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semi-imaginary-place · 8 months

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Tolkien's Legendarium in the Modern World

It has been over 100 years since Tolkien first began his work on Middle Earth with the first draft verses of Luthien and Beren's story and the world has changed much in that time. Tolkien never published most of Legendarium until the end of his life he continued to draft and redraft its stories, and this begets the question of what Tolkien would have wished a completed Legendarium to look like and what I would have liked the Legendarium to be.

I personally disagree with most of Professor Tolkien's political opinions. While I do not think he was ever mean spirited, to the grave he carried with him many old fashioned ideas that while not quite bigoted in themselves, underpinned a lot of bigoted talking points. For example after people wrote to him about the troubling implications of his Dwarves on the Jewish people, Tolkien in response changed his depiction and mythology about Dwarves, he genuinely tried to do better. However what he never corrected was the view was that there were inherent differences between the different kinds of people of the world. Giving minorities a positive stereotype is not necessarily a good thing (hardworking, good with money, etc.). It feeds into the model minority myth that pits minorities against each other and acts as a rallying point for white supremacists that X minority is a threat to the white race.

The more racist parts of the Legendarium however are not the Dwarves but the descriptions of the Lesser Men, the Men of Darkness. There exists this hierarchy of the types of Men with the enlightened and European-like High Men such as the Dúnedain at the top, followed by the Middle Men or Men of Twilight like the Rohirrim or most of the other European-like Men, and at the bottom are the Men of Darkness those groups of men who fell under the control of Sauron (note how the European men were wise/strong enough to fight off Evil but the other types weren't) like the Haradrim, the Hill-men and others who are described with racist language that was also used to describe Middle Eastern peoples, African peoples, and really anyone Europeans considered a savage. Yikes, let's just scrub that, it would be impossible to rid the Legendarium of the eurocentrism but I would at least remove the most racist parts. Nor would I want to remove all of the Eurocentrism, Tolkien after all was directly inspired by European literature and epics, that is the literary ancestry of the Legendarium and I would not discredit it.

It is not bad for works to include racism or other sensitive topics, I would instead turn the Eurocentrism present in the Legendarium into a commentary on the ignorance of Middle Earth on the rest of Arda and the woes of a limited perspective. This idea was present in some drafts, that the entirety of the Legendarium was a story told to a human sailor that had washed up on the shores of Tol Eressëa and thus what the audience sees is actually a story within a story, thus making all the biases of the Legendarium the biases of that in universe storyteller. Of what Tolkien ever drafted, most of it is Noldorian history or history recorded by those associated with the Noldor. We barely hear mention of the Elves that refused the Great Journey presumably because the Noldor did not care for the histories of those people, placing themselves (Eldar and Calaquendi) above the Avari. Even the words used to describe groups of Elves are primarily Noldorian (or High Elvish) or Sindarian (normal Elvish) and the Sindar were greatly influenced by Thingol who saw the light of the Trees and Melian who was a Maia. Much of the Lord of the Rings is told from the perspective of Middle Earth (Gondor, Elrond, Hobbits), instead of completely eliminating the racism I would tone it down and make it more clear that the racism present if a product of the in story authors and their perspectives. Another option though I am not as fond of it and it would be harder to do is to lean into the bigotry, confirm that it is baked into the universe and thus lean more heavily into the tragedy that all the character's live in a universe there racism and a lack of free will are inherent parts of the fabric or reality and inescapable (more on this later).

There are many social issues I could talk about here, but for me what is most blatantly chaffing is the Catholicism. Tolkien's Legendarium is a Catholic work. Professor Tolkien himself was devotedly Catholic and traditionally Catholic, and that undercurrent of Catholicism permeates every aspect of the Legendarium. The Catholicism shows up everywhere from the mythos have a one true god that is a all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent creator, to how weird the Legendarium is about divorce (like a divorce had the butterfly effect causing most of the First Age's problems), discussions of morality and free will are very much made with Catholic theology in mind, the Catholic focus on purity, marriage is a sacred act between two soulmates destined for each other, sex is what makes a marriage real, and divorce is evil. It would be impossible to remove all the Catholicism and have the Legendarium to still be recognizable. As someone who recognizes the sheer amount of cultural destruction Christianity has wrought upon this world, if I were to rewrite the Legendarium, to create its ideal form, I would tone down the Catholic-ness of it though not entirely eliminate it, the question is how.

In the Legendarium, alignment with Eru Ilúvatar's will equates good and to turn away is to be evil. Melkor, Sauron, and Saruman are all examples of this, all three started out wanted to do good, to improve the lives of the people of Arda. For example in the beginning of the universe Melkor wasn't out for destruction and suffering, no what he wanted was freedom of will and choice, individuality. It was in defying Ilúvatar that he was corrupted because Ilúvatar's will is good and to rebel against it is to do evil, good and fix are fixed universal constants in Arda. I personally am fascinated by the inherent existentialist themes present in the Legendarium's cosmology. If there is a fixed path before each person and to stray from it means to become cosmologically evil, what is the moral thing to do? The relationship between creator and created, Elves and Dwarves were designed for a purpose what does it mean to fulfill that purpose or nature? Ilúvatar's Theme as first envisioned was never realized, Arda was created marred, suffering and discomfort are inherent aspects to existence on Arda. Similar themes can be found in other existentialist series such as the NieR games. Elves in Arda are bound to it, they cannot escape their fates even in death, their very essences are tied to the fate of Arda. It is curious then that humans are the sole beings that can escape Illuvatar's will and the fate of Arda, the have what Morgoth sorely coveted, the freedom to individually choose how to live their lives, The Gift of Man. I would keep this aspect even if it does still reek of Catholicism.

This brings us to one of the pivotal events of the First Age, The Finwë Divorce Saga. Tolkien himself wrote that he did not intend the Legendarium to be a Catholic allegory mostly because he hated allegories, but the man was so deeply Catholic that it just permeated everything he created. One could view The War of the Jewels as a cautionary tale of how divorce is evil and will only cause trouble to everyone even if Tolkien did not intend that specific reading, his views on marriage and divorce still leaked through. But Feanor and his family drama is such a keystone to the events of the First Age that the entirety of that era cannot exist without him. What I would do then in a rewrite is shift the narrative blame away from Finwe and Miriel and over to the Valar. The problems that followed were primarily because of the Valar mishandling the situation, not that Miriel and Finwe wanted a divorce. Hints of this interpretation already exist in The Silmarillion and HOME so its not that I would be creating something new so much as shifting emphasis.

This would also necessitate making the Elves less Catholic as Elf culture is very Catholic. Because Elven spirits (fea) are tied to the fate of Arda they are immortal so long as the world exists, unlike humans when Elves die their spirits do not leave the world, so their loved ones and partners are not truly gone. To each elf, they have one true soulmate and thus their marriages are eternal, until the end of existence. I would just get rid of this or at least tone it down, remove some of the mysticism or marriage being a literal magic bond. For one I feel what the Elves do takes away the true joy and uniqueness of each romantic relationship, that it is something people chose, that people chose each other and they could have chosen differently. I think Tolkien wanted to highlight the unchanging eternal nature of his Elves, because to support divorce would mean acknowledging that people and feelings change (just like his marriage, yes I said it, in their later years John and Edith lived lives that little to do with each other even if they shared a house). There is something to believing that because each soul is inherently and immutably good, every single person can be saved no matter how far they fall because its impossible for that base nature to change. I do not believe that, but even if it were true (which would fit the cosmology as discussed above), that does not discount all the "surface" level changes a person can undergo. Take Maedhros one of my favorite characters for example, even if he had an unchanging immortal soul or whatever Catholics are calling it these days, his behavior changed. Maedhros had all the set up of a classical hero (eldest son of a storied and prestigious lineage, skilled at both pen and sword, a diplomat, a leader, loyal, determined), and his story is about him failing to become that hero and just becoming worse over time to where by the end he's killing innocents and people fighting against the great Evil, and he commits the ultimate sin of killing himself (also suicide being a sin is very Catholic).

Others have discussed the problems with depictions of women in the Legendarium but to cover a couple major points, the Legendarium just lacks women there are barely any female characters, and of the women present it's like they are only allowed to act within the bounds of traditional European femininity. Take for example Luthien who is probably the single most powerful non-Maia in the series (well she is half but she's counted among the elves), and yet her power in the story manifests solely through traditionally feminine domains like weaving. This on its own would not be a problem, women are allowed to like feminine things and Luthien has a lot of agency within her story, the problem is that there are so few women in the Legendarium and they are all like this, what powers they have always coming from the feminine sphere.

