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redrikki · 2 hours
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redrikki · 5 hours
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🥤 and 🍄
🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love
Funnily enough, I just answered that. I guess I'll take this opportunity to add to the list.
@chancecraz (on AO3) has two delightful Star Wars WIPs Shifting Sands and Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns, both of which feature time travel. I am always a sucker for that shit.
🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings
I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not really a shippy kind of girl. I tend to accept canon ships as-is rather than fantasize about hooking different characters up or lovey-dovey or sexy moments between canon couples. Sorry.
Writer's Truth or Dare
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redrikki · 5 hours
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You know what we need to have for fandom events? Fanfic READING exchanges. Like, committing to reading a fic that someone really loves, while they read a fic that YOU really love.
I think this would be a good idea because first of all, it's a LOT easier to do than exchanging WRITING fic (or drawing art) and open to pretty much EVERYONE in fandom as opposed to just people who feel confident sharing their work. Also, it's easy to check the word count for a thing, so it can get matched up to people who have the time and energy available to read things of a particular length.
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redrikki · 6 hours
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🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love & 🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?
🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love
In a Song of Ice & Fire fandom, I'm going to go with nonexistentwench, aka @hell-heron who writes some amazing Greyjoy family stuff.
In Downton Abbey, I'd say Alex51324 (@alex51324) who wrote the amazing Halo Effect series and has a number of other lovely Thomas Barrow focused stories as well.
I've been following @suzukiblu and enjoying their stuff since they were white_knuckle on livejournal writing amazing Avatar AUs.
🏜️ ⇢ what's your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?
Any kind of comment. Any comment is good, unless it's unsolicited criticism. On my meta, I like it when people raise points I hadn't considered. On fic, people who share their favorite parts are always a blast.
Writer's Truth or Dare
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redrikki · 18 hours
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something that makes sokka extremely adhd relatable is that he's constantly looking for his Thing, the one Thing he's good at or useful for that makes up for any failings or flaws or ways he just can't measure up to others. at the beginning of the show he defines himself by being the oldest boy in the village & best warrior, but then he gets his ass kicked by zuko and suki and sees aang's raw power and he can't exactly think fighting is his special skill anymore. but he still thinks he has to be defined by fighting ('man of the house' daddy issues) so he calls himself the guy with the boomerang bc that's turned out to be his most useful and versatile and unique weapon, the one that other people can't outclass him at (after all, it's his most successful attack in his fight with zuko). when he loses it in "avatar day" he explicitly says it's like losing a key part of his identity and the moment katara goes "hey you're good at solving mysteries" he's like "yeah! i'm a detective! that's my new thing! and gets a new set of objects to signify it ("i believe in the power of stuff"). but detective sokka doesn't last bc throughout the entire episode he and katara are pretty equally matched in detective skills and he gets his boomerang back anyway. failed experiment.
and throughout all of this, he's figured out that people find his insistance on getting them fed & his grumpy comments funny and so he begins defining himself as the meat and sarcasm guy, and when he's a tough spot in "bitter work", bargaining with the universe to get him help, he offers that up as all he's got to give. it's obviously a Joke that he immediately asks for meat after telling the universe he'll give it up but it's also pretty indicative of how much he clings to these identities. it's all he's got (he thinks), of COURSE he can't actually give it up. they stuck that boy in a hole for 22 minutes and it revealed so much about how he sees himself.
at some point (likely around "the library" when he takes initiative to come up with a fire nation invasion plan) he also becomes the plan guy, the idea guy, and the gaang find themselves looking to him for leadership. this is perhaps the closest to fully encompassing sokka that any of his "[blank] guy" labels get, since coming up with plans involves planning when and how to fight (boomerang guy) & how to get everyone fed (meat), and people not following his plans is a major source of frustration (sarcasm).
this all culminates in "sokka's master", where the show finally names the underlying insecurity driving this quest - that he's a nonbender. katara being the last waterbender meant she was in danger and that keeping her safe was top priority, and even though hakoda and kya wouldn't have played favorites sokka probably felt a little like the unfavorite child for not being special like her. he lacks an ability, and believes his life has less value bc of it. almost like somebody with a disability and internalized ableism
(interesting, one of the people who most consistently mocks sokka for being a nonbender is toph, early on. toph has a lot of internalized ableism herself, a fear of vulnerability bc she doesn't want to perceived as weak like her parents thought she was. her bending is her disability aid, the thing that allows her to be stronger than people think, so she dismisses a nonbender until she learns better.)
