#TMNT-Discourse on DA

[tmnt-discourse]

Poll is now up. “Which TMNT fan fiction genre really catches your interest?” Go and vote!

[brightlotusmoon]

I am proud of myself, I not only finished my fic entry for the TMNT Darkest Nights fanbook on DeviantArt in like a few days, I did not go over the word limit, plus I cut it off at a good cliffhanger moment and there is ton of room to expand into either its own full story or a chapter of “The Brightest Fire”. I’m usually awful at short stories that need to end sooner than I want. They always want to grow and be more, that’s how one novella grew into my second Novel In Progress, featuring a disabled autistic half-Fae. It’s hard to contain and confine a story with so much background. I think that’s why after I wrote the “Mikey The Lifegiver” short fic, I wound up turning it into a series (it’s at twelve fics and I think it’s done, unless this one I’m working on wants to be thirteen). I didn’t expect to write more than the two Donnie/Mikey fics that expanded on it, but then I realized how much I needed a Leo/Mikey story and a Raph/Mikey story, and then I wound up writing the “end” story, the “final” as an overall thing, using Spirit as an additional element, and the entire thing turned into an AU all on its own. I still read the first fic to myself when I have depression episodes. Hell, I still get messages via FF, AO3, and DA from fellow neurodivergent people who tell me that reading “Mikey The Lifegiver” both made them cry and helped them soothe their own depression episodes a little. That means more to me than any compliment. I mean, I did write it to help my own mental health.

https://www.deviantart.com/journal/The-darkest-nights-TMNT-Fan-Book-664201946 So, the deadline for Darkest Nights is the end of the month, so anyone who is interested who can whip up something in just over a week is welcome to do so, I can’t wait. Once the fanbook is officially published I can later post my fanfic story on AO3 and FF and DA (I actually have a profile, lol). The story will have a drawing by the one and only @sampsonknighttmnt and it’ll be specific to the storyline, which means this Mikey is psychic and epileptic, because it’s me, you know me. And even the drawing will feature that in a nifty way. Dude, I need another citrine pendant myself. Again, huge thanks to SampsonKnight for their help and encouragement and advice in our chats, and thanks to @hummerhouse just for being an inspiration whether they know it or not and also  being the expert font of knowledge for the 2003 TMNT cartoon. I keep wanting to Ask all sorts of questions to them and the @tmnt-discourse blog but I worry I’d be a nuisance and an imposition. So many questions though. PS, the discourse blog is an awesome blog. I often wonder which mods are the biggest Mikey fans. Because 2003 Mikey’s character has a lot to unpack as far as discourse goes.

I forget where I was going with this. Oh! Oh! I AM writing a new chapter/oneshot for “CFR: Mind Games” based on a dream. Leo comes out as gray-asexual same as April, Splinter says that before Don got a crush on April he thought they were all asexual, Casey admits he might be bi, April and Casey admit they’re attracted to each other, Gaia gets angry and I get to explore the poly relationship she has with Mike and Don a little more, Raph flirts openly with Casey and pines for Y’Gthgba, April and Donnie really are best friends and April continues to ask curious details about Don and Gaia’s sex life with Mikey because she’s fascinated by sex because she can’t feel desire; also I might follow the end of Season Four after all, depending on whether or not I want to keep Splinter and also on reader feedback. Sometimes I get shy about asking for feedback, because I don’t have a lot of CFR readers - or do I? They’re all on Fanfiction.net and I have no idea how many of them know I’m on Tumblr. I should add it to my profile. Also, I am working on Chapter Two of “Brightest Fire”. People were asking about that. It’s going to take some emotional labor since the characters will be dealing with some severe psychological fucking up and the fallout of stuff that was done in the past. I’m going to be calling out Splinter on a few things. The 2003 characters were made for intense psychological discourse, I think. Plus, I never had siblings so I have no idea if constant insults and light bullying among family is considered normal. I feel like the AU “The Sunshine Child” might be done, unless I feel inspired by the series finale or something. Now I see why Ciro set it fifty years in the future. We fans are going to go wild with fics and art.

[arteinthemachine]

TMNT Discourse Group on DA

(art by Momorawrr) http://tmnt-discourse.deviantart.com/ A fandom is all about the fans and that is the focus of this group. Want to talk to someone about your love of the TMNT, share your ideas, collaborate, or educate? This is the place. We also encourage members to suggest ideas for group discussion topics. Drop us a note or offer your suggestions in the group’s comment section.