And of course because the Legendarium is a Catholic work the concept of purity is tied to morality and applied to women. Through reading many different drafts and letters Galadrieal can likely be suspected of being one of Tolkien's favorites. Her role in the Swearing of the Oath and First Kinslaying at Alqualondë vary drastically between drafts. In earlier drafts she sided with Feanor and the Noldor and though she did not swear the Oath of Feanor and thus doom herself, in these earlier drafts she is counted among the leaders of the Noldor revolt and like them is exiled from Aman. In other drafts she alternately does not participate in the attack on Alqualondë or even fights with her mother's brethren the Teleri against Feanor's forces, in some she crosses the Ice with Fingolfin's forces and in a particular draft she has nothing to do with the Exile of the Noldor and comes to Middle Earth by her own boat for her own means the timing just so happens to coincidentally line up. Generally in later drafts Tolkien bends over backwards to make exceptions for Galadrial so that she commits less sins and remains pure, he removes her rebellion against the divine and associations with the Exiled Noldor and thus retcons the most interesting aspect of her character in order to keep her unstained. This is one of two time where I have a strong preference for earlier drafts of the Legendarium (the other is draft epilogue where The Lord of the Rings ends with Sam looking back before closing the door as he hears the whisper of Aman on the wind). Those later drafts do a massive disservice to her character. Galadriel's whole character arc is that she starts off a headstrong, prideful, rebellious princess who want a kingdom of her own because she wants the power to rule over other people and through the devastation of the First and Second Ages she mellows out to become one of the wisest people in Middle Earth who would look power in the face and say no, who rules to serve and protect the people in her kingdom. Galadriel is so much more if Tolkien allows her to make mistakes when she was younger, to carry the guilt of what she enabled and allowed or perhaps participated in and have that weight shape her for the better. Then her actions in Middle Earth become not about how she was always good and pure, they become about redemption and taking the marred and the ugly and making something worthwhile out of it.

Éowyn the one character who noticeably steps beyond the boundaries for women, gets shoved back into traditional femininity at the end of her story, choosing to leave the battlefield to tend hearth and home. Now this likely was not intentional on Professor Tolkien's part. What he intended was a continuation of his anti-war stance seen throughout his works. World War I was brutal and massive shock to the world, recent innovations in technology made killing easier and faster, so while not the bloodiest conflict in history it was an abrupt wake up to the traditional modes of war. Soldiers went out and were slaughtered, most of Tolkien's tight-knit friend-group died in that war. On the battlefield Tolkien found no glory or honor, all he saw were the horrors of war, the human cost and the purposeless suffering inflicted. His anti-war stance can been seen most clearly outside the Legendarium in The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son which is a dialectic between an veteran soldier and a new soldier. Within The Lord of the Rings we see this is how Sam in the true hero of this story, in how hobbits value peace and good food over war or politics, in how the best men like Aragorn and Faramir are peaceful and would rather choose the pen over the sword. We see this most strongly in "The Scouring of the Shire" which arguably is the most thematically poignant part of The Lord of the Rings, because the a person's story does not end with the battle, sometimes war never ends for some people, and yet there are things worth fighting for in this world. War is terrible, but sometimes we have to fight to protect the simple good things in the world and it is not some destined hero that will save us but ordinary people rising to the occasion together. However it is incredibly conspicuous that the only major female character shown on the battlefield was the one forced to carry this narrative of putting down her sword to take care of a household. There are dozens of men in this story that fight in the War of the Ring and we do not see any of them retiring from fighting and choosing domesticity. It would have been so powerful if Tolkien chosen her brother the war chief Eomer to carry this message, imagine if it were him who came from a warrior culture and becomes warrior-king who chose to put down his sword and forswear fighting. So yes I would have rewritten Eowyn's ending, let malewife Faramir have his kickass girlboss wife. Let Eowyn's arc be her fielding herself out of despair and a desire to prove herself, and her character development learning that she is more powerful than she thought and that she will continue to wield the sword in service of Rohan, her people, and in service of peace.

Now I have typed some 3000 words about what I would change and why so let me end on some of the things I would keep the same for I love the Legendarium dearly and I would preserve far more than I would change. I would keep the hope and love that is written into these stories. I would keep that there is beauty in this world, there is good in friends and family. I would keep the awe and wonder for the natural world, that mountains and forests and streams can be their own characters. I would keep the sense of magic, not in the sense of spellcasting and sword and sorcery style magic, but that wonder and joy for the world that makes everything magical. I would keep that life is a journey and all you have to do is take the first step out your front door. I would keep the believably that this is just an untold forgotten history and like it there are still many mysteries in the world. I would keep the wide scale of continents and forces beyond us moving to their own stories. Tolkien crafted the Legendarium out of love, from that first poem about the woman he was in love with, to his love of philology stories and creation, Arda was made with love. In the Legendarium is deep love of the world, the natural world and the people that inhabit it, in here is hope too that no matter what evils plague the world there is still good there too in the hearts of the most ordinary person.

#tolkien #lotr #jrr tolkien #lord of the rings #silmarillion #the hobbit #middle earth #eowyn #galadriel #Last time fundamentalist christian tradwife tumblr found me so im gonna say:#christianity is a force of western colonialism imperialism bigotry and hate #It has been globally one of the biggest drivers of genocide ever #also TRANS RIGHTS terfs get out

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agentrouka-blog · 1 year

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My favourite thing when anons want to stir trouble is that like, inevitably they have consistent misspelling habits which mean you know exactly who it is sending repeat asks. So unself-aware.

Anyway, I do think there is a balanced path between the text and what the author says. GRRM's comments about Sansa are about as light as they could come. I love when people want to ungenerously frame the debate as if she's tantamount to Tyrian or Daenerys, come on. Girl took a steak knife to see a drunken knight in the godswood. The most harm she's going to inflict is driving Jon crazy with the incest. I'm trying to be lighthearted here.

Anyway, Rouka, what's your opinion on author vs. text? How much is too much, relying on the former? On the other hand, with the Daenerys is a tragic hero fandom, there's a lot of outright twisting of the text. Does relying on the author's comments provide some clarity or just make the conversation harder, since one would want to reason based on the text? Thank you for your time and your graceful handling of us terrible anons 🥰

(The posts referenced: one and two)

(I'm chronically bad at recognizing these individuall spelling patterns. Unless they make it obvious, every anon is a newborn dawn to me.)

Hello and thank you!

For me, the actual text of the books should always be central when it comes to actually analyzing the books. (You know. Obviously.) Interviews can be nice, but should be absolutely optional to any of it. If you NEED an interview to support your position, you're not analyzing the text.

Perhaps I am biased because I can't be bothered to follow GRRM interviews, let alone dig up ancient ones - unless I am feeling especially motivated.

But also, most of the time we don't have a lot of good context for GRRM's quotes. How exactly a question was phrased, what direction the conversation went before it, how distracted or rushed was GRRM when answering, how likely is it he actually managed to get across exactly what he meant, and how easily can it get twisted around? Who edited and published it? Worse, did it go through a translation process?

Take the "Aragorn's Tax Policy" quote that still has people frothing at the mouth. People hear him mention Tolkien and lose all sense of nuance. No, he's not describing how his endgame king will be elected on his tax plan. He's giving context for parts of ADWD. That's it. Still people wail about what an evil hypocrite GRRM supposedly is because Bran was crowned king in the show without a single published treatise on his taxation policy.

Same with some commentary on the show, specifically Dany with Drogo. I've had people in my Inbox arguing for Rhaegar/Lyanna because GRRM is obviously okay with adult men preying on teenaged girls based on that interview. Which... you know, actually read Dany's chapters? Please?

The books, on the other hand, were not blathered out in a hurry. They are not a commentary on a text, they are the text. A labor of many hours of writing, editing, rewriting and more editing. They are complete and fully intentional in their form. They are the message.

So, while I admire how someone who knows what they are doing is able to create a brilliant body of supporting evidence on book content by compiling quotes in a meaningful way, often with good sources and context - looking at you here, @kellyvela - these lovely metas should never be considered necessary to understanding the text, and they should certainly neither replace nor supercede it. They augment the experience of it.

Knowing GRRM approved on the Meereenese Blot essays is nice.

But you don't need to know them, nor what GRRM thinks of them, in order to arrive at the same conclusion.

Knowing GRRM agrees with the statement that "Brienne is Sansa with a sword" is nice.

But you need never have heard of that quote in order to understand the similarities between these two idealistic, dutiful female characters.

He called Tyrion a villain, which is nice.

But you can arrive at that same conclusion by reading the books.

On the other hand, you can take one quote about the Key Five Characters from a decades-old outline that deviates from established plot in multiple significant instances, and then try and justify dismissing the importance of other characters. You just need to ignore the published text in order to do it!

So I just can't take that anon seriously when they gesture wildly at some quote about Sansa while ignoring the way it's entirely contradicted by the actual body of the text.

And if some members of the fandom have a habit of very selectively reading the text then this makes their analysis suspect, so what's really the point of arguing with someone who isn't really interested in analysis in the first place?

