#I have no concept of how popular this ship is with the main fanbase though lol

[asqueerasmagnusbane]

Guys remember after season one when David Jenkins talked about watching the fandom hope for Stede and Ed to get together, but throughout the season we were all trying not to get our hopes up because we were expecting it not to happen? Sometimes I wonder if the same thing is going on for him for steddyhands rn…

[whattimeisitfic]

3, 16, 29, 30, 32

Ask game answers. I’ll put a below the cut thing because I don’t want to force anyone to read or scroll past my blocks of texts of they’re just scrolling for fun pictures in any of the tags. However if you ARE interested in Lucifer-centric angst fics PLEASE consider giving my Ao3 fanfiction “What Time Is It?” a shot! _______________________

3 - Tell me about one of your fics you think is underrated/underappreciated.

Okay, not a Hazbin Hotel or Luci fic (go figure I’ve only posted two and both are pretty well liked) but a Voltron one (again, go figure, the onky other thing I have publish. At least on Ao3). It’s one of the one-shots I have in my collection fic (probably why it’s under-appreciated). It’s called “Notice Me” and I won’t go into too much detail b/c this is definitely NOT the fanbase for it, but basically it’s just some yummy angst, pining, and just Lance feeling like shit after months of being ragged on. With a delicious little panic attack that I had lots of fun writing (there’s nothing wrong with me I swear—)

16 - Is there a type of fic you would never write?

Hmmm… that’s a good question. Definitely nothing that’s like… the really taboo shit like incest or non-LGBTQ related M!preg (sorry y’all I am NOT on the Lucifer birthed Charlie train). Also will probably not, as of right now, ever write a Lucifer ship fic with any canon characters (expect MAYBE Lilith, but even then it won’t be the focus). It’s just… NONE of his ships appeal to me (maybe b/c I just want him so bad but I didn’t say that). And obviously angst is where I live so I probably wouldn’t write anything super smutty. I’ll read it any day of the week, but I’ll stay in my little bubble of giving Lucifer a million mental breakdowns tyvm!

29 - What's your most popular fic?

Gee. I wonder:

30 - What do you struggle with most when writing?

Hmmm… this is a good question. I think there are a couple main things.

One, trying to fulfill the wishes of my ducklings while also not taking forever w/ certain plotlines. Obviously I’m not gonna please everyone all the time, but I try to include requests pretty soon after I read them if I don’t have a specific plan for them to show up in the future (B/c otherwise I WILL forget).

Two, sometimes motivation is a real bitch man. I’ll have all these ideas floating around, then open my fic and realize I can do ANY of that yet because I’ve gotta finish writing this specific part that I’m stuck on how to make it flow right. Also this is gonna sound weird but sometimes I think I straight up zone out while writing. Like if I’m bored, I’ll write and convince myself that everything I just put on the page was trash B/c I didn’t absorb any of it.

Three, proof-reading. I love it and hate it. I need to do it B/c if you’d SEEN some of the whack ass typos I’ve made you’d been pointing, laughing, stomping me into the dirt. But it also takes so much time. It’s much better in the tummy angsty chapters where I’m genuinely excited to read through it again. I’m always so worried about my lacing in certain scenes, whether it’s too fast, too slow, etc. Though, I have noticed, I am a LOT easier on myself when I proof-read in the morning or afternoon as opposed to at night. Which is a little strange but whatever.

32 - What's a fic you'd love to write, but probably never will?

Oooo… there are a LOT of like… ‘head fanfictions’ that have been kicking around up here for YEARS that I know I’ll never get around to B/c like… ugh. Here are a few that are Lucifer/Hazbin Hotel based:

Cast of HH reacts to the show fic. Okay, call me cringe but I actually eat those types of fics up and there is NONE out there. I just want people to react to how BAD Lucifer’s living and mental situation is right now and coddle him, is that so bad? But I know I never will because those kinds of fics take SO! MUCH! WORK!

When I’m not thinking of this fic, there’s this other general concept that gets rolled around with Lucifer basically like… sacrificing himself for both Heaven and Hell in front of like… everyone. He lives in the end b/c like they all cliché stand in a circle and sing and their ‘good’ energy comes together to help him. But like it basically gets heaven and everyone to see him in a new light and realize just how much he ISN’T the monster he’s been pained to be. And what rlly hurts is me imagining his ‘last words’ to be something like: “I didn’t fuck it up this time.” Because. You know. Angst.

OOOO and one where like… it’s set somewhere in the future where Heaven is actually being nice and giving the Hazbin Hotel a chance. Multiple sinners have been redeemed at this point and the angels are down in hell having like a celebration at how far things have come. Lucifer feels both jealous that HE will never get that chance, and just absolutely hates himself because like ALL THESE SINNERS got the chance to go back, but he’s too horrible of a person to be able to have that forgiveness. Lots of feels that I actually DON’T wanna say too much about B/c after WTiI is finished I may want to try and make this happen. I’m only putting it under THIS ask because… u know… I have no clue where my headspace will be if/when WTiI does reach its final chapter. ________________

Thank you for sending in the asks! These were so fun to respond to!

[wwwdotinternet]

Undertale

Undertale has, as most people know, a gigantic fandom. However, most people, unless they have participated in the fandom, may not know the absolute depths of which Undertale fan works have gone to. While there are some very strange and uncomfortable things that have happened in this fandom, it has settled down significantly since Undertale was released in 2015.

Undertale is a game about your choices and how they influence the game's world and progression. For every monster you fight, you have the choice between sparing or killing them. If you spare every monster you fight, you will reach the pacifist ending. If you kill a monster at any point, the best ending you can get is the neutral ending. If you actively seek out and kill every monster you can find, you will get the genocide ending. The game does an extremely good job of using dialogue and interaction to make you care about the characters in a pacifist route, and of using sound and environmental design to make you feel like a monster in a genocide route. If you have never played Undertale, I would highly recommend it. Now, lets get into the fandom.

Worst

Many, many people on the internet during Undertale's reign called the community the most toxic fanbase to exist. While I think this is a bit extreme, and I would say that there isn't really a way to assign a "worst" fanbase, the critics did have a point. As with many fandoms, the fans took the game extremely seriously, to the point of comparing playing the genocide route to actual murder (Spencer 2017). People were harassed for "not playing the game the right way," which in my opinion is absurd. Games are not meant to be played in a particular way, but fans insisted that the pacifist run was the correct way. If I had to guess, I would say that people became extremely emotionally attached to characters which resulted in extreme reactions to the characters being harmed.

Weird (tw: incest)

As for the stranger side of the fandom, I kinda have to talk about the porn. There is a lot, but that is kind of par for the course in fandom. I'd like to be clear that it isn't weird, at least to me, that there is porn of Undertale characters. Rule 34 exists for a reason, right? No, the weird part is people shipping Sans and Papyrus together. And drawing porn. Of the skeleton brothers. Together. Not great.

I also want to touch on Sans-cest, which is a concept that is somewhat unique to the Undertale fandom. One of the main phenomena in the Undertale fandom online is the existence of alternate universes, or AUs. AUs are parallel universes with small or large things changed about the characters, world, or aesthetic (think Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse). At some point, the AUs started to interact with each other, with crossover comics galore. With that interaction came different versions of Sans talking to each other, and as fans do, people started shipping Sanses with other Sanses. You are free to make of that what you will.

Wonderful

So far, I have had mostly negative things to say about the Undertale fandom, but I actually really like the fandom. Like I said before, if you haven't played it, I highly recommend it. Or you could watch a let's play. Idk, whatever you want. Once you're done though, there is so much fan content to consume. Undertale fans are extremely creative, as is reflected in the insane amounts of AUs that exist. The Undertale AU Wiki (there's an entire wiki) lists 516 items, and that list is most likely incomplete. Of course, there are some that are more popular than others, such as Underswap, where characters switch personalities with their foils, and Underfell, basically an angstier Undertale with more death, but the amount of creative concepts is staggering. There are meta AUs, like Aftertale, in which Sans remains half alive in the game's save screen, and even AUs of AUs, like Flowerfell, in which a pacifist Frisk must escape the Underfell underground before her body is overtaken by flowers. This all culminates in Ink Sans, the creator and protector of AUs, and Error Sans, who sees any AU as a glitch that must be destroyed. And then people shipped them. And they had a child named PaperJam. And then people created an AU where a grown up PaperJam takes care of children versions of the various Sanses.

Anyway, the Undertale fandom, just like most fandoms, has done some horrible, strange, and great things. Until next time!

[wiseabsol]

Do you have an ultimate OTP or rankings of OTPs across fandoms? If so, why? I found some of your OTP essays and thought they were quite thoughtful!

I'm glad that you enjoyed those essays, even though they're old as dust now XD

I don't really have any ultimate OTP or rankings of OTPs across fandoms, since my interest in ships tends to be cyclical. When I get in the mood for one, I'll consume fanwork of it for a few weeks, then move on to another and another, until eventually that mood hits me again. Off the top of my head, though, here are a few I revisit on an regular basis:

Shinji Ikari / Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion): I had a weird introduction to Neon Genesis Evangelion in that I started with the manga version by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. I knew nothing about how popular the show was at the time--in fact, because I had such a hard time getting the manga volumes, I assumed it didn't have much a fanbase. It turned out it did, of course, but the manga is considered an inferior, watered down version of the story. I don't agree with that assessment--I think all of the main versions of Eva have something valuable in them, and excluding any of them misses out on something worthwhile--but I do love the manga version the most. Shinji is more thoughtful and proactive in this version of the story, while Rei is much more fleshed out as a character. Their friendship and quasi-romance is touching, especially in how it encourages them both to grow as people. Plus, it leads to a fascinating, if very controversial take, on Kaworu's character.

Harry Potter / Hermione Granger (Harry Potter): I shipped them from the very beginning and still get hit in the feels with the concept of them on occasion. Admittedly, the last time I read the books, I thought that Hermione really should have wound up with Krum, because he at least fully appreciates her, while the boys struggle to do the same. Still, it's hard for me to not want these best friends and amateur detectives to be together, especially when their canon ships were poorly developed (Ron is too mean to Hermione for my comfort, and Ginny, while she had a ton of potential, was very underutilized by She Who Must Not Be Named).

Roy Mustang / Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist): Who read or watched Fullmetal Alchemist and didn't ship them? The mutual loyalty is just so good. Also he learned her father's secret flame alchemy from her naked back. Come on!

Madoka Kaname / Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica): Homura went through an endless maze of timeline resetting for Madoka. If that's not an act of devotion, I don't know what is. Madoka's feelings for Homura are less blatant, but I think she definitely has a crush on her "cool" classmate, and learning how much Homura has given for her probably cemented that. I really hope they get a happy ending in the movies (which we didn't need, but I'll still watch the next one).

Ash Ketchum / Misty Waterflower (Pokemon): Baby's first ship, or at least the first one where I was involved in the fandom. I still enjoy it, though I haven't engaged with content for it for years now. Still, if Ash is going to end up with anyone, I hope it's Misty. (I doubt it will be--this boy is staying 10 forever, folks!)

Ichigo Kurosaki / Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach): Baby's first smutty ship. The Bleach fandom was so horny back in the day. I also liked how the friendship between Ichigo and Rukia encouraged them both to grow, and how their involvement with each other changed their lives for the better. I'm also pretty sure the author shipbaited the fandom HARD with these two: the poems, the art spreads, that one super shippy movie! It being a shounen story, I didn't actually think they would get together...and then, when the ending happened and they married other people, I was flabbergasted. I still don't understand it.

Zuko / Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender): So this is tricky, because the trauma of colonialism is very tied into this ship, since Zuko is from the people and culture who committed genocide against Katara's. So intellectually, a part of me doesn't like this. Emotionally, on the other hand, I do enjoy it because of the parallels between their stories, and because out of the members of the Gaang, Katara is most able to be herself around Zuko, rather than a nurturer. Mai also felt underdeveloped to me, and I wondered if she'd be happier away from the machinations of court (maybe with June?!).

Mewtwo / Sabrina (Pokemon): Listen, they're a crack ship, but they're my beautiful crackship. They have a weird amount in common, to the point where I wonder if Sabrina's episodes were a test run for Mewtwo's movie. Also, I adore Beauty and the Beast stories, and this ship would fill that trope nicely. I'm also one of maybe five people that have written this ship (if only I'd done it during my heyday! Then I could have converted so many more readers! Alas, I missed my shot).

Others I'm fond of include:

Naruto Uzamaki / Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto)

Korra / Asami (The Legend of Korra)

Artemis Fowl / Holly Short (Artemis Fowl)

Gideon Nav / Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb)

Emma Swan / Regina Mills (Once Upon a Time)

Arthur/Morgana (Merlin)

Utena Tenjou / Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Ahiru/Fakir and Rue/Mytho (Princess Tutu): Has the distinction of being written so well that I abandoned by original ship for the show (Ahiru/Mytho), which is something I never do.

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Star Trek: The Characters

Storytelling, especially where it regards movies and television, is always evolving.  

Whether it’s in deeper themes, better effects, different genres, or evolving archetypes, there is always something that is changing, except, perhaps, where the importance of characters are concerned.

Characters are an integral part of storytelling, particularly where it concerns television.  When it comes to television, the setup is everything, and the characters are part of that setup, that ‘home base’ that the audience returns to at the start of every episode.  The characters are the people that the audience gets to know, who star in each adventure.  Characters are what holds the audience’s investment, the reason fanbases tolerate bad episodes and praise good ones.  In the end, the main characters keep an audience’s attention, making each episode, even the bad ones, enjoyable.

In short, characters can make or break a television show.  It is vital that they be likable, or at the very least, interesting, lest the audience utter those eight deadly words:

I Don’t Care What Happens To These People.  

Once those words are uttered, it doesn’t matter how gripping your narratives are.  The viewers will start to leave.

See, while a film can get away with some lesser characters by distracting with an interesting concept, set-piece or a fast-paced story, television can’t.  Thanks to a smaller runtime and a smaller budget, television, by necessity, tends to be character based.  As a result, the main cast of a television show has to be able to work in multiple stories of different kinds.

This means that writing for characters on television can be pretty difficult.

The best television characters tend to merge two ideas together: That of relatability and entertainment value.  

You see, television, like all stories, tells stories of exaggerated versions of reality, especially in the cases of science-fiction adventure shows like Star Trek.  The only way to make an audience buy an unbelievable world is to create believable characters to place in that world, that relatability in the stories and characters.  When we see McCoy’s frustration, or Kirk’s boldness, or Spock’s reservedness, we see elements of ourselves, our own personalities and lives.  It is vital to make characters seem real, if not realistic.

The question is, does Star Trek manage to do that?

That’s the question we’re going to be answering today.  Let’s take a look, starting with the Captain of the Enterprise Crew: James Tiberius Kirk.

Kirk truly was The Captain in every sense of the word.  A Reasonable Authority Figure who did far more adventuring than realistic counterparts would have, Kirk was an Action Man, level-headed, dutiful, and always loyal to his ship and his crew.  A Bold Explorer (it’s in the job description), Kirk, while not fearless per say, took the Chains of Commanding quite seriously, and would often face down hugely powerful beings, power-mad computers, or other forces beyond him in order to save his crew.  A Determinator to the last, known for his interesting ways to think outside the box and refusal to accept a ‘no win scenario’, he is the unquestionable Hero of the show, the Leader, who often throws the rules aside to do what he feels is right, in a constant battle To Be Lawful or Good.  He was a Charmer, an expert fast-talker, and very smart.  In later installations of the franchise, Kirk would become a Living Legend, much as he became in our own pop culture.

All that being said, the common cultural image of Captain Kirk isn’t quite right.  Allow me to adjust it, as best I can.

