#more reader diversity

[mirukosbitchywife]

me reaching out my silly little disabled hands to rub my disabilities all over fictional characters (i know some of their disabilities are canon but some aren't)

tomura has severe eczema and also isnt he like an amputee

dabi has chronic pain obviously and due to his burns have lost some functionality in his eyes

izuku has arthritis

shouto can't see out of his burned eye

katsuki is deaf

present mic is deaf

aizawa is also half blind

miruko is an amputee

twice has did

mina suffers from acidosis commonly

[dragonsbluee]

I have a request for batfam/Jason Todd fanfic writers:

I love the "Jason Todd is a bookworm/theatre nerd" fics as much as the next person, don't get me wrong, but can we please diversify his interests?

90% of the time when I open a fic with that tag, we see Jason reading Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice or quoting Shakespeare. And not to say that there's anything wrong with any of those being his favourite but even if he loves to read "classical" books, come on!

You're telling me Jason raised-in-crime-alley-spent-his-formative-years-between-an-eccentric-billionaire-and-an-assassin-cult Todd only reads books by dead white people?!

I refuse! Give me a man who takes to books more than ever after his return to Gotham. Jason, who reads books like I am Woman, A Really Good Brown Girl and White Tears/Brown Scars, then recommends them to the working girls as he establishes his territory. Who reads in multiple languages, and who loves Arabic poetry.

Give me a little "Robin is Magic!" Jason scouring Bruce's library and picking up a copy of The Mahabharata after he's done The Iliad, and spends weeks obsessed with Journey to the West.

Give me a Jason who's read Things Fall Apart, and One Hundred Years of Solitude! The number of quotes and references he could pull that would further support his dramatic tendencies? It would make him so happy!

[thewormodyssey]

Your honor he's whipped 🗣️

[drc00l4tt4]

Guys pls pls pls send Halloween related prompts/requests pls pls pls

Accepting x reader reqs for Melvinborg, Webslinger, Slenderman, Herobrine, Monster Men (tieflings, orcs, ect), and other ppl on my char list for reqs (link to that in my pinned post)

[bollylion]

Can somebody, anybody, write romance fics with Black readers? If I read one more story where the MC blushes, I’m going to start swinging!

[giftedpoison]

yo pjo fans come get your author what the fuck was that post about palestine and israel. (i say this as if I'm not also a fan of the series)

(Like on one hand I'm glad he recognizes it is a genocide and that the palestinians deserve to be free. But this entire section is horrid:

"The only real solution is treating each other like equally worthy human beings, and negotiating a peace that allows all parties a chance to live in security and dignity, with hopes for a future that does not include bombs and rockets and gunfire. This means security and support for Israel, yes. It also means a secure Palestine which is allowed to get the international aid and recognition it needs to build a viable state.

Do I think that will happen? Unfortunately, no. Humans are simply too selfish, too ready to blame “the other” for all their problems, too ready to dehumanize, though I also believe, perhaps paradoxically, that most people just want to live their lives in peace and have a chance for their children to have a brighter future. The problem is when we don’t allow other people to have those same hopes and dreams — when it becomes a false choice of us versus them." )

^ yes that is the link to the post in question. I think you can already see a less than tasteful element to the post (which i actually just noticed)

[isekyaaa]

I can understand when people want a minority protagonist, but when it's a diverse cast people look for first when choosing authors, books, or movies it's this certain level of weird in which getting their social justice points in for the day matter more than the actual story. Not everywhere follows the logic of California.

[littlelovelyspiderling]

Hi! I listen to a lot of time period movies while I write because the language used influences my readability and eloquence.

Do you listen to anything for inspiration while you write?

helloooo! i definitely read a lot for inspiration but i don’t actually listen to much while i’m actively writing…i like being in a busy environment like a coffee shop or a busy space / library where other people are working on stuff cuz that motivates me to work on my stuff 😌 but sometimes ill have like lo-fi music playing just for something to listen to

but that’s a very good idea! ur vocab must be superb 👌🏻

[thegirlintheswivelchair]

I am ALL about coding reader as inclusive as humanly possible, I do everything I can to make race, hair, weight and even the height difference ambiguous (I would love if people pointed out *respectfully* when I code reader as white or long haired unless I specifically state reader has a specific physical attribute. It helps me learn how to be a better and more respectful writer and honestly see the way I need to shift my mindset for diversity purposes). However, I do think a tall girl partnership isn’t explored enough. There’s a lot of societal subtext in the idea that fem readers are always smaller than their counter part. And I know representation of all body types are both rare and hard to create regularly because it becomes this odd conversation about relatability, but women who are taller, stronger, bigger than their partners is something that should be relatable and desirable just like being smaller.

