#story-telling

[oediex]

My love for gaming is partly anchored in my love for stories. I gravitate towards games that weave a rich narrative involving complex and thoughtful characters in a world to be discovered slowly but impactfully. That's what Dragon Age: Inquisition, with all its flaws, did for me six years ago, and it's how the Mass Effect trilogy crashed into my life only a few months ago, birthing an obsession I didn't know I needed. It's why the Ezio era of the Assassin's Creed series is, in my opinion, still undefeated, and it's what, years ago, kept me playing Horizon: Zero Dawn all the way into the early hours when I really should have been sleeping.

When sequels get caught up in the hype of their forebears and their disappointing ambitions fail to remember their origin in tale-telling, especially while chasing some passing trend only desired by money-loving investors, a light dies in my heart.

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey was, as per Wikipedia, complimented by critics for its story-telling, but I have yet to find the parts that would have brought about such praise. Kassandra is fun, certainly, and her backstory is promising, but I fail to understand her motivations. Perhaps the choice system has something to do with this, but she also seems to be thrown into larger situations that are not warranted by our knowledge of who she is, a young girl growing up to be a mercenary on a small island under the wings of a silly, get-rich-quick schemer who has a penchant for getting into trouble. How does she come to be in command of a ship, despite seemingly having no previous experience with it, and embroiled in a battle of the Peloponnesian War as if she's been fighting wars her whole life? I don't know who this woman is, what drives her, and which experiences inform the actions she undertakes.

I do like her muscled arms, though.

#assassin's creed #assassin's creed odyssey #kassandra #story-telling #gaming #dragon age: inquisition #mass effect #mass effect trilogy #horizon zero dawn #the ezio collection #writing #my writing #a story every day #7 april #2024

[graciecatfamilyband]

The Info-Dumpers who Love Characters Website is totally sleeping on the best Info-Dumping Character of All Time:

Jade Daniels, the 17 year-old half-indigenous girl from Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw.

In everyone’s defense, character-driven slow-burn literary fiction that is also a slasher (stab stab 🔪🔪🩸) is a hard genre to sell. Many of us who love one part of this equation don’t love the other.

But Jade has captured my whole chainsaw ♥️, and I CANNOT be normal about it. Jade has never met a person at whom she wasn’t willing to spout random facts that they have exhibited no interest in. She can bring ANYTHING back around to connect to her hyperfixation which is, coincidentally, slasher movies. And she is the most vivid, alive, real-to-me protagonist I have ever encountered. Because of the way she hyperfixates and info dumps, not in spite of it. (Which surely says something about me but again, I am among friends on this webbed site!)

Jade makes completely normal, totally hinged choices like:

(When we the audience are first introduced to her) Going up to a group of construction workers having a trash fire in the middle of the night and being like, “If we were in a slasher right now, this is what the plot line would be. Also, have some random slasher movie facts.” (Their response: Are you okay? You seem like you are not okay.)

Writing extra credit essays for her history teacher about the tropes and conventions of the slasher genre. For four years. Not what he asked for, but what he got. (These essays are included in the book and are a godsend for those of us who are not already slasher fans! They literally help the reader understand the story beats as they unfold, while simultaneously giving life to Jade’s voice and helping us understand what makes her tick.)

Deciding the New Girl At School has all the qualities of a Final Girl, the slasher film trope in which there is one girl left alive to confront the killer and stop the slasher cycle.

Trying to warn the New Girl At School that she is going to be The Final Girl, by putting a VHS copy of the 1971 slasher Bay of Blood and all of Jade’s slasher extra credit essays in her mailbox. With a note. A note that says that she is going to be The Final Girl in a slasher cycle that seems to be starting up. (Jade is just trying to help! So helpful.)

Of course, the core of this novel is: What is going on with Jade? After all, she actually wants a slasher cycle to start in her town. (She also wants the slasher cycle to be stopped at the proper moment, to ensure that the vengeance of the slasher is balanced by the justice of the Final Girl.) She does not see herself as a possible Final Girl, but she is willing to help the richer, prettier, more appropriate classmate who she thinks is that girl. Why, why, why?

To be clear, the novel does not posit that something must be wrong with a person to be intensely, obsessively interested in something or for that thing to be horror- even slashers! But Jade’s behavior is, like I said, not entirely hinged, even for a slasher fan. Something must be up.

The novel gives us all the clues we need to peel back the layers of what’s really happening, and when truths are revealed, everything just *clicks.* Themes are introduced and then reinforced on multiple levels. There is a bear. 🐻 (The bear is the not the slasher.)

And throughout, Jade gets to be fully-human and fully seven-fucking-teen. Even though she is on the cusp of adulthood, she is still a child, and a wounded one at that. (Her wounds in no way fucking diminish her.)  Her judgment is often impaired. Her actions are often questionable. Her hair-dye jobs gets so bad, even she thinks its gross. She is so alive, and so deserving of love. 🥹 

I love her.

I would fight for her.

I desperately want to make soup for her, and let her tell me about the Scream franchise (I do not care about the Scream franchise), and give her a safe place to sleep. Even if doing so makes it way more likely that I’m about to get murdered.

