#also i just like creating what ifs about already made fictional stories

[littlealeta]

Imagine if Vincent's friends told Katherine all about Vincent's infidelity and problems with the relationship. I know this will open up a whole other can of worms with people having discourse about why people are having friend drama and getting all up into each other's business at 32 but again, I'm in it for the story, not the realism. And that would be some yummy ass friend drama and subplots.

We wouldn't have the secrecy (which causes the most controversy with the game) but at least we would have another fun conflict that would actually serve a purpose because I wished they did more with the side characters. I mean, some would say they were just as bad for enabling Vincent's secret affair while Vincent on the other hand, I can understand, he's going through a complicated and difficult situation. However, why not have Jonny tell Katherine about him, he values honesty in relationships and he cares about Kat enough to punch Vince for replacing her while Orlando is over here like "Why are you snitching on my friend you little asshole!"

[the-kingshound]

Sorry if this is a weird question to ask, but do you have any tips for getting into creating interactive fiction games? I’ve poked around with twine and things, but I’d love to hear your insights about creating a story/characters and making a narrative that supports player choices (if that makes sense :))

Ohh, I am so honored you came to me! I can give you the key points of what I learned in my time writing IFs, but I am in no way an expert so keep it in mind.

1) I think the very first thing you want to do is decide what type of choices will define the interactive aspect of your game. Basically, if you want the plot to be interactive, or if you want a linear plot with an interactive personality of the player character.

I tend to prefer the latter, but it all depends on what kind of variations you enjoy writing and planning most. Keep this choice always in mind when planning the choices in the story.

2) I think that, especially in IFs, it's important to plan ahead. I learned the hard way that, personally, without having a solid plan I get stuck while writing and cannot continue the story.

I have a general plan for the whole game, so that I can design the character development, what kind of stats will be important, and the general focus of the story in terms of themes. Then, I individually plan each chapter, and in my opinion this step cannot be skipped. You need the whole chapter already outlined before you start writing it, or, again, you'll get stuck midway.

3) what I find particularly tricky, and time consuming, is the process of trying to decide, through trials and errors, just how you want your scenes to be structured. This means which choices will be made available, and I often scrap or add things as I write, which POV is a scene going to be from (if you have multiple POVs) and when and how to cut a scene off.

This will probably involve rewriting scenes or options over and over. It's ok. Just keep working on it until you have a version that satisfies you and flows better than the others.

4) once you have done a bit of work on your game, you start to see which stats you want to focus on. An important thing for me to enjoy this part: I like to have MCs that have defining characters, that are semi-set. It makes it easier to write certain scenes.

But you also need to cut the stats down to the bare minimum. Players generally don't enjoy choices that have no consequences, or lead nowhere. Instead, focus on a hanful of variations (of personality, in this case) that can change the gameplay. For TKH, there are four variables that make up four archetypes for MC. And that's it. The other choices only involve interactions with the characters, in a platonic or romantic way. Or are things I can track easily (ex: sleeping on the floor/bed, cold/warm showers...)

5) one thing I think some games lack, is the focus on your MC. This makes for a more enjoyable experience for most players. You need to make your MC central to the story (while of course maintaining the other characters as separate entities with their own motives), to let them have an impact on story events, or other characters arcs.

[desultory-novice]

Is it strange that most of my KRBAY OCs are just either alternate universe versions of Tiff/Fumu, or immortal maneating spirits or ghouls who are manifestations of negative emotions which were felt by Tiff/Fumu? Just felt like asking someone who could give a proper response and even some advice, happy early new year though!

As far as I know, Tiff/Fumu is the most interesting character to come out of KRBAY, being a main character (THE main character? "Tiff, Tiff, Tiff, she's the star of the show!") who develops a very strong relationship with Kirby and the rest of the cast. She's also got a very strong personality, that can either be very endearing to people (her sassiness, intelligence, and strong moral compass) or grating (her lecturing and jumping to conclusions.)

<More below!>

So I'd say it's no surprise to want to explore a character who already has so much going on! (The only other characters I know of who get as much love in the fandom are the space mercenary girl, because she's got a cool tragic backstory involving Meta Knight and is just someone we've never really seen in Kirby before, and the GSA because that's basically free reign to make your own Meta Knight-alike/build on the briefly glimpsed personalities of minor characters and have them go on long space fantasy adventures!)

As for the man-eating spirits born of Tiff’s negative emotions, I can't say for sure but...

I mean, I imagine she gets a lot of hate from fans too? People who found her too preachy? So if you yourself identify with her strongly, or just find her the most interesting character in KRBAY...that could be a way to channel the feelings you've seen about Tiff in RL in an expressive fiction environment? Or your own feelings about your life! I don't know all the various terms for it, but identifying with a character isn't anything to be ashamed of.

(Strictly speaking, yes, there’s things you want to be careful of when you’re really close to a fictional character. Make sure to keep your own boundaries, find joy in your own life, and try not to let opinions about that character hurt you too deeply. Be respectful of other people’s feelings and takes. Know that some things you make/think are just going to be for you alone and will never be as meaningful to those around you, etc...)

But yeah! Go for it! I've drawn stuff based on something someone else said that got me thinking. I can see how all the discourse about Tiff would inspire a variety of interesting ideas/AUs/What-Ifs. Is she as hated in world as she is by parts of the fandom? What's she going to be like when she grows up? Better? Worse? All that risking herself and getting into danger... What if she found herself truly out of her element? And maybe you just want to explore what happens when a friend finds themselves put into a situation where they're made the antagonist to their old friend group? Or CHOOSE to become one? Mwahahahahahaha...!

(Just always remember to tag appropriately!)

Frankly, even though I haven't seen enough of the anime, I kind of like Tiff myself. And it's a shame because even though the anime has its problems, and is quite different from the Kirby we know and love now, it too was made with the love and passion of many, many people who clearly cared about it deeply! 

Yet, as there's no way to merge the anime and game canons together properly (even if their could be, I have my doubts that working in a 100 episode series from the early 00s is whats best for Kirby as a game series) she and the rest of her world are probably fated to be retired to the annals of history...

...and fanworks, which you're already engaged in! Go you! (1)

Probably the only point at which it becomes too strange is when you create a story/verse where all the Tiff-alike OCs meet up with each other and begin to create whatever it was that happened with the old, mega-cursed Onceler fandom in its latermost days, where it's now "illegal to be a Tiff OC" and they're all on the run from some evil government agency...?!?  (I have NO idea myself. I only know about the Onceler stuff thanks to Youtube.) 

But I've heard that even a section of Onceler fans ended up turning their Onceler OCs into -true- original characters after all that happened. Imagine if all your creative work with Fumu ends up leading you down the path to make an original book or a comic someday! The best thing about creativity is that it really can turn into ANYTHING!

---

(1) And cameos, like how she and Bumu showed up with Anime Kirby in the 30th Anniversary Campaign!

[sysba]

do what makes you feel comfortable lovely. as i said before i love learning about your ocs, and im really curious as to what your process of creation and developing them is only if you feel comfortable of course answering this of course, if not then feel completely free to ignore this ask, its no problem. 🥰

you’re too kind ahh 💖🥺 i do wanna start sharing more about them because it’s supposed to something fun instead of stressful sdjksdjsdksdj plus i love my ocs so they don’t deserve to have me cringing about them yk 😅

very long answer under the cut, it got away from me LOL

i’m not sure if i even have a process when creating them? or well, i guess i have habits, but i don’t always build up a character in the same ‘order’... for example, when it comes to ocs i make for shipping purposes i almost always start from the general concept. like, when i already know who their love interest is going to be, i pick the dynamic i like the most with said love interest and i get a general idea of what my oc’s outer personality is going to be; same thing about their look (because i love the idea of contrasting character designs). then i start from there and build a full character with their own story, motives, and so on to the point where they can exist outside of the ship (they won’t, but they could dsjksdjk)! some examples would be my ted lasso oc Jules, blooming panic mc’s or any of my anime oc (though the only ones actually well developed atm are Jun and Atsuko).

