nexstage

[nexstage]

Thinking about how Azula straight up jumped onto Zuko's back. And then it was never adressed, like it's normal.

[nexstage]

WIP Wednesday? WIP WEDNESDAY!!!

Angry Anne is the best thing to write! Here, she goes into a flashback of one of her “sessions” with the Core. I think this flashback and this section might be my favorite part of chapter seven!

The reflection part is my favorite of this SS. Sharp sapphire turning into dull brown. Whatever will it take to get those brown eyes shining again?

This part needs some editing but it looks decent so far.

Enjoy!

[nexstage]

The Uselessness of Filler

Filler is not useless. Filler is flavor. This is about how useless the term 'Filler' is to modern discussions, especially with non-adaptive works.

First I want to get into what I mean by 'Filler is flavor' though because it gets into what the modern, rhetorical definition of Filler is. See, plot, action and drama are great and when those elements are high, very few people will even consider calling such a piece Filler. After all, it clearly serves a purpose and often has the big payoffs we want out of the thing we're watching... But it's not actually always what is most memorable about the story in general. After all, these moments are big, flashy and they mean a lot but they're the ones that usually paint in the broadest strokes for most pieces because they actually have to have a goal they're accomplishing.

Meanwhile, an episode that lets the characters breathe, flex smaller elements of themselves, etc. like that get listed as filler. After all, no plot or character development happened so it can just be thrown away, like one would useless, bland filler. Except how often are those episodes bland? A LOT of filler does something a lot of more plot driven episodes can't do: Character and world EXPANSION. It can get into their hobbies, the small ways in which a world works, it/the characters' quirkier elements that make them feel more distinct from their archtypes, etc. like that. It's important for making them feel fully fleshed out instead of feeling like they're just the archtype. A story without filler after all has no room to make it so a redeemed character is anything but their redemption, not if every scene and episode is only focused on moving the plot forward.

But this raises an even bigger question: What the fuck does this term mean when there isn't a plot? Or when the main focus of the plot is just interactions? We have after all made a rhetorical term, that a LOT of people seem to think is deeply important, that straight up doesn't apply to certain genres. If a comedy doesn't push the plot of the show forward but is hilarious during that episode, is that Filler? If a slice of life show showcases the characters cooking for an episode and just seeing how those personalities bounce off of each other in that situation, is that Filler? In a romance, if the two leads have a fun day out but don't deepen their relationship by the end of the chapter, is that Filler despite getting to see the two interact?

And a lot of people would go "I mean, those are fun and good so they're not filler" which is actually even true for the traditional definition and use of Filler. It originates originally after all from anime adaptations that will fill time because the manga they're adapting is out of material but they want to keep putting out animated material for it. So they have to come up with a plot that doesn't actually change the status quote to fill time. When done poorly, it's lambasted for being filler. When done well, it's PRAISED for how good its filler is.

That doesn't feel fair. It's almost like it being filler ISN'T the problem. The problem is whether or not it was any good. A LOOOOOT of what is branded as 'Filler' with Western, Non-Adapted media is just what the fandom or person doesn't like. 'I got nothing out of this so it must be filler'. That's just bluntly not true. If that is what the definition is, then the term is just "This is my opinion" while trying to sound like it's an actual, structural critique, especially for someone who cannot actually verbalize why they disliked it besides just not gelling with it. Which it's okay not to like something but you shouldn't try to deepen the reason why if all you have to say is that on a rewatch, you'd skip it because you found it personally boring. Because it didn't cater to your tastes.

And for anyone going "Well, this is just your opinion. Can you back it up with an example?" I can actually.

Hazbin Hotel exists after all.

That is a show that has such a breakneck pace that it'd be almost impossible to call any of it filler... But also it struggles to remember that it needs to actually sell us on the characters, world, etc. before getting into status quote shake ups and major plot beats. That's how you get a show that is spending its first episode simultaneously going "Look at our hotel for redeeming sinners" and "Alright, we are ramping up the conflict with Heaven to set up an eventual war."