If "she burned a slave alive" or "she is ordering her servant to please her sexually" or "she condons torture even while she knows its useless" or "she ordered the murder of children" isn't going to convince them, an interview snippet isn't going to do it, either.

#i get wordy #textual analysis #anti key five nonsense #grrm quotes #anti daenerys targaryen #not really but you know #anti tyrion lannister #sansa stark #jonsa #(because it was in the ask)

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omgkalyppso · 5 months

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things I would like to know about fellow writers

I was tagged by @dustdeepsea, thank you!! (:

Putting a cut in this because I'm very specific in some sexual language (not about my sexual history).

For this reason I'm too shy to tag anyone else, but if you see this and want to answer the questions, please consider yourself tagged by me.

Last book I read: The last book I finished must've been American Gods.

Greatest literary inspiration: I don't know. I like reading for reading and for learning, but no one that I really want to write like, and I feel bad for naming big names, still. JRR Tolkien, Douglas Adams, Diane Duane, Isaac Asimov (the short story Liar! has really stuck with me). And even then, that might influence how I used to write original fiction, but not at all how I write fanfiction, which I do almost exclusively now. I write far more original poetry than original fiction, and then ... I'm inspired by my mother, people in my community, all the music I listen to.

My fanfiction is a little inspired by my friends. I was going to link their a/o3 accounts but realized they may not want that. fghdfghdfg

Things in my current fandom I want to read but I don't want to write: Let's think of 3 for bg3 and 3 for fire emblem.

Vlaakith's defeat. - Idk enough about githyanki politics / how many "elite" forces (if any) are at her disposal.

Minsc's homecoming. - I feel like I'd have to play the first two games to be up to this.

He Who Was in control of his faculties but subbing very sweetly for Tav/Durge of any gender with bondage, hair pulling, overstimulation, spanking and the presence of a knife (I'd say knifeplay, but I don't mean bloodplay / cutting for him). - Reminder that this isn't a w/endy's, it's my blog.

Slowburn, longfic of Marianne moving to Faerghus with her eventual marriage to Dimitri. - Time.

Shura holding Kana for the first time. - I could write this. I won't.

Kink scene, free-use Hilda where her inner monologue is as complex as she is while still being wildly indulgent. - I started this wip; Hubert was also up for grabs in it. But it isn't happening.

Wait, also, Sylvain x Mercedes x Dedue starting a relationship with miscommunication and pining. - Planning this feels hard. fghdfg

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me:

With the note that I know I have at least 5 enablers who will (probably?? fdghfgdhfdg) always express interest in my completion of a project even if the won't read it, and so "nobody" being interested applies to strangers:

Komira and Locke, either domesticity or sexual intimacy.

A fic where Wyll and Ulder talk and it results in reconciliation, and then a bigger rift, and then understanding (people really don't like Ulder).

My Blaiddyd Bastard oc Almanzor learning to let go of the hang-ups on sex his parents gave him and fucking my oc Peregrine.

My oc Fae as a Student AU longfic.

You can recognise my writing by: The temptation to insult my own writing is so, so strong, but I don't mean to insult anyone who reads my stuff and enjoys it so I have to be nice. Hm. I don't know. "The way I write dialogue / inner reflection" is vague, but it's all I've got.

My most controversial take (current fandom): You guys (gender neutral and vague) can't call that shit self-insert if it's a non-human Tav (or Durge). It's first or second person writing (often, and not even always lately???), and x Reader fic, but self-insert To Me means that either any reader or at least the author has to be able to picture themself Being Inserted into the story. I haven't seen 1 isekai situation using this tag, which isn't a requirement, but you're giving the self-insert tiefling-tails and backstories, which is fun, but that's not a self-insert to me.

Top three favourite tropes: Slowburn (or emotional slowburn, sexually complicated), Hurt/Comfort (emotional or physical, whatever), Battle Relationship.

What’s your current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut): How current is current? Because potentially 0/10. I'll say 4/10 though.

Share a random frustration: I hate psyching myself out of a project because I worry something won't make sense (and I should post it anyway) or that it won't be up to my personal standards for myself.

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author-a-holmes · 23 days

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Writerly Questionaire (Tag Game)

@winglesswriter Thank you for the tag! (HERE) I'll leave a blank version of the questions beneath the cut at the end, and tagging forward, with no pressure, to;

@ashen-crest, @world-of-fire-and-flight-admin, @tisiphonewolfe

@talesfromaurea, @withlovelunette, @worldsfromhoney, and anyone else that wants to play, consider this an open tag <3

About Me

When did you first start writing ?

Blimey. I must have been... About seven years old. I'd briefly wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was about five. When I was six, I realised I'd never be able to dance professionally because I'd been born with congential talipes (aka Club feet), so I decided that I wanted to illustrate books. They were always my escape when I was in hospital, or after having an operation and was bed bound.

Eventually, I gave stick figures a bad name. Or maybe I just got old enough to realise that people wrote books, instead of them spawning into existence on the library shelves, but I tried writing my own stories instead, and kind of fell in love. Since then, I've never wanted to do anything else.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Maybe a little. I write what I enjoy reading, so in that sense no, not at all. But I'll also read wider than I'm willing to write. Mainly because I can check out a book I'm not sure of, or that's outside my usual tastes in a day or two.

If I try writing something outside of my favourite things, it's going to take months or my time, or I'm just not going to be invested enough in the themes or the genre, to make the end result good. I respect the craft too much to half-ass a story.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

I've never been compared to another writer, however there are writers I'd love to write more like. Tolkien, is an obvious answer, but I love the subtlety with which he writes his characters.

Another writer I'd love to write more like is @faelanvance. It seems a little trite to say it because she's my best friend, but genuinely, her descriptions and exposition and worldbuilding are so vividly vivacious, and I'm incredibly jealous of her ability to pain a scene with words.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

Oh god. In theory, I have a writing desk in my room, but I rarely write in there.

Most of the time, right now, I write on a laptop on the sofa in the living room. Before Covid, I would go out once a week to a local pub, or the local Mcdonalds, grab a table near a power outlet, and write all day, from arounf 10am to 6pm.But the pandemic interrupted that routine, and the price of everything has gone up so much I can't afford to spend all day buying coffee's or a plate of chips to nibble anymore.

Essentially, though, I'll write wherever I'm comfortable.

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Music. I have to have music playing while I'm writing. It blocked out all the other distracting sounds, but it also has to be the right music. I prefer music with lyrics, I know many authors don't, but even the lyrics themselves don't really matter because I tune them out. It's something about the rhythm or the pace of the song, that has to be right for the scene.

Or maybe it's the notes. If I writing a sad scene, it has to sound like a sad song, even if the lyrics make it an happy romance genre song. It's a weird thing to try and describe.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

You know, I don't know.

My gut instinct is to say no, mainly because I write fantasy and so I create pretty much everything I write from thin air... but at the same time, life experiances, including where and how you grew up, influence who you are, and who I am influences what and how I create.

So I suppose yes, but I wouldn't say it consciously influences my writing.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

I don't plan my themes in advance, so when I stumble across them they're always a little. Not surprising, per se, but interesting to me to see what my mind's settles on exploring.

"Finding your place in the world", is a common theme I find myself coming back to. Sometimes that includes found family elements, sometimes it's about accepting who you are and being happy with that. I come at it from different angles, but I think it's an important message to reinforce.

The other recuurring theme seems to be running. I've created two characters now, unintentionally, who deal with their problems by running. This one wasn't intentional, and did surprise me when it was pointed out to me, especially as running is something I'm incapable of doing. But maybe that's why it's a concept I keep coming back to.

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

My current favourite character is Stella Korazon from my novel Stolen. She's a thief in the world of Moryann, and a lot of fun to write and explore the world through the eyes of.

She's both naive, and world weary, and I enjoy exploring the duality of her character.

I wrote a post about her last week, if you want to know any more about her, and see some artwork I had comissioned of her and Reilly.

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

Quite a few of them probably, but the most likely is Andric Roche, for his calmness, and his patience. I'm a bit of an anxious mess, so I think Andric and I would get on well.

To pull me out of my shell though, and push my out of my comfort zone, probably Reilly Mosswolf. He's an extrovert, and outgoing, and I need that in my life.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

That's a tougher one. I rarely write a character I truly dislike. Even my "villians" have their own reasons and motivations. I think Indre Larieth, one of the side characters in Stolen is probably my best bet.

Mainly because I think our personalities would clash. She's naturally abrasive, and I don't handle that well. In addition, many of her motivations are fuelled by jealousy, and I struggle to understand or relate to that in real life. So I don't think we'd have any good starting point for a friendly relationship.

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

So, I don't like creating characters who are just there with no purpose. So the first thing I tend to do is look at the story I want to tell, and decide which roles I need filling.