More than any other character in Star Trek, or perhaps the history of television in general, Captain Kirk is possibly the most misrepresented character of all time.  Since the ‘60s, Kirk has evolved into an icon of heroism, machismo, and brash boldness, with even the recent Star Trek reboot depicting, not Kirk, but rather, the distorted, separate idea of Kirk in the modern light.

This idea, quite frankly, is just not right.  While Kirk did have his share of romances, he was no womanizer, often entering into dubiously consented-to relationships reluctantly, in order to save the ship.  The relationships he did actively pursue, he threw himself into wholeheartedly, and he was just as crushed as the other party every time they fell apart (for proof, watch City on the Edge of Forever or The Paradise Syndrome).  Kirk was no player.  As a matter of fact, he was a deeply compassionate man who respected the women in his life as much as he respected Spock and McCoy.  It just so happened that the women in his life tended to not stick around, unlike his one true love: The Enterprise.

Even his reputation of the ‘Cowboy Captain’ isn’t accurate.  As I mentioned before, Kirk was defined by compassion.  His moments of ‘rule-breaking’ wasn’t to impose ‘the way he thinks things should be’, it’s because Kirk cannot bear to watch helpless people in trouble.  The few times where he does break the famous ‘Prime Directive’ (To not interfere with less developed races) is to help.  Kirk was a deeply moral character, determined to not stand by while people were taken advantage of.  He wasn’t rash, either.  While it may be accurate to say that the ship’s doctor, Leonard McCoy, was a bit on the hot-headed side, it is entirely inaccurate to accuse Kirk of the same.  Kirk was an extremely smart man, a level-headed captain who was an expert at thinking fast.  He trusted his instincts, but he trusted his advisors too, often finding a balance between McCoy’s impulsiveness and Spock’s cold rationality.  Kirk’s intelligence and competence is often lost, overshadowed by his more extreme companions, and some audiences have forgotten the truth of Kirk’s character: a cunning problem-solver capable of saving the day under enormous pressure, whose decisions are far from based in irrationality.  He is a romantic, duty-bound to protect his ship and crew, greatly exaggerated and mis-characterized in the years following his captaincy.

As such, Kirk was a well-rounded, balanced character, far more three-dimensional than the modern idea of him tends to give him credit for.

That’s all well and good, sure, but how does he fit as a main character in a television show?

As a matter of fact, absolutely incredibly.

Kirk serves as a wonderfully effective lead, compelling, entertaining, and interesting.  Infinitely more developed than most leads of his time, and even more modern examples, Kirk was a game-changer, a revolutionary kind of protagonist who just worked.  The perfect balance of the main trio of the series, Kirk is the perfect face for Roddenberry’s ideals: a hopeful pragmatist, an idealist who proves the best of humanity: compassion mixed with intelligence, boldness combined with understanding.  A man of action surrounded by True Companions, Kirk was an extremely gripping protagonist who felt intensely, a perfect person for the audience to connect to and be invested in.  He drove the stories, opposed the villains, and always saved the crew, as a hero should, but it’s important to note that Kirk was hugely human, possessing many of our greatest attributes, but some of our failings as well.  He wasn’t perfect.  Sometimes he made the wrong choice.  In the end, though, he was us, or us as we should strive to be: always learning and helping, and always reaching for the stars.

But of course, Kirk wasn’t alone in his position as the ‘lead’ of the show.  It’s doubtful the show would have survived in the popular culture as well as it did if it weren’t for his support team, his True Companions: Dr. Leonard McCoy, and, more famously: Mr. Spock.

If Kirk represented the best of humanity, Spock represented the critique of it.  In a previous article, I pointed out that Spock exists as a very unique character: a half alien, half human crewmember who, while equally valuable to the script and the characters as Kirk was, served a different purpose: to point out and explore humanity from the outside.

Like I’ve mentioned before, Spock is a different sort of character than Kirk is.  Where Kirk is a demonstration of the best of humanity as we see it, Spock is a demonstration of humanity as someone else might.  He served as a criticism of the human condition, a character at war with himself and his heritage, split between the emotional humans, and the rational Vulcans.  Spock is the Number One, almost Comically Serious as he eschews his more illogical half and chooses to embrace the stoicism of the Vulcan people.  A Gentleman and a Scholar, Spock has Hidden Depths, a heart of gold and deep emotions that he usually succeeds in hiding.

Most of the time.  More on that in a minute.

Spock’s role in the show was The Smart Guy, the Stoic who had all the answers, all the statistics.  He was the champion of impartial logic, of cold rationality.  His job was to give Kirk the hard answers, to bring to him the facts and give him their options, especially the unforgiving ones.  He is the cold to McCoy’s hot, a stern-faced, cold-blooded computer.

Or is he?

Much like Kirk, there is a lot more to Spock than meets the eye.  While the cultural perception of Spock has often mutated into a parody of itself, much as it has done to Kirk’s reputation, Spock remains a much deeper character than he, or a brief skim of the series, lets on.  As I said earlier, Spock is at war with himself, uncomfortable in his own skin.  He insults humans for their humanity, but has strong, deep friendships with them.  He is not above expressing frustration and their emotional natures when pushed (usually by other forces that knock his guard down), but isn’t frustration a human emotion?

Spock is a bag of contradictions, a supposedly emotionless master of sarcasm, a man without feeling who invites his close friends (emotional humans) to a private Vulcan ceremony, a cold-blooded creature with undying loyalty who occasionally makes ‘illogical’ decisions that would make Kirk proud.  A lover of music and a sympathizer to space hippies (Not one of Star Trek’s better episodes, admittedly), Spock was an outsider who fit neither fully as a Vulcan or Human, a person who was struggling to find his place in the universe.

At first, this seems incongruous with the ice-cold exterior he projects, however, rather than being an example of inconsistent writing, it’s a shining example of development and nuance.

You see, Spock never gives up his following of logic.  He just begins to approach it differently.

Spock’s style changes slightly as Star Trek progresses (most notably in the films, released ten years after the show’s final season), from cold, ‘computer’ logic to something else: human logic.

One thing of especial note in the original Star Trek show is that you could see characters visibly affecting one another.  Kirk, Spock and McCoy all influenced each other in the ways they thought, reacted, and planned, and worked best as a unit.  In this, the humanity of the main cast affected Spock in his slow, reluctant appreciation of human merits.  In time, Spock began to make one or two decisions based on human logic, intelligence and emotion.  In episodes like The Menagerie or The Galileo Seven, Spock makes decisions that seem out-of-character for him, based in emotion.

Spock is, in many ways, Star Trek’s best known and favorite character.  The most visibly recognizable, as well as the most distinct, Spock is given more episodes exploring him than any other character, with installments like Amok Time and Journey to Babel, (the latter of which we explore his parents, and discover why it is that Spock has such a hard time with his human half) helping to examine Spock as a character.

The end result was a beloved science fiction icon, Kirk’s right hand man, an analytical, fascinating character as well-crafted and loved as Kirk himself.

Spock and Kirk are often remembered fondly, and are typically considered the most memorable and iconic characters of the franchise, but they don’t work alone.  Their dynamic is as effective as it is because of balance.  Spock is one extreme, and Kirk is the middle, but it’s no good without the other extreme: Dr. Leonard Horatio “Bones” McCoy.

McCoy is all hot-blooded human, the third of the main Power Trio.  An old-fashioned competent doctor who wasn’t entirely thrilled with deep space, McCoy is a deeply emotional character, duty-bound to follow his morals.  He clashed with Spock regularly, routinely criticizing him for his perceived lack of emotion.  Despite the fighting, McCoy respected Spock greatly, counting him as a close friend, despite their arguments and different perspectives.  A cantankerous pacifist (though not above getting into the action when needed), McCoy is a Super Doc and a Sarcastic Devotee, a Grumpy Old Man who serves as the Heart to Spock’s Brain (hah!), a man who values Honor Before Reason who values the Good Old Ways.  He’s a Determined Doctor who does everything he can for his patients, and a Deadpan Snarker to the point where he can match Spock in verbal sparring.

Bones represents the unpolished rawness of humanity, getting carried away with his emotions sometimes, but always with the best intentions.  Another Jerk with a Heart of Gold, McCoy’s gruff nature accompanied a deeply moral man, very concerned with human empathy and doing the right thing.  No philosophical discussion was complete without McCoy’s two cents, telling Kirk what he thought the right thing to do was.  He was the quintessential Knight in Sour Armor, who would follow Kirk to the ends of the earth, complaining the entire way.

Despite the fact that he’s not as well-known as the other two members of the Power Trio, Bones was a vital component to the True Companions dynamic.  His Vitriolic Best Buds relationship with Spock made up one of the most interesting and compelling dynamics on the show, serving as perfect counterbalances to one another.  However, although his most famous role in the show was arguing with Spock (and delivering phrases such as ‘He’s Dead, Jim’), there is another, equally important position that he held in the trio.

McCoy served as a foil to Kirk, as well as one to Spock, a confidante, a close friend, providing perspective.  While Spock was focused on the logic, Kirk on the best thing for the mission, McCoy’s focus was purely on the ‘patients’, the people, the right thing to do.  No matter the situation, McCoy was the closest to empathy with the people involved, and provided the audience with another surrogate, saying the things that the viewers are thinking.

While not being a terribly big fan of space (and liking transporters even less), Bones was the epitome of the Frontier Doctor to the stars, taking care of every patient, even if they weren’t humanoid (Devil in the Dark) or a heavily pregnant woman who refuses to listen (Friday’s Child).  McCoy was painfully human, reminding us of our most problematic traits while also holding onto that wild, fiery compassion that made him so incredibly humane, relatable, and understandable, making him just as vital to the Enterprise and her crew as Kirk or Spock.

The trio worked best together, providing a perfect main cast for an audience to follow.  The formula was an interesting one, allowing the audience to hear separate viewpoints and ideas, listen in to the philosophical banter, and truly feel the strong friendship holding the leads together.  The dynamic between them was powerful, an extremely vibrant bond that connected all three very different characters.

The result?  Extremely dynamic characters that remain iconic and memorable even to this day.

But the cast didn’t stop there.

The other characters of Star Trek, while not quite possessing the pop-culture iconography of the main trio, still hold their own rather impressive cultural footprint.

None more so than the chief engineer, Montgomery Scott.

Scotty’s job was to be a miracle worker, solving impossible problems in impossibly small amounts of time.  Whether it was the transporters, the phaser banks, the shields, or the engines, Scotty was the man for the job.  Nobody had a better understanding, or love for the Enterprise than Scotty (except maybe Kirk).  He was the king of outside-the-box solutions, and had the Enterprise jury-rigged to push her past her limits more times than can be easily counted.  As the name implies, he was also Scottish, and extremely stereotypically so.  Kilt, whiskey, haggis and all, Scotty was extremely proud of his heritage (though not quite as much as Chekov).  Fitting the traditional stereotypes, Scotty had a fiery temper, with a Berserk Button triggered by any insult to the Enterprise.  A Gadgeteer Genius (and the inventor of Scotty Time) as well as a Genius Bruiser, Scotty was both the brains and brawn, more than capable of holding his own in a fight, or thinking of a new, creative way to push the Enterprise past her capacity.

Scotty also held the distinction of being third in command, routinely taking the Captain’s chair when both Kirk and Spock were in the landing party.  He was also the focus of a few episodes, making him a rare character with a Day in the Limelight, with episodes such as Wolf in the Fold, The Lights of Zetar, By Any Other Name, and The Trouble with Tribbles giving him a little more screen time and story than is typical.  Scotty was an indispensable member of the crew, a life-saver on more than one occasion, and another of the legendary, iconic characters of the original Star Trek.

But it didn’t stop there.

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was another prominent character.  As the ship’s communications officer, she codified the term ‘Bridge Bunny’, although she proved herself far more useful than she’s typically thought of.  Whenever given the chance, Uhura is a capable Action Girl, intelligent, witty, and good at her job, being extremely fluent in multiple languages.  She too got her days in the limelight, with episodes such as Mirror Mirror, The Gamesters of Triskelion, and The Trouble with Tribbles giving her more to do than just sit at her station and say ‘hailing frequencies open’.  Uhura was Silk Hiding Steel, not typically in the heat of the battle, but tough as nails when she had to be.  (I’ve talked about Uhura’s extensive influence on the real world in the Legacy article, but even that doesn’t scratch the surface of what Uhura’s impact has been.)

There were others on the bridge crew of equal importance, including the ship’s helmsman, Hikaru Sulu.

Sulu was a level-headed officer, amiable and cultured, with an extensive knowledge of botany, fencing, and antiques.  Yet another Deadpan Snarker (it must run in the cast), Sulu is another Genius Bruiser, as skilled in fighting as he is in his piloting, with a great sense of humor.  He is given special attention in episodes like Mirror Mirror and The Naked Time (Albeit as evil, and Brainwashed and Crazy), but often got great character moments in multiple episodes (especially Shore Leave).  A reliable officer and loyal to the core, he made an interesting character by himself, although he did end up forming a fun ‘Those Two Guys’ dynamic with the youngest of the cast, Pavel Chekov.

Chekov was introduced in season 2 as the navigator of the Enterprise.  A bright young man with a fierce, passionate loyalty to Mother Russia (which evidently invented every good thing known to man), Chekov tended to be at the receiving end of a lot of the embarrassing agony in the series (mostly because Walter Koenig had a great scream).  Also serving as a relief science officer, Chekov was plenty smart, if a bit of a Cloudcuckoolander, and the king of Cultural Posturing.  Reckless and impulsive to balance Sulu’s calm good humor, Chekov’s temper tended to get the better of him.  Like the others, he’s given a bit more screen time in episodes such as Mirror Mirror, The Trouble with Tribbles, The Way to Eden, The Deadly Years and Spectre of the Gun, but got to shine in plenty of other episodes, demonstrating his capabilities (despite being ‘The Intern’ and the Plucky Comic Relief) as a competent officer.  Unsurprisingly, he was yet another Deadpan Snarker, lending his style of jokes well to bounce off of Sulu’s drier humor.

But there was more to the crew than the bridge.

Another crew member of note was Christine Chapel, one of the nurses who operated in the sickbay.  Chapel was notable for having an attraction to Spock, as well as being another in the long line of Enterprise Deadpan Snarkers.  One of the most caring of the Enterprise’s crew, Chapel was given larger roles in episodes like The Naked Time, What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Amok Time, and Plato’s Stepchildren.

Arguably though, one of the most important characters in all of Star Trek was the Companion Cube: the Enterprise herself.

The Enterprise was one of the most powerful ships in Starfleet, a character in her own right.  The epitome of the Cool Starship, the Enterprise was well known for Explosive Overclocking, and always coming through in the end (with a little help from Scotty).  A Lightning Bruiser of a ship, the Enterprise became as legendary as her captain and crew, as beloved as the characters themselves to the point where one of NASA’s shuttles was named after her.

The characters of Star Trek are legends, both in and out of universe, and they are for a reason.  No member of the crew is useless.  Everyone has a purpose and a job to do, and each was distinct and unique.  No two characters were the same, and each brought their own special personality and abilities to each episode they appeared in.

And that’s what made the drama of the show work so well.

Each character felt real, memorable and genuine.  We as an audience worry for them with each danger, and cheer with each victory.  We liked these people.  We cared about what happened to them.

And they worked.

In each scenario and situation, the characters found new and interesting ways to deal with the circumstances, while never losing the core elements of their personalities.  That’s important, hugely so.  These characters were loved, and still are, for a reason.  They work very well as characters, both in main and supporting roles, providing entertaining and compelling figures for the audience to invest in.  The balance between relatability and entertainment was hit perfectly for every single character, allowing everyone to shine in their own ways in each episode.  They felt real, and in the end, that’s the point of a character.

After all, one doesn’t get to be some of the most iconic television characters of all time by being boring.

