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slayingfiction · 3 months

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Plotters VS. Pansters

Don’t forget our Grand Opening Giveaway starts February 1st/24 on Tumblr, Instagram and slayingfiction.com! You don’t want to miss it! Happy Writing!

In the world of writing, there are two types of creators often discussed: plotters and pantsers. These terms describe a writer’s approach to crafting stories. Whether you’re an aspiring author or a seasoned novelist, understanding these styles can offer valuable insights into your writing process. Let’s dive into what makes plotters and pantsers distinct and how each approach contributes to the

art of storytelling.

Plotters: Architects of the Written World

Plotters, often referred to as ‘architects,’ are writers who plan their stories meticulously before diving into the actual writing. They are the mapmakers of the writing world, charting out each twist and turn of their narrative.

Detailed Outlining: Plotters create extensive outlines, character profiles, and world-building elements before penning their first sentence.

Controlled Storytelling: This style lends itself to a controlled narrative with fewer inconsistencies and plot holes.

Time Investment: Plotting can be time-consuming initially, but it often makes the writing process smoother.

Famous Plotters: J.K. Rowling and John Grisham are notable plotters, known for their detailed story planning.

Pantsers: The Free Spirits of Storytelling

Pantsers, or ‘gardeners,’ as George R.R. Martin likes to call them, write ‘by the seat of their pants.’ They dive into writing with a general idea or none at all, discovering the story as they go along.

Spontaneous Creation: Pantsers often begin with a basic concept or character and let the story unfold naturally.

Flexible and Dynamic: This style allows for more flexibility, often leading to surprising and dynamic plot turns.

Adaptable Process: Pantsing can be less intimidating for some writers, as it doesn’t require extensive pre-planning.

Famous Pantsers: Stephen King and Margaret Atwood are known for their pantser style, crafting intricate stories with a more spontaneous approach.

Which Approach is Better?

The truth is, there’s no ‘better’ approach. Both plotters and pantsers have their strengths and challenges. Some writers are strict plotters or pantsers, while others fall somewhere in between, employing techniques from both styles.

1. Mix and Match: Many successful authors use a combination of plotting and pantsing. They may start with a rough outline but allow room for the story to evolve.

Personal Preference: The best method depends on what works for you as a writer. Experiment with both styles to find your comfort zone.

Genre Considerations: Some genres, like mystery or high fantasy, might benefit more from plotting due to their complex plots and world-building.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a plotter, a pantser, or somewhere in between, the most important thing is to keep writing. Each approach offers unique pathways to creativity, and understanding your own method can enhance your writing experience. Embrace your style, and let it guide you in your storytelling journey.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to write a story. The beauty of writing lies in the diversity of its creation.

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#creative writing #fiction #novel writing #pansters #plotter #writing #Writing advice #Writing community #Writing fiction #Writing reference #Writing resources #writing tips

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carigm · 1 year

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Today Millie had a fan panel in which she answered that her ideal ending would be Mike and El getting married and Will being happy and confessing to Mike (lol) and ofc the Stranger Things fandom kicked up the old Byler vs Mlvn war once again, regardless of the fact she doesn’t write the show. But I want to break down some points here about things I’ve been noticing today, but also for a while and that I think need to be discussed. Keep reading if you want.

I’ve seen a lot of hostility towards Byler and Bylers on Twitter lately, saying we’re delusional and don’t know what we’re talking about. This always seems to be the go to argument even tho it’s all in the narrative. Today it got really bad after Millie’s comments and even people that were merely disagreeing with her opinions got called everything from delusional to misogynistic.

IF the Duffers suddenly decided to ignore everything they’ve carefully crafted and put into their narrative that doesn’t make anyone delusional, it just makes them terrible writers. Who would be doing a great disservice to all three characters involved in the love triangle.

There’s been an insurgence (on Twitter) of so called “Will stans” who seem to be completely fine with the idea of mlvn being endgame because “Will can just get another boyfriend” Not only is this insulting to what the writers have already established for Will’s character but it’s also a defense and endorsement of the worst kind of lazy/bad writing that could graze our screens.

The Duffers CHOSE to tie Will’s character arc to Mike’s and El’s.

How do you expect them to undo that and create a well fleshed out character that’s deserving of Will, in 8 episodes that we know are not just gonna be dedicated to Will’s supposed love interest, because there’s a shit ton of stuff to resolve?

If this was the route the Duffers were going for, they could’ve clearly given Will a love interest last season (like with Robin) or two seasons ago (like with Dustin) And yet somehow, people think it would be totally okay for Will to get the most meaningless romance of all time as the writers ignore the same story they’ve created.

Another point I’ve been seeing a lot from these people is “Mike won’t come out. Let it go. He’s just a very unlikable character” What does that say about the quality of the writing and content you’re willing to consume then? You’re okay with characters being poorly written? And please someone explain to me how Mike’s actions, especially in S4, make any sense unless he likes Will.

The more people try to simplify this story the more plot holes and inconsistencies it creates.

The funny thing is that a lot of these “Will stans” used to be Bylers themselves but are so deathly afraid it won’t be endgame that they’ve started to use the same rhetoric mlvns use every day to justify what would be atrocious writing.

And this next thing might be controversial but I think it needs to be said.

So many people on Twitter have hit those who disagree with Millie’s opinion today with “y’all are misinterpreting Millie’s words” and let me tell you, no one has. She’s been saying the same stuff for forever and quite frankly she’s never had a coherent thought about Will. Which is fine, at the end of the day that’s not the character she plays. However, I haven’t forgotten how last year (at another panel) she was asked about Byler and said it was just a reflection of Finn and Noah’s friendship and that was what people were seeing…

Whatever the fuck that means, I guess.

Again, I’m not taking her answer today too seriously cause truth be told she’s been saying some version of this since she was around twelve, and has even at times said she was joking about it. If a wedding were actually happening she wouldn’t be able to say it cause I’d literally be a spoiler, even if she doesn’t have the scripts yet or doesn’t know I’m sure there’s things that would be off limits for any actor to say at this point.

But this defense squad that formed today begging for us to not misconstrue her words because “she really cares about Will’s character” is laughable.

Her answers regarding the topic of the love triangle have been anything but nuanced. If she doesn’t want to get into it or address it, that’s fine. It’s her choice.

But of course, mlvn stans are gonna take her answers seriously, as well as those who are now “Will stans” who basically ship mlvn too.

And to me there’s a fundamental flaw regarding the ship wars in this fandom, which these people don’t seem to grasp. At this point, it isn’t so much about “which ship is better” but “which outcome isn’t violently homophobic”

That’s it.

I don’t care how much you ship mlvn, this is the undisputed truth here.

But when your lead actors act like it’s not a big deal, it’s no surprise the fandom doesn’t give a shit.

I can only hope the Duffers were smart enough to see reason and were able to write the only outcome that won’t set television back around 10 years or so.

And hopefully one day, when S5 is out, we can get a more in depth and honest conversation with the actors about all of this.