Once I know a character's purpose, I can build out from there. I usually start with their parents, because how they were raised, and where they grew up, will influence the people they end up becoming... but I also know where I need them to end up, so I can craft their beginning to match what I need.

For example. Booker Reed, in the Fey Touched Trilogy, I knew I needed him to be quite good at the word play of the court fey. So even though he's adopted at seven, and raised by Lizzy's mum, Maddy, in the Outskirts, away from the fey court, his parents were diplomats to the fey court, and so for the first seven years of his life, he was immersed in that enviroment. It shaped him.

And he didn't lose those skills, because once he saw the way Lizzy was treated, as an outcast, he began using them to out-talk the fey who wanted to target Lizzy.

So he still has those skills, when I need them, for the plot points in the books. Just a small example, but that's usually how I build out most of my characters.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

Not that I've noticed, although I sure there are some similarities. I like rooting for the underdog. I also enjoy morally grey characters, although I haven't truly delved into a TRUE morally grey character just yet.

I find the concept of doing the truly atrocious, for either the right reasons, and a reason that is justifiable to you, to be a wholly fascinating character study.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc

I tend to picture them as whole people that I've imagined. I do, however, quite often grab a celebrity face claim. They're never 100% accurate, but they're a good visual reference point, and I sort of think of it as "If someone was going to play this character in a tv adaptation, who would I want to cast?"

So the celebrity face claim may not always be 100% accurate, but they're usually close enough for me to be content.

My Writing

What's your reason for writing?

I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like without it. It's a balm. It's an escape. It's fun. It's a hobby. It's a business venture. It's a way to explore a world of my own creation. I don't know. I don't know why I write, I only know I can't not write. It's my everything.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

While I don't know why I write, I do know why I share my writing, and it's to take someone on a journey.

I remember being stuck in hospital beds, unable to move, but a book could take me a billion miles away, or to a world that didn't exist, to meet creatures of myth and legend.

I want to give that escape, and that joy of discovery, to other people. So the best comment? Is when I can tell I've done that. It's not a specific set or words, or a particular phrase, but when I can read a comment or review, and tell that the person just enjoyed it, that they were able to escape to something fun, or my writing took them to a place that made them happy, that's everything.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who "gets" the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

I want to be known as a writer, whose stories can take you on a journey, and return you home safe, and happier, than you were when you opened the cover. That's all I want. To share my worlds, and charaacters, and have people love them.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Characters. Character dynamics, Character development, Character ARC's. I put a lot of time into figuring out what a character might or might not do in a situation. To thinking about what they would notice, and what they wouldn't pay attention to.

Even if I, as the author, think there is a better choice, it comes down to whether it's logical or believeable, for the character to react in that way.

There's many things Lizzy does in Changeling that made me facepalm, but they make sense to her, and that's the most important part, imo.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

I don't get a lot of feedback, if I'm going to be honest. Most of the time, people will give me generalised feedback, that the work is good overall. Which is incredibly flattering, but doesn't help me answer a question like this. :D

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I'm incredibly proud of my writing. I feel like it's constantly improving, and that I'm always learning more about not just the craft, but also my ability to implement the things I've learnt since the last time I picked up a pen, or sat at the keyboard.

It's a journey that never ends, and I wish I could live a hundred lifetimes just to keep writing more, crafting more, creating more.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Yes. First, and foremost, I write for myself. I think, you have to because if you don't love writing, and you're not enjoying the writing you're creating, then there's no joy being infused into the work. I feel like it would become dry, and lifeless, and let's be honest, if you hate what you're doing, why are you doing it?

It's only when I've finished writing, and I begin to think about the publishing of the work, that I begin to look at it from the perspective of "Would others enjoy this?" because that's the editing stage for me. And if I'm at the end of the world, with no one left, then that stage is never going to come.

The first draft is telling the story to yourself. So of course, I'd still be writing if I was the last person alive. I'd probably be writing more.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it's a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I think I inadvertently answered this one in the last question. I write for me first and foremost. It's only when it comes to the second draft that I might begin tweaking things, but overall it's still written to cater to something I would enjoy reading.

There's going to be other people in the world who like what I like. That's a statistical inevitability. But if I try writing something I don't like, to cater to other people, then that boredom, or dislike, of the words I'm putting on paper is going to come through in the writing, and then no one is going to enjoy the finished product.

About Me

When did you first start writing ?

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

What's your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

Which of your characters do you think you'd be friends with in real life?

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc

My Writing

What's your reason for writing?

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who "gets" the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it's a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

#Writerly Questionaire #Writers Questions #Author #Writing #Writing Community #Writeblr #Writeblr Community #Ari Speaks #Arista Speaks #Tag Game #Friends #Mutuals

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trans-leek-cookie · 4 months

Note

the thingw the orcs in dunmeshi is sth i skirt around bc like u said it is. not a great modern take on orcs. obv not the worst it could be and kui at least did engage w trying to write a more involved lore on them rather than just having this be the same “orcs are big uncivilized brutes” version 8000000 but that element is still there. and i do think “its not the worst” is hardly what i would want to set my highest expectations to jdhdgksgd

tumblrs being a bitch n not letting me put images in so I'll just paste the text from the other ask

Nodding. ty for the info on the ways halfling racism can be compared to irl examples in “the middle east” like that rly is such a close comparison i wonder if it was at all intentional… AND FR on the whole . wishing we knew what they called themselves bc the “halfling” “half foot” thing i rly cant help but think abt how it feels like irl examples of certain groups being denigrated to category slurs its like. LOL. dunmeshi makinh me feel party to fictional racism and microaggressions against my will...

Idk Abt skirting around bc I think it's smthn we should face head on, but at the same time I'm not in a place where I can really add onto the discussion wrt orcs as a white/East Asian person. IIRC ppl have said tolkiens orcs are black and/or central Asian (Mongolian I believe) coded, which is meaningful cause he's influenced so much of modern fantasy, and thats. Y'know. Not great. Also the orcs in dungeon Meshi are essentially an indigenous group from what I remember so that's also a whole mess. Again, my opinions arent very meaningful when it comes to this, but I feel like it's incredibly disappointing to see an author who's clearly capable of nuanced and interesting commentary on racism in the context of real life and fiction (even if it's not always great it's clear she's thinking about it in some depth) really just. Fall back on tropes. Bc for the other races - human is a wider category than usual, tall men aren't always the Everyman, elves are long lived but that doesn't make them wiser, and halflings are mature, worldly and resourceful, which I feel like does a lot to break free of typical fantasy pigeon holeing. But the orcs are just sorta... The Bad Guy but Not That Bad I guess? Theoretically it's a departure from the "super evil forever no exceptions" idea of the but it's still so far behind what needs to be done to make it less of a lazy, racist trope.

Yeah, again I'm not west Asian or Arab like I said, but between reading stuff ppl online write n talking to my Iraqi friend + rereading dungeon Meshi and really trying to analyze it, it kinda stood out to me. I will say I was a little unconfident posting about it bc it's 3 things (4 if you count the name note) but theyre still really notable at least to me. The hand/foot cutting is I feel the most explicit? Because that's such a fucked up stereotype it just stands out immediately. I don't necessarily know if the half foot/middle east connection was intentional, because I assume Japan/Asia in general has a different relationship with West Asia (since they are the "far east" in comparison, so "Middle East" wouldnt really make sense?), but it could be one of those things that colonialism managed to spread. I'm not very knowledgeable about that, but even if it wasn't intentional I think it's a very interesting parallel in how language can be used to categorize people as "normal/other". So i can't say if its intentional or not, but it's definitely an interesting lens to consider the story thru. Id also say I believe halflings are said to be native to a place that's east from where the story takes place, but not the eastern continent (which is p much easy Asia). I've seen some ppl take this to mean eastern Europe, and I don't think that's wrong, but I think u could also think of it as west Asia? Idk if we ever got much info on it in story, so I might be missing some details. (Honestly I'd personally HC that halflings are generally mixed Eastern European/West Asian- not to conflate the two, but rather Im imaging the majority of them are in a kinda blended culture).