I don't know about you but I don't feel like those should be happening at the same time. But... If Filler HAS to move plot and character arcs along, the base premise of Hazbin is literally flawed. Having a random sinner of the week would be Filler. Tackling a failed method of trying to redeem someone would be Filler because technically would be accomplished or moved along. Instead, it HAS to immediately go its big plot because that's how you justify it as a real story in a modern, critical context.

That's just a flawed way of seeing media to me. How many classic works have been rendered almost entirely without merit by this way of thinking? Monster of the Week Sentai like Power Rangers? Come on, can't you cut that down to the couple plot relevant monsters and episodes in each season? Who wants to see them fighting weird, fun concepts after all, there's a big bad to kill! Classic modern shenanigans like Ed, Edd and Eddy? There's no plot so it's an entirely ephemeral product. Literally ANY sitcom from Friends to Frasier to Seinfeld, etc. can be just said as being filler and so not be meaningful and where is the usefulness of that.

And if the term is ONLY for genres with plot like adventure series... What the fuck do you have to say about Journey to the West, one of the most influential books of literally all time... Most of which is spent on obstacles that accomplish literally nothing, except maybe reinforcement on a theme, besides enabling them to take ten steps before the next obstacle slams in front of them? Are you telling me that Journey to the West is fundamentally flawed when so much of its episodic pacing is part of why it has been able to be influential and inspirational?

The more we lean on hard criteria like Filler over whether or not a piece was effective or entertaining or anything like that, the more we narrow what media is allowed to be. What a story can be. Rhetorical tools like these aren't meant to do that. They're meant to help express our discomforts and annoyances with a work. That is why we have terms like 'Repetitive,' 'Pointless' or 'Bland'. These all specifically address a problem within the work, rather than dismissing it outright simply because of its position in a narrative. They all touch on reasons why people call something Filler without being able to be misinterpreted or misused. They require the person to actually state what they don't like about it than using some arbitrary criteria in order to dismiss something.

Filler as a term doesn't even have that flavor, making it more pointless and rote than the media with that label.

======+++++======

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.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[nexstage]

[nexstage]

Someone talked to me about the plot for Burn and I realized I haven’t been planning it at all, just writing as I go 😭

But! Thanks to this person I’ve come up with some new ideas for Burn! And maybe a semblance of a plot—

I swear I’m cooking 😭

[nexstage]

Okay so Grime says something a little out of pocket and Anne sort of snaps.

The stress from losing Sasha, confronting the resistance, waking up without an ARM, and talking to Sprig sort of all added up and she’s just done with Grime’s bullshit.

She doesn’t yell or anything. It’s more of a cold rage than a hot rage.

We’ve seen Anne in a cold rage before but this one is sort of… more severe?

She’s about to tear this toad’s throat out and he’s none the wiser 😭

[nexstage]

Alright so… I’m writing grime going “we will talk after this” to Anne during the meeting.

Nvm it turned into a lecture 💀😭

Now I have to write Anne getting pissed and exploding at him…

[nexstage]

Ending this chapter on the video tapes being delivered by a squadron of frobots. I think this chapter will be a bit longer than usual but that’s okay!

Anne is still injured ofc and no one actually lets her hold a sword, but she still gets a punch in :P

Next chapter, disturbed by the commotion, Sasha comes back to see organized chaos, Anne standing there trying to direct things, Grime, who’s inspecting the tapes, and the Plantars trying to get Anne to sit down.

Anne only sits down after making sure everyone else is okay. Still so selfless.

Anne has a bad feeling about the tapes, and tells them not to watch it. It could be a trap. But Sasha reasons that maybe there’s good information in them. She ignores the look on Anne’s face after she says this however.

Mmmm juicy drama! :33

The fluff and comfort comes right after this I swear

[nexstage]

“We don’t like it when you try to be the hero, Anne.”

Anne struggled against her restraints weakly, panting and gasping for air. The scent of metallic blood filled her nose. She glared up at the Core, who looked down at her with a mocking expression.

“You’re more beautiful when you give in to your weaknesses.”

Nails dug into her shoulder, but Anne remained silent, save for her breathing.