Thank you guys so much for reading!  Join us next time as we discuss Star Trek’s place in the times and the culture.  If you have anything you’d like to say, don’t forget to leave an ask!  I hope to see you all in the next article.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Rejection Woes

Anonymous said:  Hi. I apologise for the missing part. I've been rejected by 250+ agents. Most said I have an intriguing and original premise with complex characters, but it's not right for their list right now. Some loved the concept and writing, asking for the full manuscript, and then rejected it for reasons like it had too hard issues, the violence made them uncomfortable, a character seemed underdeveloped, they didn't connect with the voice, or they simply don't feel passionate enough to represent it. I've had two professional editors and one literary agent look it over. They didn't mention any of the above issues, but felt immersed and connected, and they told me that my manuscript is different. The literary agent also told me to query the best agents out there because that's what my manuscript deserved. I sent it to an independent publishing house for yet another opinion (since I always doubt praise), and the director there compared my writing to Kahlil Gibran and wanted to publish it. However, I have to pay for the publication, and they'll distribute it to Amazon, Waterstones, and Barnes & Nobles, as they have some kind of deal with them. (I checked the publishing house and it's legit). 

At this point, I'm so lost and I don't feel like a writer, or that my manuscript is worth being published. I can't figure out if something's wrong with my writing, or if it's just a matter of taste and whether my manuscript fits the format of a mainstream YA Fantasy for the agents. One of the professional editors was also a consultant at a well-known press and she was adamant about acquiring my manuscript from me (claiming that it was a powerful and different manuscript) once I'd cut the things that she wanted me to cut to follow the YA Fantasy formula, so I reworked most of it, but didn't feel comfortable compromising on the things that represented my culture and were essential to the plot. She seemed insulted and rejected me. This entire process of querying, receiving all this contradicting feedback, and being rejected over and over, has convinced me that I don't have what it takes to write a successful story, and my writing isn't good enough for the publishing world. All I wanted was to tell a story that mattered beyond just the entertainment value. To have my voice be heard. I'm sorry for dumping this on you. I don't even know what I'm trying to ask anymore. 

First, more than anything else, I want to give you some virtual hugs and make sure you understand that rejection, and having a hard time finding a home for an unusual story, is not a reflection upon the quality of your story and your talent as a writer. It also doesn’t mean there’s not an audience for your book. There’s an audience for everything--it just takes a little longer to find that audience for books that stray from the “tried and true” formula, and neither agents or publishers are interested in putting in the time to search for an audience. (More on that in a bit...)

So, what’s the explanation for the conflict between the praise you’ve received and the inability to find an agent to represent you? The explanation is money. Plain and simple.

You see, the traditional publishing industry has one goal: to make money. Every decision they make is what’s best for the bottom line. And what people may not realize about the publishing industry is that every manuscript they take on presents a potential financial risk. Why? Because they’re going to pour a ton of money into that manuscript in order to turn it into a book that can sit on shelves. They have to buy the manuscript from the agent, thus paying both the agency and the author. They have to pay their in-house team (editors, cover artist, marketing, legal, overseas rights, etc.) to get the book ready for production, and then they have to pay for the physical production of the book and thousands upon thousands of copies. Finally, they have to pay to ship those books out to book stores and Amazon, and they have to pay to promote the book. It’s a costly venture. The cost of publishing a single book for a traditional publisher can be well into the tens of thousands of dollars range, and they not only need to make all of that money back, they want to make a profit, too.

The bottom line is that a traditional publisher is going to do everything they can to minimize that initial risk by making sure every manuscript they take on is one that is likely to do well. In other words, they’re always going to look for books that follow “tried and true” formulas, because they know they’re probably going to sell well. The more a book strays from what’s known to sell well, the bigger a risk it presents. For that reason, books that stray from the usual formula are almost always written by established and successful authors. Why? Because established, successful authors have a built-in fan-base, so their name alone will drive much of the book’s sale. This grants some wiggle room in which the author and publisher can take bigger risks. They’re not going to do that with a debut author or an author with only a few books to their name. So, what can you do? These are your options...

1. Pursue Traditional Publishing with Another Manuscript

If you want to break into traditional publishing, you have to do it with a manuscript that falls in line with current trends and doesn’t push the boundaries too hard. Once you get published and have a few more formulaic books under your belt, if your books sell reasonably well, you can talk to your agent or publisher about the more risky manuscript.

2. Pursue an “Assisted Publishing House” (But Beware...) It’s super important to understand that any publishing house that makes you pay to publish your book isn’t an “independent publishing house” but an “assisted publishing house,” often called a “subsidy publisher” or “vanity press.”

An “independent publishing house” is a small traditional publishing house, meaning that you don’t pay them. They cover the costs of book production, just like in the bigger traditional publishing houses. The only difference is that you may not get an advance or may get only a very small one (hundreds of dollars vs thousands.)

The problem with assisted publishing houses (again, not the same thing as an independent publishing house) is that they are a breeding ground for scammers. They can look “legitimate” and still rob you blind. And, unlike traditional publishers (who don’t pay themselves until your book sells), most assisted publishers pay themselves out of what you pay them to produce your book. In other words, they’re not taking a risk by publishing your book. They get paid (out of your pocket) whether your book sells or not. And, despite what many of them claim, they simply do not have the same reach as traditional publishing houses as far as getting your books onto actual bookstore shelves.

The advantage to this kind of publisher, if you can find one that’s vetted by groups like ALLi, is that you don’t have to worry about doing all the footwork to get your book produced. You pay them and they do most of the work. It can also make a writer feel like they look more legitimate if they have what sounds like a traditional publishing house behind their book. And, obviously, since they’re not taking on a financial risk by contracting to publish your book, they’re much more likely to publish books that don’t follow current trends and known formulas for success.

3. Self-Publish (AKA “Indie Publish”)

The indie publishing industry has bloomed over the last ten years or so. The advent and popularity of e-books and the accessibility of indie author services has made indie publishing a more accessible, more viable route for writers whose books don’t follow current trends or “tried and true” formulas, and for writers who, for various other reasons, aren’t interested in the traditional publishing industry.

The main drawback to self-publishing is that many still view it as an inferior route to getting published, which is unfortunate because traditional publishers are just as likely to crank out some really awful books, and indie authors are just as likely to publish really fantastic, award winning fiction. The other drawback is that it’s a lot of work and it does cost money, though depending on how much you’re able to do on your own, it’s possible to publish an e-book (and even a print version) pretty much for free. The amount of money you put into your book is entirely under your control.

The benefit to being an indie author is you’re 100% in control of everything. You control the rights, you control the content, you get to decide on the title and choose what’s on the cover... no one can tell you what you can and can’t do. There are boat loads of services out there targeted toward indie authors, everything from editing and book formatting to cover design and marketing, all in a variety of price ranges. The indie author community is also strong and supportive, with lots of wonderful social media communities, not to mention organizations like The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and The Association of Independent Authors. 4. Try Social Publishing

This is an emerging yet popular means of publishing that is cost-free and a great way for budding authors to find an audience. Ultimately, social publishing is when you post your story to a site where others can read it for free. Sites like Wattpad, Tapas, Swoon Reads, Booksie, and Underlined allow you to post your book so others can read it and offer feedback, and sometimes popular authors on these sites catch the attention of agents and traditional publishers. Alternatively, you can post your story in installments through your blog.

The downside, obviously, is that you don’t get a physical copy of your book and you don’t get paid. But the upside is that it’s free, there are few restrictions, and it’s a great way to help you find an audience for an unusual story, not to mention start to create a built-in fanbase. Having a built-in fanbase can be hugely important if you decide to indie publish, as well as if you decide to seek traditional publishing. You can also go on to open up a Patreon account, which at least gives you an option for making some money off the content you create.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope that one of these options will work for you. The important thing is to not get discouraged. Try to focus on the fact that you’ve gotten so many wonderful compliments about the manuscript. People love what you’ve done--they’re just too afraid to take a risk in publishing it, but the options above offer a variety of routes around that obstacle. Good luck and hang in there! <3

[abimee]

I remember you said you feel uncomfortable with under/swap , but why I totally agreed with the fact under/fell it's problematic , but how problematic under/swap I just interested (also what do you think about the concepts of swap aus)?

I dont think i ever said i was uncomfortable with undersw*ap, i did say however i didnt like underf*ll cause its a shitass handling of the Morality Thing along with designs fresh in racist undertones ( probably not intentionally but it’s been said for years how obvious “ black = evil/bad and white = pure/good “ was definitely born of some Obvious Prejudice Shit and maybe shouldn’t be the defining factor of your ‘’evil character designs” )

Like we gotta understand I can just hate something cause i consider it Not Good. It doesn’t have to be problematic for me to say ‘’hey this shit sucks’’, and unders*ap kinda falls under that category of “it’s not problematic i just think it sucks”. Mainly cause it feels very one-dimensional character wise and like everything is very shallow and not used to it’s full potential of character study, and the whole appeal of ‘’what if’’ aus is that study of character in alternative situations.

The idea? Good! The way i’ve seen the fanbase handle it? Shallow and one-dimensional with it’s main use being for like..... shipping? Like OK. My one real nitpick with it is MTT being a ghost, but that’s purely on the basis that that shit is HIDDEN from the player unless you know what to look for you and seek out that information already sort of Knowing what you’ll find ( or you connect two and two and somehow grind 600g for a key on a hunch, what the fuck), and I feel like that has a purpose in being Hidden so i’m personally not comfortable just putting ghost mettaton on blast like that. It’s never boded lightly nicely in my loins but like, again, something doesn’t have to be problematique for me to just Not Like It. I’m sure people got all sorts of bugs in their ass about my chara in deltarune au and that’s on them, like this is on me.

I’m not against swap aus though! I’m a big fucking sucker for aus and used to be heavily about them, but I tend to stay away from the more popular ones because I like to take everything by a chokehold and ruin it for everybody else with my Need To Overthink and Overdevelop.

However on that note I did alter my own version of the sw*p au for my own enjoyment and it’s basically just about undyne with heavy influence from la belle et la bete lmao

[aesthetic-survivor-of-twd]

U know what, im glad u feel this way too because i know u arent bias. I like Kent alot but his i "like violet and Louis equally" always seem like a way to calm fans down rather then it being true. If he likes violet more, fine. She a great character. But with the trailers, the bonus stuff and all the violet x clem pic he reblogs defiantly tell a different story. And u know what? Thats fine. But just cut the whole i like them equally. Cause his actions says something different.

I’m glad you know that I was coming at the topic with a non-bias perspective. I may love Louis, but I also ship Violet with Clem as well. I just like to take things apart from a neutral stance because I often feel like that’s where the most logical and grounded explanation is. Because it allows you to see things without clouded judgement.

The thing is though, is that I actually do think Kent likes Louis with Clem as well (yes i’m being serious). Because in the early episodes he reblogged a lot of Louisentine fanart and during the first AMA he stated Louis was his 2nd favourite character after James (in the Telltale forums before episode 1 dropped). And I recall him entertaining so many Asks regarding the ship/Louis as well where he defended the route. Based on what he reblogs and posts, he definitely seems to like the Clem/Louis/AJ family dynamic as well.

If Kent does in fact prefer Violentine, I actually don’t think it’s as drastic of a gap as many people think it is (and i’ll explain why it might also seem that way in the game near the bottom).

I don’t think it’s entirely a case of Kent having a bias as much as it is that Kent sees Violentine as the most popular ship due to statistics (and he stated as such) and from a marketing standpoint he wants to try and appeal to that side of the fanbase more when it comes to extra content under time constraints - which I still think is wrong given the reasons I mentioned in the previous post - but it does explain part of why he acts that way.

Then there is the fact that Kent himself is a gay man, and as we know from his posts about James - having that kind of representation is really important to him because it’s the type he wanted as a kid (like a lot of us do). So I think by nature he has more of a personal attachment to Violentine in a way and more or less advertises it (in the trailers, for example) because of that.

Now i’m not defending Ken, I admittedly do get the impression he isn’t being entirely honest when he says he likes both ships evenly and is in fact, just trying to keep the fandom calm from blowing their lids of at the staff members.

But at the same time, I feel like it’s not entirely on Ken either for how things ended up. 

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this during the season and I actually think part of the Violentine focus also comes from the fact that the writers for her character are far more active and involved in the game than the ones for Louis are. 

For example, the minigame during the Violet date was a concept thought up by Mary Kenney (who was also the lead writer of episode 2) and it was designed by her as well. She is also the most vocal writer on Twitter for TWDG. On the Louis side of things, we don’t really have that. Lauren is sweet and occasionally talks to us on here but the other dude (Adam?) who is seemingly the major writer for Louis and is more in charge of his character direction - is silent on everything fandom related. I feel like if he wanted to write a mini game for Louis he could have.

Now i’m not saying that they couldn’t have still provided Louis some more content to balance it out (as in Kent could have added some direction)- they really could have. But I do think Violet’s writers being more enthusiastically involved in her route is also the main reason why she got more content in general. From what is seems as well, the Violet route in episode 2 was also written first (as Mary was the lead writer) which may explain some things regarding the budget and also the trailer for episode 2 in general (as well as the trend of the popular choice in the previous episode affecting the next episode’s trailer).

Like I said, I agree with you that Kent probably does have more fondness for Violentine and that him saying he prefers them equally does more damage than good (it just invalidates and dismisses people’s feelings on the subject) - but I also thought it was worth explaining a few other factors as well regarding the development of the game since I don’t think Kent is the main reason why the imbalance is a thing (it’s a combination of things). It’s also a little more complicated than that.

With that said however, I still refuse to believe they couldn’t make a piano key (i’m literally tempted to make a 3D model of one right now just to prove my point lmao).

[blackandwhitemusician]

Character meme ask: Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Thank you lovely @art-of-playing-god and my dear anonymous friend for the ask!

Oh boy, Fyodor.

What is your opinion of this character? If you like, explain why you like him/her.

I like him more than I should. I absolutely love the air of mystery surrounding him and his ability. Not to mention the fact that he is barely human? Boy I can never pin down a single thing about him and it’s just so... alluring?? He calls himself an agent who brings about divine punishment, yet something about him is still unmistakably human. This is either Asagiri’s genius character writing or it’s me reading too much into it where there’s really nothing there, but I have a feeling it’s a combination of both. I just LOVE how Asagiri took the inspiration from the real Dostoyevsky and turned him into a perfect villain. He has no concept of remorse, plays with mice, establishes his own moral code, probably has his own church, wears a fluffy hat, and has questionable working ethics. Am I saying he’s cute? No!?

Is he/she important to the general plot?

Yes. He is currently the main villain of the ongoing arc. He serves as one of the ability users who are actively looking for The Book, a piece of mystery that’s extremely crucial to the development of the story. His ability is also one of the most dangerous so far, and I have no doubt that when it’s finally uncovered, it will provide crucial information as to the nature of special abilities.

Character wise, he provides a unique point of view and insight into the most mysterious characters in BSD, by reflecting other interesting characters like Dazai and Gogol. While Dazai struggles with losing grip on his humanity, Fyodor seems to take honor in his otherworldliness. While Gogol takes great pains to achieve freedom, Fyodor effortlessly tramples over the rules of the world.

Can you relate to this character at all? Does he/she grip you emotionally?

Hmm. This is a really difficult question lol. I’m not a genius, but I can somewhat relate to Fyodor in the way he views the world. To properly answer whether I can relate to him or not also requires an adequate understanding of his character, and I’m not sure if I am well equipped enough for that.

I think it’s safe to say that Fyodor has isolated himself from a young age, in every sense possible: emotionally, mentally, even physically. He doesn’t seem like the sort of kid who would play with the neighbor’s children, or attend a conventional school. While I don’t feel the same way as him about the whole “sinful humans need to be saved and I will be the one to save them” thing, I can somewhat relate to how he views every thing, good or bad, as a sort of occupation to pass the time. You might as well take some amusement while you’re at it.