Jade Fucking Daniels. My chainsaw-hearted, info-dumping hero protagonist. I salute you, my final girl.

#my heart is a chainsaw #jade daniels #stephen graham jones #info-dumper extraordinaire #my most alive protagonist ever <3 #my final girl #i just CANNOT be normal about this one #i'm rereading and #it's making me FERAL #*vibrates* #no spoilers for don't fear the reaper please! #story-telling #books #letha mondragon is also a fantastic character fyi

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

There seems to be a real anti-English class (or equivalent in other countries/languages where literature is discussed and analyzed) sentiment, which is coming out in the writing of a lot of people. I get that fanfic allows you to explore emotional connections between characters. It can be cathartic, it can be wish fulfillment. But it's coming out in original works. I'm not sure the state of English or equivalent class these days, but for those who are interested, here's a friendly reminder of things to keep in mind when writing. This may be a bit disjointed as I'm mostly going off memory. Last English class I took was first year college, 17 years ago.

1) PLOT A series of events does not a plot make. If you find yourself unable to find a way to end your story, it might be because there's no plot. Luckily there's a formula: Exposition and Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. You begin with:

A. Exposition--This is where you set the scene. Who is your protagonist? Where does it take place? Who/what does your protagonist care about? You don't have to state it in an obvious way (though you can, depending). You can build with little clues. For example, if there's a reference to Bill Clinton as president, then we can probably guess that this is set in the '90s USA (just an example; you may not want to date your story that quickly for whatever reason and you can be a lot more subtle). Not every character needs to be introduced and it may be clunky to do so. They can come in at later points. But you do want a character your audience can follow. Someone to lead them into the...

B. Conflict--What is the problem the protagonist hopes to solve? This can be complex or simple. Probably the character will be dealing with other conflicts when the one that starts the plot comes into play. Does the conflict make these other issues worse, or does it completely overshadow them? What does the character stand to lose or gain? Is it a simple matter of: resolve this conflict and everything else will be fine (nothing wrong with that) or resolve this conflict but it's going to make some other things worse?

C. Rising Action--Your protagonist has a problem. What are they going to do about it? Who do they consult? Who they meet along the way? Are relationships tested? You can introduce your antagonist here if you haven't done so already. If you don't, you should at least be building clues to who/what it is (doesn't have to be a person; it can be an impending natural disaster, for example--understand that this can in its own way be a character). This doesn't have to go steadily up hill, by the way. It can, but the tension can go up and down. The point is you're building towards the...

D. Climax--This is the point of high interest, what it's all been heading towards, simple or complex, this is it. The final showdown. Your protagonist confronts their enemy, the volcano erupts, the bomb is discovered and dismantled, the creature is seen face to face, the protagonist and their love interest have a painful heart-to-heart. But it's not the end.

E. Falling Action--What happens immediately following the climax? How do the characters get out of the rubble? Do they have to now shoot their way out of a building of henchmen after defeating the villain? Do they have to defend themselves in court? How is it all resolved?

F. Resolution--This is where you tie up any remaining loose ends. Maybe the other issue the character was dealing with are still ongoing but the lessons they've learned throughout the story has given them new ways to deal with. Maybe the character has learned to appreciate their life as it is. Maybe it's simply a happily ever. Maybe the lesson is that it's all pointless. Regardless, this is where you end your story.

G. Plot twist!--If you have one. This could be introduced at the climax, during what seems to be the falling action, or even at the supposed resolution. You should have clues here. They may be more subtle than those meant to initially mislead the protagonist (and the audience), but they should still be there to catch by particularly perceptive readers or else on reread. Anyway, this can come in many many forms, but it is your true climax, and some falling action and resolution should take place afterward, even if shorter than the initial one (or longer, depending how you want to do it).

H. Subplots--If the protagonist has other conflicts in their life, they may occasionally distract them from the main plot depending on their severity. These too will have some form of rising action, climax, and resolution, but they will be shorter and simpler, even if the resolution is "I will have to deal with the aftermath of this at some point" that may not be in the main story itself. Sometimes a subplot of one story can become the main plot of another. Something to think about for a series.

2) THEMES Yes! They are important! It's not just "does this have a character I can relate to in every way for wish fulfillment?" It's an exploration. These add depth to characters and your story, even if they're simple, and you can have as many as you want! Though generally one is going to stick out more than the others. Here are some:

A. Innocence vs Experience--Not always as simple as child to adult, virgin to not-virgin, etc.. It involves how your character sees the world from their naievety and how that changes as they learn through experience. This is not always a negative change; it can be positive, or mixed. Regardless, the relatively simple outlook the protagonist has on life will become much more complex. It's not just ignorance, though (however, it can be part of it); there's going to be some kind of naievety or contentment with how the protagonist initially sees things, and it's born of not knowing better. It also doesn't necessarily mean a character goes from being innocent to having experience: it can be a comparison between characters where one if innocent and the other has experience, which the innocent one may never gain, possibly even because of the experienced one.