in other cases, as it often happens with interactive fiction, i go in blind and play with an ‘empty’ character, and as i check out the vibes of the story and see whether i like the bold or shy personality choices i get an idea of the general vibe of the oc. starting from the vibe i then pick a faceclaim (i have several saved lol) and a design/name/backstory/etc... until i can play again with a formed character! it’s a bit annoying to do it this way but once the first part is over it’s already so much easier to play because i just have to let the character be themself. it also helps in the case of ifs with a lot of romantic options, since i simply let the oc vibe and pick a ro they work with sdjkdskj best example is definitely my kim from body count, they got away from me and i love that for them. same with reyna from the when twilight strikes. it’s time (and energy)-consuming but most of the time this method leads to some most beloved characters of mine so i’m not mad about it.

the most challenging scenario is probably when i have to create a character from scratch/almost from scratch, so like, for original universes OR (rarely) for ifs without demos 🤔 the easiest route in these cases is usually picking whatever blorbo(s) are filling my brain at the time, mixing them up, adding some tropes i want, and then start from this sort of patchwork character and add details until it’s a proper original one lol this is how i got Freddie and his sister Ryuwon, respectively for the ifs ear candy and straight red. Freddie was originally a copypaste of an anime character, but they ended up having very different personalities in the end; i developed Freddie more when having fun with a friend and shipping our characters together, and because we made them as childhood friends i ended up developing Freddie’s whole family, including Ryu! It’s a bit different when it’s like, RO ocs for my own story ideas because in that case I don’t wanna be influenced by other characters so I just start with a patchwork of tropes i want to see (that’s what happened with Leir, while Odile was mostly born from a mix of gender feelings + BTS’ black swan obsession at the time 😂)

so yeah, this is usually how it goes for me! there are very few exceptions, such as Edith; she’s my most developed character of all time and yet she is Nothing like she was in the beginning. when i first started twc and had to make a character for it, the ‘edith blake’ i made was very um,,, girlboss? i don’t know how to say it in a nice way but she felt like a woman written by marvel/the mcu lmao i cringe just thinking back about it!! ever since, she went through so many changes that instead of evolving she’s simply a different character altogether. she now exists in a bunch of different aus (twc revised, the exile, original music shop au, cyberpunk dystopia au, cat cafe au, hallmark movie au, etc...) and she maintains consistent characterization in all of them so i feel like i have achieved full mastery of mx edith lol

or another exception would be, “characters that came to me in a dream”, like my demon oc Spice. obsessed with him, love his energy, but boy do i not know where tf he came out from 🤣

as you can see, my oc creation process is just. Chaos! xx

[interact-if]

Day 5 of the interviews! let’s give it up for Ligia! :chinhands:

Ligia, author of Love the Guard, Be the King

Latino Heritage Month Featured Author

Mathias' heart has been bleeding since his father, the former King, decided to punish you for his mistakes. As the youngest child of a lesser bourgeois, you were raised in the castle, between the King’s cruelty, the Queen’s friendship, and  Mathias’s kindness (or supposed kindness?).

Now, more than twenty Carnivals since your arrival, the King is dead and the Queen’s sickness  worsens each day. As the azure taint spreads in the kingdom and the Opalean Wars come to an end, it’s Mathias’s time to sit on the throne.

Will the docile Prince become a kind King, a violent Monarch, or a ruthless Tyrant? Will you have any say in it? And how much will your relationship change?

Love the Guard, Be the King Demo | Author’s Kofi | Read more [here]

Tags: historical, romance

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT)

Q1: So, tell us a little bit about the projects you’re working on!

With pleasure! Right now, I’m working on three main projects. My personal Visual Novel project, “Love the Guard, Be the King,” a second Visual Novel I’ve been secretly working on with a good friend for the past 10 months or so, and I also have an ongoing book series about hot, quirky supervillains—but I’ll focus only on the first two cause that’s what we’re here for, right? Hahaha.

LtGBtK is a really intimist experience, focused more on the MC’s and RO’s character arcs and how we can change depending on our experiences and how we feel about them. The entire plot happens in only four days, but it takes into account almost 30 years of history—basically Mathias’s (the only RO) entire life!

“Crystal Library” has mystery, romance, magic, 6 ROs, and a ton of memorable scenes already. I’m working on the graphics and the programming for this one, while Coco Nichole (@dreamybard), one of my favorite writers ever, is the brilliant mind behind the plot and all of CL’s characters! I can’t wait to share this one with you all. Romance is optional in both. :)

Q2: What excites you most about using interactive fiction? What are some of the biggest challenges?

What I LOVE and FEAR about all types of interactive fiction is how it invites players to, on a much deeper level, be part of the narrative. When reading books, we all work hard to translate beautiful sentences and scenes into images in your head. We interact with it, yes, but when playing IFs, we also explore the narrative in a different way; we have so much more agency over what happens! We sometimes have different paths to choose from, beautiful illustrations to unlock, or character traits that change depending on our choices… it’s amazing, and, IMO, it’s a very unique way to experience narratives.

But it’s also very complex, very demanding, and it can easily get out of hand if you give the players too many options/branches to follow, mainly when working with small teams or, in my case for LtGBtK, alone. *takes a deep breath* I just hope I’m doing a good job. .-.

Q3: What has been something in your project you’ve had to do a weird amount of research for?

Besides programming lol basically everything. For LtGBtK, I’m trying to create this weird fantasy with a modern-medieval society (?), so I’m constantly researching medieval customs, traditions, tools, and weirdly specific stuff like socks. Did people wear socks in the medieval era? What were their playing cards made of? When was ice cream invented? How did they shave? How did kids become knights? What were their perfumes made of? And soaps? What did they eat? How different was their wine? And what kind of materials or slang or fabrics can I use, and what can I change without completely breaking immersion?

 And then I shove all that into a pot and adapt it to a world where Mathias can literally put the world on fire with a wave of his hands. ♥

Q4: Which of your characters is most like you? How?

I think I’m a mix of them all, but mainly Mandra and Rafa (one of my main characters in my supervillain books). They have wildly different personalities and stories, but those two have clear views of the kind of person they want to be, they’re not afraid of their soft sides, and they are ready to work hard to become good at what they love. Rafa has a specially strong connection to her brother, like my siblings and I, and Mand is often locked in an eternal state of wanting to be alone and wanting to be surrounded by family/loved ones, so I guess we meet there too!

Q5: Does your heritage influence your characters as you create them? (How? Why or why not?)

Yes! There are the very basic ways, like habits, names, food, family dynamics, settings (mainly in my books, which are all very Brazilian), and Holidays. And then there’s a more personal way that I’m not entirely sure I can explain because I lived in Brazil for 28 years, and I’m not sure I can put that into words. The classics of our literature are different, Art, architecture, and music developed differently, my country was violently colonized and still faces the results of that violence (including but not limited to structural racism, classism, misogyny etc), I learned some Capoeira in my physical education class at school, we call non-Brazilians “gringos,” and so on. This is my normal, and this is what my characters would see as normal too, because I don’t know any different.

At the very core, all my characters are influenced by my country’s history, by our relationship with other countries, and by the values my parents taught me, passed down to them by my Indigeous-Spanish-Portuguese-German foremothers/fathers. :P

The main, more palpable way my heritage influences my characters, though, is through humor and theme. I think Brazilians have a very specific, sharp, and often very smart kind of humor that, IMO, stems from the type of history our country has, and the way we look at life, sometimes translating pain into humor. As for themes, I usually write about what makes me angry... and there’s a lot in Brazil’s history and modern society that causes me that. :)

But all I know for sure is that I want to show the world Brazilians are much more than samba and soccer.

 Q6: What is something you love to see in interactive fiction?

Other people! In the same way I add my history and worldview to my creations, I always approach stories thinking that there’s a whole, well, history behind them. And I love that! Also, I adore choices that feel impactful + good friendships and family relationships + soft romances with mutual respect. ♥

Q7: Any advice to give?

Hmm. Be proud and celebrate who you are and where you’re from. Learning and understanding the world inside us is a life-long process, so it’s always a victory to discover new pieces of ourselves. :) Also, if you can, talk to people that come from different cultures than yours to expand your worldview, don’t be afraid to be soft (the world needs more kindness), and please study personal finance. Seriously. XD

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss and Este Haim’s Friendship Takes Center Stage on That Thing I Do

On their new podcast, the musician-actors are picking the brains of fellow creatives about the passions that fuel and define them.