piandao's response to sokka's lack of self-worth is not to train him to be great at one thing, but to introduce him to a variety of different arts, show him that his value lies not in having any one skill but in his capacity to learn and grow. there's no single thing that makes him worthy. it isn't even the combination of all of them that makes him worthy. he simply is worthy.
and i don't know if this is a unique narrative in fiction or anything but it really means a lot to me that sokka doesn't have One Thing that "makes up" for him not being a bender. he's of course extremely skilled and prodigious at many things he does in the show but there's no one savant talent that "justifies" him being in the group and i feel like so many disability narratives - especially for kids - go that route and i really appreciate that atla doesn't and simply says people are valuable because they are valuable, not because of their special abilities
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redrikki · 19 hours
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🍓 and 🔪
🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?
I had plot bunnies and worldbuilding and characterization stuff in middle school, I had a whole journal filled with stuff about my OC (who was Spock and Saavik's daughter named Amanda, she was a priestess and married to a Human Starfleet captain, they had several kids together, and she sometimes still shows up idly in my brain despite the fact that it's been 30 years). And then in the late 90s I started reading fanfiction online on various websites. (I was horrified when fanfix.com died!)
But I didn't actually write it until I was in my 20s, for two reasons. First, I had the vague notion I would become a SF/F writer, and so my writing was going into two novels (that I still have around, but I haven't read them since). Second, while I wanted to write fanfiction, I didn't know where to POST it. Because most fanfiction in those days was on mailing lists or personal web sites or USENET and I didn't have a website, didn't know how to build one, and didn't know how to get on usenet. What I really wanted was to know where all the fanfic writers hung out, but I couldn't find them. I knew there were communities out there, because they'd mention them in the authors' notes, but not with enough details for me to figure out how to join.
And then I found Livejournal (anyone can make a journal and post! very low technical skills needed, no money needed, AND the community is here!) and the rest is history.
🔪 ⇢ what’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?
I dunno. The only thing that's coming to mind was trying to figure out how much would be a reasonable sum of money for a mobster to pay a hit man in the 1930s. (For A Purpose-Driven Life, my Agent Carter Dottie/Whitney AU.) To come up with a number I found an Australian article from the 2010s with how much it cost to hire a hitman, converted that to USD, and then plugged the number into an inflation calculator. Which, it's not going to be anywhere near accurate, but I needed SOMETHING to put in, and that was the best I could find. Turned out to be $500. (If anyone has better data on that, please let me know!)
From the Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game
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redrikki · 24 hours
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The 'write for yourself uwu' culture shift has done real damage to fic writers imo. I recently had a post on the importance of strategic commenting break containment and I'm surprised by how many strangers who rb it in agreement feel the need to reassure in the tags that they do write for themselves, but...
There is a kernel of truth in the heart of this sentiment--if you only chase stats, you are unlikely to find joy in your writing. At the same time, I think we've veered too far in the other direction.
It is only natural to want engagement and the write for yourself crowd often overlooks how communal an effort fic writing usually is. So many story ideas are born from casual discussions about h/c's and favourite scenes and what ifs and the comment box is a cornerstone of this process. Not only can the discussions in the comment box be a hub for idea generation on their own, but even when the said idea generation takes place in DMs or Discord chats, commenting is often the first/easiest way into befriending authors; it's where community building starts.
Further, the write for yourself crowd similarly overlooks that the things a writer can write for themselves are often vast and many at any given time, and relative engagement levels across fandoms/ships can play a large part in which of those ideas a writer chooses to pursue--or whether they choose to publish their finished work at all.
In sum, I don't think we need to be this apologetic as writers for wanting feedback and engagement for what we post -- writing is hard work and it's only human that we want something external out of it in turn, however rewarding the process might intrinsically be.
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redrikki · 1 day
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Now that I've finally finished the Netflix Avatar and have had a bit of time to reflect, I'm ready to share my thoughts.
As adaptations go, it was worlds above the Movie, but not quite as good as the Boy in the Iceberg. It's impossible to say on account of how the original series re-wired my brain, but I think I would have enjoyed it as a stand-alone series if I'd never heard of the original.