B. Human vs Wild--Exactly what it sounds like. Positive or negative, the wild will challenge your protagonist, whether they learn to make shelter and find food and perhaps heal inner conflict, or whether a friend is picked off one by one from a bear or freezing temperatures, etc.. Your protagonist will not have easy access to civilization or its comforts. This may be the protagonist's choice or it may happen by sheer accident. It could be someone who's always loved nature and thought they had a handle on it or it could be someone who's never been out of a big city. It could be at sea, in a desert, in the forest, on a snowy mountain, or even in space. Is nature good or bad? Does it antagonize or does it teach--even if a hard lesson? Should humans connect more with nature, or are we better off leaving it behind? Not stating my personal opinions here. You get to decide what you want your story to explore.

C. Good vs Evil--Classic! But what is good? What is evil? How do you show that in your story? Which one does your protagonist represent? All of one or the other? Some of both? Does good triumph in the end, or does evil win out? Perhaps neither do, and the battle will rage on long after the conclusion of your story--remember it's a theme, not the plot, not even necessarily the conflict.

D. Coming of Age--Similar in some ways to innocence vs experience, but not the same. This is usually a child becoming an adult. Their outlook on life may not significantly change, as it does with innocence vs experience. Rather they may take on new responsibilities that they struggle with. They may realize why the adults in their lives do the things they do. They may start to look ahead and realize the possibilities for their own future.

E. Person vs Person--Unlike human vs wild, this is two or more well-developed characters at odds with another. Like human vs wild, this is an excellent way to explore what it means to be human. Who is right? Who isn't? Are all of them? Are none of them? This doesn't mean they're enemies, by the way. It can just mean they're on different journeys. Perhaps one is in an innocence vs experience journey, while the other is dealing with good vs evil. How do they relate to each other? How do they not? Does it ever even come up between? Maybe the only interaction we see between them is when they play their favourite video game. But in their personal lives we how different they are.

F. Human vs Technology--Similar in some some ways to human vs nature and person vs person. What does it mean to be human? Whereas human vs nature may question humanity's relationship to the natural world, human vs technology will question humanity's distance from nature, and their relationship to their inventions. And this can go so many different ways. Did we go too far? Is technology, having been made by humans, who are animals, just nature taking its course after all? Will technology save us? If we manage to make sentient or even sapient beings, what is our responsibility to them? Will technology be the end of us? How do you tell between human and AI? Does it matter? Is it possible to pull the breaks and go a different direction so that we can have some technology without losing who we are? Is it already too late? This can be one human vs an invention they made, or vs technology made and used by others. Or it can be humans generally vs technology at large. But as a theme--remember, not the plot--it's going to explore what it means to be human and the possible consequences to that from technology. Also remember, though, that the human vs technology theme doesn't have to be negative. It can represented positively. I have my personal opinions, but that's not what I'm talking about here.

G. Trauma--Something has happened to your character (doesn't have to be the protagonist; the protagonist can be an observer, or one of many victims). Could be before the story starts, could be during. Could be the death of a loved one, loss of their home, war, a terrible accident, a rape, a betrayal, but it has left your character(s) traumatized. How do they deal with it? Does it tie in to any other themes? What are the effects on the character? Do they develop an eating disorder? Are they out for revenge? Have they lost all faith in humanity? How do they pick up the pieces of themselves? Do they even want to? Do they avoid it and put it away? Or are they unable to stop thinking about it? Is it one horrific event out of a relatively idyllic setting? Or is it the background radiation of the character's life? Are they still in danger? If they aren't, do they think they are? If they are still in danger, do other characters think they aren't? Does it drive the plot, or is it simply something the character has to deal with in addition to the plot? Does the trauma make them stronger or does it weaken them? Does it contribute to their downfall or does it gain them understanding? Is it part of their redemption?

H. Person vs Self--The character is their own worst enemy or else their own foil. This can be written as two personalities in one body (though I'd urge you to be careful with that), or the character's self-talk or intrusive thoughts. Or none of those things. It could be a guilty conscience that drives them to confess vs their own cowardice for the consequences. They will usually be the cause of their own problems. That could mean they've isolated themself with the belief that they are unworthy when in actuality everyone's willing to welcome them with open arms. It could mean they're assholes to everyone and that's why they have no close relationships. You have to be careful with unlikeable characters, though--they still have to be compelling. And if a person vs self character is your protagonist, they had better be. Like the other person/human vs x themes, person vs self can be a way to explore humanity. Once again, what does it mean to be human? But in this case, not primarily in relation to nature, technology, or another human, but one's individual self.

3) CHARACTERS You can write a nonfiction book about themes. You can outline a plot. But you don't have a story if you don't have characters. None of them will be relatable to everyone, so forget that. You can try, but it will be obvious you're trying, and that's not a character, that's pandering. This isn't to say think nothing of making all your important characters in all of your stories straight, white, young, middle class, beautiful, and with no disabilities, but don't force it. If it doesn't come naturally, consider something that does--there must surely be something that does. Maybe your best friend is blind. Surely you've considered what that must be like to live that way. Surely they've talked to you about it. Maybe you've read a lot of accounts from immigrants to the USA. That should give you some insight into what that's like. Write what you know. In any case, you have a cast, and like with themes, there can be overlap:

A. The Protagonist--This is the one who's going to lead your audience through the plot (or subplot; the protagonist of your main plot doesn't necessarily have to be the protagonist of a subplot). You are seeing it from their perspective (if in first person or third person but in their head) or at least closely observing their actions. They should be a compelling character, one people can "get" even if they don't like or agree with them. Important to note: the protagonist not necessarily the good guy. They can be, and often are, but protagonist and hero are not synonymous. In fact, the protagonist can be the villain of the story.

