Compliance.
It's a virtue. In fact, it's the only virtue that matters, at least when you're at Northern Star Academy.
You are a young adult. One night you were asleep in your bed, only to be woken by strange men in black t-shirts and cargo pants bursting into your room with bright lights shining in your eyes, hauling you from your bed without regard to your formerly sleeping state, and handcuffing you while pressing your face against the floor. Had you called or screamed or sobbed, no one else in your family was there to hear you. You were taken to a waiting car or van outside and driven to the nearest airport. When your flight landed in Portland, Oregon, you were hustled into another van for a good, six hour drive to the academy's grounds in the wilderness.
Welcome to Northern Star Academy.
You've been sent here because your parents believed unscrupulous marketing that warned them that you are a danger to yourself and a future menace to society. You've been labeled a "troubled teen," and you've fallen into the grasps of a multi-million dollar industry that preys on middle to upper class families and enacts months to years of violence and abuse on their children.
Some of the residents at Northern Star have been here for days or weeks. Others have been here for months or years. Some are gender or sexual minorities. Others are disabled or otherwise neurologically divergent. Some have experimented on occasion with alcohol, weed, other drugs, or smoking, and some have had previous encounters with the criminal justice system. Others have never run afoul of the law.
But that's not to worry. You're here at Northern Star, where you'll learn very quickly the one virtue that may allow you to leave one day at least somewhat better off than the others. You'll learn that what the staff and administrators really want from you is compliance.
Comply, and you might finish the program on time.
FAQ and Expectations
Is this just another school roleplay?
This is not a school roleplay or a typical "troubled teen" roleplay. This roleplay is intended to use compelling characters, created by you, to explore the grim and disturbing realities of the troubled teen industry and its long history of abuse and torture of youth trapped in it. I am not attempting to romanticize or downplay those realities, and I expect that writers should hold themselves to the same standards.
Um, I don't know anything about this "troubled teen" industry.
That's fine. I'm happy to answer questions and provide resources. You can probably also ask MartianJusticiar, who is an attorney with an extensive background in this area. You don't need to be an expert. If you're not comfortable or don't want to research a lot of information, it might be better to play the part of a resident, as your character would primarily be reacting to what is happening at the facility.
So how often do I have to post?
At minimum, one post per month is a good standard. More is fine, though, too, and if you're extremely enthusiastic and excited, go for it! Just be careful of other folks who may be posting less frequently, and do attempt to avoid plot awkwardness. (i.e. You and another writer have written a fantastic ten pages worth of content in just one week, but someone else who is only posting once a month had their character in your scene, so no one actually knows what happened to that character or why that character hasn't actually said anything in the entire course of this scene. That's awkward.)
And how long do posts need to be?
There is no minimum or maximum length or word count. (If this is an access need, and you require more structure or specific, concrete guidelines, just let me know and I'd be happy to provide that structure for you.)
So how are we posting, exactly?
We're likely to use RolePlayGateway's integrated system, which allows writers to use a chat-style interface, a forum-style interface, or a real-time collaborative interface. You may feel free to use any or all of those media.
What if I can't post at some point or need a break?
If you have extenuating circumstances due to nature, family emergency, personal circumstances, work or school schedules, illness, spoon loss, prior engagements, or other reasonable excuses not to be posting for longer than that period, please simply let me know as soon as possible. I won't be upset as long as I know what's going on. (You don't need to go into detail if you're not comfortable doing that.)
What kinds of "content" might I encounter or am I allowed to write about in this story?
There may be sexual content (within the site's rules--click here to see Gateway's guidelines), romantic content, profanity, violence, and other potentially triggering, uncomfortable, unpleasant, or disturbing content. Be artful. Let events occur to develop character or plot, and not simply for the sake of including something racy or gory. If you are concerned about triggers because you are a survivor or because you have PTSD, anxiety, or phobias, but still want to participate, please contact me so we can talk about how to make this an accessible space for you and as safe as possible.
How many people will be accepted?
We'll be a small group of no more than five, so four other people than myself. I do expect people who are willing to commit to a very long-term writing process, that may stick around for months, or quite possibly, for years. That's why I'm not obsessive over the posting frequency. I also expect that all of us will grow both in our personal character and in our writing, as we stay together as a group. My goal is to conclude within two years once we've started, but it could stretch for longer. I'd like to write a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. Complexity is a plus.
Character Submissions
Who can I write for?
You may choose to play the parts of any of the following:
- Residents. Youth ages 13 to 25 currently at Northern Star. Older youth are more likely to have been here for longer.
- Staff. Folks 18 and over working at Northern Star. Some may be former residents, but most are not.
- Family members and friends. Folks outside of Northern Star who may or may not know the truth of what is happening there, and may or may not care enough to intervene.
- Lawyers, advocates, activists, survivors. Folks who may or may not have current direct connections to Northern Star, but have a vested interest in identifying abuses that occur and rescuing residents, legally or otherwise.
- Other roles that you can conceive of playing.
Can I have more than one character?
You may have multiple characters, in the same or in different roles, but be mindful that you will then be responsible for writing for all of them at least semi-regularly. You're also free to have only one, if you prefer.
What do you want from me?
Please draw connections in your backstories and future plot or character development arc ideas. This thread is an excellent place in which to do that.
So, character sheet, profile, skeleton, anything like that?
Nope. You can write one if it makes you feel better, or you can forego one and have simply a name and some kind of conceptual idea, however brief. All that's necessary, at the beginning, is a name and a role. I fully expect your characters to become well-developed and compelling as we continue to write.
What now?
As this is an interest check post, I'm primarily interested in learning who around here is both attracted to this idea and willing and able to commit to a long-term collaborative writing project that may become incredibly complex, incredibly grim and dark, and otherwise rather literary in nature. Please feel free to leave other questions, ideas, or suggestions, whether for plot or for characters. As per the note above on multiple characters, have no fear -- I am likely to end up with literally dozens within a fairly short time frame after starting.
Notice: If you like this idea and or this synopsis and or (future or present) in-character posts, please do not simply copy and paste, or copy and paste and make slight alterations, and post it (or any future in-character posts) either on this site or anywhere else without my explicit permission and consent (or that of the author of a particular in-character post). I can be reached by email at ohnoitsdark (at) gmail.com for such requests. Doing so without my permission or consent constitutes plagiarism and is a violation of U.S. federal law and an infringement of my intellectual property. If you choose to do so anyway, please expect nasty legal notes from me. This notice and this interest check were both posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013, at 11:55PM Eastern Standard Time.
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