As for me, I’m gonna lay low and not give much of a fuck until we start getting those Reddit leaks, which were very much accurate for last season. I’ll take a peak at those, and depending on what they look like, I’ll stay around or dip completely.

If you read all of this, thank you.

#byler #byler theory #byler is real

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saintsir4n · 7 months

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I think my issue with vampire diaries after many rewatches, fics and online opinion is there are so many useless characters or characters that end up with repetitive arcs or just end up with nothing to do.

I’ll give examples…

1) Bonnie isn’t a character, not a proper one. It was clear she was the magical negro, only there to save and sacrifice her life for her white counterparts. However the reason why I believe most of us love her, other than Kat Graham’s amazing portrayal is because she is essential to every plot.

2) the originals being in season 4. They had nothing to do and were clearly there until their spin off. Kol gave us some exposition on Silas. Klaus was there to involve himself with high school drama, and they wasted Rebekah’s character. They had no clue what to do with them and as stand alone characters they had so much more to give in my opinion.

3) Caroline was a self under and you can’t tell me otherwise. I feel for the girl especially in season 1&2 but after that I clocked out of her character. She’s in scenes where she doesn’t need to be, placed with characters that she doesn’t need to be with… she in my opinion if she wasn’t played by Candace would’ve had a smaller role and pushed to the back like Tyler, Matt and Jeremy.

4) most of the plots were centred around shops instead of any substance. It worked for the first three seasons but after that it just got boring. Most people say season 4 was where the show peaked by it’s clearly season 3 and even then there were many plot holes and inconsistencies, especially with my girl Bonnie.

5) the confederacy

6) the show should’ve been finished in season 4 and had a big final showdown between the mystic falls gang vs Katherine (the original big bad) and maybe an non humanity Elena.

7) Bonnie should’ve had a coven or a witch friend or her grams.

8) “bigger is not always better” this is in reference to villains like Silas. He was pointless and everyone needs to bffr. He was ultimately just so boring. Sure everyone loved Paul acting like himself but omg, he was just playing an exaggerated non humanity Stefan/ ripper Stefan and that’s it. Also his existence diminishes stelena.

9) they should’ve killed off Caroline, Tyler or Damon in season two instead of Jenna. I know Damon is a main character but I like when a show shows off how high the stakes are.

10) the show runners, producers and writers needed more BIPOCS around because majority of the storylines especially regarding race (lemme not start on marcel’s origins because wtf) were poorly written

P.s

They should’ve expanded more on Katherine’s origins, she was one of most compelling characters and although I do not like her actions, she was a perpetrator of sexual assault (Stefan/ Damon were her victims), I would say she was a victim of Klaus and his terror. She both makes me feel some sort of sympathy for Katerina but for Katherine, I don’t like her, I just found her presence entertaining. She not an anti hero more of an Antagonist. I like that she didn’t get redemption, we just saw why she is the way she is yk?

#tvd #the vampire diaries #anti Julie plec #I love Kat graham #KLONNIE #rewrite tvd #tvd was bad #plot holes #bad writing #the vampire dairies #witch #vampire #werewolf

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rockanroller · 7 months

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yknow i remember it being said somewhere either by viv or sam haft or someone on her crew that all of the helluva boss episodes (or all of one of the seasons?) were written around the same time. in other words they weren’t writing each episode one at a time.

many people thought they were writing one episode at a time bc of all the plot holes and inconsistencies.

but i find it kinda funny that some fans think “they wrote them all around the same time” is a gotcha to that—when it’s actually kinda *worse* if they wrote the episodes around the same period of time, which should’ve kept the details of other episodes they already wrote fresh in their heads, and they *still* wrote inconsistently.

(personally i think it’s a case of not having prior writing experience/experience writing on a team/experience writing a lengthy and involved world, and trying to just jump right into it; which has led to them learning as they go along which causes details to be missed along the way as they improve—or at least discover what they want to do with the writing—which is mostly stuff you’re supposed to figure out *before* you start writing and likely why we’ve wound up with what feels like a show divided by two very different tones i.e. assassin comedy vs. stolitz drama)

#rambles #thoughts #vivziepop critical #spindlehorse critical

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clarks-letterman · 4 months

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Wally anon: Oh, we have the exact.same. mind fr. Even as someone who has been with the Screams my e n t i r e life & watches an insane amount of horror, Randy just has never. been that character for me. He serves his role well enough, is consistently written, & gets an iconic death, but he really outlived his usefulness in the OG as the franchise expanded beyond just. regular horror satire. 👀 kfhdhd I don't even take that much issue with 3. Like, is it the weakest of the initial installments? Yes. But I have very specific problems with it compared to a lot of the issues I see people have with it. 😶 Exactlyyyy. It naturally depends on the execution & how the individual Ghostfaces are planning attacks & all that, but Scream tends to have a great grasp on day vs night. 👍 Yuppp, you get it. The amount of stabs we physically see happening on him like fkdjfk soooo unserious.

And all from how good you're making him feel. 🫣 (No, please, let's get into it. Do tell who that is. 🤫) And you knowww his voice is gonna be hoarse after it from how much he was straining (it'll sound like it does when you fuck his throat). 😫

Oh, I'll bet a lot of gays can probably say the same thing. There have been a few "straight" guys who moved reallll weird around me when I think back on things. Oh, I'm sure it does, but you won't be able to feel anything after with how rough they're being with your hole. 🫠

Yesss, happy to hear 🫣 Then I guess my instincts were the correct ones with that one hitting me like it did. 🤭 (omg damn @ the times; I wish I were more of a ga(y)mer, but it's such an inconsistent thing for me @ only playing re2r & not re4r 💀)

Yessss. The writing was REALLY working overtime to sell the mystery element & pull the rug out from under you. 😭 I can not waitttt for what S2 gets into as an expansion on all of this cause I need all the lore & twists they got. 🙌 (Oh, this is making me think of some prime. angst fic potential based on everything we've discussed so far cause you knowww Wally would start getting in his feelings if you can't make enough time for him cause he's just so. needy & would think you don't need him the same way/like him anymore or w/e insecurity would find its way in his head when he's overthinking 😓) Cause he wants to be spit roasted by both of them. 🤭 (yupppp same, very much missed opportunity by completely forgetting he exists) Yessss, Amanda + the reveal that the entire.game. ALREADY happened + that SHE is gonna follow in John's footsteps is just 🥳🥳🥳 (ooh, so you like playing DBD, I guess I should've figured that but didn't consider it) fjdkdhd absolutely agreed on every point. If it tried to actually move the plot forward/elsewhere like Spiral, I'd like it more, but the fact it's a half-assed sorta kinda not completely prequel to pull a twist outta thin air just makes it so ❌️❌️❌️

Not talking about him not respecting boundaries when Emma was doing all that during truth or dare, not to mention the swimming, & acting like she was doing it all to entertain people later dkfhdk like okayyyy. (But, yup, this entire recent mindset people have where fictional characters - &, by extension, real people - can not ever have ANY faults or make mistakes is insaneeee to me cause it's like...I damn well know y'all. ain't perfect like y'all think y'all are, so maybe back off the judgement.) Yessss exactly. Emily & Kaitlyn supremacy fr 🙌🙌🙌 (Emma & Abby should've just been lesbians cause I literally. got those vibes in their intro scene & then was promptly disappointed when Nick came into the equation THEN got excited again with Dylan & Ryan; emotional whiplash I tell ya fkdhdl.) Oh, I absolutelyyy agree. The whole ~Laura rolls in, becomes the most important character, & Ryan tags along for finale purposes~ element is soooo weird to me cause her arrival is the inherent problem why so much of the rest of the cast are short-changed/go nowhere & yet the game acts like she needed. to be there. 💀 Yupppp. The lack of specification until. you're reading is by far the worst/most annoying version of that cause it's like, "Okay, not only did y'all not tag. but you completely left it out of the fic description as if you are just writing this for a house of your clones???"