B. The Antagonist--The protagonist's enemy. Remember this doesn't have to be a person; it could be an animal, it could nature itself. It could even also be the same characters as the protagonist (see Person vs Self)! But it is the cause of the main conflict that the protagonist has to overcome or be defeated by. Like the protagonist, regardless of the form it takes, it should be compelling. Does it want something? What is it? Is the protagonist simply in its way or is it directly after the protagonist? Is it a sympathetic antagonist or one you love to hate? Is there a redemption arc (you can have this other characters,too, including the protagonist)? Is this a way to question whether the hero is as good as made out to be?

C. The Love Interest--Not every story has one, and not every story that does is a romance. But this will be a character who occupies a lot of your protagonist's thoughts in a romantic context. And yes, for all you lovers-to-enemies fans out there, the love interest may even be the antagonist! Regardless, this is a good way to gain insight into the protagonist by how they think about the love interest. Is the protagonist obsessive or controlling? Are they misogynistic? Are they delusional? Do they see the love interest as a person or a prize? Do they really know who the love interest is? Do they even care? Do they have an idea of who the love interest is that they refuse to let go of in spite of evidence to the contrary? How does this tie in to the plot or the themes? Do we ever hear from the love interest? Do we ever get in their head? Or it is only through the memories of the protagonist (not necessarily a bad thing)?

D. The Foil--This is not the antagonist, though they can become one, depending. This is usually a friend who's going to call the protagonist on their shit and is going to have qualities very different from the protagonist. Perhaps it's a different outlook on life, or a different skill-set. Something that might annoy the protagonist from time to time. Often they will be close, though, and will resolve their issues within the story and become even closer (though again, not always).

E. The Confidante--The protagonist trusts this character, whether it's a family member, mentor, or close friend. It could even be a pet or a robot. The protagonist will reveal their deepest darkest secrets (yes, the confidante can turn out to be the antagonist) to them. This is a way for your protagonist to show vulnerability. If you're in the protagonist's thoughts, it can also be a way to show your protagonist's true fears or unprocessed trauma if there are things they won't even tell the confidante. This character is someone who listens. If they judge, it's gently, or else the protagonist respects them enough to accept harsher judgment (which they won't from the foil, for example, unless the foil and confidante are the same character). This character (if a speaking one) is also in a position to give advice which the protagonist may not accept from anyone else.

F. Deuteragonist--The secondary characters. They may be the protagonists of subplots, they may become protagonists of other stories. Either way, these are well-developed, important supporting characters of the story. They help or hinder your character along the way. They may even do things that drive the plot. One may even be the antagonist hidden in plain sight. How are they different from your protagonist? How are they similar? Are they friends or foes? How are they different or similar to each other? How would they react if they thought the protagonist was dead? How would the protagonist react of one of them died? Do the secondary characters know one another? Do they know the love interest? The antagonist? What's their relationship to those characters? Are they perhaps enemies to the protagonist but a friend to the love interest? Or vice versa?

G. Tertiary Characters--They don't have much page time but the best tertiary characters still read as people. They could become secondary characters or even main characters in another story. You're only seeing a very small part of their lives and yet it has significance. Perhaps to show the kindness of strangers. Maybe it's someone a secondary character deeply cares about. Maybe it's to very temporarily see a strange place through the eyes of someone who lives there. Tertiary characters can provide insight and motivation to the others even if they themselves aren't a very big part of the story.

4) STRUCTURE I have been looking some of these things up online as a reminder to myself, but this one I can't find anywhere. Maybe it was unique to my region or the English teachers I knew. Which means I'm going entirely by memory here. So the plot, the themes, the characters answer the who, what, when, where, and why of the story. This is the how. How does it all come together? And how do you avoid making your audience feel cheated?

A. The Smile--This story begins happily and ends so, even if there's horror throughout the middle. This doesn't mean nothing will have changed, but it is a distinctly happy ending.

B. The Frown--The story begins and ends on a sour note. There maybe hope throughout, even moments of happiness, but a sense of unease throughout lets your audience know it won't end happily and maybe not even hopefully. This is hard to write well. You have to ask yourself and be able to answer what the point is. Why tell the story. Maybe it's someone awaiting execution they didn't commit or that was arguably justified. Maybe they are almost saved but are still executed in the end. Or maybe they are saved, but someone else is executed and it's equally tragic. Stories like these can give insight into human tragedy but they can also turn off an audience. Tread carefully.

C. The Mountain--This begins badly but ends happily or at least hopefully. This is perhaps a character who has known very little joy in their life, but for some reason, maybe the event that starts the plot, they want it. But it's not going to be easy. Perhaps it's someone escaping the abusive cult they grew up in, or someone scratching their way out of poverty. Unlike the the frown, this story will have tension that the character may end up back where they started or worse, but there won't be that pervading sense of unease that it's all for nothing. The end will be cathartic. Whether the character succeeds in their goal or not, something has changed for the better.

