No One's Guide to Shifting

A Tangent on Scripting

Speaking of scripts, where should you even start? For most people, I definitely understand why scripting seems like such a daunting process, especially if you don't consider yourself a writer. Since I love writing (and punishing my future self who'll wish they'd started working on their final presentations earlier), I want to share some of my thoughts on the subject as well as tips that I have for creating a script that works for you.

Because that's the key—scripting is just so personal that there isn't one template that guarantees you're going to shift. It's about what you want out of your DR, what you're comfortable with, whatever helps you get there. Unfortunately, this means you'll never really be finished with your script. There isn't a solid endgame, since what you include is bound to change as you experiment. All scripts are a constant work in progress and that's actually what makes them so interesting to me. 

That being said, there are still some things that I feel are incredibly important (I hesitate to say "mandatory" because, again, do whatever feels right for you) to consider when putting together your script.

The first of which is a set of "rules" for when you shift. Depending on where you're shifting to, there might be some degree of danger. People might die. You might die. But you can control that with your script. If you don't want your friends or yourself to get hurt or die, script that in. Script that you are safe at all times and won't be left with trauma (unless you're into that, I guess). As we went over in the Basics section, you also need to include the way you're going to get back to your CR and how time passes in your CR compared to your DR. If you want time to pause in your DR while you're away in your CR, include that, too.

Circling back to the bit on trauma, this is especially applicable if you're trying to shift to Hogwarts/the Wizarding World. As much fun as it seems to romp around a magic school with your friends, you have to keep the plot in mind. People die, people get hurt, and there's a racist, classist, noseless villain causing a lot of destruction and pain. If you just want to have a good, chill time, script that stuff out. There's no shame in wanting to be safe and have fun. Make sure you're making your DR a place you actually want to go, and not somewhere necessarily scary or unsafe for yourself. In my first script, I got rid of Voldemort and all that nasty stuff. Upon revising it to make my current draft, I added that all back in. For me, that's a huge part of why I love the series. The plot is important to me, and I want the experience to feel real. I don't think I'd appreciate the fun moments as much if I didn't also have to think about the difficult parts of that story. But that's just me. If you don't want it, script it out. Just be conscious of what the entire world entails and make sure you can make yourself comfortable.

You'll also probably want to include personal information, like your name/nicknames, birthday, what you look like, how you dress, etc. You can even include your personality if you want, especially if you're changing some aspects about yourself for your DR. 

Now, here's where things can get controversial: relationships. Some say that it's completely okay to script in relationships with other people while others see it as immoral or just weird in general. The first party argues that you're merely specifying that you want to go to a reality where these bonds already exist, you have those friendships and ties, and there's nothing wrong about that. The second feels that they might be controlling others, which makes them uncomfortable and they then choose not include any relationships with others in their script. I'll talk more about this in a later part but ultimately it's entirely up to you. You want to be comfortable and feel safe while you shift, so only do what makes you happy. You don't have to tell anyone what's in your script and you are not obligated in any way to share something so personal. You can do whatever you want in that document, on that piece of paper, or in that notebook without the fear of being judged. 

I want to reiterate that these are just some of my opinions on what to include. You do you, it's your DR and the only person you should be thinking about when you script is yourself. 

As of right now, I have a digital script in a Google Doc because that's just what's practical for me right now. I'm on my second official "draft" of it, and I'm pretty pleased with how it is right now. I've already mentioned her before, but @ hpsrs on TikTok has been a huge inspiration for my script. She sells handmade, customized scrapbook-style scripts and they are stunning. After falling in love with the aesthetics of that kind of script, I impulse bought a Moleskin notebook at the student store and started practicing my calligraphy. I'm currently working on converting my digital script to that more physical version in the hopes it'll help me visualize better and feel more grounded in my DR. 

So, that's it for scripts! At least, that's it for now.  There's probably a lot that I missed or skipped over, but I think I've covered the bases for the most part. And, trust me, you don't want to get caught up in trying to learn as much as you can about shifting and never actually start shifting. The best way to learn for yourself is to try, so get out there and write your scripts!!!