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highkingpetermagnificent · 11 months

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Dear Yuletide Writer:

First off, I want to say thank you for writing me a story! This is such a fun challenge, and I'm looking forward to whatever you write. I know I'll love it, so don't stress too much! :)

I want to include a list of tropes I like, tropes I don't like, definite DNWs, and then individual blurbs about each fandom I've requested. Just as an overall note, I'd like for the fic to be a G or T rating - I have nothing against pwp (porn without plot) fic, that's just not what I'm looking for from Yuletide. :) If it is M in the way that doesn't involve sex, that would be okay, but I'd rather stick with a G or T if that jives with your vision.

Also, just because I've given an idea doesn't mean you have to write it! It's just a prompt, feel free to take them or leave them.

(I've never written a Yuletide letter before, so bear with me!)

Tropes I like:

Only one bed - when two people have to share a bed, it's the perfect opportunity for awkwardness, intimacy, and the general sharing of feelings. Good stuff!

Mistaken for a couple - when two people who like each other and aren't sure if the other does, it's fun when someone reads the vibes and makes the assumption.

Modern AUs of fantasy worlds, keeping the magic - there's something that really makes my brain buzz of modern aus of fantasy but they're still elves, or they're still dragons, or they can still cast spells. (Do note that I still love canon fics. Don't feel like you HAVE to write a modern au!)

Noble sacrifices - risking harm or death for someone else

Slice of life - especially if it's slice of life after the story concludes. But I love any and all slice of life.

Tropes I'm not huge on:

Soulmarks - any flavor of this. matching soulmarks, eyes that change color when you see your soulmate, first words on your wrist, etc etc

Modern AUs of fantasy worlds with no magic

Hogwarts/magical school AUs

Next gen fic

Werewolf AUs

DNWs:

please no spiders. I am afraid of spiders! I know some of these canons involve spiders, and I just ask that we avoid depiction of them here.

no explicitly shown/depictions of rape

incest, even in the background

no characters trying to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge

* * *

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (TV)

Requested characters: Shangque, Jieli

I Love Them. Shangque is my favorite character in the drama in general - the combination of being very good at his job (being a dragon General, protecting the Moon Supreme) + good heart + some romance-related ineptitude makes for just a fantastic character, in my opinion. I know the fandom likes to call him a himbo, and he has his clueless moments, but the juxtaposition of the competence plus cluelessness is something I find fun. And he's sweet. :)

Jieli is such a fantastic counterpart to him - she's got a heart of gold, but circumstances have forced her to put up walls all around it. She's constantly lying, constantly trying to work behind the scenes to get herself ahead. And yet she does care -- she thinks it would be easier if she had no friends and cared for nobody, but the fact remains that she does care. Together, they make my brain go brr!

Ideas: Seeing them working together to accomplish a goal would be fun, or forcing Jieli to actually speak about her feelings. (Shangque confessing his feelings and forcing her to confront that would be fun too!) An angst-y fic set during the time they're apart late in the show is an idea. Another idea could be a fic set during the years Xiao Lanhua/Xiyun is waiting for Dongfang Qingcang to be reborn. How do they progress their relationship? I'm also down for other characters to be included in this fic, as long as the focus is on the two of them.

Pellinor - Alison Croggon

Requested characters: Maerad of Pellinor

The Books of Pellinor were my biggest book love growing up. The sense of vastness in the story, the wonderful characters, the lavish and evocative prose. Even when I reread it as an adult, it still holds up, in my opinion.

Maerad is the heart of the books. I love the journey she goes through, physically and emotionally. I love the real opening up and growth of her character. She feels like a real person, who is irrevocably changed by the end of the series. Yet though she goes through much, she never gives in completely to despair, and ends the series laughing and content. It's such a cathartic arc.

Ideas: I would love some epilogue fic for her, especially if it involves another character. Cadvan is a big one, but I would also love Hem, Silvia, Saliman, even Hekibel! (Especially Hekibel - I loved the frank conversation Maerad and Hekibel had in The Singing, and wished we'd had more of that. I felt like it was so refreshing to see Maerad interact with another woman, especially one who wasn't a Bard and had that very very human perspective.) Maerad/Cadvan is a ship I adore, so if you want to write that, I'd love that.

Ever - Gail Carson Levine

Requested characters: Kezi, Olus

I feel like this book is a dark horse when it comes to Gail Carson Levine's work. When I first read it as a tween, I honestly didn't care for it, but now as an adult, it really compels me. It feels like that quote that's "the gods have not been kind to us, but we rise to meet the stars anyway." I like the hope in the face of hopelessness about it.

Ideas: I'll admit that it's been a while since I've read this, so I'm really open for anything. I do think something that would be cool would be to switch POVs of certain scenes. I know the book does that to an extent, but it would be cool to take it even further, switching between the two characters or even to an outsider POV.

Wars of the Roses RPF

Requested characters: Marguerite d'Anjou | Margaret of Anjou (Wars of the Roses)

The Wars of the Roses is currently my historical fixation, and especially so its queens. I recently read Helen Maurer's excellent biography of Margaret of Anjou, and something that really struck me was how hard Margaret was working to both preserve the role of the English Queen and keep the monarchy intact while her husband was incapacitated. Because the Queen was always expected to be acting on her husband's behalf, she couldn't really... both take charge and yet be acting under supposed direction. But she still grabbed that challenge with both hands and really rose to the occasion, in my opinion, even to the point of taking on the war-laden parts of English Kingship. England had had warrior-queens before (Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians and Empress Matilda come to mind on first thought,) but this was incredibly late in the medieval period, and England had never been used to queens taking on this martial of an aspect before, in my opinion. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for her. She took an awful situation and really threw herself into making it work.

Ideas: She's somewhat enigmatic simply by virtue of the historical record being so far distant, but we do have a fair few of her letters, and one can get an idea of a very smart politically, a bit forceful woman. I'd love to explore the emotional side of her, perhaps during the periods when Henry VI was ill and she had to ensure both his, hers, and Prince Edward's safety. Another idea would be to explore her interactions with Anne Neville, simply because Anne Neville is another one of my historical blorbos and I would love that. Or Elizabeth Woodville! (Another blorbo. xD) Or delving into her relationship with Henry! Basically, I would really love something that put the focus on her emotional state and/or her relationships with others.

The Lord of the Rings Online

Requested characters: Candaith

LOTRO is my biggest most delightful discovery for the past few years. Best Lord of the Rings game, hands-down. It takes what's wonderful about the books and really runs with it -- I love the overarching theme of how people want to help each other, and generally they will try to do so as best as they can. And it's just so fun! Best adaptation of the Lord of the Rings, frankly.

And Candaith 😭 I love him. I love the tragedy of him, and I love the hope of him. The vision of him at the Fords never fails to make me cry. I feel like he's the first Ranger the player character really gets to know - there's other rangers in Bree-land, but it's always felt to me like I'm just running errands for them when we meet them first, and not actually getting to know them. (At first! I love Saeradan later, especially. But at first, I didn't really feel like we were friends.)

Ideas: How did he get the Weathertop posting? How did he interact with the others in the Lone Lands? How did he feel about his fellow Rangers, and did he have any special relationships with any of them? Did he ever get lonely for them? Was he ever at Annúminas, and how did he feel about it? Did he really think the restoration of the King was going to happen in his lifetime? Alternately: definitely not opposed to a fix-it of the whole Ring of Bebarahir situation.

* * *

Thank you so much! Happy Yuletide! I know I'll love the fic, so don't stress too much, and remember that you don't have to follow any of the prompts if they don't speak to you. :) Have fun writing! Thank you again!

#if you're doing yuletide: please don't read this unless you get matched with me!#if you're not: you CAN read it but i will feel a little embarassed about it. :P #yuletide letter

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dangermousie · 4 years

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2020 End of Year Post - cdrama edition

This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2020; if I had to make a post about all the cdramas I watched this year, I would still be doing it in three months...

Overall it’s been a fairly decent cdrama year (certainly better than the very lacklustre kdrama year.) It’s no miracle that 2019 was (so many excellent dramas!) but overall pretty solid.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

44 The Legend of Jing Yan - the worst cdrama I have seen this year, and possibly the worst drama of 2020, period. The hero and heroine were both uncharismatic, incapable of acting and saddled with such shrilly moronic characters, the only suspense was how they haven’t both perished long since from forgetting to breathe. Nor was anyone in the rest of the cast much better; the screenplay was written by a lower mammal and the cinematography was the best a third-rate wedding cinematographer could offer. Stay the HELL away from this one.

43 Unicorn Girl - the only unicorn about this bland yet irritating piece of pap was the fact that I was supposed to believe the leads are hockey players.

42 Autumn Cicada - I like spy stories, Allen Ren, and Republican Era settings. I can tune out Communist propaganda with the best of them. Yet, the propaganda ate the story to such a degree that there was nothing left; pre magic change Pinocchio was less wooden then this narrative.

41 You Complete Me - no you do not.

40 Skate into Love - the only positive thing I can say about this is that at least it’s better than Unicorn Girl, if for no other reason that only one of them is supposed to be a hockey player.

39 Irreplaceable Love - how do you make a story about fake siblings with a mad mother falling for each other boring? I don’t know, ask the makers of this.

38 Eternal Love Rain - I hate to rain on their parade, but these two actors cannot act, have about as much chemistry as a piece of bread, and are trapped in a story perfect for entertaining the mental abilities of the leads of Jin Yan.

37 For Married Doctoress - ummmm, you could do worse I guess. It only made me break out in mild hives. The sadistic ending did make me laugh though.

36 Dance of the Sky Empire - why you get Xu Kai and waste him in this insipid mess of a story is beyond me.

35 Love Designer - it’s inoffensive except to my sense of entertainment. There is nothing wrong with it but oh God is it bland.

34 Love a Lifetime - It felt like a lifetime watching this, but I didn’t love it. The story is incoherent, the actors have no chemistry and it’s all an epic waste of time.

33 Love is Sweet - so sweet it gave me diabetes. I like Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, but there is literally no plot. I don’t need to sink into a plotless morass to watch pretty people engage in PG-rated make-outs. I am an adult with access to stronger stuff if I am thus inclined, though to be fair they could get x-rated and I still wouldn’t be able to sit through so many episodes of plotlessness for that.

32 Fake Princess - I love Zhao Yi Qin, but the guy needs to pick better projects. The female lead in this one has the voice and personality that can strip paint but the story is also doing nobody any favors.

31 The Changan Youth - I lost my brain checking this out. I had to go and read a dense treatise on medieval coinage or Mayan farming to try to recover it.

30 My Dear Destiny - kinda cheesy fun. It honestly shouldn’t be as low except it really feels like community theater.

29 Handsome Siblings - why is the Nic Tse version so good and this one so bad? True mystery for the ages. Chen Zhe Yuan is the sole reason this isn’t lower, because that kid tries SO HARD to make this drama bearable and almost succeeds. I can’t wait to see him in Sha Po Lang which actually will give him something to do.

28 In a Class of Her Own - see my comment on The Changan Youth. But at least Song Weilong is gorgeous to look at.

27 General’s Lady - inoffensive, pretty and so utterly pointless.

26 The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion - those two leading actors are a no go to me but at least they considerately acted with each other instead of ruining two dramas for me. It’s very pretty though.

25 Jiu Liu Overlord - it’s a mess and I bailed, but I placed it this high merely due to the fact that Lai Yi finally gets a leading role and he’s sexy as fuck and I am shallow. Whoever styled Bai Lu should never work again except at a circus, however.

24 Cross Fire - not my genre and Luhan will always look too much like my cousin for comfort, but it’s a surprisingly gripping and dark drama. I liked it!

23 God of Lost Fantasy - if you want to watch a mediocre wuxia/xianxia, this is not a bad choice. Probably better than Legend of Fei actually, because at least it doesn’t have an A-list cast to waste and gives us Sheng Yilun himbo and shirtless.

22 Renascence - the insane cuts (it went from 70 eps to 36!!!) made a fairly cheesy story into a total mess. But I had a good time until I finally bailed mainly because of the male lead (Chen Zhe Yuan yet again carrying a not-good 2020 drama on his shoulders; the guy should be nicknamed Atlas) and the insane but in a fun way story. The female lead (both the character and the actress) were not up to par but oh well.

21 Legend of Fei - only this high because objectively there is nothing I disliked it. But there is nothing I liked either. The most uninspired drama on the list. If you could eat cardboard, this is what it would taste like.

20 Ever Night 2 - compared to EN1, it’s a waste of film. On its own merits, it’s not very good (the cast replacements are uniformly inferior and Dylan Wang is so wrong for Ning Que I cannot even put it into words; the script is useless.) But it had some parts I loved so very VERY much (all the shippy stuff was perfection) so I don’t feel too bitter.

19 Castle in the Sky 2 - a lovely if not too complex fairy tale. It is inferior to its prequel because it doesn’t have Zhang Ruo Yun who elevated it, but it’s still a solid bit of fun.

18 The Great Ruler - it’s very high fantasy, very pretty, and surprisingly involving.

17 (tie) Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos - the secondary couple steals the show but the rest is not too bad if not too involving.

17 Legend of Awakening - a solid bit of fun with a seriously BDSM streak (theme this year apparently - but come on, the lead’s powers only activate when he’s in extreme pain!) It’s a bit generic and the costuming is done by a blind person, not to mention the OTP is a NOTP, but the rest of relationships (romantic and platonic) are wonderful (I live for the found siblings story in this one) and I like most of the characters.

16 Consummation - a rare modern cdrama I liked; a sweet coming of age story (and love story) even if wrapped in a pretty weird virtual reality concept.

15 Oops the King is in Love - this is how you do a low budget, sweet, silly piece of fluff. Our heroine pretends to be a eunuch and crosses paths with a powerless young king and they are adorable, even more so than the drama.

14 Song of Glory - pretty solid, though draggy and I didn’t love the toothpaste filter. But A+ cast, excellent leading couple chemistry, Li Qin being a BAMF and a leading man (Qin Hao) who is actually an adult.