Will do! 🙌 kfnfn I didn't even think of that @ leprechaun (although that does. bring some thoughts to mind about possible St. Patrick's Day fics for Milo's characters 🍀👀). Yupyupyup, you get it. 👍 You would not be able to pay attention at ALL. Just seeing it all jiggling around with every step he makes would be like 🥴

Very pleased to hear. 🫡

SO TRUE. I love 3 and how cheesy it is. some people say that it's the worst because of how silly it is, but it just makes it a fun watch. (and what they originally had planned for scream 3 was so bad. so, so bad. stu macher being revealed to be alive badd.... why does scream have a problem with sequels? each one is good on its own tbh, but together they're so dissonant it gives me whiplash on binges sskjdks) Yesss like in 5 when they attack the mf chief of police in broad daylight. It's insane!! Or how Wes gets killed inside with light pouring in. A good reminder that people break in all the time regardless of day/night. Super scary.

Yesss ugh he'll be going wild over all of it. Also, I didn't mean a person el oh el I meant men in general cumming sooo much. Like inhuman levels and painting the walls with a new finish skjsjd

Yeah straight guys are so weird... DLs are the worst type of "straight" guy. The lack of feeling down there from it would be craaazy but so, so good.

They're sosososo good I just wish my writing would click because I've been staring to my computer for half an hour and. nothing skjskjd. And don't worry, I'm an inconsistent gamer because of time and all. Most recently, I've played RE4r and Spider-Man 2.

The writing was just soooo good and it makes me so excited for the second season even more so. (you should totally send in some angst because I live for it just as much as fluff and smut🫣) Omg yes to the spit roasting, Tommy's a whore like me fr. Another I would have loved to see is Jason/Steve or at the very least Jason/Eddie (but Jason/Steve would've been interesting. Former Hawkins King versus the new one, maybe having Steve and Billy agree that he's a dick and teaching him a lesson slkdsdml) IT WAS SUCH A GOOD REVEAL AND SAW 3 MADE IT EVEN BETTER!! (Saw 3 haters can leave the chat, I may not like Jeff but I love the B story of the movie with Amanda and John and Jeff's wife) Yes ugh I love dbd because it's horror central. I have my issues with the game (like balancing, the devs being as dumb as bricks and feeling like we talk to a brick wall, the community being as horrible as it is.) But at its core, most of that is mostly avoidable and the game is just fun. I love knowing I can play as different killers or survivors from so many different legendary movies/tv shows (and I think I wrote a Danny Johnson fic earlier this year..)

Yesss ugh the hate Jacob gets is soooo annoying. Let him be a semi-problematic man whore in his crop top in peace!! Same with other characters that are problematic like Billy, for instance. He's obviously not a good person but people sit there and act like they haven't hurt someone else, and live their life completely like a virtuous, infallible person. Max and Laura were the weakest parts for me, I think the cop should have just killed them after he found them. The whole hostage part in the jail is soooo cliche and predictable (ntm overhearing crucial pieces of lore that makes the Hacketts look dumb for being so careless.) I like them but I found it so boring that they get the main stage after being absent for 70-80 percent of the game after the intro. Like Laura comes back in then they do a whole chapter flashback explaining everything, but it sucks. LMAO @ the clones because it's so true. While I do write my voice (the way I talk and think) into the reader I don't usually bother to write reader appearance aside from clothing/obvious accessories. I don't get why others can't do the same in the way of appearance.

St Patricks Day Milo fics sound interesting... so I'd love to hear what you have in mind for those🫣 And yesss ugh I'd be begging him to slam it down on the desk--either front or back--and mess up the note taking with something more worthwhile

#wally clark #wally clark x reader #wally clark x you

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script-a-world · 10 months

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Submitted via Google Form:

I made a rough map but then after assigning how much time it takes people to get around with various transports and prices and alternatives as well as trying to make it make sense and not just have transport because. However I've found lots of plot holes and started editing things but one edit makes the rest of the map go awry. So I made a more detailed map so sometimes I don't need to edit the entire thing. But now things are spiralling and I have a massive map with hundreds of points and extreme details that get even more screwed up as I make changes. Uhh. What do I do? Timing and optimising ideal times/budgets to get to places, etc is an important part of the character's actions and plot points.

Tex: The fantastic thing about maps is that you can have more than one of them, each suited to a different subject regarding the same area. A master map with all of the data points that you want is very useful, and will allow you to extract specific information for maps about more focused subjects (i.e. geographical features vs settlements vs train lines vs climate zones vs botanical). This is helpful in that on individual, subject-specific maps, you can coordinate colour keys in order to generate an overall scheme, such as which colours you prefer for greater vs lower densities, or background vs foreground information.

The Wikipedia page on maps contains a lot of useful information in this regard, and I would also recommend making a written outline of the information that you have on your map, in order to organize the information displayed there, keep track of changes, and plan how to group your information.

Licorice: It sounds as if you’re having difficulty deciding whether your map should dictate your plot, or vice versa. If your story were set on Earth, your map would be fixed, and the means of transport would be, to some extent, dictated to you; you’d only have to decide where your characters should go next - Beijing, or New York?

I’m getting the impression that with this story, you’re creating the map and devising the plot simultaneously, and what you’ve ended up with is a map that’s so detailed it has become inconsistent and difficult even for its own creator to make sense of. It sounds as if the map is becoming an obstacle to writing the story rather than an aid to it. At the same time, though, it sounds like you have a much clearer idea of your plot points and where this story is going than you did when you started.

Maybe it’s time to put the map aside and focus on writing the story? Then when you’re done, update the map so it’s fully in line with the story you’ve written.

Alternatively, put the story aside for a moment, draft a new simplified map using everything you’ve learnt about your story so far, and then treat it like something as fixed as a map of Earth - something to which additional details can be added, but nothing can be changed.

I found on tumblr this chart of the daily distances a person can travel using different modes of transport, which may be useful to you:

Realistic Travel Chart

Good luck! Your project sounds fascinating.