Darren Criss and Este Haim may have named their podcast That Thing I Do after the mid-’90s movie close to their hearts—That Thing You Do!, about the rise and fall of a fictional rock band—but there’s another film that seemed to loom just as large when creating their show.

“I think we’re like, slightly obsessed with the Sliding Doors moment,” Haim told Vanity Fair, referencing the 1998 rom-com that follows Gwyneth Paltrow’s character down two divergent timelines. “If you’re so incredibly passionate about multiple things, what is the thing? What is the event? Was there an event that made you kind of pivot and just go left instead of going right at that fork in the road?”

That pivotal crossroads is just one of the topics that Criss and Haim are eager to delve into on their show. Produced by Cadence13, That Thing I Do is a friendship-fueled quest to understand the passions, past and present, that have shaped the careers of other multi-hyphenate artists (Criss is an actor with a background in music, and Haim is a musician with roots in theater). In addition to lengthy, intimate conversations with celebrities including Carly Rae Jepsen, Evan Rachel Wood, and Reggie Watts, That Thing I Do mines Criss and Haim’s insatiable curiosity for all things creative to produce episodes that are as unpredictable as they are delightful.

As hosts, Criss and Haim tear through each episode like tornados: Accents are adopted, sentences are sung, and movie references and inside jokes fly hard and fast. Criss is a verbose, hyperkinetic storyteller, quick with a self-deprecating comment or quippy aside, and Haim is eager and unselfconscious, with a palpable enthusiasm for every guest and every possible subject. It quickly becomes clear that this is one of those friendships where the participants seem to more or less share a brain; where one can riff off the other, seemingly in perpetuity, about any number of topics without ever getting bored. And when a pair of celebrities find themselves so simpatico—especially a duo as funny and game as these two—what are they supposed to do? Not start a podcast?

That was more or less Haim’s thinking, after she and Criss started logging lengthy FaceTime calls during the pandemic that she increasingly felt would be entertaining to a wider audience. Criss, however, was more reluctant to start recording their conversations: “I said no so many times,” he said. “I really felt like I didn’t have time. But Este wore me down.”“I am pretty relentless when I want to do something,” said Haim, grinning. Haim, one-third of the eponymous rock band Haim, experienced her own “Sliding Doors moment” in her late teens, when after years of theater and dance training, she chose to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, for ethnomusicology, instead of pursuing drama programs at Carnegie Mellon or New York University. Over 10 years later, with a slew of Grammy nominations under her belt, music videos directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and a life spent performing alongside sisters Danielle and Alana, there’s no question that Haim loves what she does, and takes it seriously. “I try to work at my craft every single day,” said Haim. “So at least I have that. I definitely try to stay creative every single day. If it’s not me writing lyrics, it’s me, you know, singing ideas into my iPhone.” But she’s still open about a “hunger” for acting and dance that she feels is still important to nourish, however and whenever she can. She reminisces about taking an improv class at the Upright Citizens Brigade in 2017, and her love of the Suzuki and Viewpoints methods of acting, both movement-based techniques that draw on an extreme awareness of the body. She claims she still interrogates actor friends about their experiences working in avant-garde theater (she charmingly calls these conversations “offline podcasts”).

Haim’s passion when talking about physical theater surprises even Criss: “We’ve talked a lot about stuff, but we’ve never really talked about [Suzuki],” he said. “I want to talk about that in the podcast, because we get to learn new stuff about each other every week.”

That real-time revelation speaks directly to Criss and Haim’s goal with That Thing I Do—to create a space where artists can speak to all parts of themselves, and bring previously unknown or underappreciated areas of passion and skill to light. “One of the things that I always love finding out about artists who I think are so incredible in one field is that there’s usually a seed somewhere else that is just as potent,” said Criss, citing recent interviews with Thundercat, in which the musician revealed his background in visual art, and Maya Rudolph, who majored in photography at University of California, Santa Cruz, before becoming a Saturday Night Live all-star, as prime examples. “Having an artistic spirit is by its nature very amorphous. It usually comes with a lot of roots that go other places.”

That interconnectivity of talents is something that Criss, an Emmy– and Golden Globe Award–winning actor (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) deeply relates to. As he describes it, each thread of his creative expression is inextricably linked to the other: “When I’m acting, I’m composing music, the way that dialogue is put together has rhythm, cadence, speed, tone, pitch,” he said. “There’s things that are very musical and compositional about the way that you deliver dialogue. So to me, it’s all kind of the same stuff. It’s all one body of water that can take different shapes.”

That’s not to say he hasn’t wondered what his life might have been like had he prioritized one of his skills over another at a certain time, imagining his own Sliding Doors plotline. “I often wonder what would have happened if, when I was 22 and I was getting attention from major labels and acting wasn’t happening, music was happening—would I have been a Shawn Mendestype?” said Criss. “But I don’t mind the expense that I’ve paid in not doing those one things, like, volumetrically. I now have a collection of a lot of things that have lower visibility, but higher passion and gratification.”

To that point, That Thing I Do doesn’t dwell too much on the could-have-beens and what-ifs, as tempting a thought exercise as it may be. He and Haim are more interested in finding the common threads between their own experiences and that of other creatives, and seeking the “why” behind the artistic choices their peers have made. Haim also reveals a less lofty, ulterior motive behind the pod: “This was also our evil plan to make new friends.”

And while both multi-hyphenates may have just added yet another commitment to their already very full plates, both appear energized by their newfound vocation as hosts—and to have a dedicated space to simply shoot the shit with each other. “I think we’re just getting started,” said Criss. “And I think Este would say the same.”

[arcadia-city-stories-if]

Hey there. Do you have something like “my top 3/5/10 IFs”? What are the ones you enjoyed reading the most?

Ooooh I live for recommendations so I can absolutely name a couple! Although I admit I don't have a specific number or ranking system lol it's just gonna be ones that come to mind so consider this to be just a vague pointing of *that one*

Under the cut cos I'm chatty today apparently lol

On COG the Samurai of Hyuga series is probably my favourite. I know it can be a little controversial because of some of its content, but I personally fell in love with it, the last book made me cry actual tears when I finished it and let me tell you that is *rare*

On Steam I'd highhhhly recommend the Sorcery! games. There's four of them in total and while some people have said to me that it doesn't count, I just don't agree lol. It's a good IF and is visually very impressive as a bonus on top.

Now onto the ones that matter - the Tumblr WIPs!

I'll recommend 3 that are a little further along, and 3 that are early(ish) into their demo release because otherwise we're gonna be here all day lol.

The Golden Rose by Anathema Fiction

If you haven't played it then you're just in time for the impending release of the full game! I'm genuinely so excited to see where the story goes, it is *epic* in both scale and story telling and the MC is just *chefs kiss*

Fernweh Saga by lacunafiction

I really enjoyed the original demo, it was one I immediately put onto my high priority watch list and I couldn't wait to see where it was gonna go. Then it was updated, and that interest dug its claws into me and now won't let go lol. There's so much to love, the weird home town, the characters, the creepy eldritch horror style dread that unfolds with every step you take. It's all just beautifully done lol.

Blood Moon by Barb Writes

You like werewolves? You'll love this. It's sweet, simple and, honestly, pretty flawless. There's something about the writing that just immediately sucks you in and immerses you in the story from the get-go. I genuinely love the characters, but Marco's route especially is just... *sighs* I just love him so much lol.

Demo releases -

Project Hadea by nyehilism writing

There's just not enough sci-fi IFs in my humble opinion and this one is polished to perfection. The whole thing plays out more like a movie than any other demo I've read and it looks and feels *incredible*

The Exile

I know I said early in their demo releases, and this one is, but there's already so much content here lol. The characters, the tragic and mysterious backstory, the angst, the chaos, the unknowing dark entity lurking in the back of your mind... All of it is just a perfect refining of all the little tropes I love wrapped up in a beautiful bow by an incredibly talented writer and worldbuilder.

Larkin

This demo is so fucking good ya'll. Con men, cowboys, and vampires, what more could you want? From the setting to the set-up, it's all just so stylish and well done. The Preacher is probably my favourite MC you can create amongst the demos available, the choices are just so well rounded and fully realised that they feel like a real believable person from the second you take control of them. 10/10 would recommend.