13 And the Winner is love - objectively kind of a mess (and the heroine has the brainpower of a gnat), but the OTP chemistry is excellent and Luo Yunxi fighting and flirting with a fan as finally a leading man is worth the price of admission.

12 Miss S - snazzy and snappy and stylish and whatever else starts with S.

11 Eternal Love of Dream - I don’t know if it would work for you as well if you weren’t a hardcore shipper for this OTP in Three Lives but I was and this was such a darling, wonderful, shippy delight; plus I love this type of high fantasy.

10 (tie) Maiden Holmes - solid and sweet and a wonderful OTP. Proves that functional doesn’t have to mean boring. If you watch one cross-dressing drama this year make it this one.

10 Qin Dynasty Epic - srs bsns history epic. I am not far into it but it’s so good and smart and visually stunning (if you love battles, this one is for you.)

9 Love Lasts Two Minds - I adored this so much more than I should objectively have, but it’s so beautiful (and no I am not just referring to Alan Yu’s face) and the OTP has wonderful chemistry and the story is solid, and the whole trope of her memory being wiped but falling for him all over again while he’s constantly and utterly devoted is a fave; plus he’s in pain and semi-dyng for most of it so sluuuurp (happy ending, don’t worry)

8 To Love - yes, a modern drama is this high! But it involves intensity, tragedy, genuine adults and sexiness that is Lin Gengxin. And there is an actual plot and darkness OMG!

7 Legend of Xiao Chuo - so beautiful, so fun, so full of gorgeousness of Shawn Dou. Plus, Liao is a rare setting for a cdrama and there are a lot of characters and stories I liked a LOT. Less ship content than I wanted but more than I expected.

6 The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so so delightful. I was literally laughing out loud. I have no idea if it will work as well if one isn’t a seasoned watcher of period cdrama/reader of web novels, with bonus for watching/reading Goodbye My Princess, but it was a complete delight for me (and yes, I shipped for real, as well. Best of both worlds.)

5 Twisted Fate of Love - Jin Han gets a leading period drama role! And he’s enjoying it to the hilt, excellent as a smart, twisty bastard who is also charming and so madly in love with heroine. Sun Yi is beautiful and tough and her chemistry with JH is on fire, the story never drags, and it’s so twisty and fun and just awesome.

4 Love In Between - the most underrated drama on this list. It has no big names or big budget, but it’s wuxia that’s clever, driven, tragic, hopeful and so beautifully shot. Three separate (amazing) OTPs, a leading man who is so not typical (a doctor who cannot fight and who never acquires this ability) and who is intense and smart and damaged, a heroine who puts her quest ahead of her emotions, an unhealthy degree of involvement by yours truly. This is a drama Fei should have been.

3 Love and Redemption - such a lovely, addictive, utterly romantic fairy tale. I was obsessed with it for a reason. All the tropes you love and some you didn’t know you did, a star-crossed OTP to the nth power (and a secondary OTP I hardcore love), a twisty yet coherent plot, some insane chemistry and so much whump and hurt/comfort they must have bought blood packets in bulk.

2 Go Ahead - yes, I can’t believe it either. A contemporary slice of life cdrama made it this high on my list. But the way it feels so real, the found family perfection, the characters I love and loathe, the perfect cherry of a wonderful OTP that hits my narrative kinks on top, and just a perfect storm of loveliness all around with this one.

1 The Wolf - is that any surprise to anyone who’s checked out this tumblr for the last couple of months? Tragic, intense and gorgeous; so romantic and angsty and passionate it made me lose my mind (though some of it was gone the moment the camera panned to Darren Wang) - all my favorite tropes and then some; this is a drama that may not be perfect but it is 100% and then beyond perfect for ME.

FAVORITE DRAMA

The Wolf - I have seen objectively better cdramas; even this year. But it has been literal years since I have been this hardcore obsessed, this utterly pleased, this emotionally catered to and devastated at once. A beautiful dark fairy tale that manages to own me despite the storytelling gaps due to censorship, it took me for one of the biggest emotional roller coaster rides of my drama watching career. Visually gorgeous, poetic, intense, and so romantic it took my breath away, this is not just my favorite cdrama of 2020, it’s my favorite drama this year period, and the one cdrama this year to make it into my permanent Top 10 cdramas list.

WORST DRAMA

Legend of Jin Yan - see my write up for it for why as I refuse to waste more time on this stupid mess.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Wolfie, The Wolf - he is such a haunted, tormented, complex, dark mess; loving and violent, severely damaged and with a hidden yearning softness, longing and aloof. And the amount of charisma and sheer masculine sex appeal Darren Wang brings to the role is insane and not something I see much of in a cdrama. Plus, that character arc with its rapid fall and slow painful redemption is A++++

Runner Up: Sifeng, Love and Redemption - has a male lead ever loved more utterly and selflessly, suffered more thoroughly and beautifully, and managed to have such chemistry with both his leading lady and his leading man (that his leading lady temporarily turned into) at once? The answer is no.

Almost made the cut - Feng Xi, Twisted Fate of Love, Han Shuo, The Romance of Tiger and Rose, Qing Ci, Love in Between.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Xiao Qian, The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so funny, so much the reason this drama was such a delight. I adore her beyond words.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Murder Daddy, The Wolf - I am sad the censors robbed us of seeing him die on screen. He was fully human but nonetheless managed to be the worst monster in a drama full of literal ones.

Ling Xiao’s Mom, Go Ahead - I hate her so much I don’t want to look up her name. She abused the kid, the disappeared and came back to abuse him some more. I mean she literally gave her child mental health issues. She is the WORST.

FAVORITE SHIP

Xing’er x Wolfie, The Wolf - are you kidding me? Who else could it ever be for me? They destroyed each other and saved each other, sworn enemies and childhood lovers, soulmates and epic messes, they couldn’t live with or without each other. The longing, the passion, the intensity, the angst, the epicness. LIKE THERE ARE NO WORDS!!!!

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Si Yuan, Shen Manqing, Love in Between - I loved them as much and often more than the main OTP. So much angst and passion and a happy ending! She is a seeming sect darling (except the sect is horrible and also sexist so her only worth is as a marriage candidate) and he’s an information broker who is actually one of the members of a destroyed sect that’s blamed for the massacre of her family. That chemistry and yearning is insane. The scene where she touches his face when he’s unconscious was in serious running for my favorite scene of 2020.

NOTP

Legend of Awakening - I have never seen a couple that didn’t just have no chemistry but exhibited actual revulsion towards each other before watching Chen Feiyu and Cheng Xiao try to act as lovers in this one. It was almost entertaining to be honest.

FAVORITE SCENE

It’s a tie and both are from The Wolf. One is a sequence where Wolfie marches to the walls alone, seeking death at Xing’er’s hands and the whole sequence with the battle and rescue follows. The other is the intercut between Xing’er going to her wedding and Wolfie going to his execution, and the auto-da-fe being intercut with her wedding.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Wolfie, The Wolf - Ummm have you seen this tumblr lately, it’s basically a drool shrine to the man.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yelü Yansage, The Legend of Xiao Chuo - I have loved this actor since The Myth and he continued to competently steal every scene he was in.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

To Love - come out of the coma, dammit!!!!!!!

NEEDS A DIRECTOR’S CUT

The Wolf - duh. It started out as 59 eps and got cut to 49. I reaiize some stuff is never gonna get put in due to censorship, but some of the stuff that got cut got for time reasons because they were deluded and hoping to get a TV broadcast so ep count had to be under 50. I mean I doubt the censors would care if they kept scenes of Wolfie building her a swing or whatever. I really really want a director’s cut the way Goodbye My Princess did even if like with GMP it’s only three extra eps. Hell, I will take extra three minutes, as long as those three minutes are Darren Wang shirtless or with a sword. Ahem.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

The Song of Glory - it’s a fairly solid drama but honestly it didn’t need to be as long as it was and kind of got draggy and I got lost interest. (I could have gotten snarky and said all the dramas I didn’t like needed scissors taken to them in their entirety but decided to play nice.)

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

There are a number of dramas I could complain about with regard to this (hi there, darling The Wolf!) but this award goes to Renascence - poor Renascence was never going to be a masterpiece, but it had the potential to be a bit of good cheesy fun until it had its run time cut by more than half and became an incoherent piece of insanity.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Dumb shrill innocent heroine who can’t tie her shoes - see basically all the cdramas I didn’t like this year.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Male lead torture - I mean it’s always open season on that in cdramas, but between Love and Redemption, The Wolf, Love Lasts Two Minds, Love in Between and so on, it was a banner year!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Legend of Fei - what a waste of that cast; what a waste of our finite time on this Earth. What a waste of my intelligence to hope for something better and stick with it for a dozen eps. I have had stale wonderbread that had more personality than this drama.There is absolutely nothing that stands out about this drama in any way, from half-dimensional characters, to actors who are sleepwalking, to a plot that moves at the speed of an arthritic snail, to uninspired cinematography and direction, to lack of any chemistry between anyone in the cast. If paint-by-numbers was done by a group of particularly linear robots, it might come across the same way as this drama.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

The Wolf - honestly, I did not expect it to come out AT ALL EVER let alone to become my favorite drama of 2020. I was not familiar with the leading man (hahah), I liked Li Qin but wasn’t yet obsessed with her, and Xiao Zhan was excellent in The Untamed but I was hardly going to follow him from drama to drama (and I don’t do SLS any way.) And the trailer was enjoyable but unlike seemingly everyone, I didn’t think it was going to be some epic masterpiece. And then it came out and while it wasn’t objectively an epic masterpiece, it pulled out all the favorite tropes, shippy and narrative kinks from the deepest darkest recesses of my id. And I fell harder than I have in years.

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

Novoland Eagle Flag and Joy of Life - they are in my Top 10 dramas from anywhere now. They are quite different except being smart and giving me protagonists to obsess over.

ETA: Also The Untamed because @idlewilds3 pointed out I actually watched it in 2020 even though I didn’t think so because this hellyear has lasted about three decades.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

I am gonna limit it to dozen and leaving out ones that aren’t necesarily supposed to air next year (Joy of Life 2, Love in Flames of War, Novoland Princess from Plateau.)

Monarch Industry, Novoland Pearl Eclipse, Silk Washing Stream, Dream of Changan, Sword Snow Stride, Wu Xing Shi Jia, Ancient Love Poetry, Immortality, The Long Ballad, Mirror Twin Cities, The Imperial Age, Fall In Love

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linxuelian · 4 years

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I found a Chinese BL Warring States Game of Thrones, three years older than The Untamed

And I just had to write a review about it! It’s 60 episodes long so I haven’t finished it yet at the time I’m writing this - but I decided to just go ahead and recommend it anyway.

Why, you ask?

For one, it’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms with all the Hollywood action and adult HBO things. It’s got explosions:

Horses falling down:

People getting flogged:

Sweaty soldiers getting mauled to death:

Children used as hostages:

Dead bodies presented in court:

Stylish dye jobs:

Loving father figures:

A Jon Snow lookalike:

And very gay innuendo:

That’s right, unlike The Untamed, which was first written as a straight series featuring Wen Qing as the main female lead and then rewritten again after fans of the novel decided to boycott it, this series was written to be gay from the very beginning. It got taken down by the Chinese Censorship Board after twelve episodes and river-crabbed to death, but a good number of scenes survived censorship. Those that did not made it to BiliBili in the form of “hidden” videos and disguised as “music videos”.

That’s not all. For a warring period Wuxia series, it’s got very beautiful actors, backdrops and clothing. It’s dressed like a fairy tale, with different kingdoms sporting different colours and styles in fashion and tastes.

In terms of art direction, it’s pretty low-budget for a series but the team makes good use of existing props, locations and brighter-coloured fabric to make up for the quality. The costume design is more fantasy-based than period, and the vivid takes and angles in the first season add to its charm.

There’s also its complex story line, which brings us to...

Men with Swords is not a title for the faint-hearted. There is an acute absence of black-and-white morality depicted in it.

If you think a BL series with such beautiful backdrops and fairytale-like clothes is for the simple-minded, one-track-good-vs-evil sort, think again. The series is a tale about Murong Li, a vengeful prince disguised as a musician and his rise to power, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

Where The Untamed fails at delivering gray morality unlike the novel it’s adapted from, choosing to alter its script to fit a more general audience (a commercially-wise decision which got it into Netflix), Men with Swords succeeds in faithfully telling a tale where there is no good or evil, only humanity, jealousy, grudges, rebellion, loyalty, life, death, greed and love.

Everyone has both good and bad sides, just different camps and motives. Men with Swords tells the story from not just one person’s perspective, but from the perspective of many different people, all of whom become entangled in a battle for their figurative Iron Throne - to become the king of the world.

There are no “what ifs” in this story, only decisions, reactions and repercussions

A prevailing theme in this series is that there are no “what ifs” and no turning back in life, only things that have happened and will happen. Murong Li starts his journey as a prince who has lost everything and a victim of war, wandering around for three years while being put down and getting sexually harassed, eventually losing it, taking his chances and hardening his heart as he walks down his conniving, badass path of destruction towards the top.

Men with Swords is not a series for the faint-hearted. It’s a game of chess where the main character, Murong Li, is cunning and decisive, cold and ruthless and many recurring characters die horrible, sudden deaths, friend and foe alike, a la Attack on Titan.

The series is filled with political strife and warfare, peppered with some sweet, comedic and romantic undertones. There is a stark contrast between fluffy and dark in its narrative, which is pretty refreshing overall.

With that all aside, I know what you’re probably scrolling down for:

The main characters and their boyfriends

This is it. This is what you’re here for. Most “BL” series are actually bromances, but the real upside for a BL fan is that this show is not a bromance - it’s a BL title, and even with censorship, the love stories prevail.

I’m going to put this under a cut because it’s LONG AF, but what that means is that there is a LOT of BL content available, and not the type that you have to hunt for. They’re very open about it.

While the show itself has a lot of ships, there’s a larger focus on three main ones, namely the beautiful Murong Li and two powerful kings, the fairy-like Ling Guang and his servants, and King Jian Bin with his general.

