@Izzie_Silver

@Danielle318

@ItsTerra

@SupergirlAndFlash

@Bonswayout

@SpookySherry

@PropertyofNae

@AnnSza

@_haruka

@Avarose456

@Elaina2

@ArtisticWaffle (I realize I tag you a lot I’m so sorry :joy::sweat_smile::sweat_smile:)

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Some helpful links: :slight_smile:

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https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/how-to-timed-tappable-choice/364425/9

https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/how-to-phonecall-with-two-backgrounds/363540/11

https://www.dara-amarie.com

^^^ Ultimately I would suggest in general to check out her website.

:yay:

Love the idea of putting all the stuff together :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hi :smiley:

For Art Request here is a thread with links to many open shops

List of Open Shops

For split BG for phone and Custom Poses

Split BG

Custom Poses

The following three threads are not for requests but for use with Credit when required.

Sharing Backgrounds
Free BG and Overlays

Sharing Overlays

If you are an artist or want to learn and get some feedback
Tips from ArtisticWaffle

Feedback and Tips

Episode Official Art Sharing Thread


Before asking for help on a new thread, I advise checking these threads or using the magnifying glass to search if someone else has not made the same question or overlay request, even so there are some helpful threads below Credit to @Baleigh_episode

For directing help check @JemU776 profile, she is always making new helpful threads with how to do some directing techniques

Precious Gem Help Thread (intentionally with G)

Questions that never get answered

Also on Epyxmagic’s Instagram, it’s possible to find several tips on writing, directing and so on


Customize or not
If you are going to:

  1. Use Art Scenes
  2. Use Limb Overlays
  3. Represent an ethnicity

Use Limited Customization or none at all.
With limited, the readers can always change hairstyle, nose, mouth a little, faceshape, you decide what you can leave to them.

Also Dara.Amarie has visual CC templates as well as Amberose, and JemU776, fraud and Whispering_Flower made some beautiful ones recently.

Limelight vs Ink

It depends on the story.
An action story, it’s cooler in Ink because the fighting animations in LL are a little staged.
For comedy both have funny expressions. Ink used to have the funniest but as LL is a style that is always being updated new funny animations started to appear.

If you will need a vast wardrobe or the widest range of animations, maybe LL is your style.

How Long Should be My Episode or How any Lines?

Lines on the script can be deceitful because depending how advanced is your directing you can have more or less lines.

My advice is to time each episode. Many people say that the ideal size goes from 10 to 20min, do what you are comfortable with
But not less than 8 min! make those passes worth it :pleading_face:

What is the most important thing to remember is that you are the writer. If you write to make others happy, you may not finish your story.
You will have to make decisions, build characters, etc.
TIP: well built characters are a bonus, no matter the style

Building a 3D character

No matter what you use, ALWAYS credit who made it
First of three posts :kissing_heart:

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So content and story promotion

Writing is not easy, if it was we would all be top writers in Writer’s Payments :joy:

Episode Guidelines are against promoting of toxic topics such violence, SA and others. But the real impact it has on the reader it’s never clear. Misrepresentation can make you lose readers not because you misrepresented but because you wrote about something that maybe you were not sure about and didn’t talk with people or made the proper research.

*How Sexual Assault is Portrayed

*Mental Health by the lovely @_haruka

Proper Gang Representation

Some info about Italy

Writing members of LGBTQIA+ community is not easy not even if you are a member a homosexual may not know everything about a transsexual and that’s okay.

Avoiding some LGBTQIA+ stereotypes

Another good resource is talking with people. Many people in the Forums are open about where they are from, how about talking with them about their country and culture.
There is a charm in having bits of truth of a story.

Whenever you write about some of the topic above it’s important to have Trigger or Content Warnings, sometimes both.

Content Warnings

In story warnings

Check threads about pet peeves to see what to avoid to improve your story. Some small things that you never thought about are there and you may not be aware of it.

