#like there are so many questions left unanswered

[bakugoushotwife]

in my opinion, gojo’s storyline has been handled so so poorly i can’t help but think it’s intentional. it is not bad writing to kill a character—even a beloved character. i know most people will dismiss my criticisms because gojo is so beloved to me and so many others. i’ve said before that i don’t mind if he died. does it hurt? of course, and i would still cry and be sad about it. but there is a beautiful way to do it. with respect and honor for his legacy—for what he has done for your manga, the characters in it, and audiences worldwide. but no…gege chose the path of horror and disrespect. at certain points i’d say to myself, well. this is a dark manga. but essentially gojo is the only character that receives this treatment. since the beginning—since suguru left him, he’s been wondering if he mattered because he was a person, or if he only mattered because he was powerful and useable. we certainly fucking answered that question. he is a weapon and nobody ever cared about him at all!!!

and we knew he was being used—he knew he was being used, but he is selfless. so he did it for his kids. for megumi and yuuji and yuuta—he wanted them to be safe. in these flashbacks it’s exceedingly clear that he knew he would die. again—that’s not my issue. gojo dying to sukuna makes plenty of sense and it would hurt to leave it there. but to give us an afterlife scene where he’s presented a choice—north and south—that concept lead nowhere, that’s truly fucked up. to leave all the subtle clues and hints for no reason but to keep people reading and theorizing his return is fucked up. to continue to use his imagery to promote your manga when you know he’s not even honored in your manga is fucked up. we don’t get a funeral or a grave for him. no one’s spoken about him in chapters despite him fighting for hours against sukuna and damaging him so much that yuuji could win, nothing. yuuta wearing him like a costume and no one is horrified about it. i thought his students WERE different. they weren’t jujutsu society yet. that’s why gojo was their teacher—shaping them into better human beings. how am i supposed to trust in their future when it seems they’re just as cold and heartless as everyone before them? no one has honored gojo in any way since the moment he died. and they’ve forgotten about him. he spent his entire life fighting and no one can even say thank you. gege intentionally used gojo to promote the end of his manga because he knows that gojo fans make up at least half of his fanbase so had we stopped reading when he died, he would have lost a lot of traction. he baited us intentionally, cruelly, and something that transcends storytelling. i’ve truly never seen a mangaka have this sort of vitriol for one of their characters and the people that love him.

we spent the entire last chapter talking about some random fucking mission when we have several unanswered questions and concerns. i thought gege said he wanted this ending to be shocking and something you didn’t see in shonen? tying everything up neatly where no one has any trauma or grief for what they’ve experienced, everyone comes back to life except the one character you hate specifically and choso, defying your own power structures and having everyone laughing into the sunset is exactly how shonen ends so what in the fuck is he talking about??

let me disclaim, this is not megumi hate at all. i love him very much and i am so happy he’s back with the group but like. he shouldn’t be able to even walk. he tanked unlimited void for over 6 minutes whenever that length caused irreversible damage to sukuna himself. not to mention the countless black flashes. so what the fuck? he doesn’t mention gojo at all?? the first time he laughs in this manga is after he reads a note written by his dead fucking caretaker about his dead fucking father? like i don’t believe. random open ended kenjaku/suguru mention just to piss me off, an absolutely no mention of gojos sacrifice or how they’ll miss him. i’m sick to my stomach. gege defiled his memory both in the story and outside of it. wow.

P.S. SUKUNA CARED MORE ABOUT GOJO THAN ANYONE ELSE (SUGURU IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS I MEAN HIS STUDENTS AND SOCIETY)

[writingquestionsanswered]

hi! me and my co-writer ans in the planning phase. we dont how to end out story. its an abrupt ending, when tension an high and we dont know how to pick that moment or how to create that moment. thanks!

Stuck on Cliffhanger Ending

Even if your story has a cliffhanger ending, the story still needs to follow basic story structure:

Through the setup and rising action, you make numerous promises to your reader by laying out threads and posing questions. The climax and falling action should resolve the main conflict, and the resolution allows you to tie up most of those loose threads and answer most of those unanswered questions.

Cliffhanger endings happen during the denouement, at a crucial moment when a significant question or plot component is about to be resolved. Again, you want the main conflict to be resolved and most of the loose threads to be tied up, but this particular unresolved component will be something that won't ruin the story if it isn't answered right now (or ever). Usually, the answer is just about the be revealed when something surprising, shocking, or suspenseful happens to interrupt it. To figure out a good cliffhanger moment in your story, you first have to figure out your purpose in having a cliffhanger. Are you trying to draw the reader into reading the next book? Or are you simply trying to end with a gut punch?