Mod Note: I’ll toss in our two previous map masterposts here for reader reference as well

Mapmaking Part 1

Mapmaking Part 2 Mapping Cities and Towns

#google submitted #mapmaking #worldbuilding advice

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irregularjohnnywiggins · 2 years

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So, because I'm in a Doctor Who mood at the moment and you all willingly followed me, here's one of my favourites in the ongoing saga of 'Doctor Who continuity does not matter, except when it does':

In the 1996 Movie, the Doctor opens the film describing the Master being put on trial on Skaro and summarily executed by presumably the Daleks, and for the next 26 years fans have been confused about that plot point, although I will note with amusement that they're not confused about how exactly Skaro is back when the last time we saw it the Doctor tricked the Daleks into blowing it up.

No, the main thing that threw people about this line is that... the Daleks have a legal system? The literal embodiments of fascism and ethnic cleansing have a concept of 'innocent until proven guilty'? The routine manipulators and masters of deception, who in every story they appear in working alongside someone else inevitabily kill them as soon as they get the opportunity have a concept of perjury? When I say fans have been confused about that plot point for 26 years, I'm not kidding - I still occasionally see someone edit a Dalek into a judge's robes and wig, or an Ace Attorney case, and whilst that may simply be the immortal and unfailingly funny joke of Daleks doing anything aside from ethnic cleansing, I can't help but feel like it's also a reference to this.

However, I have good news for you all: this plot point is actually explained, and in a really cool way to boot, in the 2006 Big Finish Audio Drama I, Davros. See, the framing device of that series is Davros conveying his backstory to the Daleks, for this stated purpose:

Dalek: YOU ARE ON TRIAL.

Davros: And I am to recognise the authority of this "court"? Daleks holding a trial... how low have you sunk without me? ... For what crimes am I accused?

Dalek: NO CRIMES.

Davros: Then what am I on trial for?

Dalek: YOU ARE ON TRIAL!

Davros: I say again, what- Ah... I see. Not a trial. I feel like secondhand goods. I cannot be returned if you consider me faulty!

It's never explicitly stated, in this piece of EU or any other to my knowledge, but I do like the idea of the Daleks trying out the Master to see if he'd be able to help them, and coming to the conclusion that the Master is way too unstable an ally to trust him - especially because, this being at the end of Seven's time and the beginning of Eight, we're barely a few centuries away from the Time War, where the Time Lords will actually resurrect the Master specifically to fight for them, and I just really like the idea of the Daleks being more savvy of what the Master is than the Time Lords.

It's also a great example of what I mean when I say 'Doctor Who continuity does not matter, except when it does': Doctor Who is a massive endeavour, it would take 18 straight days without sleep or breaks to just watch the tv show, let alone all the supplementary stuff like Torchwood or SJA or Big Finish, but the series is built so that its really easy to get into it - pick a starting point (a Doctor, a companion, hell watch all the Dalek episodes and nothing else if you want) and you're off, and you don't need to worry about continuity the way you would for, say, your average comic. But at the same time it is really fun to get into the lore, and debate and argue about stuff like the Daleks holding a trial or the Timeless Child vs the crying boy in the barn or hell even what the hell all the plot holes and inconsistencies mean in a Watsonian sense. Doctor Who is one of those experiences where you get in what you get out, and I love it for that.

#doctor who #daleks #eighth doctor #paul mcgann #i davros #davros

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andorerso · 3 months

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TALK SHOP TUESDAY: what does planning a longfic look like for you?

welllll the only proper longfic I wrote so far is Blood Red Rose (all the others just kinda... ended up being longer? but still only a couple of chapters vs 28, there's no contest here) but it's not so much different from what I do in general

the first phase is to just throw all my ideas in a word doc and then I can start organizing them. I organize them into three main parts: questions for the stuff I still need to figure out, ideas for stuff I may or may not use in the end, and outline, which is the stuff I'm already sure about. I generally already have a main idea of where the story goes so I fill in the outline as much as I can which usually raises a billion questions for me to answer so that's how I continue.

this is stuff like... backstories for the characters, the plot holes I noted while outlining, world-building if it's necessary (in BRR, I spent so much time just figuring out the vampire lore), etc. ideally I figure out all of them but there's always some that remains tbh. but if if it's not anything essential that needs to be answered right this second, that's ok, the answers tend to come to me when I start writing.

ideally by now, the story should be shaping out nicely, so I go back to ideas and try to see if I can use anything there at all. then I read through the outline once more to try and spot any holes or inconsistencies or anywhere where I might have to swap out scenes or something.

now this usually where I would stop for a regular fic, but for BRR I had to go further. timeline's important to me and I want it to make sense and this is a longfic with lots of stuff happening so I went ahead and figured out the rough dates for everything that happens. and then I finished by organizing the whole outline into chapters (originally it was like 22 and now it's 27 so it definitely evolved but I just needed a base). and there you have it! this takes me at least a week for a regular fic and several weeks for a longfic and it's probably a bit messy but it's worked for me so far

talk shop tuesday

#replies #woahpip

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oivsyo · 1 year

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Why I’m still creating for Narutoverse?

The thing is, thanks to one particular thread on Twi, I’ve figured out that I only watched Shippuden until episode 54 in my teenagehood. Now I have watched it selectively up to the end ofc, but I think this fact is the reason why I didn't give up on Naruto and it still inspires me. I grew up during the best years of Naruto and skipped the downfall of the story, so I mostly have positive memories about the story and characters.

It all started when I was 14? (now I don't remember exactly), and my friends brought me anime titled Naruto on a flash drive, because then I didn't have the Internet yet. They said 'try this, you may like it'

OG and the beginning of Shippuden were very good. VERY GOOD.

OG is generally my favorite part of the story, the characters shone in all their glory and developed very logically. It's no surprise that these characters have made so many people fall in love with them. Also in OG, the tone of the story was completely different. The world was more cruel and gloomy, more realistic. In the first OG arc, there are two ambiguous antagonists who die dramatically in the end. The fights were about taijutsu, weapon and strategy - exactly what you would expect from a ninja story. Yes, even in OG there are many inconsistencies and plot holes, but this story IS fascinating. The Chunin exam arc is still one of my favorite arcs of all Naruto.

The space on the flash drive on which the episodes were brought to me was very small, and I couldn’t watch many episodes in a row. So I have watched many of them over and over again. I remember that before the start of the summer holidays, my friend brought me episodes with Neji VS Kidomaru. I've been tormented for 3 months about not knowing if Neji would survive. With the beginning of the new school year, my friend brought me new series with a sequel, and it turned out to be Shippuden right away.

Shippuden started very cheerfully and confidently. Euphoria that I experienced bc my favorite characters returned was beyond any words. Characters matured, their designs changed.

Sakura immediately became my goddess because the growth of her character was very much felt compared to all the others. From a useless and annoying crybaby, she became strong, strong-willed, skilled, she became a real kunoichi. I’m sad that her development and training were not shown properly, but even so the impression was very good. It's not an exaggeration to say that Sakura from early Shippuden, was a role model that I wanted to look up to as a teenager.

In the first arc team Gai was shown. Neji’s redesign won my young heart, probably it‘s Neji to blame that I’ve developed a crush for long haired men. Even though his interactions with Hinata were not shown in the beginning, it felt like he had changed a lot and softened up towards everyone.