Bonus rec!

I know you didn't ask for it because technically it's a VN but Perfumare by PDRROOK but it's soooo good lol. It's also a precursor to a full IF release so it counts in my book!

Was about to hit post and now I've thought of so many I could've talked about so honourable mentions go to Attollo, Remember You Will Die, Diaspora, Scandal, Mind Blind, When Twilight Strikes... shit there's so many lol.

I think, after all these words, my answer should have just been 'All of them.'

[p-and-p-admin]

Interview given to The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.  (sharing here Admin approved)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/

Hello Aurette and welcome to Behind the Quill, thank-you for letting us get to know you a little better.

I'm deeply honoured to be asked.

A true titan in the world of SS/HG fic, many of our readers will have broken their hearts over your story The Tattered Man.

Okay, let’s jump right in.

What's the story behind your pen name?

Honestly, it was a whim. Long before I thought of writing, I needed a login name to read fanfic. It was a play on Auror. I had no idea it was an actual name.

Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most?

Hands down, Snape. I know that might sound strange, but he was the one that clicked. My niece introduced me to the books. Being in my 30s at the time, I already had kids of my own, so I didn't identify as one of the students. I loved Harry from the start but he had this uncanny ability to keep being wrong about nearly everything. The character who best expressed adult annoyance with that was Snape. And I do love a good jerk. Snape was a jerk.

Do you have a favourite genre to read? 

I'm a sucker for fantasy and science fiction. I hated reading as a child. All there was available when I was a kid was Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and it was insipid. I glommed on to mythology early but once I'd read all the books in my library on the subject, I gave up reading at all. That was about 4th grade. Children's books in the 70s were total garbage and YA books only had one author: Judy Bloom.

Ironically, my first job was working in a bookstore. It was a college bookstore, so it was all textbooks. I wasn't even a student, so I had no interest in any of them. One semester. A Lit prof assigned Fahrenheit 451. The cover art caught my eye and I read the blurb. Then started reading the book. I finished it in about 5hrs. It blew my mind. I had no idea writing like that existed. And the book was about someone discovering the value of books. It was intellectual Inception waaaaay before that was a thing.

After that, it was like a switch flipped in my head. I sucked up books air. I was never without a book or two. Or three...

Do you have a favourite "classic" novel?

Obviously Fahrenheit 451. I'm going to go ahead and say Les Miserables as well. I was in my 30s when I finally read it and sobbed like a baby at the ending. The care and tenderness Hugo showed when portraying these disposable lives were so unique for that age. Sadly, even today. A lot of our culture is wrapped around the belief that only the wealthy have value and beauty is a pathway to wealth. The poor and ugly are a constant plague to be shunned or dealt with, not humans with crushed dreams that deserve to be valued in their own right. Look at how often fanfic recreatesSnape as handsome or Hermione as gorgeous. Those are always the least interesting stories. (hops off soapbox)

At what age did you start writing?

Whatever age I was when I wrote Safe House. Probably 40ish? That terrible little fanfic is literally the first thing I ever wrote beyond shopping lists and emails. It's an ugly child, but my first, so I love its pointy head. I intentionally leave it up so new writers can see my learning curve. No one starts out good. Read my stories in reverse chronological order and you'll see they get a little worse each time. That's how much I grew as I learned the craft.

How did you get into writing fanfiction?

Reading tons of it. I was at a total loss after the book Deathly Hallows came out and it was all over. Reading it had become an event in my house. My husband and I would snatch the book out of each other's hands "You've had it long enough. My turn." And then there were no more...

I couldn't even tell you how I found fanfic, but it kept me sane. I keyed in on SS/HG because at the time there was a noticeable difference in the talent level in that ship. I must have read SS/HG fanfic for a solid 2 yrs before I took a leap and wrote my own. I was inspired by the amazing stories, but also by the crappy ones.  "Heck, I could do better" became its own form of allowance. So I had a small 'what if' and just went for it. Of course, it was crap, everyone's first is. But taking the leap and writing it was a huge thing for me to have done.

What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works?

I'm a sucker for a story where characters overcome emotional adversity, both external and internal. If you squint. You'll see that theme repeated throughout my fics.

What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter?

None. Nothing else ever grabbed me as a sandbox I wanted to play in before or after HP.

If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon?

Gosh, I don't think I would change a thing about JK Rowling's work. Things I would change would only be me forcing her story to fit my preferred ideal. However, if you think about it, her world, the good and the bad,  challenged all of us to churn out 100,000+ what ifs. Some out of anger. Heh.

As for fav piece of fanon, probably that Malfoy jr was Snape's godson. He's totally not, but whoever started that created a great layering of the dynamic between them that you can share in so many tones.

Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet?  

I was a stay-at-home mom when I was writing most of my fanfics, so I wrote in a chaotic and very noisy environment. I didn't listen to music when I wrote, but music was often the inspiration. When I would get stuck in writing, I would leave it and go listen to music that was emotionally similar to where I wanted the story to be while I thrashed out plot points. Colossus by Afro Celt Sound System is amazing for plotting a prelude to a battle.

What are your favourite fanfictions of all time?

Gosh, there are so many. Sadly, many of the authors who first inspired me are gone and pulled their fics off the web, like my fanfic bestie Dressagegrrrl. I would have to call out Pet Project by Caeria as the one I found most inspiring.  Anything by ApolloniaV is pretty high up there in my book. There are dozens I'm forgetting. There was one called Resurrection Man about Snape accidentally creating a hilarious Zombie apocalypse. Best. Fic. Ever. It disappeared from the web when the author moved on. An incredible loss.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process?

Total pantser. The obvious effect is to drive the story right off a cliff and be unable to salvage it. It's why I vowed to never start posting until I had a rough draft ending. Too many dead stories waiting for an ending that never came. But an outline for me is a killer in disguise. I lose interest in telling the tale because I already did in the outline. The fun part is over. Sitting at a keyboard typing your fingers off, while muttering, "What the hell are these people doing? Who's writing this stuff?!" is an amazing experience.

What is your writing genre of choice?

In fanfic, I ran with every genre there was. Mostly I wanted to see if there was one I couldn't tackle.  Most of my o-fic is a hard-to-define mishmash of fantasy and sci-fi. I want to write romance, but it always turns into something complicated and angsty that no longer fits the box.

Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why?

The Tattered Man.

Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote?

It came off exactly as I'd planned in my head. A rare occurrence for me.

What did you learn from writing it?

I could make people cry with my words. Up to that point, I'd made readers laugh and yell and blush, but to get a reader to the point of actually weeping? That's not easy. JK Rowling did it with ease. It was a challenge.

How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write?

It's very personal. My father had just died.  He'd had cancer, and it might have got him in the end, but what actually killed him was being sent home with a feeding tube and the wrong instructions. None of the homecare nurses realized the mistake until his kidneys shut down. It was devastating. When I next took up writing, I was still hurting so I tried to make others feel what I felt at a death that didn't have to be. It was crazy easy to write. I wrote it all in one day. Based on the reviews, I achieved my goal. It helped me work through my loss. Pretty sure I gave a few readers PTSD. My bad.

What books or authors have influenced you?

My all-time favourite book is Iain M. Banks' Use of Weapons. Definitely a classic among the eighteen people in the United States that read it. The man was a shockingly gifted author and I was devastated when he passed away. His ability to just drop you into the action from the first page and not bother to explain what's going on is sadistic genius.

How do you think that shows in your writing?

It led to my belief that a writer is always better when they assume their readers are smart. Grab their interest and just run. They'll catch on and even pass you with their theories of what's going to happen next. I've no patience with stories that spell out everything in minute detail. They're tedious and insulting. Less really is more. On the other hand, writing over your reader's head is just as annoying. Intentionally using obscure SAT words in your story just makes you a pretentious twat. Unless your character is a pretentious twat and it's part of the dialogue.  In that case, twat away. *gigglesnort*

Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction?

My family all knew. They were tremendously supportive. Especially Mr. Aurette, my personal Snape. Outside of my family, I was less forthcoming. Mostly because it was so crazy hard to explain. I think it's a lot less weird now, but back then? It was far more stigmatized.

