#Prettywitch's Philosophies on Writing

[prettywitchiusaka]

Okay, so I was away from the computer most of yesterday and didn't learn about DeMayo spilling some tea about MOM's original script until late last night.

Having read through his response, as well as information I've gathered from someone in the DS Fan Community on twitter (who got a chance to meet one of the key staff involved in the film), here's what it sounds like the original script contained;

Mordo would've been at Karmar-Taj. Not sure how, though I imagine there would be more of an explanation.

Clea would've made an appearance earlier in the film than the mid-credit scene. Though, my inner storyteller feels like they would've revealed her connection to Dormammu in the mid-credit scene as a tease for DS3.

Wanda would not only have been with Stephen, she would've also been aiding him and Wong and would actively tutor America (and also warn her about abusing her power).

The film would've been a team-up film between Stephen and Wanda.

Nightmare would've been revealed to be a Stephen variant who'd been corrupted by The Darkhold.

Wanda would've resisted corruption right up until the end where, unable to resist finding a universe where she can with happy with her children, breaks from Team Strange.

Wong would've tried stopping her...only to get beheaded by mistake.

Wanda would've felt guilty about it and, according to DeMayo, would have been repeatedly apologizing to Stephen as she departs, leaving him with his friend's decapitated corpse.

And, from what we know from the concept art that came out a few years ago, The Book of Vishanti would've had a piece that would break off and attach itself to the Eye of Agamotto, giving Stephen a power upgrade, and, most notably, the death of Donna Strange.

So...yeah, that's a lot to unpack/take in! But yeah, to summarize, it really is fascinating/infuriating how, for all of Waldron's insistence on "starting from scratch" that he took many of Derrickson and Bartlett's concepts and watered them down to their most basic elements. All so he could make a script HE was satisfied with.

That being said, assuming DeMayo's not talking out of his ass? It's nice be vindicated regarding Wanda's original arc in the film. That while she learned her lesson from Wandavision and was able to overcome Vision's death, she's still lonely an unable to accept things as they are. It makes her arc even sadder, and keeps her villainous turn empathetic like it was in that series.

Now let's address the controversial elements from the script; Wong's death and the reveal of Nightmare being a corrupted variant of Stephen.

Honestly? I'm mixed. I've really grown to love Nightmare's character over the past year or so, so I'd prefer him being a separate entity from Stephen. And, like most MCU fans, I like Wong. But, and this is where I'm gonna probably get some flack...I think I could honestly learn to be okay with these decisions.

They're a hard pill to swallow, yes. Though honestly, I can sort see where Derrickson is coming from; is there's one thing I know about Nightmare, it's that he's a manipulative narcissist. And while Stephen isn't an outright sociopath, he is kind of a narcissist at the beginning of the first film. It wouldn't be that big of a stretch to see that he could easily become this corrupted if he wasn't careful. So yeah, I could learn to be okay with this idea. Especially where Wong is concerned. From what I can gather, it sounds like the film's main theme of "be your best self" was there but tied more into the original film's themes of humility and self-acceptance. Here Stephen gives into despair and, maybe even learns to accept Donna's death...only to now watch his best friend and mentor get killed right in front of him. Thus, leaving him with that pit of self-loathing, and the wound it left on his heart re-opening at the sight of someone else he loved getting killed.

Also, I just love the irony of Wanda accidentally re-traumatizing Stephen. There's just something that's kind of poetically dark about that.

But yeah, those are my thoughts on what the original script for DS2 would've entailed. Needless to say, it would've been controversial, but I think it wouldn't have been as controversial than the movie we ended up with.

And frankly? If Marvel is gonna take chances with their properties, these are the kinds of risks they should take. At least these come from a place of passion, instead of outright cynicism.

P.S. I'm kinda hoping DeMayo drops some more tea in the future, like some tea about Waldron. That'd be great!!!

[prettywitchiusaka]

You know, I really had no interest in watching the Wednesday show on Netflix. But having recently discovered Jenna Ortega went out of her way to help with re-writes while they were shooting (despite getting mocked for it by the show's writers (Yeah, real classy, guys!))? I might just give the show a shot now.