Murong Li: Da Ji 2.0 and his rich and powerful kings

If you’re a Jin Guangyao fan, you’ll probably enjoy Murong Li and his elegant, charming viles and ruthless scheming. He’s a surprisingly good fighter too, and unlike most elegant and waif-like beauties in dramas and novels alike, he’s a beauty with brains who uses his physical weakness as his strength, bending and seducing his way up to power.

Murong Li only really goes after rich and powerful people, worming his way into the kingdom and taking them down from the inside. Two main love interests are King Zhi Ming, the childish but rich king of Tianquan:

And Yu Xiao, a powerful barbarian king with a soft heart:

Murong Li, while wandering around as a musician, picks up many tricks along the way to hone himself. He’s adept at dressing up, making himself look helpless and alluring to bewitch powerful men, for one:

See that small smile right there? Yes, our boy knows what he’s doing.

Aside from that, Murong Li’s also pretty good at manipulating people by using their jealousies and insecurities, getting them to fight with each other over him.

Murong Li, although modeled after the cruel and beautiful Murong Chong, the Emperor of Wei, is likened to Da Ji, the favorite consort of the King Zhou of Shang. Da Ji was said to be a malevolent fox spirit who started the art of foot-binding to hide her fox feet. Everyone else looking in can see it, but the King was blinded, just like Murong Li’s powerful love interests. In fact, the series draws a direct parallel to it:

The Guo Shi here uses the term “yao”, which alludes to a malevolent spirit.

It’s not that Murong Li doesn’t have a weakness, though. Just like every Jin Guangyao has a Lan Xichen around to cause him to slip now and then, Murong Li surprisingly is weak towards the most naive and childish character in the series, the truant King Zhi Ming, whose only qualities are having purple bangs and being rich and playful.

No matter how calculative and ruthless Murong Li is in the series, he does end up almost slipping up and giving everything away when it comes to this bumbling fellow:

He’s saved only at the nick of time by one of his followers. Murong Li tells a lot of lies, but the one thing he can’t lie about are his feelings towards King Zhi Ming, who is ultimately the one thing he can’t give up next to his kingdom.

There’s a lot more one can write about a complex character such as Murong Li, but the second ship is just as good. It features:

Ling Guang: The Ex-Arrogant Depressed Hamster hung up over a dead ex

Ling Guang, the mortal enemy and foil to Murong Li, is a baby-faced, very-much-older-than-he-looks character whose sole purpose in this series is to wear frilly magenta clothing, destroy the kingdom of Yaoguang, set Murong Li down a path of vengeful destruction and piss off eligible, probably younger bachelors by comparing them to his very handsome, very loyal and very dead boyfriend, his personal guard, Qiu Zhen, who died sometime over thirteen years ago.

The bachelors’ pissed off takes to this are particularly priceless:

Here’s another one from season 2:

That HMPH face is to die for.

Ling Guang’s delusions are met head-on by these eligible bachelors, his ministers and his allies alike:

Only to be met by a, “haha, NO.”

Frustrating, right? It only gets worse as the series progresses. Due to Wuxia’s fantastical existence of sword souls, he begins to actively test his subjects out to see if they’re his dead boyfriend, whose sword soul is still alive:

Gu Shi’an: WTF.

So why do these eligible, handsome bachelors, particularly this guy from season two, jump at his lap every chance they get?

First off, he’s very, very pretty. He’s arguably the prettiest and fanciest king in the series, with a cute rounded face, favoring fluffy organza, frills and feathers in his garb, and sporting fabulous curls like that of a swan princess on a good day.

Secondly, and more importantly, it’s likely because he’s the type loyal dogs adore.

He’s stupidly and openly attached to his bodyguards and servants, unable to hide his feelings or control them. Ling Guang’s relationships are technically the opposite of Murong Li’s. While Murong Li hides his feelings and goes after men of power and tends to use them before leaving them, Ling Guang’s willing to sacrifice everything, including his kingdom, his health and his own life for men who are merely servants.

He's a king who doesn’t know proper protocol. He’s the type who’ll demand to eat with you at the same table:

Creeps outside the palace to see you off:

Hugs your sword around like a pillow while he waddles around listlessly and sleeps with it by his side after you’re long dead (grand total: 13 years):

Coddles you when you’re sick:

Takes arrows for you:

Isn’t afraid to cry and tell you how it is:

Faints violently and won’t rest until he can get your stolen body back:

The results?

If he’s not what loyal bodyguards like, I don’t know what he is. If Murong Li’s love interests have to pit themselves against each other to show how useful they are for his sake, Ling Guang’s love interests need to wrestle with a dead man he can’t let go of... which is hopeless, because you can’t kill a guy who’s already dead.

As a foil to Murong Li, what’s also interesting to note is that it’s alluded to and foreshadowed that he’s exactly the sort the loyal Yu Xiao, the current barbarian king, would have loved to have as a lover - honest, loyal and doting - unlike Murong Li himself. Gongsun Qian, a deputy minister with great foresight, had wanted Ling Guang to go to see the new barbarian kingdom, but he had refused to go outside the palace, shutting himself inside like an otaku. This decision ultimately gave Murong Li a step forward with his plans, at the great cost of four kingdoms, including his own.

Jian Bin: My boyfriend can (REALLY) fight

Next up is Jian Bin and his general. Jian Bin’s the king of Tian Ji, a new kingdom founded by astrologers. The catch here is that Jian Bin and his boyfriend, Qi Zhi Kan, are both men of science, and this tank of a boyfriend is a genius on the battlefield who doesn’t give a single shit about star signs, astrology and superstitions.

A story between a serious, loving king and his handsome general who was once a simple sword-maker in the woods, King Jian Bin meets his handsome ex-lumberjack boyfriend when he’s attacked, falls down from his horse and is rescued by the man himself.

Jian Bin then brings the guy back to his palace and dresses him in armor:

This puts the king’s general on the war path of several ministers and the superstitious people in their kingdom. As lovers, the two go through various trials together in an attempt to run their kingdom their way.

Qi Zhi Kan may seem like a herbivore in front of the king, but he’s really not one at all. He’s terrifying to a degree when it comes to warfare, and very, very difficult to take down. Unlike the other ministers, Qi Zhi Kan knows that he can expand the kingdom quickly and solve problems by waging war.

Even his allies are scared of him:

Ultimately, it’s a ship meant for those who like watching the king teasing his loyal subject and caressing armor whenever he’s around AND not around. Jian Bin even admits to it on-scene:

This loving and devoted couple were originally blessed as the ones with the most piggyback scenes, tender bandaging-your-chest and armor fondling, but they got censored unfortunately.

Scenes like these made the cut, though:

And that’s it! There are actually other minor ships, but these are the main ones for now.

If you’re sold and interested in the show, the series is available online on Rakuten Viki. https://www.viki.com/tv/35524c?locale=zh

#bl series #chinese bl #series recommendations #c-drama #men with sword #chinese period drama

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greycappedjester · 3 years

Note

Since I log the fanfictions I read, I’m realizing that June 19th marks the first day I read one of your fics! I read All in the Cards and was blown away by the storyline. Then, I continued to read your HQ series, the other cards fics, and your Dr.STONE fic too. I want to read your DC fics as well. I don’t know much background on it though, so I’m working on it. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your writing and how it has honestly made this past year a lot better. With all that being said though, what’s your favorite thing/theme to write in each of your individual series? Like world building, relationships, etc.? Also, what inspired you to write in the first place?

Ahhh, thank you so much! This is honestly such a sweet ask and I am so, so glad that I could make your year better.

For what's my favorite thing/theme to write in each series, that's a tough one as a lot of times in changes; but, after thinking about it, I think these are my favorite things overall for each....

(I also thought I'd do something fun and put what my favorite line to write was in the last few chapters for the ongoing works. I always wonder what lines are people's favorite so figured it would be fun to add mine)

Hq at Hogwarts: I really love writing Oikawa and Hinata's relationship. Which is kinda an odd thing to say since they purposefully only have a few conversations spread out through each story. But, they're my two favorite Hq characters to write hands down and so I absolutely love showing them as foils to each other in the series. That said, I also love writing them (and especially Oikawa and Suga) as foils/parallels to the Giant and Hisashi (Suga's grandfather). I love both foil relationships and writing parallels between generations--especially if the next generation is completely unaware/uninformed of the previous generation's mistakes

Favorite Recent Line to Write: Kenma met his eyes and his voice broke: “Why am I the only one you have to hide?”

*Note: Okay, technically not the most recent chapter but fun fact: I wrote the Kuroo/Kenma conversation waaaay in advance and used it a lot as a reference to where I wanted this relationship to be headed and I viewed this line as one of the biggest break points (along with "I am waiting" from the dance)

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Cards: This one is the most tricky for me to think of one since it changes a lot. I love doing the world building for this one (like the huge long time line I have for the history of the country). I love writing fantasy politics. As I consider a Hearts Civil War story more, I'm getting back into the groove of just really love writing Oikawa's complicated relationship with being King. And, of course, I love writing Tsuksihima and Hinata's relationship

Favorite Recent Line to Write: Oikawa swept across the office, never seeming to pause for even a second as he pointed a quill at Iwaizumi. “So, tell me, are invasions just like a semi-annual thing?”

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The Hq/Scooby-Doo AU (Investigations Inc.): the humor and banter

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Walking With My Eyes Open: I think this might be my favorite romance thing I've ever written. I really, really wanted to show a view of romance that emphasized the choice to be in love (and the work that goes into a functioning relationship). I especially wanted to do this with Hanahaki since this trope is so tied to the forfeit of choice on the patient's end and the inherent unfairness/weight on the person they're in love with. Couldn't imagine it with any other characters but Senkuu and Gen tbh.

Favorite Recent Line to Write: But, human shoulders weren’t meant to bear the expectations of divinity.

*Note: Lol, this scene got cut and reworded so many dang times in editing, the one thing that stayed consistently I feel like is me really wanting to keep this specific line

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After the Fall of Olympus: Three things and I find it really hard to pick which one is my favorite.

(1) I love that this story format lets me show the slow growth/aging of Dick as a character and (I hope) that each chapter shows how he's grown to the point that Dick at age 14 in Ch. 1 is noticeably younger in internal monologue than Dick in his 20s in the latest chapter.

(2) I love writing tricky political/social issues where all characters have their points and there truly is no write answer...with that, I love writing Dick and Jay Garrick's relationship.

(3) If I had to pick, I don't know if it's my favorite but I think it's the most important element of the story. I very much wanted to show a more realistic view of grief where it feels like the world ended; but, it's not actually an apocalypse. They recover. At the start of the story, it is without a doubt the lowest/most devastating point, but they rebuild. It's slow and there's set backs but they are rebuilding a world that isn't (and shouldn't be) the same but is there and is new and is important. I know a lot of stories that focus on grief view it as a tragedy and an end which it is in a huge way. There's the phrase "it gets better" but a lot of times I think it's viewed as "things will go back to what they used to be" which is understandably hard for people to believe because a lot of times, it fundamentally is impossible for what's lost to be regained. That doesn't mean it's the end of everything. I think sometimes we forget that the previous world (be it actual in this story or what feels like the entire world) may not exist anymore but something different can still be built. The new world and old should never be compared because they can't be. It won't be the same. But, it can be good and they can be happy.

Which is honestly the recovery of what Dick Grayson, to me, should represent rather than the constant grief/vengeance of Batman.

Favorite Recent Line to Write (technically the last line here, just doesn't make sense out of context)

“You need someone with you. I’m not just leaving you alone!” Selina shouts.

“No? Why not?” Dick spits back. “You’re so good at it !”

Selina flinches back and Dick is viciously, painfully glad.

“You don’t get to care just when it’s convenient, Selina,” he says and it hurts, a wound that’s never going to heal. “I needed someone eight years ago. I needed someone when Bruce died, when Batman was gone, and the city was falling apart, and you weren’t there. You didn’t call. You didn’t check on me. You didn’t even say bye. And that’s fine. I lived, I rebuilt it.”

He steps away. “But, you don’t get to come back now and pretend it never happened. I don’t have to let you just because it hurts either way.”

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Flash Facts of Bart Allen: Lol, what might be my least popular but in my opinion best written story. Favorite thing is Bart and Len's relationship hands down, followed by showing Bart's relationship with how he navigates the weight of the Flash legacy while feeling like he's fundamentally different than the Flashes that came before.

Partly since this is getting so long and partly because personal story, I'm putting why I started writing under the break.

I started writing for a lot of reasons.

My first fic--and the first book I ever finished--was the first Hq at Hogwarts story (Mirror of Erised). For background, I started the story when I was in my first year of getting my master's degree (which was surprisingly a lot less busy than my undergrad for a number of reasons but me getting sidetracked into that is a whole other ask about grad school).

My first reason I started writing was that I had more time. I'd had the idea for the story for years; but, I finally had enough details that I was like "okay, now, I gotta write it" so I did. I'll say exactly what the final straw was when I actually get the series finished since it's a major spoiler.

My second reason probably didn't consciously occur to me at the time but is what I consider the most important reason I write and continue to write. I fundamentally want to write stories that make people's days better. It doesn't have to be anything big; I just really wanted to write the kind of story that people could get lost in for a few hours when they're scrolling through AO3 and looking for a distraction. I wanted to write something with happy endings.

Here's the more personal part. I really don't mean this in a sad way so please don't take it as such. However, when I started writing and posting, my dad had just died completely unexpectedly a few months earlier and right before I had to move cross country for masters. It was definitely a hard time (though I had friends and a good support network, again please don't worry--it was years ago now). But, writing then definitely helped me be in a positive happy attitude while thinking of plots and friendships in my favorite anime that always puts be in a better mood.

My point here is that while that was never the reason that I wrote, it's something I reflect on a lot for why fanfic can be such a positive force. Someone can have either the worst day ever, a mildly inconvenient day, or a perfectly fine day and still want distraction. To have a community with both writers and readers interested in the things you're interested in. To have a site where fic can be easily shared and for free. There's something just wonderful about that.

So, most of all, why I write: I want to show people that care about each other. I want to make someone's day better and often that day is mine.

That's really all there is to it.

#atfo #hq at hogwarts #cards #wwmeo

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littlyon · 4 years

Note

I would love to hear your rant about your hatred for the concept of literature

Okay. So here’s the thing about literature and why I hate the concept of Literature with a capital L. Bear in mind this is an American perspective.