How true for you is the notion of "writing for yourself"?

That's a hard one. For someone who'd never tried to write a story before, it was an amazing journey to realise what I could do. That changed me forever. Having the instant feedback of reviews was intrinsic to that experience. The downside is you can get sucked into writing for reviewers, and they will tell you clearly what they want and expect.  That can stifle. I knew no one wanted The Tattered Man to end the way it did. I was pretty terrified of the reaction. But it's what I wanted. It was the entire point. I wrote that ending for myself, but I cowered after posting.

How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media?

I absolutely loved interacting with my readers. I made some real-life friends and some really great fic buddies all over the world. I watched them become friends in reviews too. It was a really great experience. Spam-posting a fic would often take on a festival atmosphere. Unfortunately, when my review count started to really take off, I couldn't cope with the sheer numbers the same way. There weren't enough hours on the day to reply to everyone. Trying to personalize my response to a review grew overwhelming. I actually grew quite depressed over it. Connecting on a more removed, professional level seemed cold. I connected the most on Livejournal when that was a thing. But I had to back off. "Aurette" became far more witty and wonderful than I was in real life. Everyone wanted a piece of her. I couldn't keep up with the bitch. Lol.  I faded away from most interactions on social media out of self-preservation. Even tiny fame can make you whacko.

What is the best advice you've received about writing?

There's a few that come to mind.

1-If you want to be a better writer, kill every adverb you come across.

2-Read your words out loud to yourself. If you run out of breath, your reader will run out of patience at that exact point.

3-Dressagegrrrl was the one that finally made me see how playing POV ping pong within a scene was something that marked my writing as an amateur.

4-Stop trying to be clever. Be clever, if you are clever, but don't try. It comes off hamfisted every time. Readers hate that.

5-Never, ever, ever post something you wrote that day. You've left half of it in your head and you can't tell. It's awful.

6-If you're not even a little embarrassed by something you wrote 6 months ago, you're no longer growing as a writer.

What do you do when you hit writer's block?

That's a bit of a sticking point. Stress is a muse-killer. Anything you can do to rid yourself of stress will help. Writer's block is usually the result of something going on elsewhere in your life. Fix that and the creativity will come back.

That said, my life has turned into constant stress with the result being I no longer write at all.

Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing?

Everything has. 'Write what you know' is true for fantasy too. Whether it's heartbreak, or a drunken hookup that turned into love (Hello, Mr. Aurette) or a moment when you were a child and ignored or teased, or maybe the bully, all of it makes it's way into the emotional truth of a scene or character, no matter how outlandish the setting.

Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser?

I have a Dropbox full of stories I've run into the wall or had to leave half finished, both fanfic and o-fic. No teasers, because at this point I don't think they will ever see the light of day. Never say never, but the light of hope is dim.

Any words of encouragement to other writers?

Anyone can write and everyone has something to say. Be open to the process. Part of that process involves having a stranger tell you that your shiny new love is really shit. Being defensive only prolongs your shittiness. Embrace criticism. Sometimes,  the process of justifying something can actually buttress your choice, so you double down with better results. Other times, you'll see your idea wasn't working after all. Be ruthless in your editing, but don't delete. That scene you cut because it caused everything to go off the rails could be a different story trying to get out. Take that leap, you fail at everything you don't try, so why not try something you really want?

Thanks so much for giving us your time.

It's been my pleasure.  Thank you for the opportunity.  *waves to my readers*

[missfinefeather]

Conversations with my Screener: Genre Savvy

missfinefeather

Thank you! Sorry for intentionally dropping an ask bomb on you! xD

wakraya

It's okay! X3 You're the one who's gotta answer all of these

wakraya

Your take on it though, I can see it! And it made me realize WHY it's hard to pin-point it

Homestuck treats a lot of the things that happen in the story as the natural development of the world.

missfinefeather

Hehe, yeah

wakraya

Like, the game creating a Universe and the Kids, the temporal paradoxes

wakraya

From the perspective INSIDE of the comic, it is Sci-Fi

Because it's the natural route of the future of that setting

But from OUR perspective it's Fantasy

Because it presents a weird and new fantastic world

missfinefeather

Ooh! That is a thought! Also doesn't help that Fantasy is Scifi's twisted sister. They all fall under the umbrella term of "Speculative Fiction" and because of that they have A LOT in common with each other. I think that's why a lot of people gravitate towards tropes to separate the two.

wakraya

Yeah! They’re basically the same kind of concept of 'what-ifs' but set with different general time-period-looks

And in a lot of ways as it was argued once

Any technology sufficiently advanced

Is indistinguishable from Magic.

missfinefeather

Another reason Star Wars is considered more Fantasy. In Star Trek, you see the inner workings of the ship. If you pay attention to certain episodes, you can see how it all works. Hell, I once had someone point out how the elevator works based on the sounds it made. Meanwhile in Star Wars, outside them tossing fake words around and pulling on wires, a ship is just a thing that gets them around. It might as well run on magic

wakraya

Yeah :o

Which in a way may have also helped set up the obscene popularity of Star Wars and the conception that Star Trek is more cerebral and nerdy.

missfinefeather

Hence why newer Star Trek movies have been trying to take a page from Star Wars

wakraya

I'd never given it much thought!

missfinefeather

Genre usually exists to evoke images. Like if I said "Western" you immediately have a grasp of what I'm talking about. If I say "Space Western" you'd get a very different image, but you already have an idea what you're in for

missfinefeather

Hence why we have so many sub-terms. If I called Harry Potter a Fantasy, you'd think it was set in something like Middle Earth. Hence why it's often referred to as "Urban Fantasy." You immediately think of Fantasy elements in a modern day setting.

It's... pretty much a marketing tool when I boil it down to that... huh...

wakraya

More like a classification tool I'd say.

missfinefeather

I'm a total nerd for this kind of stuff btw.

wakraya

It's really interesting :3

[defiancerpg-blog]

Congratulations VAL, you have been accepted as VULPECULA with the faceclaim of NAOMI SCOTT and the DOPPELGANGER MORPHING ability!

Notes from the Admins: Ellie and Tasha:

We had some really hard decisions for multiple skeletons during this acceptance, but this one was certainly the hardest. Both were very much in line with how we envisioned Riaan. But ultimately it was yours that we felt fit the most. I (Ellie) just fell in love with the little details of who Riaan was to you. Your headcanons really stuck with me, the emphasis on her pronouns and the little line of freckles and then I really love their answer to the power question (the shapeshifting one especially), but it their answer to the final question that sold me on your app. I (Tasha) have to agree with Ellie, the little details are what really pulled me in. As much as I wanted to hear your version of how the family was, I really loved that i didn’t get to. To me, I felt like that pulled me in and I am a fan of your writing.

You have 48 hours to send in your blog. If you haven’t already joined the group discord then you may do so now (if that’s your wish) [x]. Once you have turned in your blog, you will be given a role that will allow you access to the private channels regarding plots/characters. Please remember to do everything on the checklist, and also we just want to thank you for joining this roleplay. We hope your time with us will be a fun and memorable one!

OOC INFORMATION

ALIAS & PRONOUNS: Val, She/her

AGE: 25

TIMEZONE, ACTIVITY LEVEL, & RP EXPERIENCE: TZ: EST Activity: I have a full time job on first shift, but since i’m not involved in other rps atm I have plenty of time to be active, and should easily be able to meet and excede activity requirements. I typically do my writing early in the morning before work, or after dinner. My one concern is the opening date, because I’m going on a pre-planned vacation from April 5th to April 9th (WALKERSTALKER CON CHICAGO!). I’ll have limited access to a computer, but I will have my phone so I’ll at least be available for plotting and getting to know people via the discord server during that period. If you’d rather wait to review my application until the 9th or 10th I understand that as well. RP experience:  I’ve been roleplaying since 2012 in several fandoms: HP, the 100, TW, TWD, etc. I delved into indie for awhile, but definitely prefer rpgs. A couple of my past blogs are: http://nickbeckett.tumblr.com/,  https://seakept.tumblr.com/,  http://auroragood.tumblr.com/, https://kylexbennett.tumblr.com/

BASIC IC INFORMATION

SKELETON: Riann Foster (Vulpecula- The Little Fox)

FACECLAIM: Naomi Scott, Liza Koshy (Though she’s known for youtube, she does have an acting career including series regular for two seasons of the hulu series Freakish), Alia Bhatt

AGE: 24

ORIENTATION: Demisexual.