I also really liked Hinata's design, but I remember at that moment I thought - ‘ how could she grow such long hair in such a short period of time? Apparently the Hyuga clan has some special recipes for hair care’. That was one of the reasons why in my AU I decided to make the timeskip longer - 4years instead of 2,5.

I really wanted to see how the grown-up Neji and the more self-confident Hinata interact with each other. I was sure that it would be an arc dedicated to the Hyuga clan and how the two of them, with the help of Naruto ofc, change the clan. Unfortunately, my aspirations were not destined to come true.

Ep 41 where Naruto loses control and hurts Sakura - is a chef's kiss. The fox feels like an absolute evil with which such a sunny and good person like Naruto has to deal with. Aand ofc Naruto wa supposed to loose control bc this evil is too much for him. Naruto being possessed by the demon and hurting his beloved ones is a theme that I like and I'm very sad that it was wasted.

An intriguing and long-awaited meeting with Sasuke - a moment that is well engraved in my memory as one of the last ones I watched.

Then I abandoned watching Naruto and anime in general for reasons I can’t remember, but probably it was because of graduating from school. Some years later I heard the news that Hinata confessed to Naruto and that Neji died in the manga, but at that time it didn’t make a big impression on me, firstly, I wasn’t already involved that much, secondly, I had a premonition for a long time that if Neji and Hinata are not supposed to be a couple at the end, then one of them will definitely die - most likely Neji, bc MC needs a girlfriend. So when I found out that Neji died protecting Hinata and Naruto, I just thought "NejiHina is canon and now it’s confirmed". But it didn't become a traumatic dramatic experience for me. I also remember everyone hyping that the Naruto manga was over. I even read the last chapter. I felt a slight sadness at the sight of Hinata at Neji's grave and that story that had a strong influence on me when I was a teenager is over. That was it. I again forgot about Naruto for a very long time.

Two years ago, in a rather difficult period of my life, I experienced an irresistible urge to watch Naruto. And I did it. I had a very mixed impression of what I saw.

Perhaps the last arc that I liked was the arc when Asuma was killed. I liked the villains, I liked the drama of Asuma/Kurenai, of InoShikaCho and Shikamaru’s personal growth. It was good.

Then I witnessed the degradation of the plot, the characters - of everything. I don't know what was the reason, but the series just got boring. Previously interesting and deep characters have turned into cardboard mannequins.

The more Shippuden developed, the more villains that “were not villains” appeared. There was no one comparable to Zabuza and Haku or Orochimaru from OG. A breath of fresh air for me was Hidan and Kakuzu, who simply enjoy making a fuss, torturing and killing.

The whole atmosphere of the series has become somehow very sterile and toothless. Naruto as a character became very shallow and at times even annoying for me. Becoming stronger and gaining new powers he at the same time stopped developing as a charater. Probably the only time I liked Naruto in late Shippuden was when Naruto got depressed because of Sasuke in the Land of Iron.

The fights bacame more spectacular, but were no longer as interesting as in the beginning, now everything has turned into “who has a bigger and stronger technique”.

Kaguya as a villain is just nothing. She is just a doll, very powerful, but a doll. Moreover, even such a powerful doll was subsequently weakened for the sake of the plot. In general, this "for the sake of the plot" is what characterizes Shippuden, especially the later episodes. The characters do and say what is necessary for the sake of the plot, because of which they feel like fools or cardboard for me. New characters appear to replace the old ones, which are not developed enough, the final battle of the war, where the villains hatch one from the other almost saying "It was me, Dio!" and “I’m stronger than the previous one!”

For example, I know that a lot of people like Madara, but for me he is almost never remembered, just one of war arc villains. Although I can’t deny that the intrigue about him was built up really well. And i like his design.

Akatsuki, who made an impression of a very serious opponent for the characters in the OG and the beginning of Shippuden, in fact turned out to be just an unorganized group of people who weren't so scary. It’s still not very clear for me why many members of the organization are there at all.

Itachi.... He used to be one of my favorite male characters. But the “the truth is that he is a good guy’ seemed far-fetched to me. Probably because it wasn't planned from the beginning so his previous actions contradict a lot with his intentions. Therefore, none of his good intentions forgive his asshole attitude towards Sasuke in OG. The fact that his "ingenious plan" worked is only due to the fact that it was necessary for the plot. To me, he was a very cool protagonist, but trying to make him an anti-hero only ruined him. However, I still think Itachi looks awesome.

I have not much to say about the events after Shippuden. I watched the Last. By the way, over the past year I have watched it as many times as probably no average fan of TL has watched it (I want to redraw some scenes and need to understand the logic of the original plot very well), and my opinion about the movie has changed - for the worse, unfortunatly.

I watched Boruto a bit, 15 episodes or so and I must say that I even liked it. I’m not joking. The characters are quite interesting. The focus is not on the main character (as it was in the beginning of Naruto). I liked that the academy period was shown. Although sometimes what is happening is absurd and too fanservice, Naruto really lacked this. Because of what, it seemed that 1) the OG characters did not learn anything at the academy 2) they did not communicate with each other there all 6? years of the academy, and only after graduation, becoming genin, they began to interact.

In Boruto I especially liked Chocho, she is a beautiful goddess and I kneel before her. This girl rocks with her awesome self-esteem. I also liked Shikadai.

However, the attitude towards the old characters and the lore of OG and even Shippuden leaves much to be desired there. When I managed to ignore the fact that Boruto is a continuation of the story for more than 500 episodes, then it hass become ok to watch. I think this is the reason for the difference in the perception of the old audience that grew up on OG and Shippuden, and the new fans who watched Boruto first. These are really two different works and it’s very difficult to perceive them together, because in some places they simply contradict each other.

And probably someone will now think - ‘well, since you don’t like everything and you complain so much, why the hell are you staying in this fandom?’ and the answer is actually quite simple - there’re a lot of things in Naruto that I really like and that inspire me. If you want a metaphor, I choose grains from a mountain of husks and this grains inspire me a lot. I have critical thinking and imagination, what’s more important - I don’t know how to love unconditionally and don’t consider this a manifestation of pure love. I see a lot of flaws in Naruto as a story, plot holes, inconsistencies, wasted characters, etc., but I still like Naruto a lot. I prefer to focus not on what I don't like, but on what I like. Such things have a greater weight for me on the scales. And thanks to this approach, I continue to do what I do with great pleasure, it keeps me productive. No, I'm not bothered that 'it’s not like this in THE CANON!!!’(c), NEJI IS DEAD(c), and even more it doesn't bother me that someone thinks about it and that there are some ppl who don’t like my art. I like the concept of multiverses and for me Narutoverse is kinda Minecraft where you can create different stories and events useing bricks that were given in the canon. And I enjoy doing it. That's all.