Generally speaking, when your average Joe talks about “literature”, they’re referring to the material that was taught in high school: old, dry, pretentious, written by middle-aged white men, etc. Now, that’s not always the case anymore (for instance, we read The Hunger Games and The Book Thief in a couple of my English classes, both modern), but even so, the general cultural understanding of literature derives from what people are taught, which tends towards that type of content.

When you get into higher academic circles, the concept is even more solidified. There is so much criticism and theory out there about what Literature is, and what qualifies as Literature, and there’s an incredible amount of shame leveraged towards people who argue against what’s been normative over the past century. Think about how much vitriol the Twilight fans got, or the embarrassment at admitting you read fanfiction in non-online circles. A lot of that is sexism and homophobia, since society in general really doesn’t like it when media is aimed at women or queer people, but those societal pressures are part and parcel with how we define Real Literature.

Academia overall is a male-dominated and male-created field. What is canonized as Real Literature by the literary field is largely material that appeals to that demographic. Books written by straight white men about straight white men are the most prominent (i.e. Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby). Works predating 1900 come next (i.e. Jane Austen). Following that come works by marginalized groups about being marginalized (Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, etc).

That’s not even getting into genre; it’s very rare to see anything other than realistic or historical fiction considered Literature, unless it’s suitably old. Aasimov and Heinlein count, Tolkein sometimes counts, Dracula and Frankenstein count, but modern scifi and fantasy rarely enter the conversation when you talk about Literature. “Genre fiction” is a derogatory term in academic circles, or at least a disrespectful one.

Now this is not to say that books considered Real Literature are inherently bad, or that you shouldn’t read them. There are things to gain from Austen and Salinger. The issue is that in mainstream academic circles and cultural consciousness, we don’t look beyond these Officially Canonized works when discussing literature. (Incidentally, this is why I studied Comparative Literature instead of English Literature; the body of work that’s looked at is much broader, and allows for more nuance, plus the focus is on examining the interplay of culture and literature. A lot of what we read in CompLit classes would not have counted as Literature by mainstream academic standards.)

So why is this a problem? Well to start with, it limits the lens through which people see literature, and thereby the lens through which people see the world. There’s a pretty common response teachers will give when asked why students have to read all this stuff, which is that literature helps us understand culture. This is true. However, if your window into culture is the pen of a straight white man from the 1960s, you’re not actually getting an accurate fix on the culture of wherever the book is from. If the point of literature is to learn about the rest of the world, you need to be able to access multiple perspectives, not just the perspectives deemed acceptable by high academia.

But accessing those perspectives is hard, because they’re not respected by high academia. Works that fall outside of the Literature definition are less likely to be considered important enough to distribute across language lines. Now, there’s a bit of an exception for English literature here, since that’s what dominates the market; there are plenty of translations of English YA and scifi/fantasy and romance novels etc. It’s the other way where it suffers. Non-English literature is just as important to the world as English literature, but because the market is dominated by English, they don’t get as much traction. I have no idea what, say, a teenager in France reads, let alone China or Saudi Arabia - countries the English-speaking world has less of a boner for. The to-English translation market is more geared towards the classics and Literature than it is towards popular fiction.

The other big issue with the perception of literature forwarded by academia is format. Throughout this I’ve been talking about books and the written word, which is an incredibly Western perspective. Literature encompasses so much more than that. Typically literature is defined as “written works”, but that eliminates a great body of work that by all rights should count. I would say that a better broad definition would be “composed works”. A folktale doesn’t become literature when it’s put to paper; it was already part of the literary canon of its culture before it was validated by ink.

This focus on the written word stems largely from colonialism: the counterpoint of “civilized” vs. “uncivilized”, with written tradition being seen as one of the signs of civilization. There is a lot of classism and racism inherent in the academic definition of literature, since it tends to rely on the novel, the short story, the essay, and the poem as its main components. Any type of media or method of storytelling or conveying information that isn’t one of those four aforementioned formats has a hell of a time being seen as anything but “popular literature,” if the word “literature” is appended to it at all. This especially applies to methods of storytelling that do not jibe well with being written down; oral storytelling traditions are usually not considered Literature, or often considered sophisticated. Hell, songs are barely considered literature; there was a big controversy over Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize For Literature back in 2016 because people weren’t sure his works should count.

But under the paradigm of literature as “composed works”, a lot of media that isn’t typically considered literature becomes so. It gives us that broader perspective on the world. It’s incredibly damaging to discount pieces of a culture’s history or storytelling simply because they don’t fit into the narrow definition of Literature as put forth by Western academia. And that’s why I hate the idea of Literature as a concept: it asks us to set guidelines for what should be respected, and what should be discarded. Capital-L Literature inherently sets itself as superior to everything else, and defines itself as What Should Be Focused On. Anything not included in that is derided and disrespected, and because of what doesn’t fit, it contributes to the derision and disrespect of marginalized groups and the devaluing of their narratives and experiences.

#hi welcome to my blog have some literary criticism essays #seriously though the whole idea of literature vs non-literature is pointless and meaningless and makes us all the worse #my words #literature #discourse #original post #MAN it feels good to write about lit again though i have missed essays #never thought i'd see the day but here we are i guess

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somegirlsnerdywords2 · 4 years

Text

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a A!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Acchi Kocchi (TV) (Place to Place):

Genres: slice of life, comedy, romance, school

Synopsis: Feelings may come and go, but true love always remains in the heart. Tsumiki Miniwa is in love with her best friend, Io Otonashi. For her, confessing is nearly impossible; but to her friends, they seem to be the perfect match. Cute and petite, Tsumiki comes off more as a friend, and Io's attitude toward her is friendlier than toward others. Despite the constant teasing and obvious hints that his friends have been dropping, Io always seems to miss the signs. Throughout her everyday school life, Tsumiki spends time with her friends and Io. Will she finally muster enough courage to confess her true feelings? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2012 with a total of 12 Episodes.

My Thoughts: It’s been ages since watching this one so I can’t say I remember it well but the rating tells me it was at least partway decent and I imagine I thought the animation/ character design was rather cute (though not to my usual tastes). A feel good sort of anime with cutesy romance? If any of you guys have watched this anime and have anything to share feel free to send it my way so people can make an informed decision before viewing if they so wish!

Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn):

Genres: action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, romance, shoujo

Synopsis: Princess Yona lives a life of luxury and ease, completely sheltered from the problems of the seemingly peaceful Kingdom of Kouka; however, the sudden murder of the king and betrayal of her beloved cousin Su-won places Yona's life in mortal peril. Forced to escape only with Son Hak, who is both her childhood friend and bodyguard, the naïve princess soon discovers that Kouka is not the idyllic place she envisioned it to be. Poverty, strife, and corruption run rampant, making reclaiming the throne nothing more than a wishful fantasy given the kingdom's current state. Based on the popular manga of the same name by Mizuho Kusanagi, Akatsuki no Yona follows Princess Yona on a coming-of-age adventure as she faces the harsh realities of her kingdom. With only a mysterious legend to guide her, Yona must discover a way to restore Kouka to its former glory while being pursued relentlessly by the forces of the new King of Kouka. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7.5/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 24 episodes.

My Thoughts: I recall having an issue with the pacing in the beginning but an overwhelming love for the sheltered to fierce main character and reverse harem vibes with all those pretty men. The artwork was nothing special most of the time, being rather muted and the themes were hit and miss but overall I recall this being a rather decent series. That being said, I was far more generous with my rating of the manga, which is still ongoing and a great series to read!

Akiba's Trip The Animation

Genres: action, comedy, supernatural, ecchi

Synopsis: Otaku siblings Tamotsu and Niwaka Denkigai are shopping in Akihabara when it is overrun by vampiric cosplaying monsters! These creatures, known as "Bugged Ones," can possess anyone they bite and soon they begin causing mayhem across the city. As Tamotsu finds himself at the mercy of one of these creatures, he is rescued by the mysterious baseball bat-wielding Matome Mayonaka. Together, they fight through several more encounters with the Bugged Ones, but before long, Tamotsu is fatally wounded protecting Matome. With no other choice, she revives him as a high level Bugged One—just like her! Tamotsu and Matome, along with excitable otaku cosplayer Arisa Ahokainen, make up the group "The Electric Mayonnaise" and they begin dispatching the Bugged Ones in the only way they know how: by ripping off their clothes and exposing them to sunlight! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 4/10

Finished airing in 2017 with a total of 13 episodes.

My Thoughts: That’s a hard no from me. Would not suggest this one. I was drawn in by the art/ animation/ character design and just didn’t know when to quit. Not worth the time it takes to finish the 13 episodes in my personal opinion.

Amaama to Inazuma (Sweetness & Lightning):

Genres: comedy, slice of life, seinen

Synopsis: Since the death of his wife, Kouhei Inuzuka has been caring for his young daughter Tsumugi to the best of his abilities. However, with his lack of culinary knowledge and his busy job as a teacher, he is left relying on ready-made meals from convenience stores to feed the little girl. Frustrated at his own incapability to provide a fresh, nutritious meal for his daughter, Kouhei takes up an offer from his student, Kotori Iida, to come have dinner at her family's restaurant. But on their very first visit, the father and daughter discover that the restaurant is often closed due to Kotori's mother being away for work and that Kotori often eats alone. After much pleading from his pupil, Kouhei decides to continue to go to the restaurant with Tsumugi to cook and share delicious homemade food with Kotori. Amaama to Inazuma follows the heartwarming story of a caring father trying his hardest to make his adorable little daughter happy, while exploring the meanings and values behind cooking, family, and the warm meals at home that are often taken for granted. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12 episodes.

My Thoughts: Heartwarming and painfully sweet. A story about family with a culinary twist. Lovely artwork/ animation/ character design which perfectly compliments the characters and story. A great one to watch if you’re looking for something light but capable of tugging at your heartstrings a bit.

Amagi Brilliant Park:

Genres: comedy, drama, fantasy, magic

Synopsis: Seiya Kanie, a smart and extremely narcissistic high school student, believes that the beautiful but reserved Isuzu Sento has invited him on a date at an amusement park called Amagi Brilliant Park. Much to his chagrin, not only is the location a run-down facility, the supposed date is merely a recruitment tour where Sento and Princess Latifa Fleuranza, the owner of the theme park, ask him to become the park's new manager. Their cause for desperation? As stipulated in a land-use contract, Amagi has less than three months to meet a quota of 500,000 guests, or the park will be closed for good and the land redeveloped by a greedy real-estate company. Seiya is won over by the revelation that Amagi is no ordinary amusement park; many of its employees are Maple Landers—mysterious magical beings who live in the human world and are nourished by the energy created by people having fun. Entrusted with the hopes and dreams of this far-off enchanted land, Seiya must now use his many skills to bring Amagi back on its feet, or watch it crumble before his eyes. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7.5/10

Finished airing in 2014 with a total of 13 episodes. (Also has two OVA’s/specials)

My Thoughts: An interesting setting and a cute male lead made even better thanks to the excellent art and character design. A decent comedy with art/ animation/ character design that was right up my alley.

Amnesia:

Genres: reverse harem, mystery, romance, fantasy, josei

Synopsis: After fainting at work, a young lady awakens in the back room of the café she works at with no memory of her life or those around her. Two of her friends, whom she soon learns are named Shin and Toma, are called to help her get home safely. Once she is alone, she meets a spectral boy named Orion that only she can see and hear. He explains that she lost her memories because of his chance visit to her world, so he vows to help her remember who she is.

However, regaining her departed memories without worrying those around her may be more difficult than she realizes. In addition to the gloomy Shin and the protective Toma, she must be wary of arousing the suspicions of the captivating Ikki, the quick-witted Kent, and a mysterious man who lurks in the distance. As her amnesia entangles her in the lives of each of these men, her fragmented memories return piece by piece, and the mysteries of her circumstances slowly come to light.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 3/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 12 episodes.

My Thoughts: A blank piece of paper for a female lead and cast of potential suitors that range from kind of crappy to the creepiest of creeps. What isn’t there to love? I vaguely recall my reverse harem kick where I consumed each and every reverse Harem I could get my hands on, hoping that at least one of them would be properly satisfying... They never were. Don’t even bother watching this one. You know unless what I described above is your sort of thing.

#acchi kocchi #akatsuki no yona #anime ive watched #akiba's trip the animation #amaama to inazuma #amnesia

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sharp-teeth-and-archived · 4 years

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐀 𝐑𝐏 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓 / 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄.

First and foremost, recall that no one is perfect, we all had witnessed some plotting once which did not went too well, be it because of us or our partner. So here have this, which may help for future plotting. It’s a lot! Yes, but perhaps give your partners some insight? Anyway BOLD what fully applies, italicize if only somewhat. Long post!

MUN NAME: Bambi / Eden AGE: 18 CONTACT: IM, Ask, Discord (search discord up on my blog)

CHARACTER(S): a shit ton

CURRENT FANDOM(S): Dragon Age, rdr2, assassin’s creed, star wars (sorta??)

FANDOM(S) YOU HAVE AN AU FOR: Modern verse, r.dr2, da, skyrim (haven’t touched my bio for it for a while so I may have to touch it up a bit) and that’s pretty much it for any au verse. They’re just crossover verses.

MY LANGUAGE(S): English.

THEMES I’M INTERESTED IN FOR RP: FANTASY / SCIENCE FICTION / HORROR / WESTERN ( my brand ) / ROMANCE / THRILLER / MYSTERY / DYSTOPIA / ADVENTURE / MODERN / EROTIC / CRIME / MYTHOLOGY / CLASSIC / HISTORY (my 2nd brand) / RENAISSANCE / MEDIEVAL / ANCIENT / WAR / FAMILY / POLITICS / RELIGION / SCHOOL / ADULTHOOD / CHILDHOOD / APOCALYPTIC / GODS / SPORT / MUSIC / SCIENCE / FIGHTS / ANGST / SMUT / DRAMA / ETC. ( I’m open to most things, it just depends on plot & muse )

PREFERRED THREAD LENGTH: ONE-LINER (it happens but I tend to not favor it) / 1 PARA / 2 PARA / 3+ PARA / NOVELLA. / ALL

ASKS CAN BE SEND BY: MUTUALS / NON-MUTUALS / PERSONALS / ANONS.

