true blood roleplaying communities

Earlier this year, I began following True Blood RPers on Twitter. At first I thought it was a clever marketing scheme of HBO’s (would any of us be surprised?), but I quickly realized that none of these RPers (not even @SookieBonTemps) are on HBO’s payroll. They are loyal fans that all have real lives and real jobs. 

@SookieBonTemps is not a waitress. She just plays one on Twitter.

After my realization that there weren’t any ‘real, official’ character accounts, I began following multiple Sookies and other canon characters (and more recently original characters as well).

But I wondered how do characters know who their Sookie is? How does each Sookie know who her Bill, Eric, Sam, Alcide, Lafayette, Tara and Jason are?

I discovered that HBO endorses a group of characters (among them @SookieBonTemps) and features them on their website under "Truebie Characters." In addition, there are countless other RP groups.  

@BarmaidSookie explains it nicely, “I tend to see groups basically as a cast of characters. It helps keep plots organized to know that, if you’re in this group, this is your Sookie, your Alcide, your Sam. That’s all a group is, really, the cast you work with.”

Like anything, all groups are different. Some have multiple sets of canon characters. Some allow original characters (OCs). Some follow the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the TV show closely, while others deviate significantly. Some groups have planned, structured storylines (SLs) and others rely on improv only. Regardless of the each group’s differences, they all contribute to the True Blood fandom and add to the story.

I learned about these communities by asking questions. Everyone I've chatted with so far has been helpful and friendly. Even though we all know Lorena has a reputation, @LorenaTheMaker doesn't bite (too hard).

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Blog | Twitter | Email: billsbelles@gmail.com

 

Tell me about BillsBelles. 

@smeykunz Well for starters, it's a fanclub for @VampireBill. Yes, I am painfully aware of how bizarre that sounds, but there is a reason. All the people that know me are thinking "here we go again.....". Not only is he a really wonderful Bill, but he's a fantastic person, has done a lot for me and is a good friend, so I show the love. Follow him, he is an extremely popular tweeter, you'll see why the Belles are long time and extremely loyal followers. We love the character, we love the actor and we love the RPer.

That being said, I tend to follow and watch the people he tweets most, which are in a variety of groups. I just like good characters and showcase them on my blog no matter what group they tweet with.

I try and keep my fan love to Stephen Moyer, Bill Compton from True Blood & the Southern Vampire Mysteries, and the Twitter characters that I enjoy.

What is your connection with BillsBelles?

@LorenaTheMaker: I have tweeted with many different characters in the last two years, but have stayed mostly with the original HBO group that started the frenzy. I will tweet anyone who approaches me, but I have certain loyalties as far as stories go. I have not, will not and do not wish to ever tweet another William other than @VampireBill. He is my partner and no one will ever replace him. I may be biased, but I do believe we are an excellent team. I also enjoy tweeting my good friends @JessicaHamby, @WereCoot, @VampireMagister and @WerewitchHallow.

Do you plan narratives with other RPers? 

Or is it all improv?

@LorenaTheMaker: That depends. For the most part, we have a good idea of what we are planning on doing when we embark on a story line, an outline of sorts. I used to do longer story lines with @VampireMagister, but we never had any sort of script. In fact I detest them. I rather enjoy the free form way that RP was meant to be. Get into the head of your character and react as they would.

When I play with @VampireBill we virtually never have a plan and if we do, we most likely change it along the way based on something one of us has said or done. There is a peculiar maker and child bond in our brains that I cannot quite explain. He anticipates my tweets. I swear the man is psychic. Must be the blood. *smirk*

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Website | Twitter | Email: Sookie@YieldToMe.com

Many of the RPers are affiliated with a group they tweet with. Did you start YieldToMe? How is it different from other fan communities?

@BarmaidSookie: @SheriffNorthman and I started YieldToMe as a message board back in September of 2009. I definitely can’t speak for other fan communities or groups out there, and there are some absolutely terrific ones that I enjoy following myself, but what we try to do is come up with lots of new and original material while still staying true to the spirit of the books and show. We’ll use a lot of the elements given to us by both and try to find ways to do new things with them, to try stuff we haven’t seen done before. It’s a lot of fun.