[prettywitchiusaka]

Yeah...so when I was rambling the other day about shows whose idea of meta “jokes” is just announcing an old tired cliché you’ve seen in every show or movie said work is trying to be a parody of, Velma was exactly the kind of show I was talking about!

Characters announcing things you’ve seen before or commenting on how “stupid” said cliché or “observation” is, as if they were people in an online chatroom and not characters in a show. 

It’s annoying!!!

[prettywitchiusaka]

What sucks is that I actually really like the concept of the series.

Velma loves solving mysteries but the revelation that she’s too clever, plus her mother’s disappearance left her traumatized. So when she tries solving an actual mystery, her anxiety manifests in the form of literal ghosts and demons, leading to some really creepy animation.

That’s not a bad premise in my opinion, and if you were going to do a (slightly) more adult take on Scooby-Doo while still being a comedy, I think it could’ve  worked in better hands. 

Unfortunately, the show is trash and as a result, it’s the delicious, overflowing fudge at the bottom of this shit sundae.

[prettywitchiusaka]

So I was gonna do an entire meta on why meta humor in shows seems/feels more hollow now than it used to, but I don’t know enough about the subject to really talk about it, so I’m just gonna say this; 

I think people wouldn’t be so down on it if;

A) The writers would have fun with their meta humor.

and

B) If they didn’t announce it every five minutes!!! Pointing out you’re doing an old cliché doesn’t make you look smart, it makes you look like a pretentious jackass!!!

And I hate the word pretentious, so you can imagine how I feel using it in this context! But sadly, no other word in my vocabulary describes it so well.

[prettywitchiusaka]

Not sure how true this is but given Disney's track record these last few years, it wouldn't surprise me.

And frankly, it's a situation that I hope gets rectified soon! There's nothing wrong with female characters asking for help from or even being saved by a man. What matters is that both characters are written competent and grow from the relationship, together and as people, no matter what form that bond takes in story.

And this is coming from someone who DOES have issues asking for help IRL, so you know something is seriously wrong if I'm pointing this out (which I shouldn't have to)!

[prettywitchiusaka]

So in light of Benedict Cumberbatch’s recent interview where he (more or less) admitted he was trying to continue Stephen’s story unlike some other people (Feige, Waldron, you know who you are), I feel like now is the time for me to explain my problem’s with Stephen’s arc in Multiverse, much as I like it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that Stephen’s arc in this film is centered around love, which I agree is a very important aspect of his character. I love that it tries to address Stephen’s issues with control. I love that he decides to face his fears and start embracing love in all of its forms.

A lot of that is decently carried out in my opinion...it just feels like there’s something missing. See, the biggest problem with Stephen’s arc in this film, as far as I’m concerned, isn’t that he doesn’t have one, it’s that it feels incomplete.

It’s established that he’s lonely, but it’s never explained why that is.

The movie introduces the idea of Stephen’s issues with control, and what happens when he becomes obsessive and deprives himself of love, make him dangerous, something that makes sense to explore, and there are plenty of examples to show that it can be done well (Strange Tales Volume II, Strange Supreme, etc.). The problem is that Stephen’s issues with control are never tied into the fact that he’s insecure and deeply traumatized like they should be. 

It’s implied that losing Donna is what started Stephen down the path of his desperate need to fix everything himself, but because it’s only mentioned once in passing, we don’t have a clear picture of how badly her death affects him other than Sinister’s line. Which, as I’ve been saying for months, would’ve been so EASY to fix if they’d tied it into his relationship with America.

Bottom line, the arc that Stephen has in this film is not a bad one (at least in my opinion). The problem is that, like a lot of other things in Multiverse, probably needed another draft or two to flesh it out a little better. And while I commend Benedict for trying to develop Stephen’s character, the fact of the matter is that he isn’t a seasoned writer, and if he’d been working with a more experienced screenwriter they could’ve churned out something truly great.

[prettywitchiusaka]

I think the other thing that bothers me about how Stephen x Clea is handled in Fearless Defenders (aside from the obvious) is the (frankly) wasted potential!

Think about it, you have two character who are (effectively) in a commuter marriage. A commuter marriage between two sorcerers from different dimensions. Not only is that perfect for a character like Doctor Strange, it also means there’s lots to explore in such a unique dynamic. Sorcerer Supreme touched on it a bit, but there’s always new angles you can explore.