ORIGIN: New York, New York (Queens)

NOVA TYPE: Corpus

ABILITY: Intangibility- The ability to pass through physical matter, though difficulty increases as the density of an object increases. If the whole body or part of a body becomes tangible within another object, the object would have to expand outwards at a detriment to its own form (explode, etc) but could potentially cause extreme physical harm to the user, depending on the property of the material. Shapeshifting (Doppleganger Morphing)-  The ability to change one’s personal appearance to identically mimic that of another human being that they have seen before. This user cannot create a completely new form, nor mimic any superpowers should they morph into a nova. The longer they stay in the altered form, the harder it is to return to one’s true self. (I don’t actually have a preference for either, I love both abilities as possible for them)

THE INTERVIEW:

So, tell me a little bit about growing up. What was your childhood like?

“I moved around a lot, I guess…” Riann’s arms crossed lightly over their chest, anchoring their hands in place rather than allowing them to fidget nervously. Memories, both fond and disheartening, flashed through their mind, but they couldn’t help but wonder how much their verbal answers even mattered.  Could this AI detect a lie? Could it determine the truth by analyzing their brains waves, their temperature, or other physiological responses? Did it matter? “I don’t know, I, uh… I was never bored, that’s for sure. Had plenty of extracurricular activities. Learned a lot. Didn’t starve or anything. That’s all you can ask for, right?” It’d be remiss to say they weren’t hesitant to give this AI personal information, particularly to ensure the safety of their makeshift family. A career criminal couldn’t afford to admit all faults. Despite them living in a world of uncertainty- where they’d sleep the next night, what they’d eat, when they’d eat, if they’d all make it home safely- Riann had grown numb to the anxiety stemming from the unknown. What they remembered most about their childhood was the laughter, the hugs, and the beautiful night skylines. Their teen years were a bit more rambunctious, especially as the NPA loomed closer and closer, but the way they saw it, their life was their life and they’d learned not to live with regrets and what-ifs. “I mean, like anyone, I had a bit of a rebellious streak but… It all worked out.”

What about your relationship with your family?

A small smile spread across their lips as Riann let out a warm chuckle, leaning back more casually against the wall as they relaxed. “I have three older siblings and they, uh, well they made sure I knew I was the youngest. Didn’t get much alone time, but I didn’t want it either.” How many times had they been delegated ‘look out’ or done surveillance checks on a mark for their siblings before anything actually went down? They were a cute child, slight in stature and innocent looking, and lying had become second nature to them, ingrained in them from their earliest memories. Fictional stories became so real to them that it occasionally took an extra moment for them to slip out of a character, but that’s what made them good at it, and kept them from having to actively participate in thefts they found morally wrong. Plus, it allowed them a bit of alone time to explore their own Robin Hood type interests. “But I mean, we got along fine, I guess.” They loved them. Their siblings and “adoptive” mother were their home, at least, they had been. The seeds of resentment and abandonment from being left by their biological mother so young were mostly trodden underfoot by the loyalty and love they learned from their family, but sometimes they couldn’t help but wonder, couldn’t help but indulge in anger when they thought about the sperm and egg donors that actually created them. Maybe their family wasn’t perfect, maybe they didn’t function the way others thought was healthy or stable, but for a long time it was consistent, and without that, who knew where Riann would be. “They… still think I ran away with some boyfriend, headed for Miami. And that’s for the best.”

Are you the only Nova in your family? Or were your parents Novas too? What about any siblings?

“They’re human.”  And as far as Riann was concerned, that was the end of the question. As far as they knew, they were all as human possible, and they’d continue to believe that so long as it kept them safer. But were their biological parents novas? Did they have any biological siblings? They couldn’t know. Didn’t want to. They shrugded their shoulders, mounting  nonchalance on their features. “”It’s just me.”

What’s your ability like? Is it easy to control or harder? Do you even like it?

A heavy silence fell, weighing down Riann’s pause as they tried to sort out what exactly they wanted to say. “It’s, uhm… It’s sort of… instinctual? Like once I make the decision, it just happens and  I can’t- I can’t stop it halfway or control it. But… it’s not hard.” Every morph was like a milestone as they wore others’ bodies. In a way, it solidified their comfort in their own skin, as this body felt like home. Like them. Their appearance could change on a whim to that of an existing person, and they were the wolf in sheep’s clothing. They didn’t belong there. The freckles on their arm were the only thing that stayed in tact in their new form, and they often used them as a focal point for changing back to who they were. What was worse- the longer they stayed in a different form, the harder it was to get back. The freckles disappeared one by one as time went on, and Riann had only ever stayed in one body for up for 16 hours before getting so scared of losing themself they had to change back for a few hours for fear of being lost totally to this stranger forever. It was a dark time, a long con at the beginning of their journey to the Sanctuary, and they could distinctly remember the loss of foreignness in the new skin, the comfort and familiarity settling in, hoping to cement them there forever. Riann shook their head to clear the intruding thoughts before finishing their sentence. “It’s, uhm… it’s a cool party trick, that’s for sure. Always win charades.” And that was true; amongst the novas it was easy to get sucked into the game and posture about their ability, flirting with the danger just ever so slightly, but Riann preferred to err on the side of caution. The ability was extremely useful for concealing their identity, or protecting themself, and it made them quite good at the former job, but they’d never admit how each passing hour felt as though they were inching closer and closer to their own identity’s death.

How would you describe your personality?

"I look out for myself,” they concluded. “I have to. I think I’m….” A light chuckle escaped their lips, grin growing across their face, “Wow, I almost said nice. I’m not nice. It’s such a stupid word. But… I care, and I think that kinda comes through. Maybe I’m… I don’t know, a bit too blunt, but I think you have to figure out what’s going to push people away, and what they’re willing to deal with, you know? Does that make sense? I don’t like wasting time or energy, and you gotta go with your gut about what or who is worth it.”

What do you think your greatest strengths and weaknesses are?

“Wow, I guess both my greatest strength AND my greatest weakness is my selfishness. I look out for me, and the people I care about, and I dunno… my own moral compass? But I’m not trying to be a hero.” They paused for a moment, realizing the error they’d made: admitting to caring about others, like they could be used against them, and pointing out their usually self-servitude. This new “home” was still unexplored, and they couldn’t be certain how long they’d be staying. “Also I can’t take a joke.” It was a half-truth. People within their circle had miles of slack, but anyone they didn’t trust couldn’t expect the same wiggle room. There was a certain amount of satisfaction associated with pointing out flaws in logic, even when it meant not accepting a “joke” as something funny.

Where and what were you doing the day the Nova Protection Act was enacted?

“God, I don’t know…” They shifted nervously then, rearranging their arms in front of them. Honestly, they couldn’t quite remember- bigotry and disdain from others had always been a part of their life, whether it be because they were poor and on the streets, or a person of color, or just plain female-passing, they were more than used to the ugliness of society to take note of the “important” day the world gained yet another reason to turn against them. “I was… probably eating ice cream in Staten Island or something. Wasn’t a big deal.”

Did you immediately run? Or did you try to obey the law and report to the Anti-Nova Force?

At the question, the couldn’t help but actually laugh. It was a dry, cynical laugh, one that rang hollowly in their chest, but a laugh all the same. “Yeah, like I’d turn myself in to the same people who’d “randomly” search me at an airport. I didn’t have to do anything. Nothing changed.” Other than the fact their existence officially put their family at risk for more than just being black market thieves. It was one thing to face prison time, and quite another to put their family in danger of detainment just or being associated with them. Looking back, that was exactly the day the left, but they made sure not to leave any indication it was because of the NPA.  Instead, that fateful day, they’d announced to their family they and their boyfriend were headed for the warm weather of Miami.

How have you survived this last year and a half or so? Did you have any help or were you all alone? How did you find Yalena’s Sanctuary?