He also removed himself entirely from humanity, by acting as an agent of a non-existent God. He only sees humans as pitiful creatures who need help to be saved from their sins. While Dazai tries to understand people inside and out, proving how much he wants to reach out to them, Fyodor doesn’t even try to acknowledge them. He has subordinates, but while he can see through them perfectly, no one can understand him. He’s effectively an island. For him, the world is a dark, hollow place. And yea, when I think about it that way, it does grip me emotionally.

Do you ship this character with any other character? Or, are you particularly intrigued by his/her relationship with any other character(s)? (romance-wise or platonic)

I’m particularly intrigued by his relationships with Dazai and Gogol. Dazai and Fyodor understood each other from just one look, and instantly Dazai’s mask and Fyodor’s stainless pride seems to vanish. I love how they laid their cards on the table during the sniper and the prison cell scenes. We can tell they know each other as well as they know themselves. No pretense, no acting required. They may use different methods, but we know they occupy their minds with the same things. In front of each other, there is no running away, no hiding for either of them. Together they can bring about the end of the world. That sounds like a fanfic. This is the most dangerously, destructively beautiful battle of strategy I’ve seen yet. But more than that, I love how Asagiri portrays them as being made from the same mould yet fundamentally different in the way they view people and their own humanity. While Fyodor rejects his humanity altogether, Dazai struggles to embrace it.

Gogol and Fyodor’s relationship is also particularly fascinating. Gogol seems to have a strange respect for Fyodor, while Fyodor probably understands Gogol more than anyone else. When I look at the relationship between these authors in real life, it makes a lot of sense that the way they interact in BSD would have been inspired by their real counterparts. Gogol was probably the closest thing to a friend that Fyodor ever had.

Is there anything about the character you would change?

No. But I would love to see him express more emotions.

If you were in the fandom with this character or knew this character in real life, how would you see yourself interacting with him/her?

Boy I would silently stalk him while avoiding contact at all costs.

Does this character make the cut as one of your all time favorites (if you like) or least favorites?

He’s one of my all time favorites! Asagiri writes the most nuanced and complex characters, and Fyodor is among the best of them in my opinion.

How can I not love him?

Would you hype up this character (if you like) or warn about this character (if you dislike) to someone new to fandom?

I would hype the hell out of him. But really, it’s probably not necessary.

Is this character popular with the fanbase?

Yes! Even though he is probably not in the top 5(?) But I think a huge portion of manga fans are heads over heels for him. Can’t blame them, though! 

[text-to-speech-impediment]

THE VAULT IN OUR STARS

An Opinion Piece on How Bethesda Survives (And How You Can Change Them!)

A/N: I wrote this op-ed for funsies. As you may know, I am known to warm myself at a corporate dumpster fire from time to time, but this one is especially close to my heart. I may replace with an actual edited version but for now, just enjoy it in its raw & unpolished glory. If you’re a Bethesda fan, you’re used to it anyway.

           In the words of Todd Howard, “I read on the internet…that sometimes it doesn’t just work.”

           Indeed, after just over two weeks since its 14 November release date, Bethesda Softworks’ release of survival multiplayer sandbox “Fallout 76” has more than merely failed to impress most of its players. The game has garnered an infamously low average score of only 54% on popular game journalism site, Metacritic. It fares no better on Youtube, with dozens of popular influencers obliterating the high expectations of even the most devoted fans of the Fallout franchise; but this will not be another essay to dishonor the multiple technical, immersion and storytelling woes that plague beleaguered “Fallout 76”. That’s for another essay.

           This criticism is one that many previous public complaints have touched on, flirted with, but seldom fully explored while caught up in the disappointment they had in “Fallout 76.” Specifically, this essay is leveled broadly at Bethesda Softworks LLC, the video game publishing division responsible for “Fallout 76”, as well as ZeniMax Media Inc., the parent organization of Bethesda and many other well-known game developers such as Arkane Studios, id Software and more. The upper management of these companies is removed from all but the finances of their industry; they are abusing both their content creators and consumers to calculated effect, remaining foggy at best on the aim of the products their teams are producing and out of touch with the end user’s interest.

           What more can we say against corporations of this staggering size? Corporations and mergers, time and again, continue to exploit art production and consumption then shrug off the backlash by driving screws into their overworked employees and letting them take the fall with the public. Unless we look at past events, this trend of blame shifting isn’t obvious. It’s hard at the moment to see that Bethesda Softworks’ colossal failure to recreate their previous endearing successes with fans in “Fallout 76” didn’t happen overnight.

It is for this reason that I sit on my soapbox today, somehow about to make an analogy of the gaming marketing industry by using Hazel and Gus from good ol’ John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars.” Never did I imagine I’d see those concepts together, but here I am smashing them together like this is fanfiction(dot)net. Don’t get too excited, though, because none of the wholesome aspects of Hazel and Gus make it into this analogy; no, this essay is all about the essence of what happens when you take a beautiful thing and strip it to the bare bones. Being a gamer in today’s culture of parasitic marketing is roughly akin to being desperately in love with a dying cancer patient. With their pants down and tumors exposed, Bethesda is giving us a rare glimpse into exactly what has made them cancerous: a lack of Vision (not to be confused with Activision.)

You see, Bethesda doesn’t have a vision. If you asked Todd Howard today what Bethesda’s vision was, his response would essentially amount to “get bigger, bigger than we’ve ever seen before,” and you would never be quite sure if he meant to say it would be the games, the bugs, or the pocketbooks that would be getting “bigger.” Bethesda has no vision because they are blinded by what I like to refer to as the survivalist mindset, cancer that has spread through their higher management and public faces so quietly for so long that Bethesda has only just noticed it rearing its ugly head. They have ventured through the past 20 years producing games that fans would merely refrain from harshly criticizing. If only they had seen their culture of undiluted survivalism in time to integrate it into “Fallout 76.”

To see the birth of this cancer that is killing Bethesda, we will travel back in time to 31 October 1998, when “The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard,” along with its related title “An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire,” were both resounding “commercial failures,” according to Stephan Janicki of Computer Gaming World. These two disappointments brought Bethesda to the edge of bankruptcy before ZeniMax Media swooped in and claimed them as a subsidiary in 1999. In the following years, Bethesda Softworks knew they had to succeed, or they were done in the eyes of both their corporate overlords and their fans. This is when the panicky, survivalist mindset set in. Feverishly they worked until, in 2002, they released “The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind,” and Todd Howard was relieved to find that “It just work[ed].” Upon the laurels of Morrowind, Bethesda skipped happily into the sunset, bringing us many more beloved titles like “Fallout 3,” “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,” “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Legendary Edition,” and “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition.”

But they never grew out of that survivalist panic. Like cancer, it festered in the background, that burning fear of “commercial failure,” which is a euphemism for rejection by their fans. Bethesda’s near-death experience had scared them. Their aversion to conflict and attempts to please every consumer instead of maintaining a focused design and lore quickly made them the endearing dweeb of game developers, merely slapped on the wrist for repeat performance flaws that would break the fans of other developers. “Cute” bugs in coding dating back several releases, consistently shipping products with technical difficulties unbecoming of a $60 price tag, multiple rerelease announcements and story-writing so poor that it’s common for players to joke about blatantly ignoring the main plot of the game, often for hundreds of hours, in favor of the things Bethesda did capture: exploration, immersion, and lore.

That brings us to the jokes. After Skyrim-related content pervaded their 2017 E3 press conference, it began to dawn on Bethesda’s corporate half that all those Bethesda memes were laughing at them, not with them. Shaken by flashbacks of Tiber Septim’s conquest of Hammerfell in “The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard,” Todd Howard and Bethesda’s upper management knew they couldn’t sit by idly and allow for history to repeat itself. They couldn’t accept hearing rejection from fans, even if it meant directly ignoring their feedback. Tunnel vision set in in the wake of more Skyrim jokes and criticism over their Creation Club microtransactions. The cancer was consuming them and the only way to heal their fracturing friendly persona and silence their critics was to get bigger, bigger than we’ve ever seen before; but at E3 2018, two decades after their initial “commercial failures,” their realization came many years too late and they didn’t snap out of their survivalist mindset in time.

Their bigger-than-we’ve-ever-seen-before came in the form of “Fallout 76”, not an ambitious venture objectively but very ambitious for Bethesda Game Studios Austin Branch, formerly known as BattleCry Studios LLC, who had never coded a project using Creation Engine, which Bethesda has been using exclusively since 2011.

But wait! say the studious fans of Bethesda. If Creation Engine has only existed since 2011, why does “Fallout 76” have bugs dating back as far as Morrowind? Creation is based off a much older engine called Gamebryo (known as NetImmerse until 2003). A much older engine that has successfully supported huge multiplayer games, most notably the critically acclaimed “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.”

If the core of Bethesda’s Creation Engine is a game engine that can create an enjoyable multiplayer experience, then why can’t “Fallout 76” do the same? Well, spread this funny honey on a biscuit, baby, because the answer is more cancer!

The fact that Bethesda has recurring bugs dating back over multiple releases suggests that, rather than taking time to address technology advancements, Bethesda’s survivalist mindset has grown upon Creation Engine like a tumor, strapping framework on top in half-baked layers, as quickly as possible, reducing the flexibility and independence of asset files into a fragile, unstable, monstrous whole.

I genuinely do not believe that Bethesda Game Studio Austin’s game developers were incompetent or lazy. Since the “Fallout 76” announcement at E3 2018, many have suspected disorganization in Bethesda’s management as they encountered a truly new set of obstacles for the first time. No one knew what “Fallout 76” would become, not the end users and certainly not the management of Bethesda Studios that for years had ignored the desperate need for ease-of-use coding with conservative couplings (files dependent on other files). They threw BGS Austin, a relatively new team that was inexperienced with designing Creation Engine worlds, into a hyped AAA release with an enormous fanbase; and what it became was an unacceptable byproduct of that insidious culture of corporate survivalism. Bethesda officials became so concerned with what the public thought of them that they never thought to check. They fixated on getting bigger than we’ve ever seen before until their creation became confused and codependent. They obfuscated what brought fans to Bethesda in Morrowind and kept them coming back through every hiccup and every rerelease: the fun to be had in exploration, immersion, and lore, but most importantly, the Vision.

Oh, what a situation Bethesda finds itself in now! Even though they’ve finally seen a backlash from setting profit margins before considering their team’s capacity, many feel this call-to-god moment has come too late. Losing the reverent trust of large portions of their fanbase, they must either find a way to fix their cancerous, bloated Creation Engine or risk losing their Bethesda aesthetic by developing a costly new engine to proceed. Bethesda knows this, and they desperately hope that no one else does because they also realized that by promising not only a decade-anticipated new “Elder Scrolls” release but a new game franchise as well, they’ve already allocated most of their resources. They can’t go back on their promises now without a complete “commercial failure” from fans already stretched thin by “Fallout 76;” now more than ever they need all hands on deck. There is little time and money left to dedicate to the enormous undertaking of designing a new game engine from scratch, much less the even more arduous task of unscrambling Creation Engine, now so distorted that their employees don’t know how to fix it anymore or they would, just to stop seeing memes about Skyrim and floating Scorched Zombies. It’s hopeless. It’s arguable that they deserve help after insulting fans with the lack of focus and attention for “Fallout 76,” multiple buggy rereleases of a buggy title from 2011, and the general sense of not understanding what made a compelling story. They do not deserve sympathy for the vague unease of having to create your own purpose, a job which Bethesda has shifted to its fans to avoid facing its fears from 20 years of trying to please everyone for their own pride and not in the spirit of their consumers.

Bethesda may not deserve our help, but many still believe that The Elder Scrolls does, that Fallout does. If you’re one of those people, there is something you can do, and it’s to ignore the cries to boycott all Bethesda products “forever.”

Bethesda owns the intellectual property to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout; and while Bethesda is an abusive, frustrated company with—seemingly—a vision of self-destruction, they do still care what you think because of their all-consuming fear of the Redguard. But ZeniMax Media owns them, even the neurotic Todd Howard, and ZeniMax Media has only ever cared about your money. You cannot refuse to agree to buy the game you want Bethesda to make and still expect it to arrive, but you can refuse to pre-order their games and indulge in microtransactions for as long as it takes. The game industry’s security and stock values are heavily dependent on fan loyalty, digital merchandise sales and pre-orders. This money gives them their security blanket in case they create “Fallout 76.” Wrapped in their blankies, the management of Bethesda and ZeniMax Media will keep their narrow vision and continue to use their development teams as bad press sponges unless they experience some genuine fear of “commercial failure.” If consumers reject their vision, they will change their vision for money; because Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.

[linoholic]

Model!Hyungwonho

Requested: Nope, though I lowkey was going to request this on another blog but then got really inspired and decided to write it myself instead

Pairing: Monsta X Hyungwon x Wonho x Gender Neutral Reader

Genre: poly!au, model!au

Warnings: suggestive and mature themes

I’m mainly basing my knowledge of the industry from various Top Model series that my sister has forced me to watch with her, so there may be (probably will be) inaccuracy’s but I tried my best.

Hyungwon and Wonho are two models both under the same agency

both of them model for magazines and ads, but Hyungwon also does runway modelling while Wonho prefers to simply pose for the camera

they are both pretty big deals in the industry

having done various big contracts for various big name brands

shoots have been done both alone, together and with other models

let me tell you, people went crazy for the shoot the two did with model!Minhyuk and model!Changkyun

but not only are they loved for their visuals

but also their personalities

they also interact with fans a lot on social media

both of them have at least 200,000 followers on instagram and have various fan accounts dedicated to them

they are basically idols with the music career

(that is until famous producer!Jooheon did a collab with Wonho, which broke the Wonho stans when they heard his vocals)

Hyungwon loves shoots that take him outside of Korea, loving to travel

he is also an acted, though not very active in the industry

when people hear ‘model’ they immediately think of narcissistic, uptight people

but these two boys couldn’t be more different

they are both the softest, sweetest things ever

Wonho is so much more than just abs

he really shows off how sweet and considerate he is when on set

he asks how all the staff are and helps out with any heavy lifting that may need to be done

any co models are looked after by him

he makes sure that any female models he has to work with are comfortable, as well as males

Hyungwon is also more than just a pretty face

while quieter than Wonho and Minhyuk, and less outgoing

he is still a sweet baby

while people expect someone of his visuals to be dressed up well and with a cold attitude almost

our frog boy will often turn up to shoots barely awake, face all puffy and still half in his pajamas

and though photographers and companies think this unprofessional, they immediately chuck those thoughts away as Hyungwon smiles tiredly at them and just genuinely looks like a baby they need to protect

and people love it when the two of them are together

their Tom and Jerry style relationship is hilarious

both of them are huge teases, and this is amplified when they are put together

cue makeup-artist!Shownu shaking his head is amusement and photographer!Kihyun in exasperation in the background as they argue over who suits the dark concept better

they are often seen appearing on each others instagrams and snapchats

usually stealing the others food or camera time

of course, with being famous comes shipping

and these two are a popular ship in their fanbases

especially since Hyungwon played a female character in a tv show and a video of Wonho fanboying over the character ‘Dodo’ got out

so when a statement was released about the two being in a relationship the Hyungwonho fans went crazy

nothing much changed in their relationship on camera

they are professionals after all, and have to act it

but every now and then you will get a cute picture of the two on one of their instagrams

one that suggests more than a platonic relationship

they are still the idiots that tease each other, it’s just that now they do it “because I love you”

now, it is about year later when you come into the picture

you are the one of the stylist’s that will be working on one of the rare shoots that the two will be doing together

of course, being in the fashion industry, you are very knowledgeable about the people in the same work force, including make up artists, other stylists, designers and of course, models

so you are familiar with Hyungwon and Hoseok, and actually consider yourself a fan

you follow their careers quite closely, considering them both very talented people that you look up to

so when you find out that they are two of the models at the shoot you are quite excited

sadly though you won’t be styling them, having been assigned to the team for the female models

the shoot is for a clothing lines winter collection, but not the outdoorsy coats and scarves you expect

but more party oriented, so there are lot’s of dresses, silk shirts and suits, fancy jewelry and high heels

as you are getting one of the girls dressed backstage, you hear some commotion coming from the main set

walking out, you find out that one of the models hadn’t shown up, saying last minute that they couldn’t make it due to illness

the shoot’s director is quite obviously stressing out, so you decide to just start backing away, deciding that the situation has nothing to do with you when the man in question looks around and catches your eye