#Talking Abt my Iraqi friend again- they're not into Dungeon Meshi but I did chat w them bc I was interested in if they had any thoughts #Abt my conclusions wrt halflings marginalization resembling the way Arabs r stereotyped and they did agree w me on the stuff I brought up #But they're just one person (and my friend) so if any Arabs/West Asians disagree w me Id prob defer to their judgement on the matter #I will say half lings aren't one to one w arab stereotypes bc the ones my friend complained Abt a lot are gender related #(eg. The idea of the violent Arab man and the eternally victimized Arab woman) and those among others aren't really present #As stereotypes about half lings (besides stealing the big one is infantilization which I'd say reminds me of how east Asians are often #Treated by being either fetishized or desexualized bc of their ''youthful appearance''. I specify east Asians bc that's what I'm familiar #With and I don't want to make assumptions Abt other Asians experiences or wrongfully generalize #Anyway I won't lie I initially went in to my reread (besides just wanting to experience the story again) wondering if I could argue #Chilchuck was east Asian and while there's some stuff (mainly infantilization and potentially the money stuff) I realized their #Marginalization resembled Arab ppls marginalization more at least from my perspective #So yea. Again not any sort of authority on the topic but once I noticed I couldn't stop thinking Abt it and now I've typed a lot of words

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andreabaideas · 2 months

Text

Djats review by non fans aka my Dad part I

My dad gave me his opinions , so i'm sharing them, because his lack of filter Its just XD

Context : My mom and me forced him to read and watch Djats to see how he would react.

AN = Authors note. /// ?! = What ?! I dont agree or fully agree

Dad reviewing things: Daisy Jones and the Six part I.

Warning : my father lacks of filter and takes no bullshit, so brace yourselves for hard truths said by an older man almost at his sixties, sorry 59 XD

Let's start with the Book rating : 5/10 (and he is being generous).

He liked : - Daisy and Karen. *Autors note : Especially Karen , he adored her.

- Warren laidback attitude.

- The book cover and Its cover writing font.

- The book writing font.

- The abortion story cause he found It original and brave to write about.

- Daisy takes no shit from Billy "as she should". Thats It!!! *AN : "I just read this shit because I LOVE you and your Mom, kid XD"

What He didn't like *AN : Its long but worth reading"

- The interview format present all the time It was too much, and sometimes boring to read.

-Also he found It lacked of complex vocabulary, too simple.

- The songs are "shitty poetry I can't imagine how they would sound. Don't look like real songs."

- He dislikes romantic books, especially those aimed at Young Adults " Why dont teens read good shit like Orson Scot Card, J.R. Tolkien or Úrsula K Levuin instead??" *AN: Of the Young Adult genre he Only liked The Hunger Games series. He thinks most teens are dumb...And It may be my fault for complaining loudly about some of them at home, as i work as highschool teacher XD.

- 70's rock stars men were unfaithfull and didnt regret It , they didn't gave a crap, period. No 70's man who liked a woman and was reciprocated by that woman just went and didnt have an affair with that girl later, dont be naive. They were lying because Julia Its the interviewer.

- Daisy stopping singing and becoming writter doesn't fit her and was loser behaviour, cause " she was the musically talented one she shoulve kept singing".

- Camila developement (?! ), he disliked her and called her fake , calculating and unfaithfull golddigger. "Kid Its obvious that She just married him after he got his music contract, hadn't he got it she wouldn't had married him...That IS a Golddigger in the making, Kid"Also she didn't visit her husband at rehab, may be a good Mom, but she is a bad wife".

- He found the book unrealistic and too obviously "written by a woman for other women as a rock and roll 70's fantasy" :

1 - "Billy never relapsing Its not real. Period. Alcoholism doesnt work like that."

2- Camila and Daisy's final conversation. "It isn't realistic and IS obviously a book scene. She should've dumped Billy. No woman speaks that calmly to her husband's lover".

3 - "Billy and Daisy's affair IS just not real"... I asked why and he told me that:

"Most men wouldnt even consider as wrong (or even as an affair) a non physical relationship"

All of his friends would see It like that...

As he said to me "Dont be naive kid, most men philosophy IS : No skin = No sin" In spanish It was "Nada fue tocado = No hubo pecado" 🙄.

He does think a non physical affair is an actual affair and considers it wrong and doesn't get why Camila IS with Billy, "because he is Hot and wrote her a lousy song? "Because he stayed the second time she gave birth, as if that were something meritory, every decent man should do that!!! "...(he hadnt watched the series yet so, imagine how he'll react XD)

*AN: He is a rarity among men his group. When you see him you realise he IS a weird one: he doesnt smoke, he doesnt drink, he never lies in fact he IS too truthfull... never ask him if you look fat with a dress or a pair of jeans , cause he'll tell you the truth XD and he worships my Mom (as he should)...

And I thank God for that weird blunt Dad of mine every single day.

Thats part one!!!

(I can't wait to do the Twilight and the hunger games ones!!!)

#Djats Dad review I #I can't with him sometimes XD

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kydrogendragon · 6 months

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I saw the writing ask, if you're doing it: 13 or 30

Took me forever to find the post again! My Tumblr did not want to show it to me, lol

13. Rate your worldbuilding skills from 1 to 10.

Hmm . . . I thought on this one for a bit. See, on one hand, there are some authors and writers out there that deserve a true 10 (or higher) that come to mind, like Tolkien with the expansive universe and such he had created. And those seem very "Heavy In Worldbuilding" type stories. But worldbuilding still comes into play for stories set in our normal world as we know it too, of course, not just fantasy settings 😅

So after pondering worldbuilding in general for probably far too long, I'm thinking I'll go to a solid 5. I feel like I'm decent at world building and considering different aspects of the world my stories take place in and how that might affect things, but I know I've a lot of room for improvement in that regard. There's been many cases where people would comment or theorize on different things and how it might affect the story that I hadn't ever even thought of! So, probably at my current skill level, pretty average, I think.

30. Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't

Oh gods, so many. Of which, many are in WIP status because I'll feel bad if I day they're abandoned 🤣 But let's see, what's a good one that I don't think I'll get around to writing . . .

I really wanted to try writing a classic fake-dating, only one bed trope filled fic with Dreamling. Very Hallmark Movie-esque with Hob not wanting to deal with his family and grandparents and everyone asking when he's "going to bring someone home again" and "you deserve to have another chance at happiness" and "Elle would want you to try again" and "I don't want to see you all alone, it's not good for you." And Hob's just . . . Done with it all. He's not sure he can handle another holiday filled with those comments, so when his Ma calls, confirming when he's coming down for Christmas and asks if it's just him, he lies and says no. It's not. He's bringing his partner.

And then freaks out once he hangs up and realizes what he's done.

I had the thought of him meeting Dream on the way there. Both of them waiting at the train station to get out into the countryside. The trains running late. Snow's coming down pretty quickly. Dream's miserable and Hob overhears his argument over the phone with someone (Desire? Death? Night?) before growling out that "he would have a better holiday keeled over in a ditch on the side of the road than if he spent a single minute within any of your company." And aggressively (as aggressive as one can with a smartphone) hangs up. He starts gathering his items, looking ready to head back to London when Hob speaks before his brain can tell him it's a terrible plan.

He asks Dream—without even knowing the man's name—to come spend the holidays with him. Says there's gonna be good food, a cozy fireplace, a cute cat, and that no one should have to spend the season alone, even if their family sucks.

Dream, fresh off his most recent failure of a relationship with Thessaly, feeling more depressed than his usual baseline, and a tad more comfortable than he should with the idea that this man could very well be a serial killer, agrees. He shouldn't. Death's voice rings in his head, telling him this is how true crime podcasts start, this is how horror movies start. But he finds he can't even bring himself to care.

They talk a bit over the train ride, small things. Hob does most of the talking. Then Hob brings up the fact that he may have told his Ma he was bringing a date.

Dream bristles at that, they get into a quietly heated argument on the train but the fight soon leaves him. Perhaps this is the only way someone could "love" him: faked for their sake. Untrue. A lie. But it's better than nothing.

So to that, he also agrees. Hob's shocked through this whole thing and feeling guilty about basically conning this man into being his "boyfriend". But then, in classic rom-com fashion, they start to truly fall in love, though convinced the other isn't. There's probably a good portion of arguments and rubbing each other the wrong way, of course. And intentional embarrassment of each other too.

But it's when Christmas morning comes around and the whole family is having fun and laughing and watching each other open gifts that one of Hob's little cousins hands him a small, flat package with his name in fancy script. He blinks, confused as he sees the "From" field filled in with Dream's name.

"I thought we said we weren't giving each other anything?" Hob asks, brow quirked upward, wondering when the hell this man even had time to get him a gift. (Then a spark of fear, wondering what the hell is in this package. Especially after their fight the night before.)

Dream says nothing, of course, just silently watches with an intensity Hob's begun to grow fond of, hands curled around a warm mug of hot cocoa, still clad in the set of matching PJ'S Hob's mother had bought them both.

Hob peels back the shiny red wrapping paper to find a single sheet of thicker paper. On it, a wonderfully sketched and rendered image of Hob's very own face rests. He's smiling, wrapped up with the beanie and scarf combination he'd worn on their outing to the tree farm earlier. It takes his breath away.

"Turn it over," Dream commands quietly, the sound of joyous laughter and activity nearly drowns his deep voice out.

On the back is that same, neat script. There's a letter addressed to him. His eyes barely get through the first sentence before he tears up.