CAN ASKS BE CONTINUED?: YES / NO / OCCASIONALLY - only by Mutuals?: YES / NO

PREFERRED THREAD TYPE: CRACK / CASUAL / SERIOUS / DEEP AS HECK. / ALL

IS REALISM / RESEARCH IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN CERTAIN THEMES?: YES / NO.

ARE YOU ATM OPEN FOR NEW PLOTS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.

DO YOU HANDLE YOUR DRAFT / ASK - COUNT WELL?: YES / NO / SOMEWHAT.

HOW LONG DO YOU USUALLY TAKE TO REPLY?: 24H / 1 WEEK / 2 WEEKS / 3+ WEEKS / MONTHS / YEARS. / DEPENDS ON MOOD AND INSPIRATION, AND IF I’M BUSY

I’M OKAY INTERACTING WITH: ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / A RELATIVE OF MY CHARACTER (AN OC) / DUPLICATES / CROSSOVERS / MULTI-MUSES / SELF-INSERTS / PEOPLE WITH NO AU VERSE FOR MY FANDOM (really depends on if you have oen in mind and we discussed it, it’s just not posted) / CANON-DIVERGENT PORTRAYALS / AU-VERSIONS.

DO YOU POST MORE IC OR OOC?: IC / OOC. ( varies, but overall I tend to post more ooc? )

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WITH FOLLOWING OTHERS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.

BEST WAYS TO APPROACH YOU FOR RP/PLOTTING: im me or talk to me over discord

WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HOLD TOWARDS YOUR PLOTTING PARTNER: Not too much? I’d like for there to be a plot in mind, but I can understand if that’s not the case. I’ve had instances where I want to interact with a character, but have absolutely no idea in mind. Usually sendign in an ask meme can help in that regard.

WHEN YOU NOTICE THE PLOTTING IS RATHER ONE-SIDED, WHAT DO YOU DO?: I strive to not be one-sided myself, but I do have instances where I can’t think of anything. I’m not sure? Maybe ask the other person if they’re into it or if something else is at play (dealign with real life problems and it just affects their mood voerall).

HOW DO YOU USUALLY PLOT WITH OTHERS, DO YOU GIVE INPUT OR LEAVE MOST WORK TOWARDS YOUR PARTNER?: I always try to give ideas of my own if I have any. Coming to a equally agreed, general idea is fine. I’ve had instances where I was on both sides of this, but I always try to add input and be equal with the other person.

WHEN A PARTNER DROPS THE THREAD, DO YOU WISH TO KNOW?: YES / NO / DEPENDS. - AND WHY?: Sometimes I don’t notice it, but sometimes I do. Generally, I like to know, but I understand if someone doesn’t wan tto reach out. Just at least try to let me know and we’re fine.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD YOU TO DROP A THREAD?: It depends really. Sometimes I just don’t have muse for a thread, or an instance where I have dropped a muse entirely. Sometimes it can be timing, but that’s rarely the issue. Most of the time it’s just I can’t think of anything and I feel like it hasn’t really gone anywhere? I have stuff in my queue for a while, so soemtimes it appears that way until it’s posted and I’m sorry about that.

WILL YOU TELL YOUR PARTNER?: YES / NO / DEPENDS. ( I do have instances where I was forgetful and I haven’t told my partner int he apst adn I’m sorry about that. )

IS COMMUNICATION IN THE RPC IMPORTANT TO YOU? YES / NO. - AND WHY?: I don’t need to be tlaked every day, but stronger friendships ( ooc & ic ) are formed when I talk to a person. It doesn’t need to be often, but it helps me understand your chaarcter and your approach. With that, I can come up with ideas and understand you rmuse more. I understand if people aren’t fond of ooc chatting, that’s completely understandable to me.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH ABSOLUTE HONESTY, EVEN IF IT MAY MEANS HEARING SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU AND/OR PORTRAYAL?: Criticsm is a good way to grow. Criticsm is different from completely bashing a perosn’s portrayal and not giving any pointers (ex: “your portrayal sucks.”). Or even for a person. If you feel like I am portraying something wrong, like depression or something similar, let me know. If you feel like Lydia’s adhd isn’t properly portrayed, let me know.

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE SUCH SITUATION IN A MATURE WAY? YES / NO.

WHY DO YOU RP AGAIN, IS THERE A GOAL?: All of my muses are written and taken an interest in for different reasons, sometimes I don’t even know why I decided to write them. I roleplay because I love exploring different characters and dyanamics and it’s easier for me to write like this than forming my own story. But a goal in mind? Be a good rp partner I guess? Or at least try to make things interesting and try my best to portray my characters correctly or in an intruiging manner.

WISHLIST, BE IT PLOTS OR SCENARIOS: Varies on muse. I have different plots in my wishlist tag: ( wishlist ).

THEMES I WON’T EVER RP / EXPLORE: Potential triggering content ahead. Rape, noncon, abuse, incest, drug use -not alcohol- ( lyrium I can write fine, it’s just the realistic stuff I can’t do. ), inappropiate under age stuff. Themes where I write a stalker. Sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and racism will never be mentioned by any of my characters. I won’t write smut probably ever, so themes with that I tend to not write. Very likely more, I just can’t think of anything. Within dragon age, I do have a characetr ( Sera ) who will refer to elves as elfy-elves and be pretty anti-elf, which can be triggering to others. Also, animal abuse or gore of any kind.

WHAT TYPE OF STARTERS DO YOU PREFER / DISLIKE, CAN’T WORK WITH?: I can’t work with starters that don’t really have any dialogue (handing something over with nothing vocally said is fine, but when someone is just sitting there, that’s harder to work with unless somethign is plotted). Generally, I like outside circumstances to be explained (locaiton, where in a game/setting this might be occuring, etc), I really like when dialogue is added and body landguage is explained/noted.

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE MOST?: Honestly? it varies. I tend to really be into deep, complex characters or characters that appear can be sterred in that direction with more added. Bubbly, energetic characters, fighters (typically female). Quick witted or flirty characters & mysterious types.

WHAT TYPE OF CHARACTERS CATCH YOUR INTEREST THE LEAST?: I hate using the term but mary-sue/gary-sue. I hate saying that, but if a character has no flaws, I won’t be interested. Or characters that seem to just be placed there with no development.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRONG ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: I try to add as much effort, or at least a lot of effort, in replies & interaction. I am very open-minded and when I get passionate about soemthing, you can really tell. I am easy-going, so feel free to tell me if you want to drop a thread or have a concern. I tend to work well of other’s people’s ideas, usually able to add my own.

WHAT ARE YOUR WEAK ASPECTS AS RP PARTNER?: I am slow and my queue tends to be slow since I try not to overhwelm myself and stress myself out to the heavens. I try to reach out, but sometimes I just can’t think of anything to say. My muse can be very flickle at times, so replies to stuff can vary. My msue tends to be more for ask memes than replies at times.

DO YOU RP SMUT?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.

DO YOU PREFER TO GO INTO DETAIL?: YES / NO / DEPENDS.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH BLACK CURTAIN, FADE TO BLACK?: YES / NO.

WHEN DO YOU RP SMUT? MORE OUT OF FUN OR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?:

ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO RP THERE?: all of it

ARE SHIPS IMPORTANT TO YOU?: YES / NO

WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BLOG IS SHIP-FOCUSED?: YES / NO. ( I love ships, but I am selective with it and require chemistry -unless I know your muse and you occ super, super well-. It’s nice but it isn’t he full focus of this blog. I want to explore my characters and witness other people’s characters and their development. )

DO YOU USE READ MORE?: YES / NO / SOMETIMES WHEN I WRITE LONG STUFF.

ARE YOU: MULTI-SHIP / SINGLE-SHIP ( Jacob ) / DUAL-SHIP — MULTIVERSE / SINGLEVERSE.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO EXPLORE THE MOST IN YOUR SHIPS?: Varies on muse, but for my rdr2 characters I’ve been really wanting a sorta of “outside” character where they aren’t directly involved in the gang, but they are in a relationship with oen of their members. Where my muse,w hose in the gang, will tell you rmuse about it and the whole aftermath of everything. Where their partner will understand to an extent, but try to undestand? if that makes sense? I also want enemies to work on a job/project together and deal with that. But this all also varies on muse.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS?: YES / NO / DEPENDS. ( I find it easier to write to assume people knwo each other, but an immediate friendship isn’t required. Like my muse may know yours or hear about yours, but they haven’t directly met you before ).

► SECTION ABOUT YOUR MUSE.

- WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOUR MUSE INTERESTING TOWARDS OTHERS, WHY SHOULD THEY RP WITH THIS PARTICULAR CHARACTER OF YOURS NOW, WHAT POSSIBLE PLOTS DO THEY OFFER?: I have a large amount of different muses, but all of my muses all bring something new to the table. Want a guy who seems nice, but can be an asshole with a flick of a dime, who has a secret betrayal plot hidden behind his back? Pick Robert. Want a guy who’s humurous but seems to be hiding under a fake persona? Pick Charley. Want a female assassin who’s very talented anr professional in her work to a fault with her work-alcoholic ways? Pick Evie. Want a sweet and caring character with a heart of gold and will give you advice and comfort? Pick Cassie It depends on the plot, too, but I try my best to add as much to reply to to another. If you ever want more added, tell me! I could give multiple plots, so it’s really hard to put something down.

WITH WHAT TYPE OF MUSES DO YOU USUALLY STRUGGLE TO RP WITH?: If someone isn’t interested or outwardly hateful of my muse without a valid reason when starting to interact. Beign enemies is fine, but maybe we could write how it became that way? This really varies, so don’t let this steer you away. Just give me something to work with, brign soemthing to the tbale, and I’m usually fine.

WHAT DO THEY DESIRE, WHAT IS THEIR GOAL?: Varies on muse. Robert: fame/recognition, a legend made out of him. Charley: just to live life happy? He wants to be okay money-wise. Evie: to take down the Templars & help the people of London, not fail and always be successful and outwit her foes. Cassie: everyone around her happy. Sean: His gang to be successful, btu also be sucessful himself, he wants to be admired as well.

WHAT CATCHES THEIR INTEREST FIRST WHEN MEETING SOMEONE NEW?: Just using the same muses lmao. Robert: Someone who just listens to him and isn’t quick to make fun of him. Charley: If they have a sense of humor and someone he can stand, he’s pretty much fine tbh. Evie: If they can give her any information or aid with her cause. Cassie: How they are feeling. If they let her just listen and seem more open than closed off. Very personality-based. Sean: soemtimes looks, but mostly if they have a similar personality as him.

WHAT DO THEY VALUE IN A PERSON?: Evie: devotion, kind spriit, efficiency, loyalty. Robert: willingness and empathy despite having little himself. Charley: Honesty. Cassie: Consistency. Sean: reliability.

WHAT THEMES DO THEY LIKE TALKING ABOUT?: generally all of them like books (except Sean), events around them, their interests.

WHICH THEMES BORE THEM?: For half of them, anything mundane or boring. Anything that isn’t relating to anything that’s spoken around / surrounds them.

DID THEY EVER WENT THROUGH SOMETHING TRAUMATIC?: Robert & Charley (more Robert) witnessed a murder, Robert actually doing that act. Cassie: hearing about the violent nature of her father’s death. Sean: the things he went through with the bounty hunters.

WHAT COULD LEAD TO AN INSTANT KILL?: A gunshot or anything that could overpower them.

IS THERE SOMEONE /-THING THEY HATE?: Sean: rich people, Scots for some reason, English people sometimes. When someone disagrees with him on soemthing he is passionate about. Pronouncing and Irish word wrong. O’Driscolls & anyone that’s an enemy of the gang. Evie: Templars, Starrick & Lucy Thorne. People who lie or misled her or others. Injustice. Robert: Someone makign fun of him tbh. Charley: People who don’t plan out anything or are really reckless.

IS YOUR MUSE EASY TO APPROACH?: YES / NO. - BEST WAY TO APPROACH THEM?: Talk to them. Initiate a conversation. Pretty much that across the board.

SOMETHING YOU MAY STILL WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT YOUR MUSE?: None of my muses are perfect. Some are worse than others, but generally msot of my muses will listen to you and usually be nice to you if you appraoch them well. All my muses are different from one another, so expect different results / reactions

CONGRATS!!! You managed it, now tag your mutuals! ♥

TAGGED: stole it

TAGGING: steal it and pelase tag me ! I want to see your results

#( ooc )#( psa )#// long post #( this was really fun tbh )

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saladejin · 4 years

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Writing Tag Game ❤

Thanks dippie (@bangtanloverboys) for the tag 🥺

I might put a read more since my answers were a little on the lengthy side, but I love and appreciate everyone who follows me and thought you guys might want to know a little more about me, so here u go

^-^

What is your ideal setting for focusing on your writing? - When I actually do write (oops), it tends to be in my bedroom. Somewhere comfy and quiet where there are not many opportunities for people to interrupt. I also pretty much always write at ungodly hours too ... something about being a night owl and finding solace in the peace of nighttime I guess? My brain juices A C T I V A T E.

What is your favourite genre to write? - Whew, well I guess I love writing fluffy romance scenarios (you see a lot of canon-compliant stuff in my masterlist), or domestic fluff with some angst and sometimes smut sprinkled in there. Lately though, I’ve been mad interested in fantasy/supernatural/adventure tropes, they seem so fun to play around with. (also idk if slow-burn is a genre but I CAN’T HELP IT WHEN IT COMES TO SERIES).