What is the conclusion of all this? Well, nothing in particular, I just shared my story about Naruto bc I felt like sharing. The only thing, perhaps, if I continued to watch Naruto back then 1) most likely I would be disappointed and quit watching, the series would leave a bad impression on me and I would hardly draw Naruto after so many years 2) I had been more involved in what was happening, then Hinata's confession and Neji's death would have hurt me more, as well as many other fans who left the fandom after these events. And I just don’t take it that seriously. In general I have a rather chilling attitude to the canon, I just want to have fun and nothing else matters to me. Probably because I didn’t watch the entire series in my youth in my vision of the characters based on OG and early Shippuden images of the characters and I use them in my drawings ideas for drawings.

#personal?#i guess

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denimbex1986 · 4 months

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'Russell T Davies is taking a big narrative swing with bi-generation, and while Doctor Who's latest twist has more than a passing resemblance to the Timeless Child in terms of its sweeping consequences and divisive response, the main problem it causes is a mirror image of the fallout from Chris Chibnall's big gamble. 2020 was a volatile time for Doctor Who, as Chibnall presided over an era beset by critique and controversy. His pièce de résistance came in "The Timeless Children" - the lore-shaking revelation that the Doctor was secretly from another universe, and had been used as both the foundation of the Time Lord race and a clandestine Gallifreyan agent.

The Timeless Child was, by a comfortable distance, the most significant addition to Doctor Who canon since regeneration in 1966. Three short years later, the concept of bi-generation is just as seismic. Instead of changing bodies, David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor miraculously divides, retaining his own form, but also spawning a Ncuti Gatwa-shaped successor, thus allowing both Doctors to coexist. According to showrunner Russell T Davies in the BBC's episode commentary, Doctor Who's bi-generation is actually an even bigger deal than first assumed. It creates a ripple effect, meaning every single past Doctor survives their regeneration and goes on to have further adventures. Doctor Who lore has redecorated. I don't like it.

The Timeless Child Was Damaging To Doctor Who's Past; Bi-Generation Hurts Doctor Who's Future

Rebranding the Doctor "the Timeless Child" was a way to restore some semblance of mystery to Doctor Who's titular protagonist after more than 50 years of backstory and exposition. Writers had been attempting this for years beforehand. Steven Moffat cast an enigmatic shroud over the Doctor's real name, Russell T Davies invented the Time War, and the Seventh Doctor's era casually dropped clues that would have ultimately led to the Doctor being revealed as a secret Time Lord founder known as "the Other." If those three examples were attempts at gently easing the "Who?" back into Doctor Who, Chris Chibnall's Timeless Child was a question mark-shaped sledgehammer.

Rampant speculation and endless theories over the Doctor's true species have been constant ever since "The Timeless Children" landed in 2020. In that sense, the twist was a roaring success, re-injecting Doctor Who with a sense of the unknown and inciting feverish discussion over the quirky time traveler's real identity. Endless possibilities for the future opened up, but at the steep cost of damaging Doctor Who's past.

Sympathizers will point to "The Brain of Morbius" and the aforementioned Seventh Doctor hints as signs the Timeless Child was there all along, lingering in the air like forgotten cheese at the back of the refrigerator. That argument ignores the vast swathes of Doctor Who lore the Timeless Child contradicts. Whatever the Morbius Doctors and Cartmel Masterplan may suggest, the remaining 98% of Doctor Who mythology fits the Timeless Child like the Fourteenth Doctor fits his suit - awkwardly, and with much chafing.

Dethroning William Hartnell as the First Doctor, raising questions over Susan, muddling Clara's presence throughout the Doctor's timeline, debunking the mystery woman Russell T Davies intended to be the Doctor's mother - the Timeless Child dropped a vault full of inconsistencies and plot holes into Doctor Who's past. Skip forward three years, and bi-generation does the exact opposite. The Timeless Child made Doctor Who's future more intriguing by trampling over its past. Bi-generation is a narrative salve for the wounds of Doctor Who's past, but to the detriment of its future.

Doctor Who's Bi-generation Made Ncuti Gatwa's Job More Difficult

Traditional Doctor Who regenerations involve the outgoing actor being replaced, quite literally, by their successor - one Time Lord in, one Time Lord out. The moments in the immediate aftermath of a regeneration sequence are vital for the newcomer, allowing the incumbent Doctor to stake their claim, show off their persona, and make a strong first impression on an audience still reeling from the previous version of Doctor Who's beloved hero departing in a hail of golden light.

Ncuti Gatwa doesn't get that. The Sex Education actor is magnificent in his Doctor Who debut, with every line of pure sass a breath of fresh air. Gatwa simultaneously feels like the character Doctor Who fans have known all along, and an incarnation like no other, which is testament to the actor's sheer ability and undeniable charisma. The inevitable consequence of bi-generation, however, is that David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor and Nucit Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor spend the final act of "The Giggle" jostling for prominence. Those final minutes are tasked with ending one Doctor's story while beginning another's - a balance even a writer of Russell T Davies' caliber struggles to find.

As effervescent as Ncuti Gatwa may be in his first scenes as the Doctor, his introductory splash is muted by the looming shadow of David Tennant - arguably the most beloved and popular actor to ever portray the Doctor - to his immediate right. It's like an up-and-coming chef trying to cook a meal with Gordon Ramsay already in the kitchen; it doesn't matter how good a job they do, the spotlight is being dragged away. Ncuti Gatwa's time will come in Doctor Who season 14, but "The Giggle" ends without truly establishing his Doctor, and not even the TARDIS allows a second chance at a first impression.

Doctor Who Can Never Have Another Major Crisis On Present-Day Earth Without David Tennant

Doctor Who's "The Giggle" ends with David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor living alongside Donna Noble's family on present-day Earth, still in possession of his TARDIS, and still making the occasional trip through time. As a result, Doctor Who can never have a future story that puts 2020s Earth under threat. The Fourteenth Doctor may have slowed down in his old age, but if a spaceship cruised over London and started causing chaos - not an uncommon occurrence, if Doctor Who history is anything to go by - would Fourteen really sit back sipping tea in Donna's garden?

For the very first time since the Third Doctor's brief exile, Earth is permanently protected by a Doctor, and while Fourteen's retirement likely means he won't be investigating any mutant spiders or strange mannequins, Tennant's character would undoubtedly jump into action if Earth faced a major apocalyptic scenario - especially since he has the TARDIS on standby. For Ncuti Gatwa and Doctor Who season 14, therefore, adventures taking place on contemporary Earth are now utterly pointless. Fifteen and Ruby's time would be better spent protecting planets that aren't lucky enough to have a Doctor permanently parked on them.

It's no secret that Doctor Who is strangely fond of present-day Earth, and if the Fourteenth Doctor's retirement was a way for Russell T Davies to ensure every single story in Doctor Who season 14 and beyond was set elsewhere in time and space, that would make perfect sense. Doctor Who's 2023 Christmas special, however, heads straight back to present-day Earth, while location shoots from season 14 confirm it will be business as usual in terms of Earth-based episodes. Either the villains in these stories aren't dangerous enough to warrant Fourteen's intervention, or David Tennant must somehow be incorporated into the Doctor Who season 14 cast.