Overall, I really liked the casting and thought the actors had some pretty great chemistry together. The folks playing Zuko and Iroh really sold me on their relationship, as did Katara and Sokka's actors. The boy who played Aang did a really good job, but his relationship with Katara and Sokka never came off as anywhere near as close as it did in the cartoon, but I suspect a lot of that came from the fact some of their most touching moments weren't included in the live action.
Over all, the effects were really good (except Momo). Fight scenes were brilliantly choreographed and the integrated the bending effects well. On the other hand, the show runners were a little too focused on showing off in ways that were, I thought, a detriment to the emotional weight of things. For example, the Air Nomad genocide scene felt so focused on the spectacle of the violence and cool bending techniques that the actual horror of it fell flat.
The characters in the live action were very different people than the cartoon, especially the core three. It's like the writers read every internet complaint about Aang, Katara, and Sokka and decided they would be more likable if all of their flaws were removed in favor of more (or different) angst. And, to be fair, they altered their backstories enough that their very different personalities made sense in context, but it still...How do I put this? An adaptation, like any fanfic, is a conversation with the source material. And the conversation the Netflix show runners wanted to have with the cartoon is one where becoming "strong" is paramount, overcoming prejudice is bad because you shouldn't have had it in the first place, and "adult" stories don't have room for whimsy or joy.
Removing Sokka's sexism and changing his Koyshi Island arc might make him more likable than cartoon Sokka, but also erases one of the key themes of the show: breaking false barriers and learning from others. Iroh and Guru Pathik really spell it out in the second season, but it's there from the beginning in Sokka and Pakku's story lines. Sokka is so sure of the proper order of society before Suki shows him that the dichotomy of women and warriors is a false one. In the live action, this message is erased in favor of reassurances that he too can become a strong warrior. With Pakku in the cartoon, he changes his mind about Katara, not because of the quality of her fighting, but because her necklace made him realize that the rigid frame of patriarchy hurts everyone, including him. In the live action, he agrees to accept help from Katara and the other women because Katara fights good. He doesn't end up teaching her because she's so strong she doesn't need to actually learn from others. Over and over again, the importance of strength is highlighted, while accepting the wisdom of others and breaking down barriers is downplayed.
In terms of characterization, I really liked what they did with Iroh and how it impacted his relationship with Zuko. In the cartoon, season 1 Iroh was very much playing up the idea of a wise old man mentor who didn't do chick-flick moments of actual emotional intimacy. Netflix Iroh is still wise, but he's unapologetically vulnerable in a way cartoon Iroh isn't. Cartoon Iroh is with Zuko because he feels guilty over what happened and wants to save him going forward the way he couldn't save Lu Ten (or himself). There's a bit of that with Netflix Iroh, but he also clearly needs Zuko as an emotional crutch. The result is a relationship where both parties are more vulnerable and open with each other and it's not just Iroh lecturing while Zuko shouts abuse.
Katara got done dirty by the changes to her character. Key character-building episodes like Prisoners and the Waterbending Scroll got cut and her character felt flatter as a result. Where was her compassion which drove her to risk it all to help others? Where was her anger about what had been stolen from her culture? For that matter, where was her jealousy with Aang over how easily bending came to him? The Netflix version took a moment to celebrate how awesome Katara was that she didn't need a real teacher, just a scroll that had been kept from her for 'reasons,' but then they had two different moments where 2 boys who didn't even bend her element had to mansplain it to her. The actress did such a great job, but the writers were too busy treating Sokka as god's gift to give her the characterization she deserved.
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redrikki · 1 day
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Being a Theon enjoyer doesn’t mean I don’t see him as a cruel idiot who committed grievous crimes and turned a blind eye to Ironborn traditions he felt (knew!) were wrong. He gave into disgusting, depraved impulses when he was finally a free man and had power over others.
Not that I want to, but as a reader there’s no point in trying to justify his crimes because Theon himself is disgusted and shocked with what he’s done. Even during the acts he’s screaming internally that it’s wrong. But he is selfish and arrogant and insecure so he doesn’t stop. There’s no undoing his horrific crime spree. It doesn’t matter if he regrets it in TWOW, he regretted things in the moment. He had nightmares about the things he’d done while still prince of Winterfell.
The Theon we knew in AGOT-ACOK needed to die because ending the cycle of violence/abuse is a theme with Asha and Theon.