"I have grown far fonder of you this past week than would be advisable, but as I have found throughout my life, the heart rarely cares for such matters of the mind. You aggravate me, Hob Gadling. You, with your overly cheerful morning greetings and terrible singing. You, with your propensity for listening to the same three Christmas songs on repeat and a ludacris appetite for sweets. You, who would visit the Queen of England in nothing more than coderoy trousers and a secondhand sweater vest. There are countless reasons I should only feel disdain for you. Had we met in any other fashion, I doubt we would have ever wished to speak with one another again.

And yet . . . And yet, I find myself smiling when I hear your voice above the falling water in the bathroom. And yet I find myself humming along to the words to Deck the Halls, a song I had never known the lyrics to before this year. And yet I find myself enjoying the warmth and comfort one finds wrapped in your arms, pressed against those very sweater vests.

You confuse me, Hob Gadling. You are the antithesis of everything I have ever sought in others, but perhaps that is why I now find myself falling for you. You who understand me at a level I find terrifying. You who is unafraid to push me when I need pushing, to guard me when the world is more than I can handle.

I believe I am falling in love with you, Hob. And that terrifies me. But, perhaps, you have started to feel the same?"

Hob, of course, all but falls into Dream's lap and kisses the man, earning a whooping holler from his brother. Be he doesn't care. Because he has Dream, something he thought impossible.

Writing Ask Game

#ky asks #writing game #dreamling #fics that might not ever happen but maybe!#maybe that'll be this year's holiday fic :p

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mdhwrites · 1 year

Note

How do you take inspiration from something without falling into “copies what worked in X piece of media w/o understanding why it worked”?

Have a point. The shortest way I can put it is simply make sure what you're doing has a point to it.

Here's the thing: When people accuse something of ripping off a different piece, it's effectively to answer why something is in a story. If what you're doing has a point to the internal narrative, then you already clear that. As an example: One could have the kneejerk reaction of hearing "Oh yeah, four different schools of some sort of magic and our heroes are going to have all of them except the evil one because all of this one sort is evil. Yeah, I read Harry Potter too." BUT Avatar doesn't get that thrown at it for a reason despite for two seasons ALL firebenders being evil besides Iroh, which could be as a Snape parallel. This is because the four nations have their own cultures, identities, feels, etc. like that outside of what Harry Potter does and the distinction in elements gives limitations to characters and an arc to Aang's power. It feels like a real part of the story.

This is actually a problem that the fantasy genre ESPECIALLY faces. After all, a LOT of people take inspiration from Tolkien. If you just slap orcs into your setting though as generic monsters, people might kind of roll their eyes because they've seen it and even the Uruk-hai in Lord of the Rings were more interesting. They can feel very generic and feel like they're there simply because it's a fantasy setting.

This also goes for asshole elves. How many stories literally just copy and paste Tolkien elves? And... Usually it's fine because Tolkien's elves have a rich culture but face value they are just long lived assholes. Need an in tune with nature asshole for your adventuring party? Make him an elf and elves have a point to exist now. They're the assholes.

This is actually how you get the formation of tropes. Even if a story isn't taking from one source specifically, you can start seeing these reused elements over and over again because they simply work and because they work... People start taking them for granted. X story usually has Y tropes so an author might assume they don't have to think about it beyond that.

If your story is about racial equality and not judging books by their cover though, then having all orcs be evil and stereotypical suddenly makes no sense. But it's a fantasy setting. It needs orcs. And orcs are evil. So... What do? A good writer gets creative. A bad writer plows through that narrative issue while screaming "LALALALALA!" This is where the claim of copy and paste storytelling comes from. Yes, for this sort of story Y works. But it only works MOST of the time and still needs to actually be integrated into the rest of the story. If it's plopped in without that effort to make it more seamless, then it's going to stick out to the audience.

And when something sticks out to the audience like that, they're going to ask why. They might blame tropes or they might blame it for taking inspiration from something else. Modern media analysis doesn't help with that either because at this point we have SO MUCH MEDIA that you can usually easily to SOMETHING else that did it worse or better depending on the point you're trying to make.

And here's the thing: This works for things that DO get the point too. If they're taking inspiration from something but then stumble by copying too much without grace, then it's going to lead to the same question as a weaker piece of media. Why is this here? It'll get glossed over more easily because the rest is good and that's what suspension of disbelief is for. To help smooth over those hiccups because what you're getting in return for ignoring an homage or ripoff is something you're enjoying.

If you're not enjoying it though... Well, that's where you get tropes being considered purely evil. How many stories have done liar reveal plots that have no point to them other than being a cheap source of conflict? Honestly, I thought the trope was so bad I'd never touch it until forty chapters into one of my own stories, I paused and went "Holy shit. I'm only NOW realizing that this is a lair reveal as the liar is being revealed!?" Is that bad? Not necessarily. If I didn't realize I was using a trope or following a story format, that means my choices were at least mostly the organic ones for the story I was going for. They had a point. Which made it so when the liar was revealed, it was playing into a full, proper character arc, there were multiple levels to it, whether or not the character was still lying at that point was even coming into question as they hit a crossroads of what their lie would give them versus what they actually wanted and the confrontation brought that to a boil in a dramatic way.

And that to me helped illuminate why Liar Reveal exists. But when it's just thrown in as basic miscommunication for cheap, pointless drama and complication, the audience feels that. Feels the payoff they want being pulled away by something that's lacking a reason to actually be there.

Lacking a point.

==========

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

#writing analysis #Ripping Off #Homage #Inspiration

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nerdyydragon · 2 years

Text

I’m gonna get absolutely ripped into by the Tumblr purity police for this, and I’ve been around the internet long enough (too damned long) to know that this isn’t a new thing at all whatsoever but… fandom does know that people can enjoy a good villain, right? They can enjoy the character and don’t have to make excuses for liking them and remind everyone that they, the fan and poster of this content, do not in any way condone their behaviour and actually wrestle with the morality of enjoying them with every other breath, as though it is some Herculean undertaking to enjoy a character written explicitly to be enticing?

I’m going to talk specifically about RoP here for a minute because it’s the most recent show I’ve seen (and thus most recent subfandom I’ve dived into), but going into the tags there is an absolutely overwhelming amount of fic that tries to take the moral high ground about liking a character that’s written to be… evil. Like that’s it. Halbrand’s the bad guy!! Technically he doesn’t even exist! Sauron made up the alias because he couldn’t just go around giving people any number of names associated with a guy who supposedly died over a thousand years ago and has committed multiple fantasy war crimes, probably. The reveal scene where the ruse drops (Halbrand you’re scaring the hoes) is gorgeous, and Charlie does an absolutely delicious job of portraying a human smith-king struggling with a murky past only to drop it the moment it’s no longer useful. You are allowed to enjoy that. You are allowed to find it alluring and, dare I say it, attractive. That’s the point. That’s Tolkien’s whole argument in the Silmarillion.

Nobody was immune to sexy Sauron propaganda because he was considered too hot to actually do anything other than watch his hair glitter in the sun. Everyone around him considered that man “no thoughts, head empty, just vibes”.

Halbrand | Sauron is, by definition, a lying liar who lies, and fans have known that from the get that Mairon was originally so beautiful that pretty much nobody noticed that he was getting into shady side-hustles, at least in the beginning. But this trend of reducing antagonistic or villainous characters to single traits and negating the other elements of their “identity”—I’m putting that in quotes because it’s fiction even though that tends to unfortunately also happen to real people—that indicate they have other thoughts besides corruption and murder and brooding in a tower they built to plot their world domination ignores the deliberate complexity of fiction. Good characters imitate life; they’re not like real people, but they’re a representation of qualities and archetypes rolled into a ball for narrative purpose that reflect ideologies, politics, social conventions, and cultural norms.

There was a millennia between when Sauron disappeared and when Halbrand showed up (allegedly), and a millennia in which he became someone who on the surface appeared totally content with working in a smithy in Númenor and living as a common man. Do I think that would have worked for him long-term? No, he absolutely would have tired of it eventually, and canonically at some point he has to go back to the Southlands in order for the forging of the rings and the story to proceed. He presents himself both as Halbrand and in his mind-manipulations as someone who wants to save Middle Earth. In his mind he’s the hero; he’s under the assumption that he’s the best person for the task of freeing the lands of men from themselves and healing the nation after Morgoth’s rule (he’s wrong, obviously, because he’s both traumatized himself and too ambitious for his own good). Yet every fic I see of him sounds so incredibly terrified of embracing any sort of darkness other than “he’s evil and murderous and wants to corrupt everyone”. I have no problem with dark themes in fiction; maybe it’s because I myself am an author working with darker themes right now, but the majority of, at the very least more vocal fic authors, wrestle with their attraction to it in a way that falls very far short of “he’s evil and I alone can fix it” because it’s too undercut with “he’s evil and I need to everyone to know I don’t excuse it” which doesn’t make for good character. It just means your fic is a mouthpiece for purity grandstanding and avoiding people coming at you for liking a problematic character.