If you’re just looking for a gut punch (with or without a coming sequel), look for an unanswered question that doesn’t need to be answered in order for the story to be resolved. For example, maybe one of the story’s many questions was the parentage of your orphaned protagonist. If the identity of the parents isn't crucial to understanding the story, and if you've already laid out options, you could have the character in the process of finding out when someone bursts through the doors and makes an important announcement. If you're going to have a sequel, it could be an announcement that sets up the conflict of the sequel... like that the antagonist they just vanquished has escaped the dungeon and taken refuge in the mountains. If you're not going to have a sequel, you would want it to be something that doesn't ignite a new story that will never be told. For example, maybe the protagonist is just about to open a book that reveals who their parents are, and then someone bursts in and says, "You've got visitors!" When the protagonist asks who it is, the character says, "Your parents..." Those are good gut punches. They'll leave your reader reeling, speculating, and wishing for more, but you're not leaving anything crucial unresolved.

Another example would be when your characters have spent the whole book fighting and triumphing over an alien invasion, and after all of the mourning, celebrating, and rebuilding, your character goes to bed one night, turns off the light, and hears the telltale hiss of one of the aliens. Again, GUT PUNCH! Is there really an alien left alive? Is it going to hurt or even kill the protagonist? Does this mean the fight’s not over? Does it mean the fight is really just beginning? There are lots of questions, but the answer could just as easily be, “It wasn’t really an alien, it was the wind. Or, it was the air conditioner turning on.” So, you’re not leaving the actual story unresolved. Your protagonist isn’t dangling off the edge of a building when the last sentence ends.

If you’re trying to draw the reader into reading the next book, you generally want to end with a new or re-stated question… and I don’t mean a question that you literally ask. I mean a question that the reader will ask themselves based on whatever you’ve laid out. For example, the reader might think, “The protagonist defeated the evil king in this battle, but the evil king is still out there. Will the protagonist be able to defeat them once and for all?” Or, it could be a new question that’s presented during the resolution. Like, maybe the protagonist defeated the antagonist in this big battle, but at the end, during the big celebration, a message is delivered to the protagonist letting them know the antagonist has struck again, in a new place this time. And your protagonist tells another character to gather the rest of the team. The reader is left with the question, “Where did the antagonist strike and what was the result? How will the protagonist respond? What will happen next?” Again, nothing of the main conflict is left unresolved. That’s a successful cliffhanger ending. :)

Happy writing!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[capybonara]

Kingdom of the Dead

Today we dive into parts of Zorca culture and history!

Original post that inspired this is found here!

Unlike most zora, the zorca don't have a kingdom or territory to call their own. In the past, families have tried to settle resulting in disastrous consequences involving groups fighting for resources, and struggling to keep families fed. In the end, existing pods agreed it would be better for all to remain on the move.

The downside to their nomadic life is at times food can be scarce. Adults can go for days without eating but it takes a toll on children and pregnant women. A zorca needs nearly three times the nourishment while pregnant, and without enough it can't come to term. Over the years, zorca numbers have dwindled due to a high infant mortality rate or because many women abstained during lean times.

This has resulted in the zorca turning to monsters as a food source, including sea monsters, though the latter is a dangerous task. Monsters can tie a Zorca’s appetite over for a while, but due to a monster's connection to Gannondorf and the Blood Moon, pregnant women have discovered they carry little to no nutritional value so they avoid eating them and children are forbidden outright. (it's basically dubious food!)

Sea monsters can be a bounty but because they're so dangerous, Zorca don't hunt them often unless times are desperate or if the family feels their numbers can win.

Other families have resorted to scavenging to keep their numbers fed. And while it keeps the waters clean of refuse, it's considered taboo in “polite company” and zorca have been labeled as vagrants due to this behavior in some territories. It has also fueled horror stories that they prey on other races.

🐋 Relationships with the Zora

🫧 Hungry and with limited options, zorca families have turned to other zora for help. Envoys/diplomats like Kaska speak on their family's behalf, appealing to other territories for permission to hunt in their waters.

🫧 In return for hunting rites, zorca have offered their services as monster hunters, escorts, warriors, etc. Bards perform for the entertainment of others, and many trade hard-to-acquire items zora wouldn't normally be able to obtain themselves.

🫧 On rare occasions, a zorca or two have ventured inland, but whatever they brought back was never enough for their large families.