Do you plan narratives with other RPers? 

Or is it all improv?

@BarmaidSookie: There’s definitely a mixture of both. For bigger plots involving more people, we tend to plan things out, at least in outline form, so everyone knows what’s going on and no one gets lost in the mix. Big plots can be an organizational nightmare, so there’s some element of planning, but within a very open framework, there’s a lot of improv. We’ve never had any sort of scripts or anything more than a basic outline, and then only for bigger storylines involving more people. For smaller narratives or just day-to-day interactions, it’s all improv. That’s usually what ends up leading to the plots. The smallest comments or jokes can spark whole storylines that can go on for months, and it’s always a wild ride.

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 Website | Twitter | Email: mailto:OnceBittenRP@live.com

Tell me about the Once Bitten community.

 

@SookieSC: Once Bitten came about because a group of my friends and I were trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. I try to keep as hands off with the group as I possibly can. I don't force members to do SLs and we clearly allow pretty much anyone into the group or else we wouldn't have four sets of Canons. I try and make it a very relaxed environment and not ask too much from my members. I would rather have members who are having fun and enjoying RP then worry about SLs. SLs come on their own terms even if you don't try for them. Truthfully I believe every group on Twitter is different for the next in their own way. It's really hard to describe the differences, it's just something you have to observe. I can just say I am proud to be part of such a talented and wonderful group of RPers and to be amongst the several other groups out there in Twitter RP.

Do you plan narratives with other characters? Or is it all improv?

@SookieSC: Sometimes we plan the general outline of how we want a SL to go and then at others, it's a complete last minute thing. Though usually we have a goal in mind on where we want to get.

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Check out my list of True Blood RP Communities on Twitter. I know I’m missing lots, so let me know about your group via Twitter, email, or in the comments below.

my interview with 2 Sookies & a vampire

How did you get started with Twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker: I was here on Twitter as a follower when I decided to try my hand at RP. I chose Lorena because I thought it would be easier to play a woman and I was at a point in my life where I needed to escape who I was. In addition, I knew she would be fitting into the story on True Blood in the coming seasons and thought I would have an opportunity to play along.

@BarmaidSookie: When I discovered twitter RP, I’d already been RPing for about six years. I’d RPed mostly in threads on forums, but the conversational nature of twitter RP really appealed to me. I loved that you could get a real time, immediate response, so I decided to try it out. I initially started with a much more obscure character, Halleigh, and eventually took on a few original characters before trying Sookie out.

@SookieSC: I actually stumbled upon True Blood Role play and actually Twitter RP in general. I was already a fan of True Blood, since right after the first Season aired on HBO and had already become a fan of the books its based off of. I checked out the True Blood page on HBO's site and under their fans section, I was surprised to read about @SookieBonTemps. I had never known people were RPing on social sites and while I had a real life Twitter account, I was completely uninterested in it. I made my first Sookie account on May 25, 2010. Dead in the Family had recently come out and I based that first Sookie off of Sookie after that book. I stumbled along for the first day. Trying to talk to Lafayettes and Arlenes who now I realize were in groups. But I found my way and had a nice following by the end of my 6th day. An OC I had become friendly with then offered me the account you now know of as SookieSC on that 6th day. She was originally part of a different group and I started off as her with over 1500 followers and now 9 months later, here I am!

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Did you have RPing or twitter experience before you started?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, I did not have any RP experience. I had dabbled in theater and creative writing, but never in this medium. I had a personal Twitter account when I made the Lorena account in April 2009.

@BarmaidSookie: Yes, six years give or take a couple months, all of it threading on forums, most of which I ran along with the same RP partner and real life boyfriend I’ve had for over five years now, @SheriffNorthman. It was definitely a strange transition going from thousand word posts to 140 character ones, but it’s been so much fun.