D. The Slope--The story begins happily but doesn't end that way. Probably the hardest to write. If you begin a story happily and end it without even any hope, you run the risk of a very upset audience. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. Maybe it's a natural disaster. Maybe it's a fascist government or alien takeover. It can be a slow slide where things get worse as the characters try to adapt until they can't anymore. Or it can be an abrupt change, maybe the breakout of a war, that suddenly changes life as the characters know it. Either way, they will struggle and try to hold on, but the audience will get a sense of futility, of the problem being much bigger than the protagonist can handle. They will not solve their conflict. Their efforts will be futile. So as with the frown, why tell the story? The themes of Human/Person vs X can work really well here, as can several I didn't cover, such as Human as Animal. It can be a personal tragedy, or it can be extinction, or the end of freedom. It can be particularly useful in the context of past events. It can be a way to tell the audience that things should have been different before the event started. For example, we know the Atlantic slave trade did eventually end, but what does that matter for the people who were born, lived, and died in slavery? The slave trade should never have happened to begin with. Or the bubonic plague. It quieted down eventually but would never have spread so far and wide and not nearly as many people would have died if so many weren't living in abject poverty with poor ventilation and an inability to regularly wash and change their underclothes. So that's why such a story is told. What is happening right now that should be changed before it leads to hopeless and pointless tragedy for countless people?

And that's a question you should ask of any story you want to tell: what are you trying to say? It doesn't have to be one big thing. It can be a lot of little things. Let people read between the lines. Don't spoon-feed them. State explicitly only what you want your audience to know explicitly in that moment. Let people take it apart. Why did you choose to make the curtains blue? If you didn't have a reason, why state the colour at all? If it's not relevant, get rid of it. And don't be afraid to do things differently! Just because blue might mean sadness in someone else's story doesn't mean it has to mean the same in yours. Themes can overlap. Archetypes can overlap. They can be subverted. You can twist and turn. And! You can use all of this even in fanfic--but don't feel compelled; as stated earlier, fanfic can be a way to explore relationships between characters and doesn't necessarily need a plot or themes--just make sure your original works have them.

#writing #writing tips #English class #literature #plot #characters #themes #story structure #story-telling #why tell a story #long post #long text post

[theautisticgamer]

How Sonic Prime is a Refreshing Take on Multiverse Stories

It might be easy to overlook and pass Sonic Prime simply because it’s milking on the latest story-telling trope, the multiverse. But this would be a mistake. Sonic Prime is great and a fresh take on the multiverse, and here’s why.

While Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse had critical acclaim, Wildbrain Studios wasn’t content with the idea of making a Sonic copycat of that movie, instead changing a key aspect of it that sets it apart from not only Spiderverse but the way the multiverse is portrayed in media as a whole.

In Into the Spiderverse, the very first two minutes make it very clear that New York City and its safety revolve around Spider-Man like how the planets of our solar system revolve around the sun. Because this world revolves around Spider-Man, the story tells what it means to be Spider-Man by comparing different Spider-Men and Spider-Women from across the multiverse. While Sonic Prime uses this story-telling formula, it turns it completely on its head.

Sonic’s world usually revolves around Sonic, and Sonic seems pretty used to this (the battle between his friends and Doctor Eggman for the Paradox Prism seemingly doesn’t start until Sonic arrives unintentionally yet unapologetically late). However, when Sonic enters the Shatterverse, he doesn’t exist in any of the Shatterspaces (multiverses) naturally, instead he hops between them all. The people he considers his friends/enemies exist in their own lives without him. Sonic means nothing to these people before his arrival, and Sonic means little to them by the time he leaves. Time will also significantly pass as he hops between the Shatterspaces, with nowhere and nobody waiting upon Sonic's actions, which is the complete opposite of the show's opening battle in Sonic's universe. Instead of the world and Sonic’s friends revolving around Sonic, Sonic is revolving around his friends and their worlds.

Likewise, instead of the show focusing on what it means to be Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog is learning more about what each of his friends brings to the table. And honestly, that’s pretty important considering Sonic’s supporting cast seems to get thrown under the bus more than any other supporting cast I’ve ever seen. People often complain about how some of these characters are annoying, or that Sonic’s supporting cast is too large. Previous Sonic cartoons like Sonic X and Sonic Boom are partially to blame for this public perception as they mostly focus on Sonic’s coolness and fail to flesh out Sonic’s supporting cast. It’s unfortunate, because Sonic’s supporting cast is probably more supportive than in most series, with each character bringing something special to the table.

But back on topic: Sonic is learning what makes each of his friends special, and more often than not they do this by robbing these characters of their special traits. Miles “Tails” Prower is reliable and trustworthy, but one version of Tails, named Nine, is unreliable and untrustworthy because he’s been too hurt by others to understand trust. Amy Rose is empathetic and has strong verbal conflict resolution skills as a result, but a version of her named Thorn Rose does not have these skills and resorts to actions that hurt her friends as a result. Knuckles is fearless and never gives up, but a version of him named Dread is cowardly after failing a dangerous mission and he gives up on his goals.