“Hey! You there? Have you ever modelled? If not, then welcome to your first time,” he says towards you

while you just stand there, not having expected anything like this and before you can answer anything some staff are ushering you back to where you were

and this time you are the one with clothes being fitted onto you instead of the other way round

some of the other stylists are mentioning about how lucky you are

because if the likes of Wonho, Hyungwon, Hyolyn and Bora are models at this shoot; the fact that the director thinks that you have what it takes to work with them is a massive compliment

and you...aren’t actually all that nervous

mainly excited

because you yourself have quite a big following on social media

you post ootd’s and selfies often, and so you aren’t a stranger to being in front of a camera

you know fashion and you know how to work clothes and your body in order to look your best, so you aren’t worried that you will completely mess up and look an idiot

so with your confidence up thanks to your fellow stylists compliments, plus that of Hyolyn, the famous female model who just so happened to pop in to welcome you and check up on you; you are ready to walk out there and do you best

and that you do

you don’t get a chance to properly introduce yourself to anyone else before you are ushered into a solo shoot

you do however catch eyes with Wonho who is stood by photographer!Kihyun and smile politely, which he returns brightly

soon enough, it is somebody else’s turn to be in front of the camera and you step off set, glad to be out of the hot lights that made your face feel like it was melting

and this is when you formally meet Hyungwon and Hoseok

they are both standing closely together, and turn to you as you walk their way

“Hey! It’s nice to meet you. I’m Wonho and this is Hyungwon. You were real good up there you know. You wouldn’t think this was your first professional shoot.”

your cheeks turn slightly red, thankfully hidden by your makeup

now, you don’t blush because an attractive man just smile your way

you are well aware of the relationship between the two men after all

it’s more because someone so talented just complimented you and told you “you did good”

thanking them, you then introduce yourself and start chatting to the two, quickly finding them just as personable as people say, Wonho being more open and Hyungwon quieter but really quite funny you find out

you take a few selfies with them to upload to your social media, and between all the back and forthing on set you carry on conversations with them

as it starts getting late and the shoot wraps up, you get given a few cards to modelling agencies due to your good work that day, to which you’ll tell them you’ll think on it

after getting changed out of the fancy gear and wiping the makeup of your face, you change back into your own clothes and go to leave, thanking any staff you pass for their hard work

on your way out, you meet up with Hyungwon and Wonho who are also getting ready to leave to their apartment

you all talk for a few more minutes, before Wonho suggests exchanging phone numbers

and of course you say yes

who would say no?

and that is the start of your friendship with the couple

you become close with the two quite quickly, finding them hilarious and ever so sweet

thankfully they aren’t big on pda and aren’t one of those overbearingly in love sort of couples

which you appreciate because brunch ‘dates’ become a thing for you three

(it’s the best way to get Hyungwon to wake up; bribe him with food)

when the photos from the shoot you did are released, they throw a mini party for you because of the amazing response people gave you even though it was your first time

you meet the rest of their friends there, including a couple of guys you remember as staff from the shoot

months pass, with you taking on a few modelling jobs now and then thanks to the guys encouragement

you start to become a lot more popular, your own mini fanbase growing

Wonho and Hyungwon become some of your best friends; and you three have fun teasing the other guys

over this time though, your friendship starts to become less defined, small gestures shared between you start to become less and less platonic

Hyungwon and Wonho had sat down and had a conversation between them

as it turns out, they had both started to like you as more than friends

and both of them, being pretty chill guys, accepted this very well

because they both knew that the fact that they both liked you didn’t mean they loved each other any less

and of course they now called you their best friend; so they knew you very well by now and as so they knew you would also be pretty chill about it if they decided to confess to you

and that whether or not you accepted the invitation didn’t matter because they would still be your good friends

one night, you were at their apartment watching a new drama, nothing out of the usual

Hyungwon is falling asleep on Hoseok’s shoulder and you are tucked into his other shoulder, legs thrown across the two boy’s laps

the leftover sushi from dinner had been put into the fridge already and the chocolate covered popcorn had been forgotten in it’s bowl on the floor

on the tv the two leads are doing the usual cliche kiss in the rain

when suddenly Wonho turns to look at you, and quicker than you can blink, leans in and places a small peck on your lips

now, this certainly wasn’t what you were expecting so you are caught of guard

i mean, not only did one of your best friends just kiss you, he did it while his boyfriend was literally right next to him

so you are panicking slightly, not knowing what to do

but then, you feel Hyungwon grab your hand and squeeze it slightly, a tired smile pulling at his lips

and you relax, returning the smile and you all go back to watching the drama

except that now Wonho can’t seem to keep his lips off of you and Hyungwon, continuously pressing pecks to both of your cheeks

of course they do actually ask if you want to be a part of their relationship, but it isn’t really needed but you just so naturally integrated into it

so well done! you’ve managed to snag two gods as boyfriends

and you are such a gorgeous trio

whenever you walk anywhere together, heads turn your way because you look like you have come straight from the runway (which is actually true sometimes, at least in Hyungwons case)

your instagram throuple photos are so aesthetic

but you also take the chance to meme the fuck out of your boyfriends now that you see them behind their model images even more, and their fans love you for it

so now you and the fans exchange memes of the two, to which you constantly use in the group chat that you three share

Hyungwon fully embraces this and even teams up with Changkyun in a meme war against you (to which you drag Minhyuk into as your partner)

you are their own personal cheerleader, and they are yours

if you aren’t busy, you accompany each other to any shoots or runways that you may have, totally hyping each other up

the amount of compliments that are given in this relationship is countless, especially from Wonho who will tell you both that you look stunning, 5 minutes after he last called you it

you and Hyungwon will also go to the gym with Wonho

and even if you are the biggest gym rat ever, nothing will get done while you are there because you two will be busy drooling over your boyfriend

which he loves because he works hard to keep up his fitness and appearance, and getting complimented on something you work hard for is always nice, no matter if it is good grades, an art piece, a song, your makeup or your body

(just make sure not to sexualise people yo, especially Shin Hoseok aka the cutest bean ever to exist)

when you move in with them, the amount of beauty stuff you have between the three of you is ridiculous

you also have a whole bedroom that has turned into a huge walk in closet

and the three of you often share clothes, which isn’t too hard because both of them like the baggy, oversized style

it’s mostly hoodies that are passed around, sometimes you end up not knowing whose it was in the first place

you fall in love with their bed, because Hyungwon made sure to splurge on it because “it’s where I spend most of my time, it has to be worth it”

there is no set sleeping arrangement

it just depends on the order you go to bed

Wonho does like to be big spoon though

Hyungwon doesn’t care, he just wants to sleep

their Tom and Jerry relationship is still a thing, only now they both whine to you and try to make you take a side, which you refuse and stay neutral and just tease the both of them which makes them team up on you usually

but you don’t mind because roast sessions are fun, especially when you all know the lines to not cross so can go all out

you three aren’t very big on pda, and prefer to link arms rather than hold hands when out and about

in private though kisses are abundant

Hyungwon’s lips are so perfect how can you and Wonho resist?

~nsfw below~

you have mastered the art that is the three way make out session

you are all so chill and open in the relationship, and the others guys both love and hate it

they love that you all make each other so happy

but they would prefer to not see you pinches each others arses when they are around

when it comes to bedroom activities that aren’t sleeping; it is all very equal

both are boys are soft doms in my opinion and so there is nothing very hardcore or especially kinky

when it is just you and Wonho, he prefers to take the lead whereas Hyungwon loves you being on top, and it is the same for when it is just the two boys; Wonho tops

marking is a a big thing in the bedroom

you almost always have a hickey somewhere on you, as do they

though to save the makeup artists time you make sure they are in more..hidden places

let’s just say that you and Hyungwon love Wonho’s thighs and the teasing doesn’t stop when things get heated

~back to sfw~

none of you ever really cook, being quite busy

you usually make Kihyun cook for you, or you order in

Hyungwon loves to spend money on the two of you though and he often takes you out to restuarants; both expensive ones and small family owned ones

this is when the most arguments occur: over what to get for dinner

usually it’s between ramen and sushi (you can guess who wants what)

other than this though you never really get into fights

neither of them are very hot headed or confrontational people and any problems get talked about as soon as they come up and dealt with like adults

overall, the three of you are happy and in love, and are one of the most loving, memeiest and aesthetic couples to exist

ok, this started getting pretty long so I decided to wrap it up here. It is ok as it is my first time actually writing about a poly relationship after reading all the ones I can come across.

Request are open! Rules for request here

[vintagegeekculture]

Dead Fandoms, Part 3

Read Part One of Dead Fandoms here. 

Read Part Two of Dead Fandoms here. 

Before we continue, I want to add the usual caveat that I actually don’t want to be right about these fandoms being dead. I like enthusiasm and energy and it’s a shame to see it vanish.

Mists of Avalon

Remember that period of time of about 15 years, where absolutely everybody read this book and was obsessed with it? It could not have been bigger, and the fandom was Anne Rice huge, overlapping for several years with USENET and the early World Wide Web…but it’s since petered out. 

Mists of Avalon’s popularity may be due to the most excellent case of hitting a demographic sweet spot ever. The book was a feminist retelling of the Arthurian Mythos where Morgan Le Fay is the main character, a pagan from matriarchal goddess religions who is fighting against encroaching Christianity and patriarchal forms of society coming in with it. Also, it made Lancelot bisexual and his conflict is how torn he is about his attraction to both Arthur and Guinevere.

Remember, this novel came out in 1983 – talk about being ahead of your time! If it came out today, the reaction from a certain corner would be something like “it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that tumblr is at it again.”

Man, demographically speaking, that’s called “nailing it.” It used to be one of the favorite books of the kind of person who’s bookshelf is dominated by fantasy novels about outspoken, fiery-tongued redheaded women, who dream of someday moving to Scotland, who love Enya music and Kate Bush, who sell homemade needlepoint stuff on etsy, who consider their religious beliefs neo-pagan or wicca, and who have like 15 cats, three of which are named Isis, Hypatia, and Morrigan.

This type of person is still with us, so why did this novel fade in popularity? There’s actually a single hideous reason: after her death around 2001, facts came out that Marion Zimmer Bradley abused her daughters sexually. Even when she was alive, she was known for defending and enabling a known child abuser, her husband, Walter Breen. To say people see your work differently after something like this is an understatement – especially if your identity is built around being a progressive and feminist author.

Robotech

I try to break up my sections on dead fandoms into three parts: first, I explain the property, then explain why it found a devoted audience, and finally, I explain why that fan devotion and community went away. Well, in the case of Robotech, I can do all three with a single sentence: it was the first boy pilot/giant robot Japanimation series that shot for an older, teenage audience to be widely released in the West. Robotech found an audience when it was the only true anime to be widely available, and lost it when became just another import anime show. In the days of Crunchyroll, it’s really hard to explain what made Robotech so special, because it means describing a different world.

Try to imagine what it was like in 1986 for Japanime fans: there were barely any video imports, and if you wanted a series, you usually had to trade tapes at your local basement club (they were so precious they couldn’t even be sold, only traded). If you were lucky, you were given a script to translate what you were watching. Robotech though, was on every day, usually after school. You want an action figure? Well, you could buy a Robotech Valkyrie or a Minmei figure at your local corner FAO Schwartz. 

However, the very strategy that led to it getting syndicated is the very reason it was later vilified by the purists who emerged when anime became a widespread cultural force: strictly speaking, there actually is no show called “Robotech.” Since Japanese shows tend to be short run, say, 50-60 episodes, it fell well under the 80-100 episode mark needed for syndication in the US. The producer of Harmony Gold, Carl Macek, had a solution: he’d cut three unrelated but similar looking series together into one, called “Robotech.” The shows looked very similar, had similar love triangles, used similar tropes, and even had little references to each other, so the fit was natural. It led to Robotech becoming a weekday afternoon staple with a strong fandom who called themselves “Protoculture Addicts.” There were conventions entirely devoted to Robotech. The supposed shower scene where Minmei was bare-breasted was the barely whispered stuff of pervert legend in pre-internet days. And the tie in novels, written with the entirely western/Harmony Gold conception of the series and which continued the story, were actually surprisingly readable.

The final nail in the coffin of Robotech fandom was the rise of Sailor Moon, Toonami, Dragonball, and yes, Pokemon (like MC Hammer’s role in popularizing hip hop, Pokemon is often written out of its role in creating an audience for the next wave of cartoon imports out of insecurity). Anime popularity in the West can be defined as not a continuing unbroken chain like scifi book fandom is, but as an unrelated series of waves, like multiple ancient ruins buried on top of each other (Robotech was the vanguard of the third wave, as Anime historians reckon); Robotech’s wave was subsumed by the next, which had different priorities and different “core texts.” Pikachu did what the Zentraedi and Invid couldn’t do: they destroyed the SDF-1.

Legion of Super-Heroes

Legion of Superheroes was comic set in the distant future that combined superheroes with space opera, with a visual aesthetic that can best be described as “Star Trek: the Motion Picture, if it was set in a disco.” 

I’ve heard wrestling described as “a soap opera for men.” If that’s the case, then Legion of Super-Heroes was a soap opera for nerds. The book is about attractive 20-somethings who seem to hook up all the time. As a result, it had a large female fanbase, which, I cannot stress enough, is incredibly unusual for this era in comics history. And if you have female fans, you get a lot of shipping and slashfic, and lots of speculation over which of the boy characters in the series is gay. The fanon answer is Element Lad, because he wore magenta-pink and never had a girlfriend. (Can’t argue with bulletproof logic like that.) In other words, it was a 1970s-80s fandom that felt much more “modern” than the more right-brained, bloodless, often anal scifi fandoms that existed around the same time, where letters pages were just nitpicking science errors by model train and elevator enthusiasts.

Legion Headquarters seemed to be a rabbit fuck den built around a supercomputer and Danger Room. Cosmic Boy dressed like Tim Curry in Rocky Horror. There’s one member, Duo Damsel, who can turn into two people, a power that, in the words of Legion writer Jim Shooter, was “useful for weird sex...and not much else.”

LSH was popular because the fans were insanely horny. This is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the thirstiest fandom of all time.  You might think I’m overselling this, but I really think that’s an under-analyzed part of how some kinds of fiction build a devoted fanbase.  

For example, a big reason for the success of Mass Effect is that everyone has a favorite girl or boy, and you have the option to romance them. Likewise, everyone who was a fan of Legion remembers having a crush. Sardonic Ultra Boy for some reason was a favorite among gay male nerds (aka the Robert Conrad Effect). Tall, blonde, amazonian telepath Saturn Girl, maybe the first female team leader in comics history, is for the guys with backbone who prefer Veronica over Betty. Shrinking Violet was a cute Audrey Hepburn type. And don’t forget Shadow Lass, who was a blue skinned alien babe with pointed ears and is heavily implied to have an accent (she was Aayla Secura before Aayla Secura was Aayla Secura). Light Lass was commonly believed to be “coded lesbian” because of a short haircut and her relationships with men didn’t work out. The point is, it’s one thing to read about the adventures of a superteam, and it implies a totally different level of mental and emotional involvement to read the adventures of your imaginary girlfriend/boyfriend.  