"When you have the skills I have, it’s not too hard.” They pushed off from the wall then, choosing instead to pace a bit. This interview was getting tedious, and they were beginning to feel closed in. Uncomfortable. The nervous energy was coursing through their veins and they needed some way to work it out.  “I knew people who knew people, and when I wanted in, I found a way. That’s how transactions work.”  They weren’t about to disclose the favors they exchanged for information, or the people involved. The truth was that though their family had a reputation amongst the black market, they had one with its own standing as well. A few skeptical questions, and a bit of calculated risk in admitting to some stranger what they were had gotten them the key to sanctuary, and that’s what mattered.

It’d taken a long time getting from New York to the Sanctuary. Hitchhiking, mostly, plus a few long bus rides, and a train or two, but the passing days just brought them closer and closer to “safety.” Eventually they found a scout (or was found, it was hard to tell), and the rest, was, as they say, history.

What were you doing when the raid happened? How did you respond to the flood of Wardens? How quickly did you go through Yalena’s portal?

"I was… uhm…” Riann paused a moment, concentrating. What had the been doing? Something inconsequential. Something benign. Something completely disrupted by the ruin of the safety they’d imagined they had. Was it playing cards? Riann enjoyed counting cards, and loved to use the skill when given the chance. That was probably it. Something lazy. They couldn’t remember exactly, because the trauma of it all being ripped out from under them was something they didn’t want to acknowledge.  “I know I was with other people- I don’t do that a lot, just hanging out, so I remember that. And then this guy, he… slumped over. I saw the dart. Or maybe… it wasn’t a dart. Maybe it was a bullet wound.” They couldn’t remember clearly; perhaps in the nights spent afterwards they’d justified a bullet wound as being a dart to ease their conscience. They couldn’t be certain whether the figure had slumped over in sleep or in something far more permanent. Despite being focused on themself, a great deal of guilt followed them for not doing more that day. “And then there were wardens everywhere. I ran. I heard… screaming.” Panic. Pure panic. “I saw Marisol go through the portal, and I heard someone yell for help. I… watched them fall to the ground. And then, I ran. I…” They knew they could’ve brought more people through. Could’ve at least tried. “I did what I had to do.”

What has living in The Imperium been like for you? Do you feel safer than before? Is it better or worse than on the run, or Yalena’s Sanctuary?

There was an audible pause, silence reverberating with the thoughts collecting in Riann’s mind. Their weight echoed with such strength it was a wonder the AI hadn’t already read each passing thought as it grew.  Finally, they let out a defeated sigh and rolled their eyes, settling on indifference and sarcasm for their response. It was too poignant, to real, to say what they really felt. “There’s no wardens yet, so obviously it’s a 10 out of 10…” False flattery was a go-to of theirs when they didn’t want to be honest. In the back of their mind, they wondered whether or not their satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with their new home could get them booted and back on the streets. Alone. Truthfully? They felt caged. Locked in. Imprisoned with a group of people they mostly didn’t trust, and half they didn’t like. Perhaps it’d be easier to be back on the streets, but at least here their wrist wasn’t going to get scanned at any given moment. They couldn’t tell which they missed more- the safety of being surrounded by similar individuals in the sanctuary, where at least they could be themselves, or the rose-tinted memories of being at home with people that, whether they truly knew Riann or not, they knew they were loved.

“So long as you don’t turn into the terminator, I guess I’m good here.”

The last question. If war broke out between Novas and the humans, which side will you be on?

"I’d be on the side that keeps me safe.” Their answer was pointed and clear, but it didn’t quite explain. Riann’s ties to the human world were something they wouldn’t want to ever speak of, but they’d also made at least one friend within the group of novas, and maybe that was enough. Maybe the idea of coexistence was so long gone that they’d have to side with the novas, knowing that they could never truly belong in the human world. When push came to shove, Riann would choose their kind, but they didn’t want to admit that, even to themself. The idea of belonging to something bigger than them was both incredibly enticing and terrifying.

CONNECTIONS:

Tell us your feelings on their provided connections/relationships and also any other connections you’d be interested in exploring outside of those already provided.

The Hare- I LOVE their friendship. The idea that someone somehow, pushed past the walls Riann has built up and has become important to them is so special.  I don’t think Riann would be capable of functioning if they were truly alone for a long time, so this connection is in a way vital to their survival. It’s important enough that I don’t think even Riann understands the gravity of what their feelings for the Hare means, or what they’d do to protect that connection. Since I interpret Riann as demisexual, this is the type of relationship I’d see a possible romantic future in (be it unrequited or not), so I’m definitely excited to see where it leads, but it could also definitely be entirely platonic, familial even, depending on the chemistry and what going on with Marisol, so I’ll just say I’m excited either way.

The Raven- With the personality traits prescribed to Riann, and their history, I can see this being a super interesting connection. Depending on the plot development, I could see the raven bringing out Riann’s more cut-throat nature, but the way I see it, the Raven is one of Riann’s enemies. They trust their gut too much, and will never really be able to trust the Raven. That being said I wanna throw them together as much as possible because who doesn’t love bringing out the worst in their character?

Other connections- I would like to see someone become almost mentor-like to Riann, or vice-versa. They really do havea great capacity to love, it just takes a lot of time to get there, and I want Riann to CARE about others. Preferably several others. In a variety of capacities. I also want someone to just dislike them- with Riann’s personality, it’s completely plausible. They’d definitely question and distrust anyone with authority over them (they even did with Yalena, to an extent, but there was a level of respect with her not afforded to many).

HEADCANONS:

Riann has a series of 6 freckles down their inner forearm that form a nearly perfect line, and traces them subconsciously if they’re really overwhelmed as a sort of grounding mechanism.

Most of the time, they use they pronouns, but occasionally will identify as especially female. As such, I’d write them mostly as they/them, with the occasional she/her thread, but maintain whichever pronouns I start with through the duration of that thread.

They LOVE spice. Curry especially, but they’ve been known to chow down on hot asian and latin foods as well. Not only do they have a taste for it and enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with the scovilles, but growing up, the spicier their food was, the smaller the chance anyone else would try to eat it. Their affinity was born of necessity, but they’ve grown to truly enjoy a good hot sauce.

CHANGES:

n/a

DETAILED IC INFORMATION

(OPTIONAL STUFF; THIS IS ALL MERELY SUGGESTIONS, NONE OF IT IS REQUIRED)

Character tropes and archetypes related to this character: Bunker Woman, Affectionate Pick Pocket, The Artful Dodger,  Friend in the Black Market, Karmic Thief, Little Miss Con Artist Other: Defrosting the Ice Queen/The Power of Friendship,  Hidden Heart of Gold, Anti-Villain,

Goals: I’d love to see Riann swing towards an extreme- their self-interest keeps them rather neutral politically and such, but the right plotting could make them go Good™ or Bad™ and I’m so ready for EITHER. I want them to make someone mad and get their ass kicked, to show them they’re not quite as independent and strong as they think they are. I want their morality to be put to the test, and have to choose between saving a life and killing, or the consequences of doing nothing in a situation where they can do something. I want them to deal with authority figures and get to a point where they accept that authority figure. I don’t see Riann as a leader, per say, but they’d make a great sidekick eventually, and then, depending on the long run, it’d be interesting to make them step up as leader as well, but that’s not what I see in the immediate future.

I made a mockblog for them (sideblog to this one to reblog inspo and such): https://vulpeculamockblog.tumblr.com/

ANYTHING ELSE?

I also answered the ability question for the doppleganger morphing because I also think it’s really cool, and would love to play with either!

[rhodrymavelyne]

I just shared one of my favorite quotes. I figured I’d also share one of my unwritten crazy fannish ideas about this story. 

I’ve already posted this article as Flights of Fanciful Fandom: Tanith Lee’s Night’s Master at rhodrymavelyne.dreamwidth.org. 

(Warning, these contains spoilers for Tanith Lee’s Night’s Master. I’m no longer sure if it’s in print. I found my copy at Logo’s used bookstore back in 1990.)

Often, I’ve gotten upset at the way a favorite book of mine has been altered in a movie or a TV show.

At the same time, I’ve had some crazy ideas for alterations myself.

Night’s Master by Tanith Lee is one of my favorite books. I absolutely love it. It’s one of the many works of fantasy which inspired me in my own retelling of fairy tales and legends.