@SookieSC: None at all. I had heard of RP before, though I wasn't extremely familiar with the concept. I use to play Everquest for a few years and they had an RP server.

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 Your RL life is a secret from your followers. Is RP a secret from friends and family?

@LorenaTheMaker: No, my family is keenly aware of what I do. They do not always understand it or why I do it, but they know that I do. My friends, for the most part, know as well, though most of the people I see on a daily basis do not understand it. The friends I have met here, obviously understand my desire to RP in my spare time as they also enjoy it. I know a lot of them personally now and my close partners know who I am. That became vital to the trust factor for me.

@BarmaidSookie: Yeah, I’d say it is, at least to an extent. My family’s had no idea what I was talking about when I’ve tried explaining it to them, and it’s a part of my life I keep separate from my friends. Years ago I RPed with some friends I went to school with. It was pretty strange when the two worlds collided, and I can only imagine it'd be stranger now. My sister tried RPing a few years back, and it was too weird for both of us. It’s hard to pretend that someone you’ve known since birth is someone else.

@SookieSC: Truthfully, my RL family and friends know all about my Roleplaying. I do other things for the group I run and I usually run new graphics or webpages/sites past them for their opinion before showing them to the stream.

 

More comics here.



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Why do you people follow you? What is the role of the follower in the Twitter RP? How do they get involved?

@LorenaTheMaker:  I believe my followers choose to watch Lorena for a few reasons. The Lovers of Eric Northman do not typically like William and enjoy me abusing @VampireBill. There are also followers that like a tough crazy bitch, which I seem to do well. *laughs* I do know that I have attracted many followers due to my interaction with @VampireBill and I cannot say I am surprised. He is well liked in the community here and they wish to see what he is doing, so they follow who he talks to. If they choose to stay and watch what I have to say, that means I am doing my job properly.

The role of the follower depends very much on the followers themselves. I have had many who just want to talk to me, although I am often aloof and unkind since Lorena dislikes most humans. I have been propositioned, asked to bite or turn them, etc. Some of them get involved by becoming their very own original character. I have met quite a few that started that way.

@BarmaidSookie: Sometimes I think it’s because I follow a lot of people, and they think it’s polite to follow back. I’m beyond humbled and flattered that anyone does. I truly enjoy RPing, and my best guess and hope would be that it comes across in my writing. Beyond that, it’s not about me. I work with a fantastic group that comes up with amazing stories. I’m lucky to be a part of those plots. If I weren’t in them, I’d be following them too.

I think every new follower is a new opportunity of someone I could possibly interact with in the future. I absolutely love reading what other RPers come up with, so for me it’s another story I get to watch develop, which is a lot of fun. I’ve always been an avid reader, so getting to read everyone’s storylines is sort of like getting to read a bunch of books all at once. 

I’d say followers can get involved any time there’s any sort of open RP going on, which would be any interaction taking place in a public space where others don’t mind you getting involved. My classic example of this is whenever I have Sookie working at Merlotte’s, or out shopping, or suffering through a visit to Fangtasia, that sort of thing. As a general rule, I usually feel that if a character’s in a public space, it’s okay to approach them unless they’re having some serious, private conversation. If they’re in a private space, like a house, then it’s always polite to ask first. You never go into someone’s home without knocking; it’s just good manners. It’s always good to know what a character is doing and where they are before you start talking to them, and if they’re already involved in a narrative, it’s a good idea to ask first.

@SookieSC: They're bored? *laughs* Um.. truthfully? It surprises me when I get DMs from people who actually not only follow my account, but follow my SL. I never really think of doing this as something that someone else is watching. This is for me. For my human. I do this because I enjoy it. Though I appreciate the compliments I receive.

Some followers, follow merely in hopes of being followed back to build their own follower count (is not opposed to this and I follow everyone who follows me). Some, such as other RPers do it as a means to help support one another. I am a big fan of this and if Twitter would be nice and lift the Follower limit, I would follow many more RPers who are out there, regardless of what kind of RP they do. Several followers actually follow along. They enjoy the interactions and the SLs and in fact, several members in my group have started out that way. I do try and talk to anyone who talks with me. Many eventually make that leap into RP themselves.