Do you prefer to write on paper or digitally? -Oh digital for sure. I need to be able to edit and fix mistakes from the get-go otherwise I’d be wayyyy too frustrated. I use pretty notebooks for ideas and brainstorming though 🥰

It’s the middle of the night and you suddenly wake up with an idea. What do you do? - You bet that bitch is getting written right then and there ... if I can, at least. This kind of thing doesn’t strike me too often, so that’s why I’m not dishing out fics like it’s some kind of buffet, but the inspiration 9 times out of 10 hits me when I’m travelling - from overseas holidays to a simple road trip. If i can’t write it in that moment, I’ll make an elaborate plan in my notes app or write it in my physical planning notebook. (P.S - Most likely I’ll be trying to sleep at night and keep coming up with ideas for the same fic. lol, when you trade sleep for writing bullet points in your phone a hundred times a night u go a little crazy 🤪)

Who is your favourite person to write about? - Well I really do enjoy writing about OT7, but it does take a lot of time and management to get perfect in one fic, so I’m not really sure if I can say it’s my favourite, even if I do love it to bits. I think my answer to this could be Seokjin, because I love coming up with witty crackhead-ish dialogue (and we all know how he can be a muse in that aspect). Other than that, maybe Jimin because his soft, affectionate and playful personality just gets to me. I love writing it so much 😭 (Yoongi is a close second).

Do you like making your own characters, or do you usually write about real people? -When it comes to OC’s, I tend to only implement them if they move the plot forward or provide some kind of benefit/dilemma to the overall story and characters. I’m not one to really enjoy manifesting a bunch of characters on my own, because my brain would never be able to keep track of everything (without extensive planning that I just don’t have the energy for lmao). That’s why I turn to fanfiction 😄 Using real people allows for more creative freedom regarding other aspects of writing, such as plot and world building, character dynamics, even genres. If you have a grasp on a personality of someone real out there, it can become easy to make characters (that u base off that person) seem more dimensional and human. And that opens many doors with putting those personas into various situations. Writers can practise consistency and development, until one day they feel confident enough to branch out and write their own characters into a completely new story. BUT THAT’S NOT SPEAKING FOR EVERYONE! Fanfiction is purely whatever you want it to be for you haha. A lot is just self-indulgent because we love the people we write about. I get it, and I’m very much the same lol (damn who said people couldn’t ramble in tag games? because I sure as hell just did oopsies).

Have you ever written a book/story with more than 15 chapters (100K words)? -Haven’t reached that word count quite yet, but CAU is in the 90k range and there are 20+ chapters ... so not far off 😗

How often do you get ideas? -Hmm well I’ll admit it doesn’t happen often on my own. The ideas I have that materialise out of nowhere ALWAYS want to be some kind of long series, because I can’t help myself (and that’s why I hold off on posting wips). But occasionally a one-shot/short chaptered fic idea might strike me. Oftentimes when I ask for requests I get motivated to really brainstorm and plan something, but I think that’s just because there’s some kind of set goal at play. Someone requests ‘fluffy honeymoon seokjin with some smut’ and I instantly try to plan for what I can do with that specific idea, if that makes sense. I do requests here, but keep in mind I’m not the fastest writer!

Do you ever get an idea that you really like, but just can’t seem to finish? - Please sjsjsjjshdkjsh, I think many of my mutuals on here can vouch for the way I scream and fuel on people’s ideas, but struggle with writing or finishing anything of my own. I go through literal writing bursts, and that means I can generally get down as many as 5-10k words in one sitting, but then also have long breaks in between. IF ONLY MY IDEAS WEREN’T SO SLOW-BURNING 😩

What is your least favourite plot? - There’s not much I don’t enjoy if it’s written well tbh (except yandere maybe). But the clichéd plots that revolve around many high school AU’s usually annoy me to no end (tedious jealousy and stereotypes etc.). I also detest when the main conflict of a plot is centred around a massive unnecessary misunderstanding, and there’s all this pain for no reason. I have to prepare for angsty plots anyway because I don’t want my heart hurting in general, but those get me MAD.

#tag games #kat plays #moots #I'M SORRY FOR THE LONG ANSWERS LOL

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thephonyones · 4 years

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Korean Drama Series (K-Drama) Recommendations

I can’t say I’m an expert when it comes to K-Drama series because I haven’t seen a lot as compared to most K-drama addicts out there; but I guess I have seen a fair share of this phenomenon.

A little background, I’m in my 20s and I have heard and seen a number of K-Drama series since grade school days. There are few that I have seen during grade school and high school years and a couple, I guess, during college. Then this hiatus continued until early 2017, from then on I have watched more.

If I were to be asked what are my criteria in selecting a series to watch, I would answer – (1) from my friends’ recommendations, (2) genre (although I do not have a particular genre) and (3) actors and actresses involved.

Among all the K-Drama series that I have seen so far, here are my recommendations (in a slight particular order):

1. Reply 1988 (2015)

Number of episodes: 20

Starring: Lee Hyeri, Park Bogum, Go Kyungpyo, Ryu Junyeol and Lee Donghwi

Where to watch: Netflix

There are five main characters, who are also neighbors, in this series and the story focuses on their friendship, families, romance, and growth, basically their lives, not to mention the 1988 setting and Korean culture it has shown.

It has the right amount of romance, drama, comedy and thrill. The story is quite slow-paced but take a deeper and closer look at the content. The way the story is delivered and laid down in this manner helped its viewers understand, absorb and appreciate the main plot and the corresponding life lessons, especially the family related ones.

I have seen this series twice and I still felt the same awe, while watching it again, and the same nostalgia, after the last episode. I will not forget the last episode and the last scene (having goosebumps while writing this) because this drama made me feel that I am with them throughout their story and that as it ended so is their company with me.

In terms of the technicalities of dramas, Reply ’88 is visually pleasing from the setting, the color, the MUSIC and of course the actors. The actors, from the ones acting as parents to the cute child ones, are so good on their roles which made the delivery of the story more effective.

Overall, watching this series is one hell of a crazy ride, because it’s too real and relatable, plus the lasting nostalgia and confusion after the last episode.

For more details

2. What Happens to My Family? (2014)

Number of episodes: 53

Starring: Yoo Donggeun, Kim Hyunjoo, Yoon Park and Park Hyungsik

Where to watch: Youtube

I watched this series because I became a big fan of Park Hyungsik. I wasn’t expecting too much but, boy, I did not know that this is going to be a pretty good one, considering that it has 53 1-hour long episodes and I only know Hyungsik among the casts. I swear, this is a must-watch!

The series is about this family (obviously) the father, his children and their own stories plus other branch of this family. Same with Reply ’88, this series has the right mix of every emotion you’ll need – love (in different forms), humor, pain and curiosity.

I am currently rewatching this series for the second time, no regrets, it is still this sweet the second time around.

I did not mind the length of this series because it is too entertaining, although I had to be mindful of the painful scenes. I would agree with most commentaries on WHTMF, “one minute you are laughing, the next minute you are crying.” No complaints though, because it is worth it.

I have to say, the story and the main plot is quite cliché, common and predictable but it did not suck, because delivery and timeline is well written and it is something that we should all be reminded of from time to time, not to mention the great acting the actors did. Again, they can make you laugh and cry and they feel so real. By the end of the show I loved not only Hyungsik but the rest of the casts as well.

This is another must-watch because of how real and relatable this drama is. Everyone, I am calling out everyone, should see this series as it can touch any family’s core while making you laugh with the company director-secretary love story.

For more details

3. Hwayugi or A Korean Odyssey (2017)

Number of episodes: 20

Starring: Lee Seunggi, Cha Seungwon and Oh Yeonseo

Where to watch: Netflix

Cinematography-, acting/actor- and story-wise, this series is a bomb. It’s a fantasy series based on a classic Chinese novel. The story revolves around a girl with “sixth sense” and the supernatural entities (deities and demons) she has encountered, mainly the Monkey and the Bull Kings. Their main purpose is to eliminate evil in the human world. It’s a complicated story to summarize, but the series delivered it well.

I believe that the main plot of this series can be analogous to the real world in terms of the good and bad deeds, karma, god, heaven and hell concepts. I find this analogy meaningful because it generally applies to our world right now. Aside from this analogy, I like the fact that this is a romance series, but it is not too emphasized, although the story revolves around this. I like the frenemy relationship of the two kings as well as the stories of the side characters. Humor is also well inserted.

As mentioned above, cinematography is great since this is a fantasy series. Actors are all well-rounded ones, especially the two kings.

If you are looking for a good fantasy, romance, light comedy K-drama series with real life application, please include Hwayugi.

For more details

4. Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)

Number of episodes: 16

Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Goeun, Lee Dongwook, Yoo Inna and Yook Sungjae

Where to watch: Netflix

Goblin, another fantasy, romance, drama, comedy series, made me go back to the K-drama realm in 2017.

This drama tells the story of this immortal guardian and his mortal bride and the struggles they faced within their love story. The concept of reincarnation is present and the twists are commendable. There are also notable side stories and unforgettable friendships. I like how each character, despite the differences jived well.

Visually speaking, Goblin is too pleasing from every angle, not to mention the good-looking actors and actresses, who are also very good in their roles. Soundtrack is also very catchy and beautifully incorporated.

I believe, most K-drama watchers have already seen Goblin, but for the new ones try starting with Goblin since this worked for me because this is absolutely a breathtakingly unique series.

For more details

I realized that there are two categories in my recommendations, one is the realistic ones and the other the fantasy ones. I should say, I prefer the realistic/relatable ones over the fantasy concept. Both Reply 1988 and What Happens to My Family are very holistic – complete package. As for the fantasy ones, Goblin’s complexity and concept are actually quite similar to Hwayugi, but watch them both as they have different impact.

Special Mentions:

1. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017)

Starring: Park Boyoung and Park Hyungsik

This one is too cute and fun to watch. If you are looking for an entertainingly light romantic comedy, try this series.

2. Lovers in Paris (2004)

Starring: Park Shinyang and Kim Jungeun

Before all these series mentioned above, I have seen Lovers in Paris through my young eyes and I can’t explain more. It’s a must watch classic K-drama series.

I have made these recommendations based on their story and overall impact – the values they have shared with me. I hope I can impart with you the same values as you run through my recommendations. 끝

- TPO

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haloud · 5 years

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,signoraviolettavalery reblogged your post and added: “if I tell you all that destin and evan have the biggest malex energy...”

what is this, I want to know everything??????

ldfjdl ldkjf ok SO

shattered realms is a 4-book fantasy series. it follows a previous series by the same author, the seven realms series, but knowledge of one isn’t necessary for the other (in my opinion), you just might miss some of the worldbuilding. It’s full of mystery and magic and intrigue and all that good good fantasy stuff, ft. a grieving prince who has to choose between his equal talents as a healer and a poisoner, a feral dragon girl who finds a family, a really great ensemble cast, lots and lots of overcoming the burdens left behind by the previous generation...

and most importantly

my very bad awful terrible son Destin who became spymaster to one-up his very jesse manes-esque father and snatch some power of his own.

The boy was tall--taller than Evan--and, though he was slender, he looked to be all muscle. His sun-streaked brown hair was mussed, like he’d just climbed out of bed. Though he couldn’t have been much older than Evan, he carried himself like someone who’d been shaped by a lifetime of discipline--chin up, shoulders back.

[...]

Destin continually honed himself like a weapon for a war he knew was coming. He was intense, driven, restless, and very, very private. Their conversations circled a courtyard of unstable ground where secrets bubbled constantly...

and my less bad (but still kind of bad) son Evan, who is a pirate lord hunted for the very rare talent of being able to control storms/the weather. All he wants is a little peace from the people hunting him, but unfortunately his feelings for a certain someone keep getting him in hot water in other parts of the world...

“Destin didn’t insist on coming with you?” Evan asked, reclaiming his seat

Teza shook his head. “He said he could be of more use to you in Ardenscourt.”

“Not if he’s dead.”

“He says he has no plans to be dead, my lord.”

I don’t want him to be of use to me, Evan thought. I want him to forget about me. I want him to kill that monster of a father, leave Arden, and find a house by the sea.

I want him to be happy.

Basically, things about malex that these two idiot disasters share:

a constant self-destructive need to sacrifice for each other

an inability to communicate the fact that they want the same things

a trauma-informed belief they can’t be together until every thing that might try to tear them apart (again) is dead

soldier locked in rapidly escalating personal warfare with a father who hates him falls in love with another boy who always has to hide something about himself for fear of losing his freedom or life

BUT in the spirit of total honesty

destin and evan are not the (only) main characters of this series, even though they are my favorites

this series is not at all a romance series. destin and evan’s relationship is definitely a background element to the plot even though it vitally informs both their characters

there are a LOT of characters which means less time and space for my terrible sons

my terrible sons also spend a fairly sizeable portion physically separated and pining for each other but also doing Plot Things. more plot things than pining. terrible oversight imo

OVERALL

it’s really well written with a good combination of action, emotion, political intrigue, family drama, and dragons

it takes place in a really interesting fantasy world, and the author is a veteran of the genre who knows how to set a scene without bogging the reader down in flowery description

destin and evan both live, no worries there

i love it a whole lot

#signoraviolettavalery #lkfjdlfjld LONG POST let me explain to you my passions #nattering

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kiseopingu · 5 years

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Yoooo o/ 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 13, 15, 25 & 38 for the writer ask thingy? 😊

Yooo Nya, thank you for the ask

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

It’s not necessarily my “comfort zone” because writing anything is challenging, but something that gets me really motivated and makes me genuinely happy to write is, usually : magic of some kind, or at least a fantasy-ish environment, action packed, with a lot of character interactions and usually a romance that makes me swoon, generally in a light-ish tone that can and will get darker at times, but always with hope

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I am SO ASHAMED to have to say this, but I think I’d want to try my hand at writing an A/B/O fanfic? /sweats/ As for original writing, I am currently thinking over a soulmate related work, which I can’t wait to explore!