Such as;

- How Stephen and Clea deal with being away from each other for long periods of time individually and together.

- How they keep their romance alive despite being in a long distance relationship.

- How long visits last and if there’s a time difference between Earth and The Dark Dimension.

- Date night shenanigans

- Show them communicating (via magically (like in SS) or through the phone (enhanced by magic))

- How difficult it is yet how they choose to make it work because they love each other.

But nope!

Gotta take the principled, humble Doc who loves his wife to the ends of the Earth and make him douchebag that would cheat on her because “He’s a guy! And guys can’t keep it in their pants!”

I know this is all water under the bridge now thanks to Jed McKay, but still. It just boggles my mind.

Not just from a fan perspective, but also from a writing perspective. Making Stephen an unfaithful husband is not only out of character, it’s also LAZY AS FUCK!

You could have kept the more unique angle. But nope! Go with the lazy option because it’s easy! 

Gag me!

[prettywitchiusaka]

So I meant to make this post last week, but, gonna be honest, I wasn’t feeling super great up until a few days ago.

Now that I’m starting to feel like myself again (and with the recent announcement regarding who will be writing Secret Wars), I figured that now is the time to make an addendum to my post about today’s writers (at least in Hollywood, anyway) don’t seem to do any research, be it for adaptational purposes, or just to enhance their own work to make it better/flesh out the world and characters a little.   

And honestly, I feel like Michael Waldron is a perfect example of this (with Jessica Gao being a close second).

I’ve made no secret that I have very mixed opinions and feeling regarding Multiverse of Madness, mostly staked in my love of Doctor Strange in general, and his MCU counterpart in particular. I tend to be a lot kinder to it than most, as I do think it’s a decent film that needs another rewrite or two before it could’ve been something great. But let’s be clear, I actually don’t entirely blame Waldron for what went wrong with this film. From what I know about the production, it really seems like Kevin Feige is the real villain of Multiverse.

I recently discovered watching MauLer’s take down of the film (I skimmed through it, tbh) that, as Waldron puts it, he was hired by Feige to come on board shortly after Derrickson left. Now that part I knew, as I’d been keeping up with the film’s production on and off since the initial announcement back in 2019. What did surprise me, though, was that they already had sets being built when Waldron came on board, meaning that not only were they still building sets that were made for the Jade Bartlett draft, it also meant that shooting was set to start soon. This meant Waldron was left to write a new draft with very little time to prepare (three weeks) according to him. And...well, this is where I’m actually going to defend the man for a moment.

Do I blame Waldron for performing the job he was hired to do? No. Unless your Harlan Ellison or (maybe) John Hughes, NOBODY can write a polished shooting script for a big budget film in three weeks. It simply doesn’t happen, and I put the blame entirely on Feige for that one. It’s INSANE for him to think that Waldron (or anyone for that matter) could turn in something worthy of being called a Doctor Strange film in that timeframe, especially when he’d already wasted time, resources and freaking MONEY creating standing sets and character designs for the original script that was discarded because he wanted his precious Multiverse saga, and couldn’t be bothered to wait another film or two before getting to that.

So yeah, I don’t blame Waldron for that.

That being said...I do blame Waldron for what happened after. 

It’s no secret that the film industry (Marvel included) was shut down for a bit due to Covid, and Multiverse was no exception. This means Waldron was given a second chance. He could watch the first DS film, read some comics, do a quick wiki search and figure out which Doctor Strange comics are essential to the character and which ones he should read to write a new draft. You think he did any of that? Nope. Of course he didn’t.

This is what I mean about how we’re heading into an age of writers who don’t seem to do any research. Instead of studying Bartlett’s draft extensively, reading up on some comics, hell, maybe even phoning up Benedict and consulting with him on basic DS lore, he doesn’t do any of that. Instead, he just makes up his own plot and makes Wanda the villain because “Marvel wanted a Multiverse movie, so I had to figure out who’d be a threat to it”, even though he could’ve easily re-worked Nightmare into his plot if he’d been bothered to look up anything about the character. I mean, dreams are established to be windows into the lives of one’s Multiversal selves, how hard would it have been?