Now, I should point out that of all the fandoms I’ve examined here, LSH was maybe the smallest. Legion was never a top seller, but it was a favorite of the most devoted of fans who kept it alive all through the seventies and eighties with an energy and intensity disproportionate to their actual numbers. My gosh, were LSH fans devoted! Interlac and Legion Outpost were two Legion fanzines that are some of the most famous fanzines in comics history.

If nerd culture fandoms were drugs, Star Wars would be alcohol, Doctor Who would be weed, but Legion of Super-Heroes would be injecting heroin directly into your eyeballs. Maybe it is because the Legionnaires were nerdy, too: they played Dungeons and Dragons in their off time (an escape, no doubt, from their humdrum, mundane lives as galaxy-rescuing superheroes). There were sometimes call outs to Monty Python. Basically, the whole thing had a feel like the dorkily earnest skits or filk-singing at a con. Legion felt like it’s own fan series, guest starring Patton Oswalt and Felicia Day.

It helped that the boundary between fandom and professional was incredibly porous. For instance, pro-artist Dave Cockrum did covers for Legion fanzines. Former Legion APA members Todd and Mary Biernbaum got a chance to actually write Legion, where, with the gusto of former slashfic writers given the keys to canon, their major contribution was a subplot that explicitly made Element Lad gay. Mike Grell, a professional artist who got paid to work on the series, did vaguely porno-ish fan art. Again, it’s hard to tell where the pros started and the fandom ended; the inmates were running the asylum.

Mostly, Legion earned this devotion because it could reward it in a way no other comic could. Because Legion was not a wide market comic but was bought by a core audience, after a point, there were no self-contained one-and-done Legion stories. In fact, there weren’t even really arcs as we know it, which is why Legion always has problems getting reprinted in trade form. Legion was plotted like a daytime soap opera: there were always five different stories going on in every issue, and a comic involved cutting between them. Sure, like daytime soap operas, there’s never a beginning, just endless middles, so it was totally impossible for a newbie to jump on board...but soap operas know what they are doing: long term storytelling rewards a long term reader.

This brings me to today, where Legion is no longer being published by DC. There is no discussion about a movie or TV revival. This is amazing. Comics are a world where the tiniest nerd groups get pandered to: Micronauts, Weirdworld, Seeker 3000, and Rom have had revival series, for pete’s sake. It’s incredible there’s no discussion of a film or TV treatment, either; friggin Cyborg from New Teen Titans is getting a solo movie. 

Why did Legion stop being such a big deal? Where did the fandom that supported it dissolve to? One word: X-Men. Legion was incredibly ahead of its time. In the 60s and 70s, there were barely any “fan” comics, since superhero comics were like animation is today: mostly aimed at kids, with a minority of discerning adult/teen fans, and it was success among kids, not fans, that led to something being a top seller (hence, “fan favorites” in the 1970s, as surprising as it is to us today, often did not get a lot of work, like Don MacGregor or Barry Smith). But as newsstands started to push comics out, the fan audience started to get bigger and more important…everyone else started to catch up to the things that made Legion unique: most comics started to have attractive people who paired up into couples and/or love triangles, and featured extremely byzantine long term storytelling. If Legion of Super-Heroes is going to be remembered for anything, it’s for being the smaller scale “John the Baptist” to the phenomenon of X-Men, the ultimate “fan” comic.

The other thing that killed Legion, apart from Marvel’s Merry Mutants, that is, was the r-word: reboots. A reboot only works for some properties, but not others. You reboot something when you want to find something for a mass audience to respond to, like with Zorro, Batman, or Godzilla.

Legion, though, was not a comic for everybody, it was a fanboy/girl comic beloved by a niche who read it for continuing stories and minutiae (and to jack off, and in some cases, jill off). Rebooting a comic like that is a bad idea. You do not reboot something where the main way you engage with the property, the greatest strength, is the accumulated lore and history. Rebooting a property like that means losing the reason people like it, and unless it’s something with a wide audience, you only lose fans and won’t get anything in return for it. So for something like Legion (small fandom obsessed with long form plots and details, but unlike Trek, no name recognition) a reboot is the ultimate Achilles heel that shatters everything, a self-destruct button they kept hitting over and over and over until there was nothing at all left.

E. E. Smith’s Lensman Novels

The Lensman series is like Gil Evans’s jazz: it’s your grandparents’ favorite thing that you’ve never heard of. 

I mean, have you ever wondered exactly what scifi fandom talked about before the rise of the major core texts and cultural objects (Star Trek, Asimov, etc)? Well, it was this. Lensmen was the subject of fanfiction mailed in manilla envelopes during the 30s, 40s, and 50s (some of which are still around). If you’re from Boston, you might recognize that the two biggest and oldest scifi cons there going back to the 1940s, Boskone (Boscon, get it?) and Arisia, are references to the Lensman series. This series not only created space opera as we know it, but contributed two of the biggest visuals in scifi, the interstellar police drawn from different alien species, and space marines in power armor.

My favorite sign of how big this series was and how fans responded to it, was a great wedding held at Worldcon that duplicated Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa’s wedding on Klovia. This is adorable:

The basic story is pure good vs. evil: galactic civilization faces a crime and piracy wave of unprecedented proportions from technologically advanced pirates (the memory of Prohibition, where criminals had superior firearms and faster cars than the cops, was strong by the mid-1930s). A young officer, Kimball Kinnison (who speaks in a Stan Lee esque style of dialogue known as “mid-century American wiseass”), graduates the academy and is granted a Lens, an object from an ancient mystery civilization, who’s true purpose is unknown.

Lensman Kinnison discovers that the “crime wave” is actually a hostile invasion and assault by a totally alien culture that is based on hierarchy, intolerant of failure, and at the highest level, is ruled by horrifying nightmare things that breathe freezing poison gases. Along the way, he picks up allies, like van Buskirk, a variant human space marine from a heavy gravity planet who can do a standing jump of 20 feet in full space armor, Worsel, a telepathic dragon warrior scientist with the technical improvisation skills of MacGyver (who reads like the most sadistically minmaxed munchkinized RPG character of all time), and Nandreck, a psychologist from a Pluto-like planet of selfish cowards.

The scale of the conflict starts small, just skirmishes with pirates, but explodes to near apocalyptic dimensions. This series has space battles with millions of starships emerging from hyperspacial tubes to attack the ultragood Arisians, homeworld of the first intelligent race in the cosmos. By the end of the fourth book, there are mind battles where the reflected and parried mental beams leave hundreds of innocent bystanders dead. In the meantime we get evil Black Lensmen, the Hell Hole in Space, and superweapons like the Negasphere and the Sunbeam, where an entire solar system was turned into a vacuum tube.

It’s not hard to understand why Lensmen faded in importance. While the alien Lensmen had lively psychologies, Lensman Kimball Kinnison was not an interesting person, and that’s a problem when scifi starts to become more about characterization. The Lensman books, with their love of police and their sexism (it is an explicit plot point that the Lens is incompatible with female minds – in canon there are no female Lensmen) led to it being judged harshly by the New Wave writers of the 1960s, who viewed it all as borderline fascist military-scifi establishment hokum, and the reputation of the series never recovered from the spirit of that decade.

Prisoner of Zenda

Prisoner of Zenda is a novel about a roguish con-man who visits a postage-stamp, charmingly picturesque Central European kingdom with storybook castles, where he finds he looks just like the local king and is forced to pose as him in palace intrigues. It’s a swashbuckling story about mistaken identity, swordfighting, and intrigue, one part swashbuckler and one part dark political thriller.

The popularity of this book predates organized fandom as we know it, so I wonder if “fandom” is even the right word to use. All the same, it inspired fanatical dedication from readers. There was such a popular hunger for it that an entire library could be filled with nothing but rip-offs of Prisoner of Zenda. If you have a favorite writer who was active between 1900-1950, I guarantee he probably wrote at least one Prisoner of Zenda rip-off (which is nearly always the least-read book in his oeuvre). The only novel in the 20th Century that inspired more imitators was Sherlock Holmes. Robert Heinlein and Edmond “Planet Smasher” Hamilton wrote scifi updates of Prisoner of Zenda. Doctor Who lifted the plot wholesale for the Tom Baker era episode, “Androids of Tara,” Futurama did this exact plot too, and even Marvel Comics has its own copy of Ruritania, Doctor Doom’s Kingdom of Latveria. Even as late as the 1980s, every kids’ cartoon did a “Prisoner of Zenda” episode, one of the stock plots alongside “everyone gets hit by a shrink ray” and the Christmas Carol episode.

Prisoner of Zenda imitators were so numerous, that they even have their own Library of Congress sub-heading, of “Ruritanian Romance.” 

One major reason that Prisoner of Zenda fandom died off is that, between World War I and World War II, there was a brutal lack of sympathy for anything that seemed slightly German, and it seems the incredibly Central European Prisoner of Zenda was a casualty of this. Far and away, the largest immigrant group in the United States through the entire 19th Century were Germans, who were more numerous than Irish or Italians. There were entire cities in the Midwest that were two-thirds German-born or German-descent, who met in Biergartens and German community centers that now no longer exist.

Kurt Vonnegut wrote a lot about how the German-American world he grew up in vanished because of the prejudice of the World Wars, and that disappearance was so extensive that it was retroactive, like someone did a DC comic-style continuity reboot where it all never happened: Germans, despite being the largest immigrant group in US history, are left out of the immigrant story. The “Little Bohemias” and “Little Berlins” that were once everywhere no longer exist. There is no holiday dedicated to people of German ancestry in the US, the way the Irish have St. Patrick’s Day or Italians have Columbus Day (there is Von Steuben’s Day, dedicated to a general who fought with George Washington, but it’s a strictly Midwest thing most people outside the region have never heard of, like Sweetest Day). If you’re reading this and you’re an academic, and you’re not sure what to do your dissertation on, try writing about the German-American immigrant world of the 19th and 20th Centuries, because it’s a criminally under-researched topic.

A. Merritt

Pop quiz: who was the most popular and influential fantasy author during the 1930s and 40s? 

If you answered Tolkien or Robert E. Howard, you’re wrong - it was actually Abraham Merritt. He was the most popular writer of his age of the kind of fiction he did, and he’s since been mostly forgotten. Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons and Dragons, has said that A. Merritt was his favorite fantasy and horror novelist.

Why did A. Merritt and his fandom go away, when at one point, he was THE fantasy author? Well, obviously one big answer was the 1960s counterculture, which brought different writers like Tolkien and Lovecraft to the forefront (by modern standards Lovecraft isn’t a fantasy author, but he was produced by the same early century genre-fluid effluvium that produced Merritt and the rest). The other answer is that A. Merritt was so totally a product of the weird occult speculation of his age that it’s hard to even imagine him clicking with audiences in other eras. His work is based on fringe weirdness that appealed to early 20th Century spiritualism and made sense at the time: reincarnation, racial memory, an obsession with lost race stories and the stone age, and weirdness like the 1920s belief that the Polar Arctic is the ancestral home of the Caucasian race. In other words, it’s impossible to explain Merritt without a ton of sentences that start with “well, people in the 1920s thought that...” That’s not a good sign when it comes to his universality. 

That’s it for now. Do you have any suggestions on a dead fandom, or do you keep one of these “dead” fandoms alive in your heart?

[rpedia]

[Ask RPedia] Anxious About My Writing: Help?

Anonymous asked: I know this is normal for writers and that there isn't a real solution but I'm gonna ask anyway: Any advice on how to stop feeling insecure about what/how I write?

Oh man, this is gonna sound like such an asshole move, but my favorite way to help myself is to write to spite everyone else. Seriously. Write like you hate everyone else in the world. Write like they mean fucking nothing to you. Write because they’re gonna get what you write, and they’re gonna like it, if they know what’s good for them. Write to make that mental editor representing the ‘them’ in your head mad as hell.

It’s always energized me to flippantly declare to myself that if people don’t like something I like, they can go fuck themselves in some fancy new way, because I’m busy writing and I don’t see them getting off their ass! They’re reading anyways ain’t they? Then they god damn don’t have anything better to do than let me shove words, and ideas, and mental pictures into their heads rapidly. Them complaining? Hah, you mean leaving impassioned responses because I hit a nerve. I CONTROL them. 𝕀 𝔸𝕄 𝔸𝕊 𝔸 𝔾𝕆𝔻.

...ahem. There’s other things to think about. I just, really like getting pumped about that concept because getting pumped makes it really awesome. Lemme uh... lemme try talking about ... other things... next. Instead of declaring my godhood, wow, that is so ‘famous last words’ material for a character to say.

So forgiving my earlier outburst, I’m going to natter about the subject! Writing confidence comes around slowly, really, you were right. This is normal for writers, and there’s not always a solution. A lot of posts have been made on Tumblr about decreasing anxiety as a whole. Everything from taking a long bath with some scented candles, to breathing and meditation exercises, to radical acceptance. This can all soothe you, making it easier to write, or at least post your writing somewhere. That’s a good start. A lot of it though really, is understanding what you’re doing from new angles instead of just ‘am I good enough’ and ‘in my head about it editor mode’.

Going back a half step, I love radical acceptance, let’s focus on that for a moment. Basically, it’s just saying ‘I am who I am. These things have happened. Now that they have happened, they are passed, and while they are real, I can now experience other things. I give myself permission for this. I have permission to move on to something else because I accept what has happened entirely and cannot change it. I can only change what reality is in the now, and I can only do that by moving forwards and altering my behavior or other people’s ideas with fresh words and actions. The past remains, real and behind me. I accept it and step forward.’ This would be great if you put it to writing. ‘I accept my writing may not be the best, there is always someone better, and I do not need to care. I am writing what is meaningful to me. It is what it is.' 

Writing is also a performance art. Which means, writing is not complete until an audience, not necessarily the intended one, has read and reacted to it. It’s not whole. It hungers to be read and understood, and for the feedback on that writing works to complete the circuit. To explain what the writing did for someone else. Regularly we find that it was close to our intention, but sometimes wildly out of left field, they’ll point out something you may not have even noticed. This is secondary to knowing it is read. While they may never interact with you, it doesn’t matter. Your writing will evoke something in another person, one way or another, and that is the point at which it becomes complete. Kudos and comments and likes, and thumbs ups and everything are not a way to measure success. Sometimes someone never directly tells you how they feel at all. Page views are interactions, are chances for it to have been read. To know that someone has looked at it means it has been read. It’s finished.

The audience changes depending on the type of writing too. That audience may only be one person, it might even be yourself. A diary is like that, it forces us to complete the circuit by contemplating what is written and what it means about us, or towards us, on another day, at another time. It is a mirror of who we are, and we’ll judge the shit out of it because we’re fucking ruthless and don’t have any feelings to save when it comes to us. We’ll word it nicely to others, but to us. fuck you self, you’re not good enough. How demoralizing. 

This is important to note here! We’re so used to being our main audience, so used to analyzing everything we do or say and how it effects others, we’re stuck in that eternal loop of ‘If no one likes it (or shows they like it) I did something wrong and I need to fix it.’  We blame ourselves for things that seem like they ‘broke’ it, but really we’re dealing with way more circumstances besides ‘did I do it good’.

Truth is, we can do everything right, and still not get a response. We can write brilliantly, and not have it get to the right audiences. We can get people who are oversensitive to certain topics going batshit about them, and disregarding the writing or intent. We can accidentally hit that one guy who tells his friend, who shares a link with a room of supporters, and suddenly we have a fanbase, and now everything we write is ‘good’ to them, and outsiders get attacked for being wrong if they don’t like it. We can get folks who just don’t say anything because they’re shy, and you’ve genuinely made them feel good but they can’t explain it. 