Even more interesting is how different Shatterspaces may focus on taking away different strengths of the same character. While I already mentioned Tails’s reliability being paralleled by Nine’s unreliability, Tails’s sharp mind and advanced technical skills are absent in another version of Tails named Mangey. Likewise, Amy is not limited to her empathy but also has compassion, which another version of her named Rusty Rose lacks, making her a dangerous foe.

Even though the show focuses on other characters, this doesn’t mean Sonic doesn’t get character development. Quite the contrary. Sonic usually has to attempt to teach his former friends the skills they used to have, and this is difficult for Sonic to do since these skills aren’t his personal strengths. This means Sonic is forced by his circumstances to broaden his horizons in order to overcome the conflicts at hand.

Sonic also learns hard lessons of his own based on his flaws. The first arc shows how Sonic’s failure to be responsible resulted in his universe breaking into the multiple mini-universes that are the Shatterspaces, and when Sonic realizes this mess is his fault and not Eggman’s, he has a moment of deep reflection that really resonated with me. Sonic also is overconfident in his leadership skills in the last arc of the first 8-episode wave, which ultimately endangers the safety of his friends, and to resolve the issue Sonic humbles himself and puts leadership back into the hands of someone else and is willing to humbly obey orders for the greater good of his team.

This may be my favorite Sonic series simply due to how well they are doing character development and character introspective. (Of course my opinions are not limited to that, I adore Sonic Prime’s high quality animation and choreography, and Deven Mack may be Sonic’s greatest voice actor yet. This show is a wonderful experience!) I am excited to watch more of Sonic Prime in the future, and I hope my observations about the show inspire others to give this show a try.

#sonic prime #sega #Sonic the Hedgehog #Sonic #Netflix #cartoon #videogame #Spiderverse #Spiderman #Multiverse #Story-telling #video games #new show

[i-did-not-mean-to]

Okay, okay…so I saw this once. Thought it was really sweet and I know how much you write random pairings so for the roommates AU:

Ori/Bifur

(If not, hit me up and I can rec another.) 😂

Dear @sunnyrosewritesstuff...This was a peculiar one, but I am always up for a challenge.

So, here is your ficlet:

A compelling tale

Words: 625

Characters: Ori &(/?) Bifur

Ori was but mildly surprised to learn that he had been put into a room with another person; it made sense that Dori would try to keep an eye on Nori and, anyway, their youngest brother rarely minded being sent to bunk with someone else.

It would only be for a few days while they rested before the final stretch of their journey and Ori deemed himself to be – by nature and habit – such a discreet fellow that he did not foresee any complications or conflicts to arise from this arrangement.

The hunched-over figure by the fireplace was familiar and even a welcome sight; Bifur was not a dwarf of many words and – as Ori was notoriously shy – he was relieved to have the taciturn elderly warrior rather than his more ebullient kinsmen for a roommate.

As soon as he noticed that he was no longer alone in the room, Bifur waved Ori forward and leaned back in the chair that was too big and too broad even for his impressive frame.

“You’re a story-teller, are you not?” he asked in his gruff voice, using their secret language openly in the privacy of the closed room; Ori knew that he was suffering from his inability to speak any other language, especially because Khuzdul did not allow for many conversations with people outside of his own race.

Nodding slowly, the younger dwarf climbed onto the second chair and stared into the flames for a moment; after all his people had gone through, pretty tales about daring heroism and epic victories were not on the forefront of his fellows’ minds. He understood that.

“Tell me one!” Bifur demanded, lowering his piercing eyes and forgetting about the trials and tribulations that lay ahead of them for a moment.

Of course, he was too old to be on this quest and the lasting wounds he had sustained in previous battles left him ill-equipped for trekking through the different realms, but there was strength in him yet, and he hoped that he would be able to put it to good use in the name of his king and people.

Indulgent tenderness warmed his eyes now as he gazed upon that young dwarrow – bookish, shy, and incredibly brave – fiddling with his sleeves and sucking on his lower lip as he tried to come up with a story that might amuse and delight his senior.

They had once been like that, Bifur reminisced, wide-eyed and eager in their resolution to contribute to the glory of the Khazad as much as they could.

As Ori peeled out of his thick, woollen coat with a bright smile, Bifur reached over and gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

Weariness weighed him down inexorably and he was yearning for a distraction from the bleak future that awaited them.

As Ori haltingly started narrating a story that had sprung from his own thoughts, Bifur decided then and there that he would ferociously defend and protect that invaluable, generous mind with all the might left in that failing body and aching heart of his.

Indeed, for the first time in long years, words seemed sweet and enchanting to Bifur again as he listened patiently to the mellow voice of the future scribe as he described an intrepid princess confronting a terrible dragon to save the spell-bound hero of the story.

It was only when he ended his marvellous tale in a truly fortunate wedding that Ori realised that he was still holding the gnarled, skilled hand of one who had once made toys for him cradled in his own.

He was happy beyond what any words might have been able to return the favour and the gift of solace and pleasure once bestowed upon him before the end.