And before anyone chimes in and says “Well, he was probably busy with other projects”, I’m sure he was. But guess what? If you’re a professional writer in any capacity? You’re ALWAYS working on several assignments at once. Especially if you’re freelance. And yeah, sometimes you don’t always turn out something great. Sometimes you have several projects going on, and you have to whip up something that’s not your best due to time constraints. It happens. But if you’re passionate about writing, you’ll still put in the time and effort to make something worthwhile. You’ll do research and try to understand the material you’re writing about. And if fail that’s fine, because at least you tried.

And Waldron very clearly didn’t. 

I’d hate to say “Don’t quit your day job”, but if you don’t want to put in the effort to improve your craft than maybe you should stick to being a producer, Waldron!

[prettywitchiusaka]

Is it just me or are we heading into an age of writers who seem to not know how to research the topic they’re writing about?

I say that because I look at a lot of writers on official productions nowadays and it’s like they sort of bypass that step.

For example, I discovered (recently) that the writers of She-Hulk didn’t actually research anything regarding what DAs do, nor do they have a legal consultant on staff to advise them about whether or not something makes sense, legally speaking.

And...I don’t know. That kind of rubs me the wrong way.

Maybe it’s just cause I’m old, but I remember back in the day when people used to criticize Stephanie Meyer (among other things) for not doing a lot of research for her Twilight series. And it’s something I took to heart and have tried emulating in my own writing.

I’m not saying you have to do a ton of research, but I do think a little research can go a long way. It can help you expand your world, make your character seems a lot more intelligent (especially if they’re in a specific field), give you ideas for potential storylines or problems our protagonists need to overcome.

And it just seems like a lot of writers, nowadays don’t seem interested in doing the bare minimum of what is even required for research.

And yeah, I know a lot of writers (especially in places like Hollywood) are constantly being forced to write to deadline. But let’s be real here, if you’re getting paid to write freelance or what have you, than you’re probably working on several pieces at a time. So don’t tell me you don’t have time to open a textbook and look up a certain topic because that’s bullshit!

Or maybe I’ve said too much...I don’t know.

Anyway, I’ve made my point so I’ll shut up, now.

[prettywitchiusaka]

No, I get what you're saying. I have the same problem sometimes where I have an idea, but really only just want to write a specific scene from it. My advice? Just write the scene, especially if it's something you're passionate about. And who knows? Maybe as you work on it your brain will start fleshing out parts of the story around what you're writing, that's what I find usually works for me.

Also, thanks to you, I now have the image in my head of Roy wanting to threaten the rabbits using his flame alchemy, with Riza having to talk him out of it on the grounds that the rabbits won't understand him. Plus, it'd be stupid AF no matter how skilled he is.

have not been able to shake a weird little idea that I have no idea how to start or how to end where the premise is: ~5 years Post-CoS or maybe longer, Ed somehow manages to get blipped back into Amestris (Al also, but he got tossed somewhere else) and somehow contacts Mustang and they just end up sitting in a bar trying to figure out How The Hell This Is Possible What The Fuck. Mustang is older and more mellow and that kind of freaks Ed out, who wants the familiarity of bickering with him in this desperately weird situation. They're both kind of cagey and don't know what to say and neither of them are very forthcoming about their lives.

Eventually they end up going back to Roy's home and he's got a nice house in the suburbs with a weird gravel driveway and there's a single porchlight left on, and Roy says "Oh, by the way, keep your voice down my wife is asleep" and Edward is like "who the fuck would agree to marry you lmfao" And Roy is just. Mmh. Because he's really not looking forward to Edward finding out he married Fucking Lieutenant Hawkeye.

The issue is that there's a clear story there, how did the Elrics get there? Where is Al, what is he doing? Etc. But all I want to focus on is, like... Ed as an observer to domestic royai moments LOL. Rummaging through all their pictures and trinkets. Sleepy Riza shuffling around in a fluffy robe in the mornings like a grandma. Roy trying to take up gardening and being in an ongoing war with the rabbits that are eating the shit out of their raised beds. The closed door that Ed is NOT allowed to look into that's totally not a half-built nursery that puts some of their suspicious behavior into perspective. Do you see my issue? I could tell a cool story but my brain is slop

[prettywitchiusaka]

Okay. So I have a theory on why I think they moved up Momiji’s curse breaking...it was for the scene between Kyo and Momiji on the roof.