Not everyone has the talent of putting their thoughts into writing, and that’s what comments are essentially. That’s why people read, to see someone who can do it, do it in front of them as a performance they can stare at in awe and pleasure. All those kudos on AO3 are made of this. This feeling of ‘not matching up’ or ‘not having the time or prowess to respond to something they love.’

You need to remember, you can’t please everyone. Think about the people you know, think about their favorite pairings. Do all of them have the same pairing? Does everyone you meet, without hesitation, name exactly the same couple in your favorite show? Not by a fuckin’ long shot unless somebody’s fucking with your Causality. If you loaned dice to any Gods, maybe take them back is all I’m saying. The point is, rambling aside, no one ships the same shit. No one even fucking agrees on pizza toppings. Why would they all agree your writing did something for them? Or means things exactly the way you intended it? 

Language is imprecise, the job of a writer is to write things in the way that makes sense to their context of the world, and then let it loose to see if it works. If it doesn’t on a large scale, write something else and leave the first alone as an example. Don’t give up. They’re all tests, and somewhere, somehow, it’s gonna hit someone else just right. You might even hit a large section of the audience just right and make them all react like you intended. That’s the sign of a good writer who has also found serendipity has favored them. A good crowd, nicely warmed up and receptive instead of following an act that makes them hard and cold. Even if your writing is a couple hundred years old, you can still suddenly hit that audience one day.

It’s not always your writing that changes how people react to things either. People have lives. You’re a writer, you know that. Every character you write should have a backstory, a name, emotions, reasons for those emotions. These characters map onto real people. They had an ex that treated them like trash and called them Kitten. Well suddenly your cute little nickname for a character, which makes perfect sense to you, is a pun, feels right, and gives the feeling you want, suddenly hits a person wrong and is wrong. They don’t like what you wrote, not because you’re a bad writer, but because they have bad associations with things you cannot control.

Writing is a pot shot of hoping that what you want works with what someone else wants without ever meeting them. That’s why a lot of famous bullshit people love enmasse is kinda... blurry. It’s not precise because if you scattershot and allow the audience to make up half of it, everyone loves it for what they read into it. Look at popular fandoms, Homestuck took the world by force because everything was incomplete. This is a visual medium that managed to make characters that nobody knew what they actually looked like precisely. So some people drew the main characters are POC, and represented themselves, and loved them so much deeper for that. Some people drew them fat, or thin, or special. People expanded on their histories in ways that worked with the story, but voiced something in their own hearts. 

Homestuck is a fantastic show of people getting a bunch of nonsense, that they’ve somehow turned into patterns that deeply changed their lives. That’s how a person reading it could come out on the other side either thinking, “Wow, I want to be a troll, they can be mean and classist, and they don’t fit in just like me. I’m gonna go be like my favorite character and hurt someone else by saying fuck a lot and spitting in a bucket.” just as much as we could get “Wow, this is a story about friendship, and different forms of love regardless of how different of socially ingrained it is to hate one another when we don’t understand. We can all work together and make things beautiful because the little things, like a can donation to food banks, can have a butterfly effect!” Like. Holy shit. Those are very different outcomes, but you saw both of them happen in the Fandom!

If you remember that writing, once set free, has such a huge life beyond the artist’s work? it can help the anxiety, because it’s not completely on you to do it right. It’s not your fault if no one reads it, well, not your writing’s fault anyways, go advertise for goodness sake. Self promote! Your writing doesn’t even have to be really fantastic technically to be adored and loved. Stephen King’s 11/22/63 has an example of this. No major spoilers, but a teacher reads a paper done by a student. That paper is written horribly. The grammar is shit, the wording is terrible, the spelling came out of a trash compactor, the punctuation is a masterclass in how not to do it. That story sticks with that teacher though, the whole book, it nags at him. It tickles him, because it made him feel a certain way. It gave him a motive, an imagination. It set something going in him. The writing was terrible from a technical point of view, but from an emotive empathy inducing view, holy shit. it worked. It was good.

So, that means, the value of your work changes depending on the metric you use to evaluate it. I’m sure technical specification manuals are all written wonderfully, with precise language and information by the bucketful. Hell that’s why they exist. But are they considered dry reads? Do classics lose that shiny new language feel, or connection to people via the words alone, because they can be a bit boxed in by the era’s acceptable standards of what made for good writing? Yep. 100%.

But what gets read, over and over again, every single generation? Things that make us feel because they have meaning. Things that strike a nerve. Monsters, and romances, and stories about the human condition. Sure fine grammar and spelling will get you more readers, which is important on a small-scale level like a roleplay, or a fanfic, but they aren’t the heart of good writing. Good writing makes you feel, relate, and love the characters. It brings a world to life. I can’t tell you how often I’ve ignored shitty skills and kept reading because they had me hooked on what was going to happen.

So instead engage with your project on different levels than ‘is it good’ because Jesus Christ, that is such a hard thing to measure. Ask yourself instead: Did it feel right? Do these words bring a clear mental image of what I want? Do the characters feel like people? Do I create a sense of ‘questions to be answered’ and do I answer them with enough regularity to keep people invested, while supplying more? Do I solve all the problems that come up, or suggest they can be solved easily? Do I feel engaged with this work, does it represent part of me? Is it easy to read, or does the pace stutter, is that what I want? Working on these instead of some non-solid idea of ‘good’ and instead ‘is it what I intended’ will give you fresh eyes, and help eliminate some anxiety because...

All writing is good for something.

All of it.

Somewhere, it will have an audience that needs it. Don’t stress about finding that audience, don’t stress about making it perfect for them. Make it perfect for you, and deign to allow others to read it. Your writing is your voice. It is you unique vision. Only you can write things in ways that play on your personal vision of the world. Seriously. We can’t even map minds at a level that allows us to pull stories out of it. Not even dreams can be recorded. You know what your dreams are. You know what you want on the paper. As long as you feel like it brings what you want to the table, you can write anything and it is good.

Think of yourself as a pioneer, forging new ideas into the world. No one gets it perfect the first time. You’ll throw an axle occasionally, or a horse will die, or a party member gets dysentery. But the point is you made the effort, and can change or recover. Writing is what it is. It exists waiting to be seen and translated into part of another person’s life. Try to pick a good idea of what you want to share, and then share it.

You’re golden. Don’t let one or two comments get to you. Don’t let your inner editor scream you down. Don’t engage with the ideas that you can’t write, or you aren’t good enough, or that this is easier for other people. Accept them as your personal doubts, not as your personal truths. Accept they are worries. Then let them go, they are worries, not truths. They exist, but they do not have to be what you base things on. Breathe. Think. Writers generally feel like shit, especially when they have been trying to write and finish a novel for 2 years and can’t even pick up a pencil to do it, god damn it self, get in gear can’t reach goals they set for themselves. If you disappoint yourself, that’s where anxiety sets in that you can’t live up to your ideals.

That’s actually good for one thing. If you can see flaws, you’re getting better at the job. Writing is practice. Editing is putting that practice to use. Like, seriously. If you had a piece of art, and you went back years later after a hundred more pieces of art, you could do a better sketch or version of it. Writing is very similar. You can figure out what went wrong, rewrite the sentences, the story, the flow, something you’ve learned doesn’t work. It’s not solid, I have to point that out. Writing can change, even if it felt perfect at the time. Not because it wasn’t right, because it was right for the you who wrote it, the mysterious past you who was in a certain mindset. It’s because the you now who read it, wants to say something different because they’ve seen the future. They’ve read ahead in the story. They’ve got spoilers, and you could set up for those spoilers a little better.

At a certain point though you have to say, ‘look, either I edit forever, like I’m going to do to myself as I grow and learn. Or I set it down now, call it history, and use it as a reference point in the future when I get even better.’ The second one is better, less stress. History isn’t something we can change, we can only change the perceptions of those around us with additional words and actions. It is what it is. You, and everyone around you, can accept that. Even if it means dealing with hard truths, or hiding something that got a less than stellar reputation. (Never fully delete anything, it’s painful, and makes you not want to do more. Just set it to private or something. Let your messed up creations hide in the dark places, because someday you might grow enough to want to visit them and love them as they are, when they remind you less of current immediate failure, and have a more sentimental feel.)

Remember too, your writing will not meet anyone, not finalize, can be changed and edited and fixed, all the way up and past you showing it to an audience. Read it in different fonts, in color changes, to catch it in new lights. Edit the shit out of it. Make it closer to your intent. Refine, and examine it until you feel like it’s good enough to share, and then share it. But until then, no one is judging you. No one sees it. No one is out to get you except that fucking little editor voice in your head trying to give you SHIT. Well fuck that voice, you can change it later. Get your ideas down now, and let them grow and evolve with your progress. Don’t worry about what it says, it could say anything. The important part is not the writing, but the experience of having written it.

A story is an idea, written down. You can’t change an idea, until there’s enough solid parts to interact with them. A vague idea you’re nurturing to growth is great, but you have to write it down before it becomes solid and real and you can trim the branches and shape it into something more. Don’t be intimidated. Nothing has to be perfect the first go around, it’s just a draft. You have a story inside you, a life, a creation. Something about you, a part of you that longs to be free and shared and alive. It doesn’t have to be perfect, long, or well-written. It just has to bloom on paper, and then expand and grow and seed and birth new stories. You can do it, you really can. It’s just planting that idea that scares people.

You matter. Your writing matters. Regardless of anything else, everything you write is real, and it matters. It’s one of the steps you take to get somewhere else. Every step is important, even if you never reference that step again.

Let yourself fall in love with your writing. Let yourself put it away, and come back to it with fresh eyes, and experience it for the first time as an audience. Fix what doesn’t work, but love what does and focus on it, because that’s what an audience will remember. What they loved.

Good luck. You’re fantastic, and I cannot put into words what kind of pride, and joy, and this... big budding feeling in my chest is. This bubbling need to tell you that every action you take towards becoming a writer makes me kinda tear up and have hope. Because... I need writers. I need them badly. Whether they’re roleplayers writing ephemeral stories back and forth across electrons that expire after they’re spoken, or writers who sit down and write novels that will last and last and last. All of you give me hope, all of your words touch me, and mean something to me. Ones I disagree with, ones I love, ones I hate, ones that impassioned me, or bring me closer to understanding myself.

Just write. I love it, whatever it is. Thank you.

[militant-holy-knight]

Alleged Lucasfilm Insider Spills the Beans

On May 26, 2018, on the /tv/ board on 4chan an user titled Lfl did an AMA session with the users. Given that the source was anonymous and his refusal to prove his credentials, we should take his information it with a grain of salt. Though I felt like resposting most of what he revealed. I know I am posting this with the good chance that OP was just roleplaying, but time will tell whether any of this is real or not.

>any talk of firing kathleen? She’s certainly not in good standing after the Last Jedi debacle. Absolutely hated in my department and by a lot of others I know of.

>Let me guess this is a thread where you pretend Lucasfilm is in shambles because a single movie is underperforming. Far from it, actually, but we’ve seen better days. TFA killed a lot of the creative/“anything goes” vibe we had, as evidenced by the “Art Of” book. Seriously, take a look at how cool some of the concept art we had that was thrown out for a safer approach. However, R1 was a blast to work on and felt like the old days. TLJ and Solo were very awkward to work around. A lot of wasted potential with Solo and a lot of in-fighting with both productions.

>tell me about Indiana Jones, news on the 5th film, are more films in the future? It’s in development hell. 2019 is a lucky shot in the dark. Overall, I don’t know much beyond the fact that it’s barely been moving along.

>Do you wish Kevin Feige was in charge? Are toy companies pissed off because of the lame characters and designs? Possibly. There are a number of people I’d rather have in charge of the writing, mostly some of the creative veterans like Filoni or Leeland. The general idea around here is that a “hands off” producer who could also keep things under control would work best. Hasbro is actually pissed off at the way information is handled and the focus on “earth tones” and less interesting visuals in both background aliens and main characters. Going forward there will be a push for more “toyetic” and PT-esque designs. I’ve seen some interesting IX designs, especially Kylo/Rey, who both have “battle armor” on. Kylo has some sort of red crystals on his. Not sure if Kyber or whatever.

>Is the next anthology really Obi-Wan? Any plans for Maul in other anthologies? Yeah, Obi-Wan is the next anthology. Bit of a poorly kept secret at this point, but the announcement should happen within the next 3-4 months. I’ve seen some concept art and it’s honestly breathtaking. I have a great feeling about the film as long as it isn’t stiffled creatively. Don’t believe any bullshit about Thrawn being in it. As far as I know, he’s not. Next movie is up in the air, but talks are revolving mostly around a Boba Fett/Bounty Hunters movie. After that a Solo sequel is planned depending on how well this movie does. That’s where Maul should be making his next appearance. If Solo bombs then he’ll appear in the Fett movie. Considering the Mandolorian connection between them, it’s not a bad idea in my opinion.

>When’s Kuntleen getting the boot? How exactly are you going to right the ship for Episode IX? How much internal division is there at Disney/LFL about the direction the franchise is taking? Kathleen isn’t going anywhere until post IX. If that and Solo underperform then she’ll probably be chained to a smaller project that no one cares about, (ala FOD) and given creative control to herself. 9 is going to be very different. Timeskip, more “toyetic” designs. Personally, I think the damage is done at this point. A lot of higher-ups were gunning for JJ to do all 3 movies and are losing their minds at the idea of SW becoming unprofitable. By the way, Johnson’s trilogy will most likely not happen. Overall there is a very tense atmosphere in the upper-class of the company. Very competitive overall. Lower on the ranks, everyone seems a little bit more disgruntled than usual and a lot of the “magic” is gone. A lot of people are just happy to be paid.

>Is there any truth to the rumor that they are abandoning the trilogy structure for a continuous MCU style? That’s bullshit. Trilogies will always remain. Now, the anthology movies are a different case. Those will be handled more MCU-like.

>Anon you’re exposing yourself as a fake too easily here. Nobody shills on 4chan. It wasn’t JUST on 4chan obviously, but on the internet as a whole. Journalism sites, fan sites, ect. I think the lesson Disney learned is that shilling for a SW movie is pointless when the fans are so opinionated.

>How did they try to defend it? Rian Johnson was being toted around as a “true fan of both the OT/PT” here and that was the narrative/marketing strategy for awhile. Backfired when the movie actually came out and marketing had no idea how to handle it, so damage-control mode was engaged.

>Tell me the truth, how much posting on the Star Wars reddit is paid for? I go there for a good laugh every now and then, it’s the only community I’ve seen where people are so determined to be positive about TLJ that they will include stuff like “TLJ was my fav SW movie btw” at the end of completely unrelated posts. Reddit is a huge center of the marketing campaigns, especially since the site is such a hivemind and opinions get parroted once they’re popular enough to stand on their own. /tv/ is very similar, but contrarian, and harder to control. The Force.net is another, albeit smaller, center for damage control.

>what’s Rian like? Weirdo. Easily one of the weirdest fucking dudes I’ve met, and I only met him twice. Words cannot describe how awkward he is.

>What’s Pablo Hidalgo really like? Awesome irl, but a bit of a dick online. He’s constantly bombarded though. Personally, I think Matt Martin handles fan relations much better and more enthusiastically.

>Why is Disney afraid of using classic aliens? Why are all their alien designs fucking shit and the exact same earthy-brown muppets? Honestly, the art design in the Disney films are fucking boring, uninspired and more Dr. Who rather than Star Wars. Don’t even get me started. The reasoning behind it is despicable too. That brown/earthy skin tone is cheaper to cast for the prop department than recreating the colorful classic puppets/mask. It’s all about cutting corners. The amount of humans in the recent movies is so fucking boring and everyone agrees. Hopefully that’s something fixed with the “toyetic” initiative in future films.