On another related note, when tall/chubby/muscular/etc representation is given it’s almost always only done surrounding said attribute. A fic may have a tall reader or a headcanon may have a chubby reader, but it’s almost always about how much their partner loves that about them or how the partner can and will talk down the insecurities that surround said attribute. And while there is a place for that, it makes the trait of being tall still an outlandish concept or at the very least it waters reader down to a one dimensional figure with one thing going for them: they’re tall. That’s not really representation (even if I’m thankful these fics exist). Coding a reader as tall, however, is making them a fully fleshed out character with interesting qualities and history who happens to need to lean down to kiss their partner, or they can meet at eye level when they’re arguing, so there isn’t any “looming” from one person. Let tallness be in the subtleties, just like small reader with hands that are swallowed in their partner’s or the borrowed clothes fit like a dress. Tall insecurity can be a thing, for sure, but make it one of readers traits not the only one.

[second-hand-heaven]

it's like, tbh I think the shift towards fans seeking 'relatability' in fiction has given a lot of people a complex about enjoying characters who aren't squeaky clean and morally correct all the time

so like, if you only enjoy characters you relate to, and that's how you approach new media, you're not going to relate to the antagonist (*pearl clutch* gosh no!). No, you're a good person, and the Good characters are who you will empathize and relate to.

then of course it's going to be a shock to the system when you see fellow fans enjoying characters who are bad or mean or ~evil~

because what does it mean about your fellow fans? that they find these characters relatable? well then they must be horrible too, seeing themselves in these terrible, immoral characters.

(it can't be because they're interesting. It can't be because some aspects (maybe a lot) hold truth for so many people. It can't be because they're hot, or aesthetically cool, or simply fun)

if relatability is your only metric for finding characters interesting or fun, it's going to fuck with your perception of yourself and of the ways other people engage with the same characters and works.

throw in a little superiority complex based on this false sense of superior morality, and you've got a recipe for fans attacking others in fan spaces, rationalised because 'we don't want THOSE types of people here'

harassment, name-calling, anon and public hate ensues

[ink-of-a-thousand-currents]

Mmm I definitely have Thoughts on site lore and Ancient lore. And I mean, for the most part I (as well as many people) use site lore more as Inspiration/Building Blocks for further lore building.

I've been meaning to get around to writing lore for my Clan and in general, so. I guess I'll just make some notes on the current Ancient Lore and what I think and where I'd go.

Deciding to put this under a read more since it's a lot more than I meant to write lmao

Gaolers - Part of this being because they were the first, and therefore had the most hype around their introduction, but so far lorewise Gaolers still have probably the most impactful story. Them being forgotten by modern society makes sense; withdrawn, a small population of creatures that never evolved into their softer modern counterparts. Which is another thing that makes Gaolers stand out; they're the only Ancient with an explicit connection as being ancestors of one of the Modern breeds. The whole This Thing Is You But Older, More Primal And Dangerous is just. Soooo good. Gaolers as a design have grown on me recently, so it definitely generates some ideas.

Banescales - BANESCALE LORE. BANESCALE LORE. My favorite of the bunch, but this is partially that I am someone who loooves music. The idea of Banescales having been a musical society, and now all that remains is the song that was left to their children as they protected their eggs... god it's just so beautiful to me. Plus the parallel to how Coatls ended up having a notably musical language... The idea of the Flamecaller mourning her first children and passing on their gift. The Coatls and Banes bonding over this similarity. I love them, I need more Banes.

Veilspuns - I'll be honest. I don't remember anything about the Veilspun lore. Legitimately. I love Veil's designs but their lore just Did Not Stick. I'll have to go reread it and probably rebuild it somehow lmaooo

Aberrations - Okay, I also kinda forgot this one, but they literally crawled out of the Wyrmwound, right?? Like, sort of had a "cast away by their god" type of thing? Failed experiment energy? Idk if that was actually what happened, but it's the take I'm going with.

Undertides - They felt betrayed by their god so turned their back on him, and then reintroduced themselves to modern society upon the Surge in the Elements. Cool! Interesting! I think this could be very cool to explore, especially with the modern members of Water Flight who have effectively been abandoned by Tidelord (as far as we know. Dad come back.) Also, strong ties with a specific sect of Maren! Neat! Not as potent of lore to me, maybe, but it's interesting and has potential. Execution was ehhg but I can work with the concepts.