I just joined this group and I’ve mentioned it to a few people and they were not aware of it. The group is aimed at collabs whether it be art or writing, or just talking about TMNT. So I posted this hoping to spread the word!

[tmnt-discourse]

Toot Your Own Horn!

For the fifth year in a row, TMNT Discourse opens up our comment section on DeviantArt so that you can Toot Your Own Horn! This year there are two fanfiction award competitions.  We do not have dates for the TMNT Universal Fanfiction Competition yet, but as soon as we do, we'll let you know.  

The second competition is the resurrected Adult Fanfiction Awards! The Nomination window for the AFFA opens Friday, March 20th.  See the launch post here AFFA This is the time of year where you get the chance to recognize your favorite fandom writers/creators/artists.  The starting point for that is of course the nominating process. You may think “Oh that’s easy!  I’ve read so many great stories and seen such great art that I can nominate a lot of things.”   But then when you’re faced with the nomination ballot, you freeze like a deer in headlights.  Why?  Because you can’t remember all you’ve consumed over the past year.  You can’t remember which of your favorite writers created a certain story, or which artist drew that comic you enjoyed. That’s the purpose of “Toot Your Own Horn”.  Yes, we want fandom creators to self-promote.  You should, you deserve the recognition for your hard work.  There is nothing wrong with saying “Hey, I was here. I left my mark.” But that isn’t the only reason to make a list of your work.  It helps those of us who are filling out our nomination ballots to remember the things we’ve consumed over the past year.  It helps us to find the things we’ve loved.  By listing your eligible works, we'll know what can be nominated.  Too often the awards administrators have to 'void' a nomination form because it included something that wasn't eligible. It also helps us to make nominations in categories we might not be familiar with.  Separating your works into categories for us helps us to make the proper selections, for example - does the story belong in the General Category or is it a Mature Category type of work? Please take a few minutes and make a list for us of your qualifying works for the past year.  Works that qualify must have been started or updated in 2019.  They don’t have to be completed works, so long as some part of it was posted in 2019. In addition, works that placed either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any prior year competition do not qualify.  If the work won a contest or competition on DA but not one of the fandom wide comps, then it still qualifies.

If you have a Tumblr account you can post your list there as well, just use the tag 'tmnttoothorn19' so that people can find you. PLEASE list all of your eligible works, not just the Mature works.  The Toot Your Own Horn will cover both competitions and you wouldn't want anything to be left out - you worked hard on those creations!

[tmnt-discourse]

Black Friday is around the corner! 

If you want to support fandom artists and get cool merch, check out the shop links on our DA page: https://www.deviantart.com/tmnt-discourse

[tmnt-discourse]

Would you guys like it if we posted a calendar here of fandom events? 

It could be one central location to announce what’s going on - ship weeks, fanbooks, contests, etc. People could submit events and dates to the TMNT-Discourse page - probably mostly focused on Tumblr-based events, since DA has many different TMNT groups and they host a big variety of stuff. 

[tmnt-discourse]

Toot Your Own Horn!

In conjunction with the TMNT Universal Reader’s Choice Awards and for the third year in a row, TMNT Discourse leads the way in encouraging the TMNT fandom to Toot Your Own Horn!

This is the time of year where you get the chance to recognize your favorite fandom writers/creators/artists.  The starting point for that is of course the nominating process.

You may think “Oh that’s easy!  I’ve read so many great stories and seen such great art that I can nominate a lot of things.”

But then when you’re faced with the nomination ballot, you freeze like a deer in headlights. Why?  Because you can’t remember all you’ve consumed over the past year. You can’t remember which of your favorite writers created a certain story, or which artist drew that comic you enjoyed.

That’s the purpose of “Toot Your Own Horn”.  Yes, we want fandom creators to self-promote.  You should, you deserve the recognition for your hard work. There is nothing wrong with saying “Hey, I was here. I left my mark.”

But that isn’t the only reason to make a list of your work.  It helps those of us who are filling out our nomination ballots to remember the things we’ve consumed over the past year.  It helps us to find the things we’ve loved.