So, @fellowshipofthefics here's the second prompt I've gotten for the Weekend WIPs game :)

Lots of love from me

#IDNMT answers #ask #sunnyrosewritesstuff #FOTFICS weekend wips #IDNMT writes #fanfiction #writing #tolkien #hobbit #the hobbit #in-universe #Ori & Bifur #Ori #Bifur #story-telling #stories #solace #gifts

[topfavefollowedongoingmanga]

Akatsuki no Yona chapter 230

Cha-gol is on a whole different level of danger.

I read the latest chapter after forcing myself to wait until the next chapter 131...

I then read the old chapters because I miss Hak and Yona moments... and reminisced how I thought Ying Kuel-Bo was dangerous, in a sense that he could rape Yona.  The story would turn into ‘mature’ content for sure.

But compared to Cha-gol, Ying Kuel-Bo feels like childs-play especially when Ying Kuel-Bo just acts tough and dangerous; not like Cha-gol where at this moment, we don’t know his whole plan, but only know that he’s the ruler/dictator of his land and wants to take over Kouka Kingdom; and his methods in doing so are harsher and life-threatening/tragic.

#manga #story-telling #Akatsuki no Yona #new chapter

[dialogue-queered]

Comment:

Australian studios are increasingly playing the role of Hollywood ‘backlot’: foreign stories made for cinema with a state-of-the art industry subsidised by various arms of the Australian state. ‘Elvis’ is an example.

Amidst streaming services, US purchases of local TV stations, and a competitive tussle for public monies, less and less local content and stories are being told in digital media.

Extract:

[T]he story of Elvis Presley is no less than the story of rock 'n' roll, from the backwater shacks and steamy late night clubs of the American south to prime-time national television.

And Luhrmann bravely takes it all in his kaleidoscopic sweep: with its often-hyperactive camerawork, the film plays as a 159-minute musical roller-coaster ride through Elvis's 42 years. You're liable to get all shook up, if not from tenderness of feeling then possibly from motion sickness.

#baz luhrmann movies #australia #film #cinema #culture #auspol #elvis #film industry #economy #story-telling #the australian broadcasting corporation

[lastoneout]

People don't like to admit it bcs cringe or w/e but Homestuck really did revolutionize the webcomic as a storytelling medium and I am endlessly frustrated that before webcomic artists could really stretch our legs fucking webtoonz swooped in, set a new, more restrictive standard, and then monetized and monopolized the ever living fuck out of the concept of The Webcomic until it drove away anyone who couldn't be a professional quality manga artist for free, and now the only webcomics that actually feel like spiritual successors to Homestuck are so obscure they're basically cult classics that you have to beg people to read.

Like it's just so wild to be in high school and see Homestuck be like "we're using like fifteen different artistic mediums to tell this story bcs we can" and be really fucking inspired by that, only to grow up and see basically every webcomic ever have to conform to One Single Standard or fucking perish.

#I decided I wanted to be a comic artist bcs homestuck inspired me #in the sense that it was like “fuck it tell your story however you want to” #and now it's like “tell your story this one specific way or fucking die” #wtf

[gatorinator]

“Walrus on your doorstop” this “fairy’s more unrealistic” that my professor just uttered the sentence “there was one day I found a real octopus in my backyard” this man hasn’t left Utah his entire life. How was there an octopus in his backyard in Utah. He then said “I do not have time to elaborate we need to cover a lot today in class” GIRL WHAT DO YOU MEEAN

#al speaks #we are fifteen minutes into class and still haven’t had any class cuz he was telling a story. wdym you don’t have time for the octopus story #stop class I want to know everything. I guess he would say he would be more surprised to see a fairy than a walrus #walrus or fairy

[alecmass]

Week 1: An introduction...

Hey everyone! I'm ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to contribute to this booming gaming community. Undertaking this course has finally allowed me to harness my lifelong love for gaming and my growing fascination with game development to flourish. From princesses being in a different castle to not knowing what the hell the numbers mean, gaming is not just a past-time, but a hobby. Delving into the intricacies of game development, from intricate coding puzzles to the artistry of world-building, has only deepened my appreciation for the games I've always loved. As I embark on this new chapter, crafting experiences that I hope will captivate and thrill just as I have been captivated, I'm eager to learn, share, and connect with fellow enthusiasts who understand that gaming is not just entertainment; it's a form of art that speaks to the heart of innovation and creativity. Let's create, play, and inspire together!

#Gaming #game development #story-telling #journey

[ato-dato]

One mans barber can be another mans nemesis.

#my red dead years are coming in handy now #btw #aziraphale was about to tell a story about how he was mugged at gunpoint #before he was so rudely interrupted #i kinda missed drawing cowboys idkkk #anyway #good omens #good omens comic #good omens spoilers #good omens 2 #good omens fanart #aziracrow #ineffable partners #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #aziraphale x crowley #crowley #anthony crowley #ineffable cowboys #cowboy au #cowboy Crowley #1880s fashion #art #artwork #my art #fanart #digital art #drawing #comic #fan comic

[jayeshapatil]

Rat flood and the bad omen (part - 1)

As usual the watch guards on the city wall were alert for enemies and beast attacks. Everything seemed normal as usual. It was then that guards noticed someone riding the horse towards the city gate, at first they became alert, all Archers were ready to shoot down that unknown man. However When the man came near guards relaxed, because that man had the symbol of the city head on his…

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#art #creative #daily #drama #fiction #fictional #flood #part1 #rat #rat-flood #rats #short-stories #short-story #shortstory #Stories. #story #story-telling #storytelling #suspense #thriller #writer #writers #writing

[deep-space-netwerk]

So Venus is my favorite planet in the solar system - everything about it is just so weird.