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What are the challenges of twitter RP?

@LorenaTheMaker:  Twitter itself can often be a challenge. It seems to have so many issues with it's interface. It has gotten considerably better in the last year or so, but it used to shut down a lot. It was quite unnerving.

@BarmaidSookie: I think the most obvious challenge of twitter RP is trying to get anything at all said in 140 characters or less. With forum RP, I think you have a greater opportunity to get into the thought process of your characters, to really flesh out the details of your stories and take the time to paint exactly the picture you want. With twitter RP, the challenge is to do exactly that, only with way fewer words. I prefer the immediate response of twitter RP, and the real time progression of plots to the slower, more drawn out style of forum RP, where a thread that takes a month to finish is really only a few hours in your character’s life.

I’ve supplemented my twitter RP with blogging as Sookie, which I think fills in some of the details from her story that just aren’t expressed in 140 characters or less, and I’ve really enjoyed that. My background is in forum writing, so I’m always going to be a little detail-oriented, but there’s absolutely no substitute or comparison for the amount of interactivity you get on twitter. It’s a much bigger world for your character to live and thrive in, and while there are definite complexities to navigate and overcome, there’s also a much greater pool of opportunities and talent.

@SookieSC: *laughs* Like with anything, there are dozens of challenges with Twitter RP. Whether its the timezone differences (RPing with someone in another country for example), language barriers (the distance thing), the 140 character limit and of course, the #FailWhale attacks.

I think the biggest challenge is finding RPers who are willing to take on roles that are not exactly ideal. Several Canons are difficult to find and in most groups, you'll find several characters are played by the same couple of people and sometimes that is the best fit. Another challenge is sometimes you just don't mesh with the person you are RPing with. Just like in RL, you aren't always going to instantly get along with everyone and sometimes your characters just aren't a good match for one another.



More social media comics here.



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Any advice for Twitter RP newbies?

@LorenaTheMaker: Find a character that you adore playing. This will make every moment of your time on Twitter more enjoyable.

@BarmaidSookie: Read before you leap, probably. If you’re trying to get involved with a plot or even a discussion with another character, make sure you’ve read a little bit of their back story, even just their bio or their most recent tweets. It’s awkward to have someone trying to shake your hand while your character’s showering. Originality, creativity, and respect all go a long way in all RPing, not just on twitter. Listen to those around you, and keep an open mind.

@SookieSC: Relax. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to people you don't know. Be respectful to the fact that when someone is in storyline they may not immediately respond to an outsider and don't be discouraged if they don't respond. Finding your place in this world we've built (for ALL characters) takes time. I was lucky in stumbling into that place early on, not everyone is. Be patient. It will come and you will find your way.

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Stay tuned for more excerpts from my interviews with some of our favourite True Blood Twitter RPers. Whether you're an RPer or a fan, feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on my questions (or if you have questions of your own).

You can email me: becoming.truebie@gmail.com
Or ask me anything on formspring!

Follow me @becomingtruebie

True Blood Roleplay on Twitter

Nails by @DailyNail | http://daily-nail.blogspot.com/

For many fans, following a few characters and spoiler tweets is enough to satisfy their interests. For others, it's the first step leading to a roleplaying account and group affiliation.

True Blood roleplayers (RPers) embody canon characters—taking on their voices, expressions, personality, and interests. Roleplayers collaborate to create stories and improvise with other characters. Unlike most roleplaying games, the characters don't just interact with each other. They'll respond in character to anyone who talks to them, and followers can become part of the story. Also, because the roleplaying is taking place on Twitter, the storylines are real-time tweets from multiple characters. Most True Blood Twitter roleplayers are affiliated with a group of RPers that acts as the cast of characters.