Ncuti Gatwa Is "A" Doctor, Not "The" Doctor

Speaking on Doctor Who: Unleashed, Russell T Davies was unequivocal in proclaiming Ncuti Gatwa as "THE Doctor," and this will be the company line coming out of Doctor Who, as well as the BBC and Disney, moving forward. Unfortunately, it simply isn't true. The single biggest question emanating from Doctor Who's bi-generation twist is what happens when the Fourteenth Doctor dies. Will he regenerate or has he become mortal? If the Fourteenth Doctor does still possess powers of regeneration, labeling Ncuti Gatwa as "THE Doctor" is false advertising.

For all its temporal loop-de-loops and spaghetti-like continuity, Doctor Who has always followed the Doctor's individual timeline. Whatever else was happening with River Song's timeline, the Daleks, or Gallifrey, the story of Doctor Who was the story of the Doctor's life told from one era to the next. Whichever regeneration Doctor Who was following at any given point represented which chapter in the character's personal tome the show had reached so far. This meant there was only ever one Doctor at a time. Even when past Doctor Who actors returned for Big Finish audio stories and the like, they were merely expanding their own preexisting eras, not carving out new ones.

Bi-generation threatens that because the Fourteenth Doctor could potentially now regenerate into a totally different Fifteenth Doctor - one that may or may not have Ncuti Gatwa's face. Previously, there were three categories of Doctor in Doctor Who - the current Doctor, past Doctors, and unseen future Doctors. Even after the Timeless Child came along, it merely increased the number of names in the "past" category, leaving Jodie Whittaker still unquestionably THE Doctor of her era. Bi-generation changes the number of "current" Doctors, and this is why it's so harmful to Ncuti Gatwa's reign in the TARDIS. RTD's elaboration that every version of the Doctor has now retrospectively bi-generated only amplifies the issue.

One might be tempted to suggest that Doctor Who can easily solve this dilemma by confirming the Fourteenth Doctor does not have the ability to regenerate, but even that causes major problems. For starters, a mortal Fourteenth Doctor would essentially be a rehash of RTD's metacrisis Doctor, and would leave Martha Jones as the only Tenth Doctor companion not to get her own cuddly version of David Tennant to take home. More importantly, the Fourteenth Doctor will remain a "current Doctor" for as long as he survives, meaning the problem of undermining Gatwa doesn't disappear by simply stripping away Fourteen's capacity to regenerate.

Why Bi-generation Is Great For Doctor Who's Past

The big problems concerning Doctor Who's bi-generation all affect the future. The twist casts doubt on Ncuti Gatwa's status, limits Doctor Who season 14, and has the potential to cause major franchise headaches going forward. In stark contrast to the Timeless Child, however, bi-generation is very good news for Doctor Who's past. The idea that one version of the Doctor is allowed to settle down, put their feet up, and mentally unwind after centuries of death, stress, and endless running pays off 60 years of the character being a lone adventurer. For all its faults, bi-generation is probably the closest Doctor Who's eponymous hero will ever get to a truly happy ending.

If, as Russell T Davies claims, bi-generation retroactively applies to past Doctors too, the plot device is a huge win for the likes of Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann, as well as ex-stars from Doctor Who's modern era. Those Doctors now have unlimited futures before them and, in hindsight, the older Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors glimpsed in Tales of the TARDIS were likely products of Gatwa's bi-generation. Russell T Davies can now bring back any past Doctor without needing to fret over continuity, making cameos from the classic era much easier.

Doctor Who Now Has The Same Problem The Avengers Caused The MCU

With its shiny new "Whoniverse" branding, Doctor Who makes no secret of its ambition to expand into an MCU-esque shared universe. Alas, Doctor Who has already slammed headfirst into a problem Kevin Feige and co. have been having nightmares about since 2012. The Avengers was the movie that cemented the MCU's status as a shared universe, but every subsequent entry has been forced to tackle the inevitable question, "why doesn't someone just call the Avengers?" If Ncuti Gatwa encounters a truly terrifying, universe-ending threat in Doctor Who's upcoming episodes, audiences will now be justified in asking the similar question, "why doesn't he just call Fourteen for help?"

Previously, Doctor Who had this plot hole covered. Multi-Doctor stories from previous years tirelessly pointed out how different regenerations of the Doctor meeting each other was a paradox that could threaten all reality. The Doctor could never - well, almost never - call upon his alternate selves for assistance, or else risk making a dire situation exponentially worse. Bi-generation appears to bypass that issue completely, as Gatwa and Tennant working together bears no negative consequences on the fabric of space and time. This means the Fourteenth Doctor can always lend a (severed) hand in times of great danger. If he does not, future Doctor Who stories will, just like the MCU with the Avengers, need to address why.

Russell T Davies' Doctor Who return was hailed as a masterstroke by some, and with only three episodes under his belt, it would be grossly premature to condemn season 14 on the basis of bi-generation alone, no matter how massive the ramifications may be. Of more importance is what Doctor Who does with its expansive new layout from here. It is strange, however, that for the second time in three years, a Doctor Who showrunner has felt the need to shake the franchise's foundations, when all those foundations needed was a little fixing-up.'

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crimeronan · 2 years

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startling to go into toh tags and see people arguing over the grimwalker timelines making no sense (they don't) & being impossible (they are) & trying to make some coherent year-by-year breakdown of the canon facts (you Really have to just. decide which parts of canon you're gonna emphasize vs revise/ignore n roll with it) like

i've been in trc fandom for so long now that it's Bizarre to see people try to Make Actual Untangled Sense of prequel timelines, esp to the point of Arguing. sometimes when you're writing a story you just go "this is based on vibes" and then end up with a bunch of 100% contradictory vibes-based nonsense that has Zero linear flow & is Impossible to fathom into an actual canon-compliant prequel bc u did not care to plot points on an actual linear map so all of the characters backstories conflict n the themes are inconsistent n the plot holes can be seen from SPACE

& it's good actually. More Writers Should Make Massive Continuity Errors Based On Nothing But Cool Vibes All The Time. big government is trying to silence the zero-forethought edgelord math-hating vibes-loving no-continuity-doc-we-die-like-men writer agenda & i will not stand for it !

#i'm not fussed about the grimwalker timelines making no sense bc i have like 5 different layouts of canon in my head #picking and choosing different details (that conflict with other versions) to play in #and they are all. Uniquely Terrible. the vibes were and are immaculate #sidenote darius and prev gg backstory getting cut for time is a tragedy except for how. my city now #canon gave me an entire horror sandbox with terrifying generational trauma implications. u think im not playing in the sandbox #ME?? ME KITKAT??#anyway #toh #past golden guards #trc

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hirazuki · 1 year

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Grimmjow from Bleach for the blorbo survey (pretty sure he's a blorbo for you) for Bleach? Either that or Ulquiorra? They're two I've seen you post about before xD

You are correct! They are both blorbos :)

So, this is not the conventional interpretation I'm sure, but I like to think of "fruity" as meaning literally fruity -- as in, the taste; tropical, sweet, etc. -- given that this portion is taken from the back of a bottle. Like, pleasant and vibrant.