There are obviously a plethora of other examples, not even getting into shipping and this apparent need to justify a ship—if you don’t agree with or like something, just… don’t read it—but my point is that you don’t have to excuse a character’s actions to enjoy the character. It’s fiction. Obviously you don’t condone mass murder and tyrannical dictatorships unless the guy doing it is hot. Obviously you don’t condone abusive relationships. But my god, if you’re going to write fic for the literal villain of a series that people have been arguing about for literal fucking decades, don’t try to excuse your enjoyment of it by saying in the writing that you don’t agree (unless it’s for wider characterization purposes). Saying what amounts to “[character A] is obviously so attractive but they’re evil so [character B] can’t love them even though they did up until this pivotal moment, but A is So Evil Nobody Could Love Them although lust is fine because I, the writer, am clearly not excusing their actions and am obviously morally in the clear and Better Than You” is disingenuous.

Anyway this sort of got off the rails but this is all to say that you can enjoy the bad guy. That’s… the whole point of a well-written villain. You can’t have one without the other; you can’t say “I like the bad guy but only when…” because then you don’t like the character. You like the idea of them. Good villains, even if they’re doing explicitly shitty things, often believe they’re justified. They possess “logic” that informs the decisions they made—decisions written by an author deliberately to add complexity. So liking the villain but only when they’re not doing villainous things means you don’t actually like the villain, and you need to stop pretending you do, because for some fans the general disdain is very obviously at war with some secret attraction they believe is itself morally bankrupt and frankly it’s gross.

#fiction #writing #fics #villains #writing villains #yes this is partly about RoP so I’m also tagging:#rings of power #rings of power spoilers #rop spoilers #lotr trop #fandom #fanfiction #anti purity culture #the silmarillion

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merrilark · 2 years

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Title: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Genre: Science Fiction Page Count: 617 (not including appendices) Trigger Warnings: The big bad is a pedophile who doesn’t seem to have any qualms about incest... fortunately Herbert wasn’t explicit about this, but it was enough for me to raise a brow of surprise. Other than that, there isn’t much that could be considered triggery beyond your (likely expected) deaths.

Humm. I finally finished this one. I had high hopes for Dune, as it was recommended to me repeatedly by a number of friends, and many online reviews claim it’s one of the best scifi books ever written. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love it, I’m afraid that I’m ending 2022 with a personal stinker.

Dune had been promising, and if there is one thing that it does exceptionally well, it’s world-building. I loved the attention to detail, particularly when it came to Fremen culture, and the sense of tension and alienation you could feel from the main characters as they tried to navigate the new, alien customs. Sadly, though, while Herbert’s strength lies in world-building and politics, he seems to struggle with writing characters.

Most of the characters felt very one-dimensional, but none quite as one-dimensional as Paul, the main character, who was so bland and hard to connect with that he reads a bit like a stand-in for the (male) reader. The main villain, the Baron, was little more interesting; he had a personality, at least, but that personality was “fat, gay pedophile”. Which, you know, Dune was written in the ‘60s, so it’s not exactly that such a characterization was shocking to me as much as it was... tiring? It seemed that every passage involving the Baron made certain to remind us of how obese he was. Similarly with Paul, the book repeatedly had to remind us of how special he was, or how incredible his powers were, typically through the inner-thoughts of another character. At a point, it began to feel a little annoying at best and condescending at worst, as if Herbert was not-so-slyly winking at and elbowing his readers. Did you see that? Did you see how cool and clever that was? Yes, yes. I get it: the Baron is evil and very fat, and Paul is very special and very cool.

The plot itself is interesting at times but so muddied with politics and characters I didn’t care about that it was hard for me to get into. The style, too, is fine but a bit dull and, as mentioned, occasionally condescending and self-praising. I tried very, very hard to like it, and to keep interested, but I ended up skimming the last few chapters because I just wanted to get the book over with.

If I sound harsh, it’s because I’m disappointed, and maybe that disappointment combined with how difficult it was to muscle through 600+ pages has made me a little bit bitter. I can’t blame that on Herbert, though. I think my disappointment can be blamed instead on how hyped this book was for me. Other “worse” books like Red Riding, which I have a severe case of love-hate for, were opened with low expectations. Dune, however, was a book that I had heard nothing but the highest of praise for, and as someone who loves scifi, I went into it expecting beautiful prose, intriguing characters, and Tolkien-level world-building. Instead I got what felt like a political soap opera set rather unnecessarily in space. And that’s fine. But it really isn’t for me.

I’m giving Dune two out of five stars. When it was good, it was very good. But when it was bad, it was a pain to keep reading.

I think people who enjoy politics and philosophy over good characters and plot may enjoy this more than I did.

#this is my saltiest review yet LOL #although i haven't written a review for history of fear yet #but as angry as the ending of that book makes me... i enjoyed it much much much more than dune #sorry dune stans. i am a heathen.#merri reads dune #merri's book reviews #not gonna put this in the book's tags like i have the others. bc fksdlf this is basically dune hate. i'm sorry.

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semi-imaginary-place · 2 years

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Tolkien's Legendarium in the Modern World

There's many social issues I could talk about here, but for me what is most blatantly chaffing is the Catholicism. Tolkien's Legendarium is a Catholic work. Professor Tolkien himself was devotedly Catholic and traditionally Catholic, and that undercurrent of Catholicism permeates every aspect of the Legendarium. The Catholicism shows up everywhere from the mythos have a one true god that is a all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent creator, to how weird the Legendarium is about divorce (like a divorce had the butterfly effect causing most of the First Age's problems), discussions of morality and free will are very much made with Catholic theology in mind, the Catholic focus on purity, marriage is a sacred act between two soulmates destined for each other, sex is what makes a marriage real, and divorce is evil. It would be impossible to remove all the Catholicism and have the Legendarium to still be recognizable. As someone who recognizes the sheer amount of cultural destruction Christianity has wrought upon this world, if I were to rewrite the Legendarium, to create its ideal form, I would tone down the Catholic-ness of it though not entirely eliminate it, the question is how.

Other's have discussed the problems with depictions of women in the Legendarium but to cover a couple major points, the Legendarium just lacks women there are barely any female characters, and of the women present it's like they are only allowed to act within the bounds of traditional European femininity. Take for example Luthien who is probably the single most powerful non-Maia in the series (well she is half but she's counted among the elves), and yet her power in the story manifests solely through traditionally feminine domains like weaving. This on its own would not be a problem, women are allowed to like feminine things and Luthien has a lot of agency within her story, the problem is that there are so few women in the Legendarium and they are all like this, what powers they have always coming from the feminine sphere.

#tolkien #silmarillion #tolkien legendarium #lotr #lord of the rings #the hobbit #eowyn #i love the catholic elves i hate the catholic elves im using the catholic elves as a chew toy #just to be clear since tradwife tumblr of all groups has found this post #christianity is the religion of western imperialism bigotry and hate #also terfs can fuck off

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arlothia · 1 year

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Pass the happy! 🌻🌈

When you receive this, list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications!

Daaawww!! Thanks @random-user753!

I just took a perusal through your blog and IMMEDIATELY followed because we have VERY similar interests and are on the same wavelength with it comes to Thrawn! He is NOT a mustache twirling bad guy for CRYING OUT LOUD!!! I am hoping beyond hope that this is some sort of misdirect or something to hide the fact that something bigger is coming, be it the Grysk or someone else, I don’t care! Just...DON’T ASSASSINATE THIS BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER!!!!! 😭😭😭😭 I love him, your honor!!!! And I an BEGGING that Zahn be given permission to write another trilogy detailing what Thrawn’s been up to in the past decade because I would read the HELL out of that!!! And I would also take more books on what’s happening back in the Chaos to see what’s up with Thalias and Che'ri and Vurika and Ar'alani and Eli and Samakro and Ba'kif and and and...

Aaaanyway, back to the point, here’s 5 things (I’m spicing things up this time and doing fandoms/authors) that make me happy:

Star Wars

Tolkien

Brandon Sanderson

Sarah Eden

MARVEL

Thanks for the message!! Consider it thrown right back atcha! ❤❤❤

#me #mine #random-user753 #bonding over Star Wars #thank you! :)#as you do ;)#Thrawn #We'll always have the books #no matter what happens on screen #the books are sacred #I'm almost done with my second reading of 'Thrawn: Ascendancy'#and I'm also part of the way through 'Dark Force Rising'#INJECT THRAWN RIGHT INTO MY VEINS!!!!!#I will love Timothy Zahn forever!!!!!!