Aethers - I love their lore yes its stupid yes its goofy and I adore them for it. If I go through with my lore crafting I'll keep all this because the other Ancients having cool and fucked up lore next to these dumbass sparkly floofs is hilarious to me.

Sandsurges - Okay I DID. Think the "pay" bit in the story was funny. But I do think a "cooler" take could have been done, with Sandsurges having a better reason to have been unknown to modern dragons aside from "They were underground all along" whsgsgs. I think you can combine the best of both world by saying they return upon seeing the exploitation of modern Lightning society, and the building of something Big and Dangerous, with allusions to this having been done in the past and having had consequences to Ancient Sandsurge society... AKA, they're here to teach the young'uns about unions.

Auraboas - Okay, so. The issues have been brought up several times, and most of us are aware at this point. I can see the angle they were going for, for a sci-fi-esque hivemind tyoe of situation. I also don't necessarily disagree with the decision to make it Nature. While Arcane might make more sense for sci-fi themeing, I think choosing a different Flight makes it a little less on the nose. In any case, I think the concepts are there, but were executed very poorly and with a decent dose of "ignorance and tone-deafness." I think the story specifically should have treated the elder Auraboas with more compassion for their fears for their children and difficulty in communicating with modern dragons. Way less infantilization, and more "person struggling with a language they barely know, reaching out to someone they never would have otherwise out of desperation." (By this I mean I think they could have written the difficulty in communicating far better than they did). The Loop is interesting as well, though very hard to grasp as a concept. This is partially on purpose, and partially because I kind if think staff purposefully left some things vague because they didn't actually want to try and figure out how the concept would work, lol (which I can't entirely blame them for, especially since with Site Lore sometimes less is more, allowing for multiple interpretations by users).

Another note: in both the recent Lightning and Nature ancient stories, they're both stated and/or heavily implied to have already been known about by certain dragons In The Know, so to speak. I have some mixed thoughts on either, and might incorporate them differently. Sandsurges as sort of secret workers was a little funny and backed up the Weird Shady Company Execs thing, but it could be interesting to make it a sort of, deliberately covered up because We Can't Have Them Teaching The New Hires How To Unionize!

As for Auraboas... Not really sure. I can see them being a culture that has been largely self-reliant for their existance, hence the lack of contact with modern dragons. But, given their connection to the Behemoth (and maybe a connection that could be elaborated on), maybe they've appeared or collaborated with moderns in the past over threats to the Behemoth. So, mutual knowledge, but no sustained contact since it was A) difficult and B) outside of curiosity, most on both sides saw little reason to establish further contact. A sort of living alongside one another but never really talking, like neighbors you see sometimes but don't talk to. It's only the disruption of the Loop in the younger generation that both kickstarts a greater Need to connect, but also a bridge for easier communication.

[cruelsister-moved2]

soooo patronising whn people talk about like “making an effort to read more books by women/BIPOC” like its a chore & those reading challenges where the other entries are like an actual feature of the book and then its “read something by an AOC (author of colour)” and like “read something not published in the US” idk chief if reading interesting novels with fresh perspectives is like a challenge to you that you have to labour through so u can make a patronising tweet abt it and get back to reading branderson sanderson’s 980th book youre the weakest link to me

[happy74827]

Babeees love the rhys montrose x reader fic, can't wait for more. What are your plans for the other fics?

xx

AWWW IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT 💞💞 Writing him is so gosh darn difficult. Like I would type out his dialogue and try to read it in his accent and then question myself if he’d actually say that lmaooo

Regarding my other plans… it’s a very funny story. I legit have no idea 💀 My brain comes up with these random potential scenarios at like 3am and then it’s a 50/50 chance on whether it actually gets done. However, my strong will power and motivation to help populate this man on this app will overcome that (hopefully). I just have to be very VERY creative on the scenarios, given the canon storyline 👀

[tele-mesmerism]

i cant BELIEVE the book i just finished and was liking for the most part was by the author of red white and royal blue. makes some things make sense but man they really need a sensitivity reader and. youd think could afford one??

[alewyren]

question: how do you guys personally balance “writing experiences that aren’t your own sensitively” versus “writing to appease the critic who will take everything in bad faith”?

This is something I’ve struggled quite a bit with as someone who likes bold/risky narratives but also spent her formative teenage years on tumblr. And also as someone who does want to be progressive and sensitive, but has seen firsthand “listen to people of X group unconditionally when they tell you something isn’t okay” used as essentially an excuse to trash bathrooms, if not an outright emotional manipulation tool.

[desert-dyke]

Everyone who relates to that “I used to read a book a day as a kid and now I barely read at all” consider: you need to build up your endurance again.