5. Share one of your strengths.

It’s always hard to realize your own strengths... I think I’m pretty good at writing action-y things? I love battles of all kind.I also think I’m pretty good at RP-ing and creating believable character reactions when I’m immersed enough in said RP! I try to implement it in my novels as well but it’s more difficult since you have to play not just one part but multiple.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“Un bruit sur sa gauche lui fit faire volte-face. On se jeta sur lui. Il esquiva. Fit face à son ennemi, les dents serrées et les poings levés. La créature n’était pas humaine. Sa forme était à peine humanoïde, enveloppée dans un linceul de noirceur, se balançant au gré du vent, laissant passer la lumière à travers son corps, révélant l’image trouble de la forêt derrière elle. Le jeune homme fronça les sourcils, laissant un sourire acre étirer ses lèvres. Si quelqu’un avait pris la peine de semer cette forêt de sortilèges de protection, c’est qu’il devait s’approcher de son but.La silhouette passa à l’attaque, se jetant de nouveau sur lui. Il évita les mains tendues de justesse, frémissant à l’idée d’entrer en contact avec les appendices capables d’infliger une brûlure lancinante. Son ennemi vacilla un instant, oscillant entre deux états. Existence et néant. Une fois de nouveau solide, la silhouette repassa à la charge.Cette fois, il ne lui laissa pas le temps de réagir. D’un bond souple, il se glissa sous son bras, encercla son visage, et trancha sa gorge, comme il l’aurait fait sur toute autre cible. Le sortilège eut un cri glaçant, inhumain, lui vrillant les tympans. Puis il disparut, comme de la poussière emportée par le vent.”

- Prologue from “Orb’s Quest”, my latest Fantasy novel

I wouldn’t say it’s the thing I’m the proudest of, but I didn’t have time to sift through all my recent writing lmao. I do think, however, that it’s pretty representative of my style, especially since it’s a battle scene. I just really liked writing about my son beating the shit out of humanoïd spells (and then getting himself beaten to an inch from death lmao)

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“Stiles’ fingers trail against where the hole had been, only a couple of minutes earlier. His fingers are light as feathers, and Derek shivers. “It’s skin that magically heals itself,” he whispers. “I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times, already, with the rest of the pack but… I don’t know, it always feels so strange, to see a wound, even as important as this one, close in seconds, and leave no traces of it behind.”“We never have the scars to show for what we went through.” Derek’s voice is low. He’s talking to himself, mostly. There’s a weight in his chest, as he does.“Well, that’s too bad. I always thought scars were kinda badass,” Stiles huffs, dropping a quick kiss to Derek’s forehead. And just like that, the weight is lifted.”

- from “Gates of Thorns and Bones”, a Sterek fanfiction (set to publish in Summer 2020 at the latest)I just... you know what, that whole fic just KILLS me, but when I wrote that piece of dialogue for Derek? I punched myself in the gut with it. So yeah, I’m pretty dang proud of it!

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

“Just write.” Sometimes I get so caught up in overthinking my writing that I forget that if I DON’T write, it’s no use at all. And also, everyone has their own rythm. It’s okay if you don’t write every single day. If you write 500 words every couple of weeks. At the end, you’ll still have a book.

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

Original fiction : “Sea’s Song”, without a fucking doubt. But I’m BIASED. (There isn’t enough pirate media out there ok. I NEED MORE. If I have to make it, so be it.)

Fanfiction : On the one hand, I’d freaking KILL for a Captive Prince adaptation, so any of my CaPri post-canon fics... on the other hand, I worked SO HARD on “Gates of Thorns and Bones” and poured SO MUCH of myself into it that I wish I could have it in film format (with the original actors, of course! I’m sure I can rope Tyler Hoechlin into filming this lmao!)

25. What do you look for in a beta?

Someone like you But like, if you want a serious answer: someone that’ll catch my grammatical/syntaxe/overall purely word-ish errors as well as continuity/character development/worldbuilding/plot holes. A Jack of all trades of a sort! That’s what I tend to provide when I beta for someone, so I expect it if possible.(Keep in mind this answer is mostly for original fiction. For fanfiction, since I’m just having fun, I already count myself lucky to have anyone reread my shit and correct my mistakes lmao)

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

I’ve been getting SO MUCH love for “Echoes” in the past few days that I am a literal MESS over everyone just telling me how thankful they are that I decided to pick this concept up.Original fiction wise, I think I’ll never be over the couple of reviews I got on two short stories I sent in for a competition. I didn’t win or anything, but the reviews were very well thought-out and very uplifting, telling me I had written great things and interesting concepts, and that I’d go far if I kept this up. I’ve got them somewhere in my e-mails, and I know if my book submissions to publishers get rejected, I’ll be able to reread them to make me feel great again about my writing!

Thanks for the ask Nya, you’re the best!

#Nya #Lovely convos with lovely people #Ask #Writing #My Writing #About Me #Gates of Thorns and Bones #LQDO

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hardnoctlife · 5 years

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About Me

Me: Oh, sweet, I have time to write on my WIP!

My brain: Let’s answer these author-asks instead that NOBODY asked for:

Fandom Questions

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

FIRST, first? InuYasha! First one I wrote actual fanfiction for? I think that was Yu Yu Hakusho.

2. What is your latest fandom?

Final Fantasy XV (if you couldn’t already tell.)

3. What is the best fandom you’ve been involved in?

Final Fantasy XV. I haven’t met a person I don’t like! Generally everyone is super nice and supportive.

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

Supernatural, maybe?? Only because they killed it with too many seasons…and there are some pretty weird fans.

5. Which fandoms have you written fanfiction for?

Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII, Legend of Zelda, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, InuYasha…maybe some others when I was younger?

6. What are your OTPs from your current fandom?

Promptis and Gladnis

7. List your NoTPs from your current fandom

ArdNoct is my least favorite, but everyone is SO shippable…

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

One of my good friends, Claudia, was obsessed with the game so when I finally got a PS4 I started playing and got hooked! I’ve played final fantasy games since I was young so I was already a fan of the others.

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

I know there are dark sides to every fandom, but seriously, FFXV is the most kind and receptive fandom I’ve ever been a part of. I have a discord group chat with several people and we talk all day, everyday about anything and everything and I’ve made some really good friends from it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

10. Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

I’m actually not a huge reader of fanfiction (I know, it’s awful), but that’s because I’m too busy writing my own! I do read FFXV fanfiction that gets recommended to me though.

Author Questions

11. What’s the first fanfic you ever wrote?

It was waaaaay back in high school. I can’t remember much, but I know it was a YYH high school AU.

12. Is there anything you regret writing?

Eh. Not really. I had fun with everything I’ve done so that’s what’s important, even if my skill was cringy back in the day.

13. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of and explain why you like it.

Insomnia High School! (Really, my whole FFXV high school series). It’s the first set of long-fics I’ve written in probably over a decade, and I wrote them while recovering from knee surgery, which kept me sane because I’m a super active person and not being able to do anything had me depressed. IHS I’m particularly fond of because it’s a little edgier and I got to feature Zidane from FFIX who is probably one of my favorite video game characters of all time! Also, it’s my longest fic I’ve written, but it was maybe the easiest for me to get through. It really just flowed for me, and even though it’s not my most popular, I put a lot of heart into it.

14. What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

Probably Dawn of the Godslinger, simply because it was the first fic I wrote after a ten-year hiatus from writing!

15. What’s your most popular fanfic?

Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between. It’s probably my second favorite thing that I have written, and it was definitely the most fun to write out of all my current works.

16. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

Uh… they just come to me? Some are pretty straightforward (like Insomnian Academy for the Elite), and then for others I try to pick the main theme and come up with something witty, like Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between, which is meant to reference all the different domestic life scenarios and the ‘slice of life’ vibe.

17. What do you hate more: coming up with titles or writing summaries?

SUMMARIES. God, they suck. I’m really not sure why they are so hard, but I struggle with them at times.

18. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story/stories, which story would it be and what would it be a picture of?

I have been blessed with talented artist friends who have done fanart for several of my works! If I’m being selfish though, I really want some from Rain or Shine or The Long and Short of It All with all the bros being cute and silly.

19. Do you have a beta reader? Why/why not?

My wife is an editor with an MFA so she is my beta reader/editor (I’m very lucky). Overall, I think it’s important to have someone check your work and give you objective feedback. No one is perfect and there is always room for improvement.

20. What inspires you to write?

There are endless possibilities in my fandom…it’s pretty easy to stay inspired. But really, I just enjoy it.

21. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

I have received a lot of super nice comments… I think I enjoy when people are inspired to write or draw their own stuff because of something I wrote! Also, when people told me they cried or FELT some sort of strong emotion, that’s the greatest compliment.

22. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you?

Omg YES. Music inspires me more than anything else. I have playlists for just about every fanfic I write! I’ll often listen to a playlist on repeat while I’m writing or throughout the day when I’m brainstorming ideas.

23. Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics, or HUUUUUGE epics?

A little bit of everything! Depends on how I’m feeling and how much an idea takes off.

24. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

I think it’s around 88,000

25. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

I walk the line between drabbles/one shots, but usually they’re just a single scene I wanted to get out but was too lazy to put into a larger story.

26. What’s your favorite genre to write?

Probably angst, with fluff/romance being a close second.

27. First person or third person- what do you write and why?

Both! It just depends on how I want the fic to be interpreted/felt by the reader.

28. Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

I try to use canon characters as much as possible, but I don’t have an issues creating OCs if the need arises.

29. What is your greatest strength as a writer?

People have told me they like my dialogue and also the little subtle details/body language I include.

30. What do you struggle with most in your writing?

Probably pacing, especially towards the end of a fic when I get excited about finishing it. Also, I don’t usually write outlines so sometimes I can dig myself into a hole plot-wise and my wife (editor) has to help get me out. (thanks babe!)

31. What is your all time favorite fanfic?

Probably “Such Is Us” by surveycorpsjean. It’s what inspired me to write my own OT4 fic for FFXV.

32. If someone wants to read one of your fanfics, which would you recommend to them and why?

Honestly, all of my stuff is so different it would really depend on the person! But my favorites that I’ve written (in order) are: You’re My Cup of Coffee, Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between, and The Insomnian Academy for the Elite.

33. Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why or why not?

Of course!! As a writer, I love when people comment on my stuff so I feel it’s important to do the same for others.

34. Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

If they do, it’s AWESOME and I really appreciate. If they don’t, that’s their choice! I believe in writing for myself, so I’m not going to base my worth as a writer on kudos/like/reblogs, etc. It does give me the warm fuzzies when people leave sweet comments though <3

35. Rant or gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction.

Okay, so, smut. I like it! IF I’m in the mood for it. If I read a smutty fic and I knew what I was getting into, it’s great. However, I tend to not like s*x just for the sake of s*x in my fics. I try to focus on emotion and WHY two characters might be getting physical rather than just throwing something in there because I think it will get my fic attention. When people put in a s*x scene that doesn’t further the plot it’s a major turn off for me.

#ao3 author #hardnoctlife #hardnoctlife ao3 #fanfiction #asks #final fantasy xv

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gigilberry-wips · 5 years

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11/11/11 Tag

I was tagged by @kaptune in this post, thank you!

I am now exactly half way through the second draft of my WIP Thrown For A Loop, so I feel more comfortable doing one of these.

1. Did you have alternate ideas for your wip that eventually didn’t make it in the story of were exchanged with a better scene? If yes, tell us one or a few that you left out (could be a character too or a name)

A: Oh, I’ve had quite a few of those. Like, I had to rewrite the intro more than a couple times because the first time I started off in the wrong place, then because my main character was info-dumping and making no sense, and then because I mis-characterized my characters and had to write more about them and develop them properly before I could go back and write it again.

I wrote a few scenes that felt off to me because some of them relied on harmful and misinformed troupes, while others were not true to my characters.

I remember at least 2 instances where I actually tried to write scenes that had been inspired by scenes I’d read in books many years ago. For example, there was a scene that I’d based loosely off of something I’d read in a Terry Pratchett book where my main character confided in another because the character she was talking to was so calming and easy to pour her heart out to.

But that didn’t seem to fit somehow, so I flipped the entire thing around. Instead of being calm and happy while confiding in the character, my girl was instead very upset. She was angry! She was scared and confused and frustrated and no one was telling her anything! It was unfair and she made sure to say so! Now that felt more in line with what she’d been going through, especially when a person she didn’t know told her that they’d been looking after her when she’d been so sure that she was all on her own the entire time and then this person showed up late and said all these pretentious things, like how they’ve been trying to help her and how much they cared about her. Of course she blew up. It helped her feel much better after she did, but that’s how it went down and I’m pretty happy with it.

2. Do you have a specific audience in mind for your wip?

A: Teenagers ranging anywhere from 12-18 can read this! :D There’s no cursing or mature themes in it, no violence whatsoever, and it fits pretty well into the general audience category. It’s an urban fantasy adventure, first and foremost.

But I would recommend it specifically for the teenage age-group, because the main character herself is a teenager and deals with the growing pains of being at that age, which hopefully many of them can relate to.

3. Is it important to you that your wip has a moral or a message?

A: I suppose so. I think so. What I’d initially wanted to write for this story was something fun. I’d also wanted to write a story where my main character is wholeheartedly and unapologetically loved, by her friends, by her family, and by all the people who claim they love her.

As I’ve written this story, I find that if there are any messages that I want to reach the readers no matter what, it would be: 1) it’s alright to reach out for help if you need help. You don’t have to climb to some threshold of being “deserving” of help or “proving” yourself worthy. It’s not a bad thing to rely on the people who love you to help you. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. and 2) there’s always more than one kind of strength, some more obscure than others. Look out for them.

4. What kind of relationships do you like writing the most (romantic, platonic, familial, etc.)?

A: I love writing friendships. I’m all about the friendships, I love them so much. I especially love writing friendships between young girls and teenage girls because I never saw that anywhere growing up. I especially want to write about friendships that involve girls who look like me, who are asian like me. And they don’t have to be young girls! I want to write about the friendships between old women, middle aged women, young women, all the women! I want to write lots of this so that there’s more of it in the world!

I love writing healthy family dynamics! I love writing scenes of platonic intimacy. It’s so, so rare for me to read about asian families and poc families where there are healthy family dynamics. I am hungry to write about families that are supportive, loving, happy. I wish I could write faster just so I can write more of them!

I want to write lots of stories where women who look like me fall in love with men who cherish them and are proud of them. Whether the relationships they have are goofy or awkward or competitive or soft, I want to write healthy romances that are based on friendship, respect, and trust that is earned. I want more sweet, wholehearted romances, and I want all of them to have woc.