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tolkien-feels · 2 years

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My conspiracy theory, actually, is that if Tolkien had ever written a long, long story centered on the Second Age, he might just have explored how Sauron takes over his mentor and lord Morgoth to the point where he seems to want to substitute him, while Elrond will not take over Gil-galad's authority if every elf alive begs him to. It's just the kind of parallel Tolkien loves tbh

#not because tolkien considers authority a bad thing #but because it's not the right thing to do at this point in time #and elrond has the wisdom to recognize that and not seek power at any cost #whereas sauron explicitly rejects any worldviews that require he do anything humbler than what he (thinks he) deserves

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fantastic-nonsense · 2 years

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As one of the few DC people on here I trust to read good fanfic, do you have any fanfic recs centered around Dick, Cass and/or Damian?

I'm super flattered you trust my fic taste and would like to assure you that while I've read a LOT of questionable fics in pursuit of scratching a particular plot or character dynamics itch, I refuse to rec fics to people that I don't consider good.

That being said: yes, I do. The short answer is that I keep an ongoing DC/Batfam fics recs list here (for those interested in the rest of my fic recs lists, you can find my recs list masterpost here. Word of caution for the Sherlock Holmes, Tolkien, and Doctor Who lists; I can’t necessarily vouch for their quality due to having not read the majority of the fics on the list in 7+ years, but all other lists should be good). I've also done a Cass recs list before here.

Now, picking out a few specifically that focus on one or more of those characters:

3:16: The knife pushes thin along Dick’s carotid artery, cupping the indent between neck and jawline—forcing him to angle his chin. The metal is warm, pulled with execution speed from under Damian’s pillow. “Okay,” Dick says quietly, tracking the intricacies of his own heartbeat—counting the space between breaths. “Guess I did need a shave.” (With faltering steps, Dick and Damian become Batman and Robin.)

[60k, WIP. Originally written as a 'filling in the spaces between canon' fic, has now evolved into a 'rewriting canon but slightly to the left because Bruce actually died in this verse' fic. General warning for Morrison-era!Talia due to the canon being worked with]

bad signal: The rescue mission went well. Nightwing is safe. Everything should be alright. Right?

[Note: explaining what this fic is actually about would lowkey ruin the excellent suspense and tension that the author builds up, but it can basically be summed up as "the Dick Grayson the Batfam rescues is not, in fact, alright, and that becomes A Problem for everyone else."]

do I dare disturb the universe?: Cassandra Cain was falling, and there were stars. When she landed, she found herself stranded in a universe where there never was a Batman. Good thing that she’s a detective.

Dragon and Daughter: Cassandra Cain isn't in Gotham during No Man's Land. She's in Canada five years earlier, and Richard Dragon is the one to stumble across her instead.

exactly how this grace thing works: Dick gets de-aged. You'd think this would be a routine thing.

if you just call me: “Dick.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Dick, look at me.” Slowly, as if he were pushing against a terrible force, he lifted his head. “I have known you since I was thirteen years old, and I have known you in a dozen other lifetimes, so I need you to believe me when I say that there is nothing you could do that would make me stop loving you.” Dick held her gaze. He looked like he was searching for something in her eyes, so Donna held still and hoped he found it. “Did you really know me in other lives?” he asked. Dick and Donna, after the action, through the years.

Making Time: Bruce does not remember anything leading up to this moment. He does not remember teaming up with Superman recently, nor does he remember being anywhere but Gotham proper. He does remember having Robin at his side. Robin, it turns out, is not there any longer. God does he hate magic. [Temporary Amnesia]

no matter how far you unbend: Laying there in bed, letting Catalina take what she wanted to take, an idea had occurred to Dick. This, he had thought, is an unhealthy relationship. In the weeks after Blockbuster's murder, Dick is trapped in a toxic relationship with Catalina. His family will do anything to rescue him.

[Note: deals with the events of Nightwing (1996) #93-95. TW for rape and abusive relationships. Heavy fic]

the city without stars in its skies: “Gotham is filthy,” Damian says flatly, honestly. “I understand now why Mother sent me here instead of coming herself.” Nightwing’s face is turned to the left, but the smile on his lips is audible. “It’s not all bad,” he says.

Damian thinks of Grayson, and the too-sweet donut he had given him, and the Chinese restaurant with the nice Asian lady and the park and the stray cat that had crossed through the grass in the darkness. “No,” he admits grudgingly, “I suppose not.”

(Or, in a world where he was never sent to live with his father, Damian al Ghul is contracted to assassinate one Dick Grayson.)

The R Stands for –: Damian pretends to focus on lacing up his boots as his father tugs Drake to his side, plants a gruff, casual kiss in his hair. Drake's lips curl into a pleased smile, and Damian yanks the strings so hard his palms burn.

[Note: incredible Damian-centric oneshot, focusing on his character growth from his time with the League through Batman and Robin era. Plays with both canon and fanon concepts in interesting ways]

the space between: What kind of parent forgets their own kid? Or: Ric, Damian, and some old forgotten adoption paperwork.

[Note: In which The Devil (DC) works hard, but the fans work harder to make the devil’s work bearable]

-----

Hope you enjoy reading!

#bri's recs #asks #batfam

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sunflowerheartsandstarryskies · 2 years

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Stranger Things That 70s Show AU~ That 80s Show

That 80s Show Background and Headcanons

(Eventual Eddie Munson x fem!reader)

Author’s Note: This is for the eventual fic that I want to write because I am soft for grumpy x sunshine otps and Jackie x Hyde were the definition of that. So the background is important for this AU I think.

Who knows if I will fully write a fic about this? But I love this idea, I just don’t know if anyone else will. I also wrote this while I was bored at work if you couldn’t tell.

I don’t know if I should cross-publish here and on AO3 or just AO3??? Idk? This really is a “guess I have to do it myself” fanfic scenario, as I am combining one show with a fav of mine.

Background/Headcanon:

✌ I had this in my head for a while so this is what you need to know if you haven’t seen That 70’s Show. The main group is a feminist, a conspiracy hippy, a horny foreign exchange student, a peppy cheerleader, a complete dork, and the definition of getting by on looks alone.

✌ I am getting rid of Fez’s character (the foreign exchange student) because I don’t know where to include him in this story, he wouldn’t fit in Hawkins.

✌ This is also a universe where the Upside Down doesn’t exist, and that means everyone lives! So now they are living in a goofy sitcom show instead of a paranormal drama show.

✌ I think Robin and Donna from That 70’s show would get along up to a certain point. Robin and Nancy I think could make a total feminist power couple. Nancy has the “I will fuck shit up and you up if you don’t listen to me” like Donna had and Robin has a better sense of humor than Donna.

✌ Steve could make a total Kelso and Eric combo. I feel like he’s got some hidden nerdiness in him that he doesn’t want to be known, and in this AU he’s childhood friends with Nancy, Robin, and Eddie and so this confident, popular act makes a sort of shield around his friends, to know they can’t be messed with. He also babysits the neighborhood kids from time to time, and so he’s the golden boy of Hawkins, popular, sweet, and responsible.

✌ Eddie I feel is a mix between Hyde and Eric, he’s definitely gotten the bad boy look down, listening to rock and metal, dealing weed, but he’s a total dork like Eric. He loves D&D, and Tolkien, and probably loves Star Wars and Star Trek as well.

✌ The town judged him too quickly based on his looks so the inner nerd in him kinda quiets down and is only known by his close friends. He becomes more theatrical, and dramatic, though, and starts to rave on the different conspiracies of the world to anyone who listens.

✌ Steve’s parents are Kitty and Red, since we don’t see the actual Harringtons, and I love them.

✌ The reader is a ray of sunshine, femme, and a cheerleader, who would fit into the role of Jackie but not outright Jackie. She’s into Star Wars and D&D but has to keep that quiet because she doesn’t want to get kicked off the cheer squad. She’s friends with Chrissy and they get along fairly well. She would be considered the golden girl of Hawkins.

✌ Steve keeps hitting on her (think like Season 1 or 2 Steve) and he won’t take the hint to leave her alone. She gives in and says one date and the possibility of meeting his friends as well (since she’s hoping to meet Eddie through Steve). He’s ecstatic and thinks that’s like two dates.

✌ She’s immediately drawn to Eddie, even with Steve hitting on her, she’s always had a thing for the whole bad boy aesthetic, and knowing Eddie likes the same music and movies as her??? Yeah, she’s full-on crushing.

✌ Eddie at first tries to keep up this grumpy bad boy facade so that the reader doesn’t know he likes her and also doesn’t want what little of her social status is left to come crumbling. However, once he knows she has an inner nerd like him, he kinda becomes his full dorky self that everyone loves from the show.

✌ The AU starts with everyone the same age, 16-17, in high school, so they are sophomores in high school at the start.

#stranger things #stranger things fic #fanfic #steve harrington #stranger things au #that 70s show au #eddie munson x reader #i guess but thats more so in the fic then here i guess #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler

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