It also helps us to make nominations in categories we might not be familiar with.  Did you create an amazing music video?  Did you go in-depth with a profound meta-post?  Those aren’t always easy to find.

Please take a few minutes and make a list for us of your qualifying works for the past year. Works that qualify must have been started or updated in 2017.  They don’t have to be completed works, so long as some part of it was posted in 2017.

In addition, works that placed either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in any prior year Universal type competition do not qualify.  If the work won a contest or competition on DA but not one of the Universal comps, then it still qualifies.

For all the official rules, to see the various categories, or to find last year’s winners please visit the main competition site here @tmntuniversalfanficcomp

The competition administrators on the main competition site can answer any questions you might have.

Remember, the nomination period runs from February 19, 2018 through March 23, 2018.

Post your qualifying list on DeviantArt or here as soon as possible so people can fill out their ballots. If you post your list on Tumblr, please add the tag #tmnttoothorn.  We WANT to know what you wrote or drew or created!

Now go forth and Toot Your Own Horn!

[tmnt-discourse]

Calling all Beta Readers!

When I joined this group, I really wanted to help foster an exchange between writers and artists, and one way to do this is by being a Beta Reader. 

What is a beta reader?

For those who are unfamiliar, a beta reader is someone who reads over your story draft and suggests edits. Those edits can be about grammar or the story. Betas provide an outside perspective and can help writers identify areas of their story that need some work - such as dialogue that doesn’t flow or a plot point that doesn’t quite make sense. 

Who needs a beta?

To one extent or another, all writers do. It’s a good idea to have another set of eyes peruse your story. A lot of people use beta readers without realizing it. If you’ve had a friend or parent look over your writing - you’ve used one. Granted it doesn’t mean you need to have a beta for every single bit of writing you do, but if you are struggling with a story or simply want another opinion, working with a beta can be a wonderful thing.

Where can I find one? Or how can I offer my services?

TMNT Discourse is all about promoting collaboration. Contact us here or on DeviantArt if you would like to find a beta or offer your services. Your contact information will be added to our notice board.

Find us on DA

[tmnt-discourse]

Notice Board Announcements

Looking for a beta reader or interested in offering your services as one? Send us a note or comment on the Discourse home page and we'll add the information here on the notice board.

TMNTFanfictionHub is a new group on DA with a library containing lists of award winning fan written works and much more!

Completion Checklists for TMNT Comic Collectors

If you're looking for an artist (or writer) to commission, check out our Commissions folder in the Discourse gallery 

If you offer requests or do redlining, let us know and we'll post that here!

Available to Beta:

@lionheartgurlxo

Looking for French>English translator:

@caroaimezoe

Writing commissions:

@tmnt-imagines-asks

DuzMachines1984

Open for art requests/suggestions:

@jamizellbestita145

@inkyfrog

Open for fic cover art requests (limited to stories containing LH):

Momorawrr

[tmnt-discourse]

We’ve been working hard here at TMNT-Discourse to upgrade your fandom experience.  To that end, we have some announcements about our new features enhancements! You’ve probably seen the Notice Board on the top right hand side of the Deviantart page.  Here we post offers from members as well as messages from people looking for particular services.  Can’t find a fic you read a long time ago? Ask us to post your question on the Notice Board – someone will remember and help you out.  Check the Board frequently for updates! We’ve got our sister site right here on Tumblr!  tmnt-discourse.tumblr.com/ We’ve decided to go ahead and dedicate a blog for TMNT Discourse updates on Tumblr. Our main platform is still DA, but we will be posting Notice Board updates and our discussion topics here. Hopefully we can reach more of the fandom this way! We’ve even got a lovely new Discourse Avatar designed specifically for our sister site by the amazing MomoRawrr  