“Look.”

Her eyes avoided the mirror that was placed in front of her.

“We said look.”

Her chin was grabbed and turned to force her to look into the mirror.

“Don’t you see? You’re pathetic.”

Anne was bruised and bloodied. Gnarled scars dotting her skin, a large bruise by her lips. Blood trickled down her chin from her mouth and nose.

“Without us, you’re nothing more than a pawn.”

The hand gripping her chin released her, and her head hung limply as she breathed.

“But if you give in…”

The pressure on her shoulder became less painful as the touch became softer.

“You’ll have the world, and more.”

Anne couldn’t respond, as the Core had placed a thumb on her lips. It softly pressed against her, and Anne fought every instinct to lean in.

“What do you say?”

“Never,” Anne spat out.

[nexstage]

Genuinely, I think the funniest way that an Amphibia sequel series could make Sashannarcy canon would be to have it happen entirely off-screen. Like, between the final scene of season 3 and the first scene of this sequel the girls asked each other out, went on several dates, proposed, got engaged, planned a wedding, and got married (also bought a house and moved in together) completely off camera.

Also, it would be even funier if they kept referencing things that happened during that off-screen part, but it's always so vague that the audience can't figure out what they mean.

As an example: The girls are fighting some big monster.

Sasha: Dodging the monster's attack "Hey doesn't this remind you guys of that one date we went on?"

Marcy: "You mean the one with the- Woah!" Barely avoids getting stomped on

Sasha: "Yeah that one."

Anne: "Oh yeah, I remember that one. You know, that place was kinda nice. We should go back there sometime."

Sasha: "I thought you said you hated that place."

Anne: "Yeah, but thay was before we- LOOK OUT!" Pushes Sasha out of the way of an attack

Sasha: Laying on the ground with Anne on top of her "Now that you mention it, we never did manage to get the 'full experience', did we?"

Anne: Pushing herself off of Sasha "Save it for later, Sasha. We've got bigger things to worry about right now"

Sprig, who's been watching this whole thing:

Also, at some point, one of them needs to mention that "this reminds me of our honeymoon" during a situation that should absolutely not remind someone of a honeymoon.

[nexstage]

New story dropping soon 👀

[nexstage]

CHAPTER SIX OF BURN IS COMPLETE AND POSTED! Huge thank you to @wren-writes-things for helping me with this atrocious chapter.

[nexstage]

"Get over your hero complex, and be a true leader and a true friend." Grime let out a breath as he finished his lecture, glaring at Anne. He turned away to face the assembly, and Anne inhales the stale air, trying her best not to explode.

But a mutter from Grime made her freeze.

"I don't know what she sees in you."

Grime ily but my god that wasn’t the right thing to say.

He’s concerned about Sasha, and Anne got on his nerves after driving Sasha away. He cares! That’s great! But also he’s very harsh when he lectures people.

Anne doesn’t take this very well…

[nexstage]

The Long Road Home Chapter 38 Progress Report!

1.2k so far. Sorry with how long these chapters have been taking lately, I'll try to pick up the pace.

[nexstage]

REVERSE TROPE WRITING PROMPTS

Too many beds

Accidentally kidnapping a mafia boss

Really nice guy who hates only you

Academic rivals except it’s two teachers who compete to have the best class

Divorce of convenience

Too much communication

True hate’s kiss (only kissing your enemy can break a curse)

Dating your enemy’s sibling

Lovers to enemies

Hate at first sight

Love triangle where the two love interests get together instead

Fake amnesia

Soulmates who are fated to kill each other

Strangers to enemies

Instead of fake dating, everyone is convinced that you aren’t actually dating

Too hot to cuddle

Love interest CEO is a himbo/bimbo who runs their company into the ground

Nursing home au

[nexstage]

Commander Anne gave me many brainworms

I struggled to draw S3 Sasha's design so much 😭😭

[nexstage]

Have where I’m currently at in Burn!

Grime is speaking the truth right here, despite being a little bit of a jerk earlier. Can Anne get her shit together and talk to Sasha before things get worse?