🫧 Every adult does their part to keep the family fed, but each year fewer children are born. Some pods have members from other pods who have long died off, leaving them as the last in their line.

❓Where did they come from? ❓

The zorca themselves don't know much about the origins of their birthplace. Was Gannon behind it? Did their ancestors cause their own downfall? Or is it something else?

The only clues to their history are from the songs of their ancestors...

🪕Bards and their role as historians 🪕

Because Zorca are always on the move and spend most of their lives in water they don't have the luxury of keeping records in books or scrolls. So bards have taken on the role of historian and record keepers. Particular songs have been passed down through generations, each telling a piece of the zorca’s history. And whenever possible, new songs are added to the collection, continuing the tradition of preserving their culture.

Songs of the past are already small in number, adding to the mystery of their origins. Matriarchs have charged bards to commit these songs to memory so they may be passed down, and many spend their entire lives studying the lyrics to uncover any meaning their ancestors may have left behind.

Elder bards will theorize and debate constantly with one another over lyrics. So far, the majority agree with certainty their ancestors dealt with a curse, and a lake might possibly be a place of their origin. As for the how, where and why, that remains unanswered.

The alarming question that hangs over the zorca is why are there so few songs from the ancestors. How did previous generations forget them? Did particular generations die off before they could be recorded? These are questions without answers and no clues on where to even start looking.

Experienced bards gladly take on several apprentices, and help them memorize the songs of their ancestors while also teaching them knowledge of the craft. Each young bard is taught the traditional ways of singing and can choose an instrument of their preference. By the time students complete their apprenticeship, they have discovered their own style and are encouraged to write their own songs and record what they see and experience. 

🎶 The Archive of Hymns 🎶

While a bard is free to create what they wish, only certain songs are chosen to become part of the collection. It's a great honor to have a piece be added to the Archive of Hymns. If records of the past cannot be uncovered, then more stories must be added for the sake of future generations.

Not all songs crafted by bards are added to the Archive. They might have their own life expectancy by becoming folk songs! Unlike those recorded in the Archive, a variety of these songs are altered by other musicians and given exaggerated details with each telling, and some may be forgotten over time.

Young bards are never discouraged, however. Not every song needs to be profound. A bard has a job as historian but they also sing to tell stories that evoke emotion in their audiences!

🫧 How does a song earn a place in the Archive?

There are certain stipulations a song must meet to be added to the Archive. While meter is something every bard strives to perfect, it is the lyrics and the emotion they invoke which are the main focus. Songs that tell a story, and solidify a piece of their dying culture are few and far between, and treated like gold.

It was agreed generations ago that all history must be preserved. Even the stories that depict their people in a negative light. Every piece must be studied so it can help the zorca lead future generations on better paths than where they are now. The songs each bard creates are given to the council so they can be judged.

No one is turned away. Save one.

[sitp-recs]

Wield Me by @tackytigerfic (E, 10k)

Drarry, pre-Tedrarry

Draco Malfoy, blacksmith, is renowned through the magical world for his skill and exquisite creations. He could quite easily spend the rest of his days making pretty trinkets for the fae court, and being handsomely rewarded for the privilege. But why take the easy route when instead he could get involved in a dangerous mission with Unspeakable Harry Potter (who also happens to be Draco's... well, he's something, isn't he?). A little story about learning to strike while the iron is hot.

“It’s deep magic, you know. It doesn’t recognize anything quite so specific as a particular location. It’s more conceptual, I suppose. You remember.” He knew they did, the long night of casting, Teddy carelessly throwing azaleas and yellow roses into the quench pool along with all the others; azaleas for homesickness and the desire to return to a place of safety, yellow roses for family. Not to mention all the runework they spent hours working on. Draco rolled his eyes at them. Othala. Harry had traced it over and over in the water, and then Draco had hammered the essence of it into the metal with his sweat and his fire. Homecoming. It would be enough.