Some RPers create an original character in the world of True Blood and interact with the canon RPers. The world of True Blood leaves a lot of room for fans to write themselves into the story. Some RPers present themselves as related (in the traditional sense, but also the maker-progeny relationship between vampires) to primary, background, or deceased characters. Others affiliate their character with a referenced location, person, or group.

To supplement the concise nature of tweeting, some RPers have an accompanying character blog that gives them an opportunity to develop their characters further than 140-character tweets allow. In addition, the creation of a fictional persona or the further development of a canon character can lead way to fanfiction and other fan expressions.

Roleplayers are “engaged in two fundamental social practices: first, they are constructing communities through play, with internal goals and identity values, and second, they have a social role in the production and reproduction of symbolic worlds” (Roig 100). Fans are creating interest-based virtual communities that span countries and time zones.

There is a “new relationship between subject and representation that goes far beyond the 'spectatorship'” (Roig 89).  Because True Blood is an alternate reality, there's a lot of backstory and content available for fans to explore. Fans are taking it upon themselves to fill in the holes and add to the story.

HBO openly endorses the True Blood RPing (even featuring some on the website), but there aren't any officially affiliated characters. However, because of their frequent tweets and uncanny ability of many RPers to adopt their characters voices, they are often assumed to be employees of HBO (@SookieBonTemps can certainly attest to this misconception).

Following RPers

• Each character is fun to follow (who doesn't want tweets from Sookie?), but if fans also follow the characters Sookie roleplays with, then they have a new story and set of conversations to follow.

• Following characters and storylines gives fans some daily True Blood entertainment while they wait for the next season or episode. In the Twitter timeline, the dialogues become integrated with tweets from non-RP Twitter accounts—creating a mixed reality that enables fans to immerse themselves in the alternate universe of True Blood.

• Followers of Rpers may also influence the storyline and directly engage with characters... though they should be sure to avoid tweetdropping, or interrupting a storyline taking place in private (e.g. Sookie's house... or bed). When Sookie tweets that she is at Merlotte's, it leaves the chance for anyone to 'walk' into the story.

RPing on Twitter

•  Unlike fanfiction and more traditional forms of RPing (forums, blogs etc.), Twitter is made for conversation, which allows for more interaction (with RPers in the storyline, other RPers, and followers). In addition, the immediacy of Twitter allows for the real-time plot progression and dialogue.

• @SookieSC: “It's a bigger world for the characters to live in.” Twitter becomes a public stage for RPers. The appeal of participation through twitter is, in part, the acknowledgement users get from others in the fan community (Ytreberg 476). Twitter users can acknowledge by following, retweeting, replying, or direct messaging.

• With an HBO presence and many of the True Blood actors on Twitter, there is also the opportunity for the participants to “be recognized by those who represent and embody the format” (Ytreberg 476). This opportunity is very appealing for fans who get to experience the recognition and for those who experience it vicariously though another by seeing it on their Twitter feed. For example, @TrueBloodHBO retweets fans on Wednesday Word of the Day competitions. Another more exciting example: Carrie Preston (@Carrie_Preston) is following @ArleneFowler, and Kristin Bauer (@BauervanStratan) is following @Pam_Ravenscroft.

Next post: interviews with @SookieSC, @BarmaidSookie, @LorenaTheMaker, and @smeykunz (@BillsBelles).

Roig, A. et al. “Videogame as Media Practice: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Play and Audiovisual Culture.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 15.1 (2009): 89-103. Web.  

Ytreberg, Espen. “Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats.” New Media and Society 11.4 (2009): 467-485. Web.  

#TrueBlood on Twitter

HBO recognizes the value of fan participation “a key means of securing audience loyalty,” and they encourage audiences to fully engage with the alternate reality (Ytreberg 469). Even though the television platform draws the largest audience, web platforms are growing quickly in relative importance since they facilitate fan participation. Twitter is one of the most important web platforms for True Blood.