Pets Peeves

Also check discussions about Episode, several things that can help you improve your story is also there.


Truth hurts like h*ll, but if nobody tells you what you are doing wrong, how can you move forward?
This leads to the next topic: Story Reviewers and Beta Readers/Proofreaders

Beta Readers
I have lost count of the times I checked my stories and I still missed things, silly things :roll_eyes:
A beta reader can help you a lot by spotting some directing issues that you may have missed, providing an opinion on the content, even on characters.

Proof-readers

English isn’t everyone’s first language but on the community there are several users willing to help with grammar and spelling checks.
Bad English will not stop me from reading but there are people who will.

Story Reviewers
These amazing people will look with critical eyes to your story and tell you what is awesome and what needs to be improved.
The less sugar-coated the best!
But if someone is rude to you, just say “I appreciate the review and the time you have spent.” and remove yourself, if it bothers you.
Later when you are calmer if you were affected, look into the review with objective eyes, and even PM the reviewer if you have questions.
There is no need to fuel unnecessary rifts.

Please be mindful that all the people above have lives outside Episode and took their time to check your story. Respect them even if they took long to review your story. Some of them may even promote your story if they liked it and saw potential on it.

THEY ARE NOT EASY READS

A recent thread that I found

Learn from each other


Getting readers is not easy, no ultimate formula exists, so don’t come at me if you don’t agree with what I am about to say :sweat_smile:

There are many threads with people promoting their stories and they state on the Title or on the Original Post if they are up to Read for Read or not.

Also, please don’t ask for R4R on someone’s thread, PM the person you are interested in doing R4R with, it’s disrespectful to the OP.

There are many threads with people asking for new stories to read but pay attention to what they are asking if they want LL don’t promote your Ink story and vice-versa, it also applies to genres, if I’m asking for action and thriller, why are you giving me romance?

Threads with great advices, because promoting your story everywhere with paying no attention to the requests as it may make you lose some reads

Read Carefully what the Reader is Looking for

Stop Promoting Everywhere

Story Promotion
On another note, here is a thread made to promote stories
Promote your stories

You can always that screenshots, make teasers/traillers and post it here or/and in Instagram

PS: I have no intention of being cocky nor do I know everything. Usually I check what I write but I am on my phone, and I am trying to remember everything.

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Wow, I kinda feel honored because I see my thread on there! :sweat_smile:

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My thoughts being respectful does wanders. I usually start my interactions asking if the person can help as they aren’t obliged to help me.
I have made some friends along the way with that. :yay:

I am a writer and I know how many times I banged my head on the keyboard with frustration :roll_eyes:
But the realization that I solved my own problem with little to no research, makes me feel amazing.

I am not saying that you should not ask for help, I am saying try at least 3 times, read the errors, the Portal points out what is wrong.

While waiting for reviews, I usually take another look on my stories and end up spotting some flagrant error :rofl:

Don’t be afraid of going back and making it better
You will learn to direct better, you don’t have to get things right at the first time. Let yourself grow.
Don’t give up, in the end it pays off. Maybe not on the first but on the second or the third.
You can always use that first story as a test drive :smirk:

If you have no idea what to write about there are writing prompts threads around, don’t forget to credit the owner.

Also use your strengths to help others in the community and you may be helped in return when you less expect it.

If you read all my rumbling despite my mistakes, yes English is one of my weaknesses :sweat_smile:, thank you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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You can find literally everything here!

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I appreciate but I am just a ghostly member of the community :sweat_smile:

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A ghostly member who has very wise advice

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Thanks for sharing my thread! :heart:

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Moved to Episode Fan Community since this seems mainly geared toward the writing community. Make sure to check out our Forum Tutorial for more info about creating topics, and feel free to PM me if you’ve got questions. :wink:

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Thank you @Sydney_H

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Awh ty for sharing my thread :pleading_face::heart:

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Bump! Also I’m a little late but Thanks for the tagging my link @Nessya !

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