Behavioral Guidelines
We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and positive environment for our members. For this to work we need the help and commitment of every person in our community. We ask that those who participate respect the rules and guidelines outlined below.
The Storied-Tellers group provides writers with community and accountability. We share resources to get our writing done. To accomplish this, we have cultivated a group, both in-person and online, that embraces the following values:
Inclusivity
We value diversity, and are committed to creating an inclusive culture for members of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, ethnicities, and religions.
Hate speech: The Oxford English Dictionary defines hate speech as “speech or writing that attacks or threatens a particular group of people, especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.” We do not tolerate hate speech in any form, and this behavior will result in immediate expulsion from our group.
Discrimination: We do not tolerate any behavior that excludes members based on gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, or nationality. If a particular identity to a group or individual is not included in this list, we welcome you too, and want you to know that we respect all of our members.
Preferred pronouns: We encourage our members to share and respect pronoun preferences both virtually and at in-person meetings.
Kindness
Our community celebrates kindness and positivity.
Harassment: We do not tolerate harassment of our members in any form. This includes unwanted advances, verbal abuse, bullying, or any other harassing behavior that makes other members feel threatened or unsafe.
Violence: We do not tolerate violent or illegal behavior.
Personal attacks: Remember to criticize ideas, not people. Personal attacks, name-calling, trolling, and other negative behavior will not be tolerated.
Respect
Respect your fellow members in all spaces. Remember that we are all real people and should be treated as such.
Violation of privacy or security: We do not tolerate any violations of another member's privacy or security, including sharing personal information without another member's consent.
Consent: Welcomed communications and actions to engage with a member. Engaging with anyone in a non-consensual way is strictly prohibited. If ever in doubt, ask permission.
Distraction-free environment: All members are expected to help maintain a quiet, distraction-free environment during writing events.
Appropriate behavior and language: Gratuitously graphic, disgusting, obscene, sexual, or violent content is prohibited in member communications (online or in-person). We don't allow content posted in member spaces that may upset, shock, or disturb members.
Support
We want all of our members to feel supported in their writing practice. Help us by supporting your fellow writers rather than creating distractions.
Overt sales and solicitation: Please do not use our meetings or platforms to broadly market your other affiliations, paid goods and services, or events occurring outside the writing community.
Conspiracy theories: Please do not use our platform to promote theories that are harmful and nonfactual.
Other Guidelines
Age Requirements
Minors allowed, with supervision: We know that minors also love to write. Although we don’t accept members under 18, we do allow participation in our public writing events. Please note that minors must be accompanied to in-person events and require parent/guardian permission to virtual events.
Meetings, Discussions, Challenges, Prompts: Stay On Topic
Our Meetings/Discussions are a place for writers to connect with each other and share ideas related to writing and the writer's lifestyle. Similarly, our Challenges and Prompts are intended to spark creativity and writing-related discussions. Please remember to keep the discussion writing-focused, and support your fellow writers by cheering them on.
Only Submit Your Own Work
Remember, you may not submit any published works as your own nor anything that belongs to someone else without their permission.
Online Content
In order to maintain our group, the group leader reserves the right to remove any online content for any reason, at any time.
Consequences
Any violation of the rules outlined above will result in disciplinary action at the group leader’s discretion, including restricting participation or removal from the group.