@TrueBloodHBO uses Twitter in a few different ways:

• They promote and advertise True Blood products in a more traditional way by tweeting about new products and merchandise, sales, and related events.
  • TrueBloodHBO: Pre-order #TrueBlood Season 3 from the HBO Shop by 5/31 and get a FREE bonus disc shipped right away. SHOP: http://itch.bo/hFsWWY
  • TrueBloodHBO: Contaminated Tru Blood wreaks havoc in #TrueBlood Tainted Blood Comic Book Issue 1, a new series. ORDER: http://itsh.bo/gpwAlj

• During Season 2, HBO took part in the Twitter roleplay via the voice of @bontempsgossip: a gossipy character in BonTemps commenting on the story as the episodes air and offering some spoilers for followers
  • BonTempsGossip: Friend of a friend = receptionist at vet office. Said Laf. Called asking for an appt. Did he get Swine Flu wherever he went?
  • BonTempsGossip: Dirt from bday party still comin out: New waitress and Sam got down. Tara and Eggs disappeared early from party. Guess they're going strong.

• @TrueBloodHBO uses Twitter to engage fans by encouraging participation and interacting with the community.
  • Their use of True Blood hashtags encourages fans to tweet in a similar way e.g. #waitingsucks #tbwithdrawal #secretlyavampire #fangfriday (like #followfriday #fanfriday or #ff)
  • Memorable #TrueBloodQuotes are tweeted for entertainment. This also encourages fans to tweet other favourite quotes from the show.
  • By linking to spoilers, polls, videos, interviews, and their new blog (inside the production of Season 4), they are collaborating distributing news with the fans.
  • They facilitate Twitter contests and givaways, and as they retweet, they comment on fan tweets.
    • TrueBloodHBO: Because #waitingsucks. Your WEDNESDAY WORD OF THE DAY is: amnesia. Use it in a sentence, tag #trueblood. If we RT, you = swagged.
  • They tweet using trending tags but add a True Blood spin. For example, on Justin Beiber's birthday, #happy17thbdaybiebs was trending.
    •  TrueBloodHBO: You haven't aged a bit. Perhaps you're #secretlyavampire? #happy17thbdaybiebs

TrueBlood Fans on Twitter

Twitter is one point of entry into the virtual True Blood fan community. With new media forms like Twitter, True Blood becomes part of fans' daily lives and creates “a cross-over between the real world and an imaginary or fictional world” (Roig et al 93). For many fans, following a few characters and spoiler tweets is enough to satisfy their interests. For others, it's the first step leading to a RP account and group affiliation.

The True Blood fan communities on Twitter certainly fit Jenkins' description of a participatory culture (listed in my previous post). It's free to sign up for Twitter, and it's easy to learn. People are welcome to simply follow others and read their tweets, but there's incentive to become a more active member of the virtual community. Participation is socially rewarded in the fan community as users acknowledge each other's contributions by following, retweeting, replying, and direct messaging. This interaction and acknowledgement makes users feel their contributions matter. In addition, these interactions provide and opportunity for a form of informal mentorship for newbies (although this is more predominant in the smaller fan communities on forums etc.).

On Twitter, I've noticed a few main forms or fan participation:

• Twitter as a promotional vehicle for fan affiliations and expressions: links to websites, forums, blogs, fanfiction etc.  
• Twitter as a tool for collaborative spoiling: sharing links to new interviews, videos, and photos that hint at the upcoming season four.
• Twitter as a stage for roleplayers: fans acting out the role of a True Blood character by tweeting in character to other roleplayers and their followers.

Twitter has been praised as a effective new media marketing tool, a vehicle for citizen journalism, and a creative expression of fandom. The capabilities and limitations of a technology influence user behaviour, but everyone uses it in ways that suit them. @TrueBloodHBO and its fans are no exception.

 

 Follow my tweets @becomingtruebie

Roig, A. et al. “Videogame as Media Practice: An Exploration of the Intersections Between Play and Audiovisual Culture.” Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 15.1 (2009): 89-103. Web.  

Ytreberg, Espen. “Extended liveness and eventfulness in multi-platform reality formats.” New Media and Society 11.4 (2009): 467-485. Web.