Because one birthday rec wasn’t enough I am back, this time reccing the fic Tacky gifted me on my last birthday so we’re coming full circle with the love show :D it’s hard to put into words all the feelings this fic inspired in me. I could not believe my sneaky friend (who’s pretty monogamic about their Drarry btw) had crafted something so special bringing together my two OTPs! I remember reading this in a haze, too eager to unravel that delicious summary and get to the promised Teddy kissing, but also not ready for it to be over after 10k and dreading the emotional devastation that was sure to follow. I realize that Harry/Teddy is not everyone’s jam (yet 😏) and might discourage some people to check this out, so I thought I’d follow my previous rec format and list a few reasons why I loved this so much:

1. The world: I kid you not, 10k feels like 30k once you get introduced to this magical world Tacky so masterfully crafted - vibrant, intriguing, creative, a main character in itself. I was already losing my mind over buff blacksmith Draco in a leather tunic (🥵) but then his stance against weaponry and the magical theory behind his forgery?? What an unexpected (but very much welcome) turn on. I am fascinated by this verse and wanna learn all about Draco’s backstory, about this society, its power structure, about Harry and Teddy’s job and the gritty dangers that Teddy is about to face, and whether or not he’ll find his way back home - back to Harry - safe and sound. So many questions left unanswered and this thrill, an adventurous feeling about their quest that kept me engaged until the end. What a masterclass in world building!

2. The tenderness: as per their trademark, Tacky gives this fic a lot of emotional depth and nuance, showing how easily love can multiply when Harry is the recipient (seeing how wanted he is here makes me feral) while keeping this unmistakably a Drarry romance. 40yo fuck buddies who are so obviously into each other they make me giggle and kick my feet, plus a careful balance between all dynamics in play - Teddy’s crush on Harry and respect for Draco, Draco’s longing for Harry and understanding of Teddy, Harry’s trust in Draco and tenderness for Teddy, the overall affection and sexual tension fueling all those relationships making it impossible not to cheer for them. If you’re a Teddy fan like me you’re in for a treat: I adore his edgy personality, bold, brave, painfully young and so damn lovely, a perfect fit for Harry and Draco’s mellow and steady love.

3. The symbolism: this plays into the exquisite lore created within such elegant and contained writing, I just keep thinking about the possibilities, metaphors, the way recurrent themes like family and homecoming show up in Draco’s forgery work intertwining his, Harry’s and Teddy’s lives in such a definitive way you find yourself thinking “well it must be fate so it can’t be avoided, they gotta bang” 🤷🏻‍♀️ okay so maybe not everyone is horny for this triad as I am, but the implications behind the symbology go beyond lust, diving into something deeper and more meaningful like familial love. And because I’ve read everything else from Tacky’s (“Harry deserves roots” / “I’d be your mate” / “I like my choyse” / “Is tú mo Rogha” / “Queen Anne’s lace, it means sanctuary, home.”) and so on, I can’t help but get emotional here. Harry’s longing for a family is such a quintessential Tacky theme and seeing it expand to include my beloved Teddy in their sacred Drarry kingdom makes my heart sing.

TL;DR: I feel like I could spend days talking about this fic but then nobody would read it and I really, really want more people to fall in love with these clever, competent, brave and lovable characters and with the rich, fascinating world that makes you wish you could live inside it forever and see what happens next. So run don’t walk and go treat yourself today!

[unstable-viper]

ok so sudden thought I had last night and just discussed a fellow takasugi fan but

WHY DIDN'T TAKASUGI RECOVER HIS LEFT EYE DURING THE 2 YEAR TIME SKIP?

from what he said, he died several times during that period but we know the altana heals any wounds so why didn't it heal his left eye?

my personal thought was for symbolism: to remember and not forget everything that happened during (and after) the war. to probably keep him on track to his goal

and the other option we came up with my friend is simply because sorachi forgot😭 like I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was the case

but I'm pretty curious on what people think about this bc I've been a fan for 6 years and I've never seen anyone talk about this

[tsukasasblonde]

i love the fact that the wonderlands sekai is created from tsukasa's feelings, and i like to imagine how much his feelings can affect the sekai and vocaloids that inhabit it.

for instance, usa-chan is in the sekai, but what else? do you think there are some of rui's robots? like the dragon one from their new years show, or the zombie ones from the halloween show. it's so fun to think about.

i imagine if tsukasa had a crush on rui (using him as an example because i love rks), it would affect the vocaloids, especially miku and kaito, since they are the two that are the most strongly connected to the sekai. would miku become more clingy as a manifestation of tsukasas thoughts and feelings? would kaito tend to pay more attention to him? (obviously neither in a romantic way between them and rui, as they are just tsukasa's feelings.)

also, since tsukasa was able to create an entire world, do you think his feelings would be able to manipulate the sekai? if he was going through a hard time, would it become a bit more empty?

again, if he had a crush on rui, would it be able to create a small space just for them two? a place for them to relax and cuddle and all things like that? i love the idea of that and i need to know how much of an influence tsukasas feelings have on the sekai, especially because he is the sole creator of it.