I don’t think you’re supposed to view Theon as you’d view a real life person. He’s a very malleable character who can represent all kinds of abstract ideas, not a character so real they could jump off the page any moment. He can be killed and brought back to life. Real people can’t do that obv. Theon is a concept more than he’s a person.
It’s so easy to find connections to him in media, he’s so easy to imagine in different situations, to relate to, to love and to hate. Makes him a GREAT character for fan works and meta.
…That’s my interpretation anyways sorry if it’s corny lmao
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redrikki · 1 day
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Handprint
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redrikki · 1 day
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I unironically love that GRRM has several different characters refer to unmarried women in their 30s as "girls." I can't tell if it's funnier when 15-year-old Robb does it or 35-year-old Catelyn. It's just so Gender. Like, Sansa's out here calling herself a woman grown because she had her period and was forced into marriage at 13, but unmarried women are perpetual girls until they've married and/or popped out a few kids. It's a fun parallel to Theon and Victarion thinking about how bedding their first woman "made a man" of them. It's like Westerosi adult genders can only be unlocked via sex (with the appropriate gender)
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redrikki · 2 days
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🍬
🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character
Man, I should have asked people to specify a fandom! Also, what constitutes popular anyway....
Let's see, I actually enjoyed Kylo Ren in the first movie when he was like a school shooter all grown up and you were supposed to think he was a bad guy who made terrible choices out of an obsession with power. Then I found out he was an internet sexy man and then the films themselves tried to convince me that Ben was someone I should care about. I have loathed that character ever since.
Writers truth or dare
Ask me
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redrikki · 2 days
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I was so enraged after I read a tweet about how men batman villains are scared of him and female villains want to fuck him that I blacked out and when I woke up I had this
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So what do yall think, who should change and who should I add?
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redrikki · 2 days
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academic bias is so funny because you’ll be reading about the same historical event and one person is like “Despite the troubles that befell his homeland and near constant criticism of the court King Blorbo remained strong in the face of adversity” and the other one is like “after letting his people carry the brunt of his cringefail decisions Blorbo the Shitface refused to listen to any reason and continued to be a warmongering piece of shit. Also he was ugly.”
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redrikki · 2 days
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#fanficproblems
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redrikki · 2 days
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Genuinely 90% of historical fiction would be so much better if more writers could get more comfortable with the fact that to create a good story set in a different time period you do actually have to give the characters beliefs & values which reflect that time period
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redrikki · 2 days
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ARCHIVE YOUR FIC ON AO3 FOR ETERNAL GLORY
It physically pains me to see people post awesome fanfiction to tumblr and nowhere else. Tumblr moves so fast! By tomorrow people who didn’t look in a tag at the right moment won’t know it existed. By next week even people who did read it won’t be able to find it back to reread. Finding anything on tumblr via search function is practically a fluke. For all intents and purposes, your hard work has a halflife of about a week at most.
PUT YOUR WORK ON AO3 WHERE IT CAN LIVE ETERNALLY, I BEG YOU
People who come into that fandom in a month, a year, even a decade will be able to find your work!
People can bookmark it!
People can rec it to others!
People can reread it into infinity! (and people like me can do that and comment every time!)
You can get comments & kudos until the endtimes because people will keep finding your work! (seriously I still sometimes get new people finding and loving my work from ~2013)
And best of all, people can SUBSCRIBE to your work so they will get email about new chapters and stories! (I’m seeing people do manual ‘Tag you in the next chapter’ lists and seriously, physical pain, this wheel has already been invented and it is rolling beautifully)
PLEASE LET ME BOOKMARK YOUR FIC I BEG YOU
“But I need an invite for AO3!”
Yes, and the waiting list is currently 2-3 days. That’s hardly worth not doing this for, right?
“But I only read fic, I don’t post it”
here is a post on why having an account just to read fic is also very worth it!
Lately I’ve been the tumblr person who jumps onto people who post cool fic to tumblr and going HEY HAVE YOU POSTED THIS TO AO3, YOU REALLY SHOULD, HIT ME UP FOR AN INVITE CODE and I hereby invite all you fellow fic readers and posters to join me into spreading the good word.
Please reblog this and tag your favourite fandoms and pairings! Spread this post to the people who need to see it! Save great fic from the tumblr void!
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