Orphan because essentially all hollows are orphans

No friends is only half-checked because he does actually have friends, he just refuses to think of them in that way XD

Former sidekick owner (his fracciones)

He would absolutely pet stray animals, as long as no one was around to see, fight me

He absolutely sees himself as the protagonist of life

He is both head empty and too many thoughts in the same person, and I do think he would overthink himself into stillness

I wouldn't say he's a ray of sunshine, but definitely fun company; I think we'd get along :D

He's got all the trauma that comes along with being an arrancar, but his mentality is definitely one of the healthier ones in always striving to push past his boundaries and not let himself get weighed down by his past (whether he's successful is a different story, but his intention is to be forward-looking)

He's not scary-smart like Aizen-level, but he's definitely extremely sharp and intelligent, much more so than most people (characters and fans alike) give him credit for

He's definitely not entirely at peace with life but he's also not out to fight the world in the sense that, for instance, Aizen is; I think he's content with how Hueco Mundo is structured, and will merely fight for his place within that.

I love messing with him in my art and fics, but at the end of the day, I want him to be well and happy :) I'm also very satisfied with the ending he got in canon.

He is either 0 or 100+ in terms of intensity, there is no in-between XD

His backstory extra was so sad, everyone needs to read it

He'd never call himself a sidekick owner, but Yammy was absolutely his sidekick

I don't think he'd actually pet stray animals, but he would 100% engage with them, talk to them in the same tone of voice he talks to Yammy XD

I see him as functioning at two extremes -- utter apathy or utter obsession -- which makes most of his qualities even out at the middle lmao. And with most things (sadistic vs helpful, rebellious vs content, etc.) he's just not invested enough to be anything but neutral unless you're Orihime, Ichigo, or Grimmjow, and then he gets triggered for different reasons

He mostly follows the rules to the letter with absolute conviction, except in some teeny tiny instances where he ever so slightly changes them, and he definitely gaslights himself into not seeing how he's behaving so he believes he is still just a neutral party XD

I was originally okay with his ending -- a very thematically satisfying conclusion to his character arc... back when I fully believed Bleach was going to be a no end-romance/open ending type of story. Now that it's proven that it's not, I am far from content (: His realization seems hollow (ha! lol) in the light of what comes after, the impact of his final fight on several other characters seems negligible which cheapens it, and certain... not plot holes, exactly, but rather inconsistencies in a character's behavior, that I was willing to gloss over initially, I now want a real explanation for. He also needs freedom, catharsis, and a warm blanket. Hence, fanfic! :D

#thanks for asking!#this is definitely more than you prob ever wanted to know but i'm in my blorbo feels today :D #ulquiorra #grimmjow

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legionofpotatoes · 1 year

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A small thing I appreciate about the narrative of ragnarok is that it adores dramatic payoffs and respects player attention enough to set a lot of those up during gameplay instead of cutscenes (e.g. brok's form vs nature bit and his last riddle have huge dramatic payoffs but are primarily set up through roaming dialogue), betting a lot on our familiarity with its big oner and other established cinematic rules in order avoid falling into a sloppy mess of inconsistencies. And it genuinely works okay, is scripted well, and makes me think how that stuff will go much further in eschewing "ludonarrative dissonance" rather than being anal about out-of-character bodycounts during gameplay or any such baloney (that's a whole other can of worms that I think is a symptom of a bigger issue that often gets bandaged away, but I digress).

Anyway a holistic approach to writing that enters the pipeline at around the time levels are designed and paced out in order to plant tentative flags for subtle chekov's pearls is really where it's at. Chef's kiss. That's how you do videogames art nonsense. Make them lean into storytelling through play; make them finesse it into something that adheres to established dramatic rules; and then bring out the big guns for those payoffs. Sure, in substance this game is little more than a stiff look at letting your son go to college without helicoptering, but on those terms it works painfully well by carving out satellite arcs within its plot to enrich the drama and even land some half-baked metaphors that fit the main thing. All because it just pummels you with good setups and payoffs that leverage the medium instead of bogging it down.

One zoom-in on Mimir's face as he says the word "hole" and we all start crying. That's how stupid effective storytelling makes us look. Setups and payoffs!

#god of war ragnarok spoilers #i mean not really but who even knows what people think spoilers are #text

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literaticat · 1 year

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Hi Jenn- sorry to rehash the ? about "overediting" but I keep thinking over your response and wondering how I know if my work is "underedited" or "overedited", plus the ? about how polished is "polished" since no MS will be perfect. I guess I was wondering like, when you are reading an MS what are some of the "imperfections" you see as quirks vs. ones you see as red flags that make you wanna put it down immediately. Obvs my MS will be proofread but i mean more on a line edit and dev edit level.

I suspect you're overthinking it, to be honest.

I mean look, should you revise and edit your work before querying agents? Absolutely. We don't want to see messy first drafts, and as any published writer will likely tell you, first drafts are ALWAYS messy. Revision is where the magic happens.

Do we expect manuscripts to be *perfect*? No. They are never PERFECT. It takes sometimes multiple rounds with an agent, multiple rounds with an editor, multiple rounds of proofreading and copyediting to get a book that is ready for publication (and even with A TEAM of people and a highly-invested author going over books MULTIPLE times, mistakes still slip through the cracks!) -- so your manuscript that you are querying is just not going to be there. It's just NOT.

We expect manuscripts to be as polished as you can make them on your own. (And for most authors, "on your own" means you also have critique partners or a critique group, and/or smart readers who give your book at least a once-over to make sure you didn't miss anything!).

I'd hope the story makes sense and is compelling and draws the reader in, and the characters are well-rounded and have great voices, the pacing is good, there are relatively few GAPING plot-holes or MASSIVE inconsistencies, grammar and spelling etc are on point, and generally, it's a satisfying reading experience.

If I'm invested in the story, little problems, like a stray comma or wrong word, are not going to put me off. Minor plot-holes or pacing problems are not going to put me off. A character who could be more well-rounded won't even put me off. ALL those things can be fixed in revision if I love the story enough, and I can envision the end product -- if I love it and it seems clear we are on the same page about what it wants to be as a book, then it's for me.

I can't really point to "quirks" that put me off, or wrong-things that consistently happen to make me stop reading. What puts me off is usually just, hey, I am not drawn in. The story and characters are not compelling enough to (TO ME) to make me want to keep reading. These manuscripts might be good -- they probably ARE good! -- they just aren't for me.

OR SOMETIMES - -there are *so many* grammar problems, wrong words, etc, that it literally is hard to read and I have to stop multiple times on a page to correct something -- because then I can't even GET to the meat of it, you know?

If I am actually invested, and DO love the story/characters, line-level writing, etc -- what would put me off is if there are MAJOR structural problems or something with the book that are intrinsic to it - -in other words, I can't envision how I could help this book with revision, because something is (TO ME) broken in the very premise or core of the book -- so if I asked for a revision, I'd essentially be asking you to write a different book. So it probably isn't right for me, our visions are not aligned.

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