How Somnium works

• 1Click Register in the top nav and fill in your username, email, and password.
• 2Your username is your public identity on Somnium — choose something you're happy to be known by.
• 3Once you're in, head to Settings to set your age preference (SFW / 18+). This controls what content you see.
• 4You're in. Start by browsing Worlds or checking out the partner search.

Your profile is the first thing a potential writing partner sees. It's worth spending five minutes on.

• 1Go to Settings → Profile to upload an avatar, write a bio, and set your writing preferences.
• 2You can list your preferred genres, post length style, and response pace so partners know what to expect.
• 3Your profile also shows all your active Dreamwalkers, threads, and any Worlds you've created or joined.

A World is a creative container — a shared setting that multiple writers can write inside. Any registered user can create a World or apply to write in one.

Each World has:

• 1Lore tab — the World owner writes the canon: history, factions, rules, important figures. Read this before joining.
• 2Map tab — an optional visual map of the setting with named locations pinned by the owner.
• 3Dreamscapes — the scenes and locations within the World where threads actually happen.
• 4Members — writers who have been accepted into the World.

To join a World, click the Follow button on its page and wait for the owner to approve you — or look for Worlds marked as open-join. Owners set their own application process, so check the lore tab for instructions.

To create your own World, click + New World on the Worlds page. You'll be able to write lore entries, upload a map image, and create Dreamscapes inside it.

Before you can write in a story you need at least one Dreamwalker — the fictional person you'll be playing. You can have as many as you want and switch freely between them.

• 1Click Dreamwalkers in the nav bar, then + New Dreamwalker.
• 2Fill in their name and any details — appearance, personality, backstory. Most Worlds have a specific application format, so check what the World owner wants first.
• 3Optionally upload an avatar image — this appears next to your posts.
• 4Click Save. Your Dreamwalker is ready.

A Dreamscape is a specific location or storyline within a World — a town, a space station, a royal court, a moment of crisis. Threads happen inside Dreamscapes.

• 1Browse to a World you're interested in, then click through to its Dreamscapes.
• 2Read the Dreamscape's description — it sets the scene and any specific rules for writing there.
• 3Click Join Dreamscape — some are open, some require approval from the World owner.
• 4Once you're in, you can browse existing threads or start a new one.

You can also browse Dreamscapes directly from the Dreamscapes page without going through a World first.

Threads can live inside a Dreamscape or be completely standalone — you don't need a World or Dreamscape to start writing with someone.

• 1Open a thread you've been invited to, or start a new one. You can create a standalone thread from the Threads page, or start one inside a Dreamscape if you're using that structure.
• 2Select which Dreamwalker you're posting as using the character selector above the text box.
• 3Write your post. The editor supports basic formatting — bold, italic, line breaks. Write in third person past tense unless your partner has agreed otherwise.
• 4Click Post when you're ready. Your partner will be notified.

The Partner Search page is where writers post ads looking for collaborators. It's the fastest way to find someone to write with.

• 1Browse existing ads — you can filter by genre, content rating, and whether the writer is looking for a specific World or Dreamscape.
• 2Click an ad to read the full pitch and see how to reach the writer (usually via DM or a link to their profile).
• 3To post your own ad, click + Post Ad. Write a pitch that describes your style, what you're looking for, and any Worlds or Dreamwalkers you have in mind.
• 4Ads expire after 48 hours but you can bump yours once every 12 hours to keep it near the top.

Once you're writing in multiple threads it can be hard to keep track of where you're owed a reply.

• 1Your Dashboard (home page when logged in) shows threads that are waiting on you, sorted by most recent activity.
• 2You can also track any thread — even ones you're not writing in — using the track button on the thread page. You'll get notified when new posts appear.
• 3Threads you haven't replied to in a while are flagged so you can prioritise.

Communicate with your partner. Most problems in collaborative writing come from assumptions. When in doubt, ask. A quick OOC note goes a long way.

Real life comes first, always. There's no expected response speed on Somnium. Some threads move daily, some weekly, some whenever life allows. Don't pressure your partner and don't let anyone pressure you.

If you need to step back from a thread, let your partner know — even a simple OOC message saying "this one's on pause for me" is kinder than going silent. Writers put real effort into their posts.

Respect content settings. If a thread or Dreamscape is marked SFW, keep it that way. If you want to write mature content, make sure both you and your partner have 18+ enabled and the thread is marked appropriately.

Don't god-mode. God-moding means controlling another writer's Dreamwalker without permission — deciding what they do, feel, or say. Always leave your partner room to respond and react on their own terms.

Be kind. The writers behind the Dreamwalkers are real people. Critique the story, not the person.

If something isn't working or you have a question that isn't answered here, you have a few options:

• 1Use the report button on any post, thread, or profile to flag content that breaks the rules.
• 2Reach out to a moderator via DM — active mods are listed on the Members page with a mod badge.
• 3For technical bugs, send a DM to the site admin directly.