5. What kind of research have you done for your wip?

1) I remember one fateful day when I researched the fruit festivals that occur in France, particularly the orange festivals in the south of France

2) I’ve learnt a LOT about flowers, like the kinds that grow commonly in northern regions or which can be found during autumn or in the late part of the year, the kinds that can go in tea or can be baked into foodstuff, the kinds that hold special meanings, lots of fun things

3) I asked some questions regarding sensitivity and miscellaneous cultural details to a fellow asian writer to make sure I didn’t do anything particularly upsetting

4) general writing advice like how to make a compelling story narrative, writing dynamic characters, about story beats, how to keep a plot moving, etc.

5) my story takes place in the early 2000′s. I myself am a millenial/gen z hybrid. And yet, I have very hazy memories of this time. I’ve looked through so many, so many, of those “you know you’re a millenial if”, “young millenial aesthetic”, “remember back in 2005 when we had-”, “being born in the 1990s like”, etc. And I’m still not sure if any of it’s helped =_=“

6. If your wip became very successful would you want to make a movie adaptation? why or why not?

A: Heck no. A graphic novel maybe, but a tv or movie adaptation? - absolutely not. I feel like it would have a lot of inaccuracies in how the characters are portrayed, I feel like they’d focus on all the wrong things and none of the right ones, and most importantly I’d be scared that they wouldn’t get the feeling right, because the feeling is very, very important to me.

7. Did you have alternate title ideas for your wip?

A: I don’t believe I did, no. I thought about what to title, a pun came to mind, and that’s what I went with.

8. What has been the hardest part about writing your wip so far?

A: Convincing myself I’m going to finish it. I’ve kept thinking about when I’d finally start posting and if I’d be able to put up with a steady posting schedule and get stressed out thinking about it, and then I’d have to shake myself out of it and keep going. Also worrying that my characters aren’t lovable enough - because I love my characters and I want others to love them too, or that my story isn’t compelling or interesting enough, or most of all that the feeling that I had in mind for the story just isn’t coming through. Like I want this story to be overall light but also an adventure, but what if I’m making it too serious? Or angsty? Or plodding and boring?

9. Do you prefer writing action or description?

A: Description, definitely. ^^” When I write action, I feel like an grade schooler putting one word in front of the other and all of them feel tedious and redundant, like I’m describing basic, boring things. With description I can at least info dump before I refine it later and make it pretty. With action I have to be sparse and smart, I need to know what to cut, when to cut it, and how to do it right. And that makes for a whole different kind of brain exercise.

10. What do you want your readers to come away with after reading your story?

A: A good time. No really, I want them to have happy feelings when they’re done reading my story. I want them to have happy feelings while reading my story, because there’s a lot of fluff and happy things going on in there.

But I also want to write a character who is both timid and strong. I want to write a character who freaks out and cries a lot and is still trying her best and still being very brave, and I want the readers who do stick around to value her because of that. The choices she makes and the thoughts she has are going to be frustrating to read at times, but whether they like her or not I hope they can understand that her strengths all lie in her exceeding her own expectations and her mentally set limits and I hope they can appreciate her for that.

11. What’s your favorite part of your wip? what make you excited to write?

A: I want to write the fluff so bad. I love writing a character who receives so much love from others, who is seen as a love interest and is genuinely treasured. I love writing the friendship scenes, the bonding scenes, all the platonic intimacy. I love that I get to write healthy family relationships in an Asian family, I love that I get to write about friends who love and support each other. And most of all, I love that I can write an anxious and imperfect character who is surrounded by people who accept her as she is, and that I can write her as the heroine of her story - the one who drives the story, the one who makes things happen, the one who has power and agency and a voice in her own narrative. That part makes me happy beyond words.

--------------------------

And that’s all for me! Here are my questions:

1. If your OC were to meet you in real life, what do you think they’d think of you? Would they like you?

2. Which of your OCs has the most appealing aesthetic vs. which of your OCs has the aesthetic that matches closest to yours?

3. How would you say your story has changed as you’ve written it?

4. Which story troupe(s) do you want to take and flip on its head?

5. Have you ever based an OC off of a song? If so, which song was it?

6. Have you ever read a fanfiction that filled your heart with soulful feelings and quite possibly moved you to tears?

7. Which OC(s) that you’ve ever created would you say is/are the farthest from you in terms of personality? What about intelligence?

8. Which relationship dynamics do you find yourself writing the most often?

9. Pick one: Angst or Fluff

10. Have you ever written a self-insert OC (no shame here - in fact, I love those! A lot!), be it in fanfiction or original fiction? If so, how old were you when you first wrote them?

11. Have you ever written a story based off of a dream? Did it stay true to the dream as you wrote it or had it changed drastically by the end of it?

Tagging all the people on my “like being tagged in tag games” list:

@roll-a-bi20 , @cjjameswriting , @welcometomycerebralcortex , @inexorableblob , @lordkingsmith , @theunubun , @harrybpoetry , @smudged-glasses-writing , @ill-write-when-im-dead , @cosmic-storytelling , @furryarbiterangel , @ecritblr , @owlsofstarlight , @drarrybabes , @lura-wilcox , @purrfectwriting , @this-was-my-2nd-choice-for-a-url , @poetbelieverhere

(if you wished to be tagged if future tag games, then please interact with this post)

#tag game #writing game #long post #thrown for a loop

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mediaeval-muse · 6 years

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How to Review a Book (by a College Lit Instructor)

I’ve been watching/reading a lot of book reviews lately, and I’ve noticed that a lot of book reviews sometimes struggle to separate personal opinion and taste from bad writing. While reading and art is indeed subjective, I figured I’d offer some helpful guiding questions if you’re looking to more clearly articulate why a book didn’t work for you, while also giving authors the benefit of the doubt. I’m not trying to say this is the ONLY WAY to review a book - just offering some resources for those interested. I use a lot of these questions when asking my students to talk about books beyond the initial “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it” stage - but please don’t take this post to mean I’m lecturing you on how to talk about books. I don’t mean to talk down to anyone, just offering information to do with as you please. So without further ado, click the cut below!

Premise

What is the premise of the book? What does the book’s cover/marketing say it’s about vs what does the book itself present as the main premise? What is the author’s intention with this book?

Authorial intent is tricky because ultimately, authors have no control over how readers respond to their work. It’s useful, though, to think about what story the author may have been wanting to tell and evaluating the book based on how well he/she/they met that goal. For example, does the book put romance at the forefront of the story over other elements? Does the book spend a lot of time exploring the effects of trauma?

After reading the book, how well does the content of the book match up with its dust jacket description/summary?

Book jackets/summaries are usually controlled by the publisher, not the author, so it’s worth thinking about how the publisher is trying to market the book and how the publisher creates expectations in the reader. I think it’s unfair to blame authors if their book doesn’t match up with the advertisements or things on the dust jacket.

If there is a notable difference between the book’s content and its advertising/dust jacket summary, you can talk in depth about the discrepancy between the two and how publishing and marketing affect the reading of the book. That discussion is much more fruitful than just saying that the author misled the reader or that the book was bad because it wasn’t what you expected.

What are the themes of the book? How well does an author illustrate those themes and/or bring them to the forefront?

Genre

What genre is the book? Is it a romance? Sci fi? Fantasy? Contemporary? Literary fiction? Something else? Once you identify the genre, think about what tropes are common in books of that type. Then, think about what tropes the author uses, avoids, or subverts.

Tropes are not always bad - using a trope is ok as long as it works within the context of the story (and whether or not it works can be subjective). For example, the Chosen One trope is common in sci fi and fantasy, but just because an author uses it, that doesn’t mean the book is automatically bad (see, for example, the Harry Potter series). If the story is well-crafted, these tropes can be deployed well. You can talk about how well tropes were deployed in the story to boost your depth of discussion.

Sometimes subversion is not always well-done, especially if done for no other purpose than to be subversive or shocking. For example, a book may be subversive by challenging norms in our culture only to endorse more harmful ideas. Or, the subversiveness can be so random that it doesn’t integrate with the rest of the book.

Genre also creates expectation. If you pick up a fantasy novel, for example, you expect certain things to happen (such as magic). Talking about how genre sets up expectations and how well the author meets (or doesn’t meet) those expectations can also be fruitful to discuss.

It’s ok to call a book “popcorn fiction” or “junk food” if the author doesn’t seem to be trying to create high-brow literature. Not all books are written with the intent to be grand masterpieces, and it’s ok to enjoy popcorn fiction. I suggest removing the shame associated with reading popcorn fiction and instead talking about how these books are refreshing or light or pleasurable.

Not all literary fiction/high-brow fiction is good. Classics are classics not because they are good books, but because they were historically meaningful in some way. It’s ok to talk about how a book might be significant in terms of what cultural moments it is responding to, but lacks in the areas of style, narrative, etc.

Context

Consider the background or identity of the author as well as the historical moment in which the book is written. How do those things influence the way a book is written?

Sometimes, authors write about their own experiences; a black author might write about the experience of blackness in their book, or a queer author might mirror their personal lives in their books. Maybe an author is writing about being an office temp because they were one at some point in their lives. Thinking about how authors bring their personal stories into their books is useful because it highlights how the book may be a means of self-expression.

Not everything in a book can or should be matched up with an author’s personal life or background. Not all books are autobiographical, nor should they be. Think about when it is useful to match up author and work and when it’s best to see the two as separate. Just because an author writes something, that doesn’t mean they endorse/condone it or that everything they write is 100% reflective of who they are (especially when it comes to things like villains).

The time period in which a book was written has major impacts on things like aesthetics. Aesthetic tastes in the 1800s, for example, were not the same as today, so that means a book written in the 1800s was not written with you, the contemporary reader, in mind. That doesn’t make the book bad - that just means it wasn’t for you.

Likewise, older books may reference a lot of things that were common knowledge in their day, but are lost to us. That also doesn’t mean the book is bad.

Narrative

How well-crafted is the story? Is the pace appropriate? Is there a balance between action and emotional moments?

“Well-crafted” is subjective, but you can talk about how a narrative is plotted. The most basic storytelling tool you can use is this breakdown of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, though a book can play with this structure and make multiple rising actions, climaxes, etc. This breakdown is useful for identifying if there is too much exposition, too much buildup, a weak climax, etc.

Fast-paced is not always an indicator of good writing and slow pacing is not always an indicator of bad writing: sometimes books rush through events and create confusion or slow down events to mirror the feelings of a character. Rushing through emotional moments may be bad because it shows the author is not giving appropriate time to weighty topics. For example, if a book spends no time unpacking the emotions of a character who has just endured a traumatic event, that can be a bad thing for readers who want a balance of action and emotion.

Sometimes, twists and surprises are poorly executed - think about the twist in terms of the overall book. Is it a fitting twist that enriches the reading experience or does it seem shoe-horned in for cheap thrills? Does the twist make the story richer or distract from it?

Characters

Are the characters well-developed? Do they grow and change over the course of the book? Do they have flaws as well as strengths? Do they act according to how a person with their personality would act?

Characters don’t have to act rationally 100% of the time. Sometimes, a character can behave irrationally if under stress or is emotion or just has a consistent character flaw. Discuss when the character’s actions are consistent with their characterization and when the author just seems to be trying to create drama or make a plot point happen.

Negative character growth can be just as interesting as positive growth. Think about what an author might be trying to accomplish with it.

A “Mary Sue” can be interesting if a character from a particular demographic is not normally featured in a protagonist’s role (for example: Rey from Star Wars is often labelled as a Mary Sue, but SW hasn’t featured a female protagonist). A “Mary Sue” can also be uninteresting if the character is too perfect (some YA novels use perfectly beautiful badass white women with no character flaws over and over). Think about what the author is trying to do and whether or not a character type is common across the genre or not.

Antagonists are antagonists - let them act immorally and think about how they are crafted as foils to the protagonists. Are they a good match for the protagonist or are they run-of-the-mill evil? How might a generic villain serve the story well? When is generic villainy insufficient?

Unlikeable protagonists can be deployed well - talk about what made an unlikeable protagonist interesting to follow vs what made them impossible to connect to. This discussion is more useful than saying “I couldn’t connect to the main character.”

Explain what you mean when you say a character is “relatable.” Relatability isn’t always an indication of good quality and varies from reader to reader. Instead, think about what character traits appealed to you.

Style

Quality of writing style can be largely dependent on personal taste, so I think it is better discussed if you can attach some descriptors to it (ex: purple prose, poetic style, very descriptive, simple sentences, etc.). Discussing style in these terms can be more interesting than just saying “the writing is bad.” Some things you can keep in mind:

The advice “show not tell” isn’t always universal. Think about when an author uses telling well.

Think about the length of sentences. It’s easier for readers to move through sentences that vary in length vs sentences that are always short or always long.

Authors don’t have to lay out everything for the reader - consider when a book over-explains or under-explains (ex: The Tiger’s Wife does a good job of leaving some things left unsaid without distracting the reader).

Ask yourself if the metaphors or figurative language is well-chosen or if it’s cliche.

How well does the author create a mood? While moods can be a matter of preference (for example, some readers might like sad books), you can think about how well the author deploys moods in certain situations (like if a sad moment in the plot is made more impactful by the writing style).

Problematic Elements

When talking about problematic elements of a book, it’s ok to say that something turned you off of a book altogether. It’s also ok to say that it didn’t. Some things to help navigate discussion:

Consider how the author is depicting something like racism, sexism, violence, etc. Are they engaging with it in a meaningful way? Are they including it to be edgy or grimdark? Are problematic things romanticized and if so, what is the effect? For example, Jessica Jones uses rape to craft a story that critiques rape culture, whereas The Warded Man uses rape to show how barbaric the fantasy world is.

Everyone’s mileage will vary re: tolerating problematic elements. It’s ok to discuss where the line falls for individual readers as opposed to saying that every book has to meet the same standards. Some people may be ok with the spanking scene in Outlander, whereas some may not - that doesn’t mean the book should be banned or labeled universally bad.

Villains are tricky - discuss when a villain’s behavior is problematic vs when it’s just villains doing bad things. I would say that the Purple Man’s behavior in Jessica Jones is used effectively, even though it’s problematic, because of the show’s overall premise and themes.

If you have more suggestions, I’d love for you to add them!

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