It has this extraordinarily dense atmosphere that by all accounts shouldn't exist - Venus is close enough to the sun (and therefore hot enough) that the atmosphere should have literally evaporated away, just like Mercury's. We think Earth manages to keep its atmosphere by virtue of our magnetic field, but Venus doesn't even have that going for it. While Venus is probably volcanically active, it definitely doesn't have an internal magnetic dynamo, so whatever form of volcanism it has going on is very different from ours. And, it spins backwards! For some reason!!

But, for as many mysteries as Venus has, the United States really hasn't spent much time investigating it. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, sent no less than 16 probes to Venus between 1961 and 1984 as part of the Venera program - most of them looked like this!

The Soviet Union had a very different approach to space than the United States. NASA missions are typically extremely risk averse, and the spacecraft we launch are generally very expensive one-offs that have only one chance to succeed or fail.

It's lead to some really amazing science, but to put it into perspective, the Mars Opportunity rover only had to survive on Mars for 90 days for the mission to be declared a complete success. That thing lasted 15 years. I love the Opportunity rover as much as any self-respecting NASA engineer, but how much extra time and money did we spend that we didn't technically "need" to for it to last 60x longer than required?

Anyway, all to say, the Soviet Union took a more incremental approach, where failures were far less devastating. The Venera 9 through 14 probes were designed to land on the surface of Venus, and survive long enough to take a picture with two cameras - not an easy task, but a fairly straightforward goal compared to NASA standards. They had…mixed results.

Venera 9 managed to take a picture with one camera, but the other one's lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 10 also managed to take a picture with one camera, but again the other lens cap didn't deploy.

Venera 11 took no pictures - neither lens cap deployed this time.

Venera 12 also took no pictures - because again, neither lens cap deployed.

Lotta problems with lens caps.

For Venera 13 and 14, in addition to the cameras they sent a device to sample the Venusian "soil". Upon landing, the arm was supposed to swing down and analyze the surface it touched - it was a simple mechanism that couldn't be re-deployed or adjusted after the first go.

This time, both lens caps FINALLY ejected perfectly, and we were treated to these marvelous, eerie pictures of the Venus landscape:

However, when the Venera 14 soil sampler arm deployed, instead of sampling the Venus surface, it managed to swing down and land perfectly on….an ejected lens cap.

#space #space history #venus #NASA #Venera #spost #I will talk all day about venus #ask me about venus floating sky cities #unpopular opinion venus > mars #this is probably my favorite space history story #the surface of venus is made of lens caps #don't try to tell me the universe doesn't have a sense of humor #well #I guess its more that people have a sense of humor and we happen to live in the universe

[skellydun]

absolutely love reading such a well-written story and falling a bit in love with the author based solely on the way they write. like baby the way you italicize words makes my heartbeat quicken.

#i cannot tell u what this is about bc i do know that some authors of things i read follow me and i will be outed #if u write things stories poetry etc and i follow u this is probably about u

[descendant-of-truth]

Shipping is fun and all but I swear every single time someone makes a comment, whether as a joke or in a legitimate analysis, about there being "no other explanation" for a pair's interactions, I lose just a bit more of my sanity

Like, no, you guys don't get it. Romance is not about the Amount of devotion, it's about the COLOR. the FLAVOR of it all. a character can be just as devoted to their platonic friend as they are to their romantic partner, and they don't love either of them more, just differently.

But because the majority of people still have it stuck in their minds that romance exists on the highest tier of love, I'm stuck seeing endless takes that boil down to "these two care about each other too much for it to NOT be romantic" as if that's the core determining factor to how literally any of this works

In conclusion: stop telling me that I don't understand the story if I don't interpret the leads as romantic, I am TIRED

#analysis #meta #miscellaneous #fandom #shipping #media discussion #amatonormativity #lgbtq #I feel like tagging any of the fandoms I was thinking of when writing this would be a little mean-spirited potentially #Disclaimer: no one has actually been telling me personally that I don't understand any story in particular #It's just that the way people tend to phrase their analyses feels unnecessarily targeted at the reader and that's just. not great #even if I agree with every other point they make

[craigtowens]

The Craig And Greg Show: Once Upon A Time

Everyone loves stories! As leaders, we can use stories as a powerful tool to connect with our staff and help reinforce the point we’re trying to make. Check out our full conversation

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video. https://craigtowens.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/episode-71-audio.mp3 Everyone loves stories! Whether it be a book, movie, or even a friend’s tall tale, we love hearing stories because they connect with us on a deeply personal level. As leaders, we can use stories as a powerful…

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#Craig And Greg Show #Greg Heeres #leadership #podcast #story-telling #storytelling #video #vision casting