[bicheetopuff]

Why do I feel like this new final arc is gonna end up being like 50 chapters…?

[cursezoroark]

afterthoughts

[tthelady]

Something I never understood about the Liyue arc was why didn't they inform Childe of the gnosis plan?

I can't think of how Childe knowing of the plan would have changed anything. He would have still tested Liyue. He would have still done his plan. If anything, him knowing the plan would have allowed him to redirect his time and energy into making an even better plan to test Liyue.

Worse thing is they never really explain why Zhongli, Signora, and the Tsaritsa choose not to inform Childe of the plan. This information is just left there and never explained. This is definitely one of the loose ends of the Liyue arc that bug me a lot.

[irilenaps]

[Major Stray Gods spoilers ahead]

So, something Hermes said about always being there after an Idol dies has stuck with me. They say they can't explain it because it's between them and the previous Hermes, and through certain dialogue choices in the Underworld they mention Charon. Of course, that's early enough that Grace doesn't have the knowledge to understand that Idols go to the Underworld when they die, and at this point all the other Idols have forgotten.

But Hermes knows, and it's a little strange that this is never brought up, but that's not the point I was trying to make here.

If Hermes has to be there every time an Idol dies, doesn't this mean that they know whether some of the Idols that disappeared are alive or not? They never get into the details of how that works and why it happens because, again, that's a secret, but it makes sense that Hermes would know about the others. Not necessarily this Hermes, since they haven't gotten the memories back yet, but at some point they will remember as well.

This also means that Hermes might have known what happened to Calliope from the start, if they were the one who took her to the Underworld and thought to ask how she died.

[asteria7fics]

This question has been in the back of my mind since I finished EWILY…

But please tell me Butters didn’t get into too much trouble by his parents for all the rules he broke saving Wendy and defeating Cartman.

Oh I’ve been waiting for these kinds of questions!!

So realistically? Brother was already grounded going into this shit so… yes, unfortunately Butters was definitely grounded… again. For like another solid two weeks, I’d wager.

HOWEVER! He was ungrounded in time for prom, so his parents weren’t total monsters (for once).

And let’s be real, Kenny was still sneaking into his bedroom through that window. (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

Thank you for asking hehehe

[velvetjune]

I love the ambiguous ending of Alan Wake 2. This might be because I interpreted it optimistically, but the reveal that Alice is still around and has been the one helping Alan and Saga in the dark place was incredible after the despair of seeing her last video messages. and for that to lead to Alan (and the player) realizing it’s not a loop, but a spiral—that he’s not doomed to forever be trapped, but that he can rise out of this. This acknowledgment by Alan was the first step towards that ascension, rather than spiraling into further self-destruction. It might not have been a definite answer, but it was hopeful.

The Logan phone call cliffhanger was painful to end at, but for the same hopeful reasons and Saga having battled the dark place amplifying her existing doubts and anxieties, I’m choosing to believe Logan is safe! I still want more answers in the future, since multiple people are now in the dark place and characters like Mr. Door and Zane remain mysterious, but I like that this game wasn’t as clear as ’Alan escapes the dark place.’ It was an exploration of what the dark place is (to different people), being an artist, self-destruction and doubt, and so much more. Despite the first and second game both ending in the dark place, the journey and development the characters went through made a world of difference for what could possibly come next.

[tankshaw]

AND ANOTHER THING! ppl criticizing the quinn storyline as if it’s over. we have *at least* one more confirmed audio and we don’t know if erik has more stuff planned for the trial + execution. like c’mon guys. it was just a narrative push, not the conclusion

[llycaons]

okay enough about the vampires until next season. if you followed me for stories about complicated and intense relationships and exploration of being in a narrative and historical fiction/fantasy with gay leads you should watch the untamed (2019). similarly dramatic and sweeping romance with horror elements and long, evocative monologues, plenty of tragic family dynamics but it's flipped so the family of the mc is the toxic party by the end and the romantic interest is the person offering safety and freedom and support....its complicated. there's a war and shit. it's good. its more about siblings. it’s kind of bad in some ways? it’s good though. it def doesn’t have the polish or clarity that iwtv does but it has a lot of heart to it and a lot of stunning scenes and lines, the character dynamics are really fun, it hits hard on a ton of emotional beats so I think that makes up for it. dw about the cgi

[pois0ncandy]

when you finish the show you were watching and life has no meaning again

[milliesfishes]

just finished My Lady Jane WOAH that show is nuts