See, I have a feeling they’ve rearranged these events so that they can move the “eureka” moment of Tohru realizing she wants to break the curse because of Kyo later in the season, and have all the big romantic moments between them in Volumes 19 & 20 happen before then.

Granted, it’s just something I think will happen. But if it turns out to be true I think that’s fine and works (in theory).

No, the problem is...well, everything where the curse is concerned.

First, it feels like there wasn’t enough time devoted to it. Momiji’s curse breaks, we go through Chapter 116 and then Bam! It’s over. I feel like they could’ve devoted an entire episode to Momiji dealing with his curse breaking and what that meant to him. Granted this explored in only one chapter, but they’ve taken stories that were only a chapter long an expanded upon them before, and I feel this was no different.  

Second, I feel that Momiji’s curse breaking this early...kinda lessens the impact of Shigure telling Rin that the curse will break at the end of Volume 18.  Yes, there were hints foreshadowing this revelation, but I feel this moment plays better if Kureno is the only one who’s curse was broken.

This leads into my final point...Momiji’s curse breaking is a pivotal turning point in the series, much like Akito’s gender reveal and Kureno’s secret is. It’s a sign (to the audience) that the end is coming. Not just for the zodiac, but for the series in general. Once this chapter passes the story heads into it’s climax and resolution. It’s escalation.

It’s why I...really don’t know how to feel about Momiji lying to Kyo about his curse being broken, when in the manga he just told him the truth. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read the manga (since we’ll be getting to those chapters shortly), but let’s just say all that foreshadowing with Kyo from earlier in the series comes to a head, and his learning his curse may break (allowing him to be with Tohru like he wants) is the match that lights the flame.

......................

I don’t know. I may feel different about this in hindsight when the season is over, it’s hard to say (at this point). All I know is that (for now) they really dropped the ball with this one.

[prettywitchiusaka]

That being said, I think this might be my favorite episode of Loki so far if not solely for the scene on the train.

Yes I love big action spectacle, too. Not to mention that long-cut camera work at the end was great. But honestly, I always love scenes where characters just sit down and...talk/interact, especially when it both gives us insight into their characters and helps move the story along.

[prettywitchiusaka]

Also, I love that (based on the white board questions) that SWORD is just as much in the dark as the audience. And that they have the same questions as we do.

It’s a fun way of doing meta without shoving it in the audience’s face, you know?

[prettywitchiusaka]

Yeah, I've said my piece about people not understand/caring to understand Stephen's character so I won't ramble. But I will say this.

At least Benedict Cumberbatch gets it; he gets that Stephen has grown more altruistic, and that his arrogance is (in large part) a defense mechanism for his trauma and insecurities, and fear he'll lose the people he loves. And despite how incomplete the arc Stephen has in MoM is, you can still feel Ben giving a shit and trying to make due because he's just that thorough.

Really, if Stephen Strange has any arrogance left in him, it should be one of "I know better than you" as opposed to "I'm better than you", which is where a lot of people get mixed up I think.

The fandom perception (largely thanks to the MCU) that Stephen needs to be humbled, put in his place, or taken down a peg is SO FRUSTRATING and unfortunately SO POPULAR. 😩

They don't know... They don't know Stephen is sweet and altruistic and passionate and...

The MCUfication of our faves

Could be worse, tho (like Wanda or MK or Loki or....)

[prettywitchiusaka]

Also I know I’m like the millionth person to bring this up, but...why DOESN’T Charlie know about the vampires and were-wolfs living in Forks!?

I can understand not wanting the general public to know about the existence of the supernatural, but given that werewolf's exist to protect humanity from vampires, wouldn’t it make sense (especially in a small town like Forks) for the local Gov’t and first responders to be in on the secret?

I know Meyer never intended for the whole vampire/werewolf “war” and what have you, but there’s a lot of great story potential in that, even if it’s all world building.

But if I had my way, you’d better believe there would be an entire side novella devoted to Rosalie’s resurrection as a vampire and her getting revenge on her rapists Kill Bill style!

The point I’m getting at is that we don’t live in a perfect world!