>what is the general opinion of the movies and characters (rey, finn, poe) in the office? Not hated, but the general opinion is that nothing will come close to George’s movies/characters. Gotta admit, it was funny to watch some of the OT purists at LFL start to appriciate the PT when TFA came out. I think those movies will age a lot better now that George is gone. I know a fair amount people who really enjoy the ST characters. Rey is obviously the most popular, but everyone seems disappointed that Finn was sidestepped and turned into a joke in TLJ/TFA.

>Are they really talking about recasting Leia? That seems like such a shitty thing to do. Unfortunately, I can confirm it’s been talked about. No idea who the picks are, but it’s a better option than CGI Leia IMO

>Do you know why Trevorrow was Fired? What happened behind the scenes in rogue one between Edwards and Gilroy? He literally had no idea what to do with IX after Rian’s Rape and flipped out. I don’t blame him, who the fuck even cares about IX in the fanbase now?

[jheselbraum]

Legit confused anon, I know Bitch Hartman tends to be a bad writer but what else has he done to scare the fanbase so badly?

Alright dear anon, sit down, Grandpa Leo is going to tell you a little story about the Olden Days.

You know how hellish the SU fandom is with their shipping? Remember that drama the GF fandom had regarding authorial intent? Imagine that but with a creator that’s actually homophobic and actively antagonizes and aggravates the fanbase.

Basically, way back in the early 2000s, Hartman was (from what i recall) somewhat active on certain forums, where most of the Danny Phantom fans hung out (Danny Phantom’s original run was 2004-2007 if that gives you an idea of what The Internet was like back then. Facebook was just starting to get popular, smartphones weren’t really a thing yet, etc).

So at some point, someone asked him how he felt about fanfiction, because these were Dark Days when people plastered disclaimers all over their fanfics so they wouldn’t get sued (you know, that thing that you youngsters keep complaining about whenever you find one in a particularly old fanfic: It’s there so we don’t get sued), and knowing where a creator stood on these issues was Important Information.

Now, I wasn’t old enough to be online unsupervised yet (I was nine when Danny Phantom first came out and my parents were strict) and I took the whole ‘you must have your parents permission to make an account’ thing very seriously so it wouldn’t be until about 2007-2008 until I discovered the concept of fandom (during my Speed Racer phase) and by then the Danny Phantom fans were already in the thick of it. I don’t recall exactly what he said, but the gist of it is this:

“I don’t mind fanfiction and fanart as long as no one’s gay”

This, naturally, caused a Ruckus (they were called ‘ship wars’ at the time, I don’t know if the term’s changed or not but boy was it Bad), for multiple reasons, the most important of which being: many actually LGBT people view the show as a metaphor for a closeted gay kid who’s afraid to come out to his parents, which is why the revelation. 

This was about the only valid viewpoint in the whole debacle.

It wasn’t the popular pick.

I’d say something along the lines of “fans can write their fanfic as gay as they want it to be” but, to be honest, fanfic is not the guarantee we think it is. A lot of people take their creative freedom for granted these days. The idea of fanfiction existing as it is now was unthinkable back then. No one would have said anything even close to that.

No, the Sides in this ruckus weren’t so noble.

See, almost everyone who was mad at each other over this was straight.

These were Homophobic and Proud Straight Fans fighting with MLM-Fetishizing Yaoi Fans.

It was a vicious cycle and both sides were as wrong as they were right. (Put down your pitchforks I’ll explain in a sec)

On the one hand, the Homophobic and Proud straight fans would cite authorial intent and ‘moral superiority’ as reasons why fanfiction Shouldn’t Be Gay.

On the other, MLM-Fetishizing Yaoi Fans correctly called foul on Hartman’s homophobia, but in response flooded deviantart and ffn (AO3 didn’t exist yet) with yaoi.

Now, for those of my followers who are too young to have really seen Danny Phantom, here’s a tidbit of information:

Danny Fenton has two best friends (Sam and Tucker), a sister (Jazz), a clone-sister (Dani), and another main friend who sometimes wants to kill him but when he’s not a ghost she wants to smooch him (Valerie. It’s hard to explain). Excluding the sister and the clone-sister, that leaves Sam Tucker and Valerie as the main potential love interests, as they are all reasonably attractive, form close bonds with the main character, and are all Danny’s age (remind me to go into detail on the Fandom Hierarchy of Attraction later).

So naturally, most of the Homophobic and Proud shippers shipped Danny with either Sam or Valerie, both of whom got some nice canon interactions. It should be noted that Valerie is black and for some reason more people ship Danny with Sam, who is white but also Early 2000s Jewish, which is to say: you would never know she was Jewish unless you watched the holiday episode, so she’s at the very least white-passing. Read into that what you will.

So you’d think that the MLM-Fetishizing Yaoi Fans would have adored Danny and Tucker right? Wrong. Tucker is also black, therefore, no one really shipped him with anyone (sometimes Valerie, sometimes Dani, who is biologically about 12 but also a clone so she’s actually maybe about six months old). Nah, the yaoi fangirls just loved shipping Danny, a 14 year old, with the main villain, a man named Vlad who is literally old enough to be Danny’s dad. Vlad’s entire character arc revolves around him trying to kill Danny’s actual dad, marry his mom, and become his new dad.

Essentially, all the actually gay people in the fandom got pushed to the sidelines as any cries of homophobia from our supposed ‘allies’ were met with ‘you literally ship a 14 year old kid with a 40 year old man and we’re not listening to you.’  so excuse me for not liking incest shippers who do the same thing

This lasted for years. I think it finally died down around 2010, 2012 maybe? It went on for a while though.

And it all started because Hartman couldn’t keep his homophobic mouth shut.

Basically, as much as I complain about Hirsch and the GF fandom and the SU fandom, you couldn’t pay me to go back to the phandom during that nonsense.

[knightofbalance-13]

A talk about Shipping, Aspects of it and “Queerbaiting”

http://invested-in-your-future.tumblr.com/post/158720729690/heres-something-that-has-been-lowkey-bugging-me

Sure it is cool to see a fandom that actively enjoys the setting enough to immerse themselves into it and create original characters, original pairings, original stories etc. Remnant is a world that relies on the community for it’s existence and Rooster Teeth’s main source of income is the community actually supporting them, so this speaks miles about the strength of the setting that is dear to so many people. Dozens upon dozens of people found it interesting enough to create and imagine things beyond the “canon” story. There are dozens of fanon pairings, pretty much every character with every character has ship name and some sort of fanon fiction - even if those characters never ever met. There are backstories and headcanons for almost every character.

And yet I have seen this person attack the fanbase directly and have seen this person directly attack the setting and environment in the show and not once say it’s their own personal opinion. And as well see, this seems more like their covering their own ass.

So get ready, I am about to delve into some very complex stuff here.

But there’s a downside to that. And the downside is that it is so damn easy to use the existence of fanon to discount the possibilities, implications and pairings within canon. And it does not take long to realize how that happens - after all the most common way to try to “downplay” a pairing is to question its canon status. Its a VERY common problem with homophobic people literally ignoring a pairing existing or claiming “people are just seeing things”.

Oh boy, this isn’t good. Okay, let’s dissect this and show off the problematic points:

A.) Canon is canon, it is fact. Implications are not canon until they are confirmed to be so and even then they just becomes fact. Implications are so wide and varied that accepting them all of as canon will cause a lot of confusion like the implication Raven gave a shit about her kid or the implication that Qrow’s Semblence was just shapeshifting.

B.) The only time a pairing exists is when they are canon, when they are in a committed relationship. There are only three canon ships: Taiyang X Raven, Taiyang X Summer and Ghira X Kali. That’s it. As heavy hinting that Blake Sun in going to become canon, it’s not canon. And that’s fine. Shippers shouldn’t be aiming for a ship to become canon because sometimes what we ship isn’t for the best, most of the time it’s wish fulfillment. Even I don’t ask for my ships to become canon and I ship people who I find to be healthy for each other (White Rose, Black Sun ect.)

C.) You are seeing things. You’ve admitted it in the past and you show all the signs of a rapid shipper: attacking people for miniute reasons, using buzzwords like “homophobia” misinterpreting friendly connections as shipping  ect. I’ve seen ot all before in my previous experiences in the Pearlshipping community, minus the homophobia thing but I’m going to return to that. n truth, for someone who doesn’t give a shit who Blake or Yang end up with (or anyone: might be best for those two considering Blake’s abuse and Yang’s probable abandonment problems) let me say: I haven’t seen that much ship tease between them. No more than any other pairing in fiction: this isn’t Moka and Tsukune levels of ship tease-at best it’s Tsukune and Mizore. (Look them up with “Rosario Vampire manga” SPECIFICALLY the manga!)

D.) I don’t want to hear you talk about Homophobia when you have attacked Sun and Jaune and people who disagree with Bumbleby: In all reality, you display a case of Heterophobia than they do. people can dislike a homo pairing but not be homophobic. I don’t ship Bumbleby but I do ship White Rose so....what’s you’re answer to that?

And that is EXTREMELY easy to do in a community where fanon aspect is so big. Its so easy to discount RT baiting Blake and Yang(AKA the biggest ship in the fanbase), Weiss and Ruby(lately way less than usual, to be fair) or even Neptune and Sun(which the writers love to bait during interviews and stuff almost as much as Blake/Yang). Its so easy to NOT SEE the said baiting and write it off to all the fanon - to the idea that people “got tangled up” in all the fanon being created and mistook that fanon for canon. What’s worse - its easy  for such a line of though to appear to those OUTSIDE of the RWBY fandom, which can easily lead to the issues present in the writing and RT behavior overall being downplayed or taken for “misunderstanding”.

Again, let’s dissect this:

A.) The reason why Bumbleby is so popular I the fandom isn’t due to them Ship Teasing Blake and Yang (I will go into why the concept of “queerbaiting” is an  honestly counterproductive one later) but rather because Monty confirmed that there will be an LGBT character in the show which drew in that crowd and Yang and Blake are the most sexual characters in the show. Ruby is way to innocent to be shipped all that much as people have trouble thinking of her that way and Weiss was ahted for a while so people would gravitate to Yang and Bake. I also don’t find it that unusual that the two more attractive characters in the show are the ones shipped together. Again, wish fulfillment.

B.)  You need to provide links to support these so called arguments because some of us don’t watch the interviews or anything of the such. Without them, your argument falls completely flat.

C.) Again, you have stated yourself that you are looking at things that aren’t there with the Korrasami and Bumbleby parallel and with all the symphtoms you’ve displayed, you are doing it for Bumbleby in general. They teased the shit out of Arkos despite Pyrrha’s fate because i9t was popular and ut got people watching the show. They would be doing the same for the other popular ships. yes, it is manipulative but it’s so common place now that you just have to accept it: Ship Tease is a athing, doesn’t confirm your ship to be canon.

D.) Here’s the thing about Queerbaiting: it definition is as follows: “when people in the media (usually television/movies) add homoerotic tension between two characters to attract more liberal and queer viewers with the indication of them not ever getting together for real in the show/book/movie“ Does this definition sound familiar? Change “Homoerotic” to “romantic”, “Liberal and queer” to “romatics” and you have Ship Tease. That’s all it is: Ship tease specific to the homosexual. What this tells me is that homosexual people believe that they belive their ships should become canon because they are queer or their ship is. Because there has been hetero-baiting before: Using Avatar, I have no doubt in my mind that the writers knew Zutarra was a huge ship so they kept hinting at it to get people who would like Zutarra to keep watching. Same thing with Rosario Vampire in which Kurumu X Mizore was hinted at a lot but they never got together, just as Tsukune never got with Kurumu or Mizore. It’s a common writing technique: put in some romance for romance fans. All writing  by definition is emotionally manipulative.  I see no difference between the two expect for sexuality and that should never be a factor in a ship becoming canon. Just as a hetero ship should become canon for the sake of it being a hetero ship. the same goes for homo ships as well. You want equality? Don’t go around demanding stuff beyond equality because of your sexuality.

Hell I already saw arguments in line with that and how “fandom is trying to force a pairing upon the writers”. Which is silly because in reality it is RWBY writers who added all those scenes and clues and subtext for Blake/Yang. Bumbleby fandom did not just somehow “will” it into existence via fanon. Beauty and the Beast references, interactions, THE WHOLE VOLUME 3 FINALE, etc - its all in the show. Its all there. Yet many will use the fanon argument to try to downplay the scenes that already are in the canon.

... Can’t believe I have to bust out this music but:

A.) People do force a ship on the writers. Just as I have seen people yell out “MAKE BUMBLEBY CANON ALREADY!” I have heard the same number yell out “MAKE BLACK SUN CANON ALREADY!” There is no difference between these two besides one partner.

Just because you have ship tease of your pairing that does NOT give it an absolute right to become canon. It never has and never will. Learn it, you’ll be much happier. I know for a fact.

“Beauty and the Beast” Yang is not beastly at all and it’s clear ADAM is the Beast of them all. Even if he isn’t, as a Fanaus, SUN is the next one in line for that.

“The WHOLE VOLUME 3 FINALE?” What, that one scene of Blake crying about yang losing her arm which is just her being said that someone she cares about (NOT loves, cares) is hurt because of her or that Yang is being abandoned yet again? Because that’s two scenes and only one is focused on Blake. It keeps sounding like you only watch RWBY for the ships and that’s just disgusting.

No, they are probably saying that is JUST ship tease and that DOES NOT make Bumbleby canon. Same for Black Sun, WHite Rose, Lanacaster ect.

And then again - whats wrong with writers accepting something fandom wants?  What’s wrong with that? Narrative of any works is fluid. Things change, things develop, writers gain new ideas or change their minds all the time. Usually story is a fluid concept with only certain plotpoints set in stone. Unless there’s some huge plotpoint tied to a romance(which would be stupid in the first place), there’s literally no downside in writers capitalizing on what fandom likes.  After all Korra and Asami chemistry was first noted by the FANS and then writers recognized it and made history.

Because it’s pandering in that Yanga nd Blake don’t have the best chemistry between them, Blake and Sun do; Blake could be a bisexual but attempting t tel me Yang isn’t straight and didn't hit on the four attractive females she was around all the time is dumb and there are people who DON’T want that thus you are excluding them. LGBT people were excluded for so long and now you want to exclude straight people? This is sounding suspiciously like the white Fang: Reverse discrimination....

yeah and their sexualities are pretty defined. Ruby is he only one who isn’t defined by her not being sexual yet. It makes sense for Weiss to hide that considering her jackass of a father and maybe Blake considering her abuse but Yang has no problems thus she should have been shown to be a bisexual early on. She doesn’t gaze over girls like she did guys so I have no reason to see that. You complain about retcons..then demand a retcon.

Yeah and here’s the thing: A LOT of people got pissed off by that. I didn’t watch Korra but a guy who did explained the feeling to me and explained the feeling. So unless it was hinted that Korra herself was bi and noyt straight, that was a terrible move.

Yet its so easy to use fanon as an argument, as a defense, as a shield, as a tool. Its so easy for Miles and Kerry(or less tolerant parts of fandom) to hide behind the huge existence of RWBY fanon - it gives fuel when one feels the need to defend against allegations of queerbaiting and it gives an extra defense from negative press due to reasons I outlined above.

.... SO the fandom is bad for tehw riters when they won’t do a homosexual ship but it’s good if that forces them to do it...

*Sigh* Fuck this bullshit. Also, I think queerbaiting is going to be one of my Berserk Buttons from now on.

Final Thoughts: this person needs to chill. there’s being dedicated to yoru ship and then there’s being obsessed. I have seen this person attack people with SUn Avatars for having SUn avatars, demands their ship become canon despite it being counter productive to equality and contradicts themselves. In essence: your average rabid shipper. Nothing more, nothing less.