Another feature we are proud to announce is the new IDW Comic Reviews written by our own very gifted AlessandraDC.  Each review covers a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic and contains a quick synopsis of the storyline it contains.  The reviews may contain spoilers, so be aware of that when you’re reading them.  Feel free to ask questions, leave comments on your opinion of the comic, or suggestions on what you’d like to see from those reviews in the future. While we will still continue to post Discourse topics for discussion in our Journals, we’ve also added Polls to our lineup.  These are a fun, quick way to get your opinion on a wide range of subjects related to our little fandom. And finally, we’ve put together a reference library specifically for the fanfiction segment of the TMNT fandom.  Announcing the TMNTFanfictionHub The TMNTFanfictionHub is a library containing lists of award winning fan written works, fan recommendations, stories included in fan books, and reference materials.  The library is still under construction, but already contains a lot of information you might find interesting. If you’re ever in the mood for a good read but are at a loss for ideas – visit the Hub!  While some of the older fan fics may have been taken down, a vast majority of these fan selected stories are still out there. We hope you’ll find the TMNTFanfictionHub to be a great resource! As always, thank you for supporting .  We are always open to suggestions, comments, and ideas.  Share your thoughts with us – that’s what we’re here for! Your Admins ❤

[tmnt-discourse]

Making an art request

Since we do have some artists who are currently open to requests, this seemed like a good time to point out a few things to remember when you're making your request. Here are a few things to keep in mind. Even though this post is specifically about art, it applies to other mediums too. • Be polite! You are asking someone to donate their time to do something for YOU. • Send ONE request. Do not message the artist repeatedly. • Follow the artist's rules. If they're not comfortable drawing something, do NOT request it. • Keep the request simple. If your request requires an explanation and backstory, then you should be looking at commissioning. • Do not start a fight if the artist denies the request. Artists have that right. There is no contract or payment or agreement between you and the artist. • An artist can take as much or as little time as they want to fulfill the request. Do no expect to set a deadline! • Thank the artist!!! I hope these are helpful pointers and feel free to add additional suggestions in the comments.

TMNT Discourse on DA

[tmnt-discourse]

TMNT-Discourse : Tumblr

Welcome to our Tumblr! 

We’ve decided to go ahead and dedicate a blog for TMNT Discourse updates. Our main platform is still DA, but we will be posting Notice Board updates and our discussion topics on here. Hopefully we can reach more of the fandom this way!

Visit us on DA: http://tmnt-discourse.deviantart.com/

See Notice Board announcements under the cut. Current as of 6/28/17.

Looking for a beta reader or interested in offering your services as one? Send us a note or comment on the Discourse home page and we'll add the information here on the notice board.

If you're looking for an artist (or writer) to commission, check out our Commissions folder in the Discourse gallery tmnt-discourse.deviantart.com/… If you offer requests or do redlining, let us know and we'll post that here! Available to Beta: lionheartgurlxo Looking for French>English translator: caroaimezoe These writers do writing commissions: nebulaad.tumblr.com/post/16218… tmnt-imagines-asks DuzMachines1984 Available to do art requests: spicyturtles

[tmnt-discourse]

Discourse Topic #19 7/1/2017

Usagi Yojimbo (Usagi Yōjinbō “rabbit bodyguard”) is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai.  The main character is a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom Sakai based partially on the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Usagi has appeared several times in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, in the comics and all three of the animated series, as well as their respective toy lines. The Turtles have appeared in Usagi Yojimbo as well. In the 1987 series, "Usagi Yojimbo" is incorrectly used as his actual name, but in the 2003 series, which he appeared far more frequently in, he was referred to correctly as Miyamoto Usagi. He was even joined by Gen and other characters from his stories in his guest appearances in the 2003-2009 series. In his guest appearances, he is closest to Leonardo, both sharing the same ideals and code of ethics.*        "I'm beginning to think hanging around with you is turning me more ninja than samurai Leonardo-san. All this sneaking about..." --------Usagi to Leonardo in “The Real World, Part 2 Though we know that Usagi will again appear with the Turtles in the Nickelodeon cartoon series, we don’t know a lot of the plot details.

One of the suggestions we had for a group discussion was a character comparison between TMNT incarnations.  We thought it would be interesting to have our members and watchers tells us what they hope to see from the newest introduction of Usagi into the series.  We’d also like to know what you think the new Usagi story arc will involve. In addition, what’s your opinion of Usagi overall?  Do you know him?  Have you read any of the Usagi Yojimbo comics?  Are you excited to see him appear again?  Do you think he will have a close friendship with Leonardo in this newest incarnation, just as they had in the 2003 series? The discussion is now open.  Tell us what you think and feel free to respond to each other’s comments as well.  That is what discourse is all about! *Information taken from Wikipedia 

HOP on over to DA to share your thoughts with us!