I’ve been getting the what ifs with regards to that story. What if Sivesh had lived? What if Azhrarn had stalked and pursued his former beloved across the Flat Earth?

What if Sivesh fought back with all the wonderful powers at his disposal?

What if Azhrarn and Sivesh never truly stopped loving each other, in spite of their estrangement?

These questions gave me an idea for a truly bizarre alternate universe with these characters.

Sivesh is going to a high school or university with Kazir and Ferazhin, two other characters from Night’s Master. In fact, he’s formed a menage a trois with them.

A number of magical mishaps occur at the school, instigated by Azhrarn and his agents. Azhrarn wants Sivesh back. For Sivesh, as in the canon, was raised in the underworld as Azhrarn’s brother, son, beloved.

Sivesh still has all of the gifts and trainining he received from Azhrarn. All of this would come into play as he protect Ferazhin and Kazir from Azhrarn.

He understands Azhrarn better than anyone, the way his wickedness unfolds.

He also still loves him. This would allow him to fall into Azhrarn’s hands more than once, who’s quite the masterful seducer of unparalleled beauty he is in the canon. Sivesh wouldn’t be able to keep from yielding to the temptation of these seduction. There would be hot m/m demon/human encounters whenever this happened.

Often the seduction would contain a trap, a snare, a way to bend Sivesh to his Azharn’s will. To lure Sivesh back to Azhrarn’s world.

Sivesh finds it impossible to ignore the call of the sun, or the warmth of new friends’s love. He can’t ignore Azhrarn either.

One change would be in Azhrarn. He’d still be capable of great wickedness, but Sivesh has softened him a little. This softness makes him reluctant to destroy his boy…yet.

For Sivesh is his boy. It causes Azhrarn a certain measure of pride when his boy is able to outwit him, or foil one of his schemes.

The boy is too interesting to destroy. Not only is their pride, but there’s interest generated by Sivesh’s willingness to yield to him, mingled with his unwillingness. This maddens, frustrates, and intrigues Azhrarn. He’s not willing to give up on Sivesh, not as long as his boy amuses him. Or so he tells himself.

Azhrarn wouldn’t be so solicitous towards Sivesh’s companions.

Yes, Ferazhin is Azhrarn’s creation, like in the canon. He created her for Sivesh. She chose to leave the underworld and go to school with him. She’s now learning all sorts of tricks to fight his minions.

Azhrarn would happily crush her, replacing her with a more compliant flower.

Ferazhin is no longer so easy to crush. She’s discovering that she has powers at the school. A mysterious mentor is coaxing them forward, teaching her how to use them.

She’s getting strong enough to fight at Sivesh’s side. Plus, she encourages Sivesh at every instant to appreciate the sunlit world.

Yes, Azhrarn would happily crush her. She’s not the one Night’s Master truly hates, though.

That honor is reserved for Kazir.

Much as he was in the canon, Kazir has been blind from birth, yet sings like an angel. Yes, he was drawn to the underworld by Ferazhin’s tears.

Only she cried because Sivesh was reluctant to leave the underworld, even though he yearned for the sun. She wept for its light.

Kazir found the cursed necklace made of her tears as in the canon. He also saw a vision of Sivesh as well as Ferazhin.

In this version, he comes to the underworld for both of them. He sings his song to Azhrarn, which reminds the demon prince of his need for mortality. He lures both Ferazhin and Sivesh to follow him up into the light.

Azhrarn never forgave him for this. Nor for singing that song.

He plots his revenge against Kazir, Ferazhin, and the school, while Sivesh does his best to protect them from his former lover’s wrath.

Other denizens from Tales of the Flat Earth might show up at the school. I’ve often wondered if Chuz didn’t run it. Scions of the gods might be there, who take more of an interest in things than the actual gods themselves.

The school might be an experiment these scions are running.

I’ve also played with the idea that Sivesh’s father might have been a Prince of Amber. Yes, a cross over with Roger Zelazny’s Amber books. It particularly works with the Amber roleplaying game. The idea playing Sivesh or a character very like him is very attractive. Perhaps the world I described would be Sivesh’s Shadow which he lives in.

A happy ending for this alternate universe would be if Sivesh chose a Persephone type of solution. He spends half of the year in the underworld with Azhrarn and the other half with Ferazhin and Kazir.

This would quell much of Azhrarn’s malice at the school.

It’s a story which has never made its way into a fan fiction, but plays around in my head, popping up when I least expect it.

How about you, dear reader? Got any fanfic ideas which haven’t made it into story form, but continue to haunt you?

[gastro-nomique]

6 Steps to Starting a Kick-Ass Book Club

My word for this year is “reading”. More reading for me, for my kids… I may even drag my husband along for the ride. First, though, me.

I decided a few weeks before Christmas that my first step would be to join a book club.

The source of numerous benefits for all sorts of people, book clubs can be especially rewarding to moms who struggle with making time for their own pursuits. A scheduled time to socialize that also compels us to pick up a book and force a little “me time” once in a while- such a good idea!

Despite my enthusiasm, I had a hard time finding a book club in my area to join. That meant I really only had one option, to start my own.

The idea both excited me and made me nervous. Founding a club can be a lot of pressure! So I did what I always do when faced with something new, researched and planned.

Today I’m outlining my strategy for starting an amazing book club of your own. I’ll do my best to update you guys on how it goes!

  6 Steps to Starting a Kick-Ass Book Club

  Step 1 – Find Your People

This was the most straight-forward part for me. Once the idea of a book club started percolating in my head, I began casually mentioning it to people. When you look around, there are lots of places you can recruit members.

My group ended up being mostly neighbors but if I didn’t have enough interest there my plan was to cast my net wider to friends, friends of friends and moms at my kids’ school and sports teams. Starting a book club is actually a great way to reach out to someone you’ve been hoping to get to know a little better.

Also, don’t forget to ask the people you invite into the group if there’s anyone they would like to include, another great way to meet new people.  

Step 2 – Figure Out the Best Way to Communicate

There are lots of ways to communicate amongst groups these days. Since our group ended up with a very manageable 10 members, I kept it super simple and sent all communications via text, or email if I needed some kind of participation from everyone (see step 3).

For larger groups, you can start a private Facebook or Slack group.

  Step 3 – Set Up the Deets of Your First Meeting and Pick Your First Book

Once we had everyone signed on and ready to go, I sent out an email with two objectives; to find a meeting time that worked for everyone (for the I used Doodle) and a book everyone wanted to read (for that I used Survey Monkey).

In picking our first book I wanted to make sure it was something people wanted to read and hadn’t read already.  I also wanted to use the selection as an opportunity to get an idea of the kinds of books our group would like to read throughout the year.

I made a list of 20 books, ranging in topic and type, and used Survey Monkey to ask each member to click “Read and Liked“, “Want to Read“, “Read and Didn’t Like“, or “Don’t Want to Read“.

I did my best to cover lots of different types of books from fiction and memoir to self-help and young adult. I didn’t want to make any assumptions about everyone’s interests!

Using the responses to the survey, I was able to find a book that nobody had read but we all wanted to, Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, and to get a good idea of the direction the book club would be heading in.

If you’d like to create a similar survey, here is the list of books I used:

A Man Called Ove

When Breath Becomes Air

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

The Underground Railroad

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

The Girl on the Train

Station Eleven

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Me Before You

Yes Please

The Giver

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japenese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Commonwealth

The Martian

My Life in France by Julia Child

All the Light We Cannot See

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

One in a Billion: The Story of Nic Volker and the Dawn of Genomic Medicine

Vinegar Girl

Next on the list was where to meet. I am fortunate to have a meeting space available to be reserved in my neighborhood. For most clubs, though, this initial email would also be a good time to poll members on where they want to meet.

Good options include rotating between members’ homes, reserving a library space, or meeting up at a local restaurant, coffee shop, or wine bar.

  Step 4 – Plan to Feed ‘Em and Keep ‘Em Happy

The first meeting is definitely the most stress-inducing part of all this. There are so many what-ifs. What if the group doesn’t gel? What if it’s too social and no one talks about the book? What if we all want to talk about the book but no one knows how to start?

For us, the best place to start is good food (and good wine). Since we aren’t meeting at a restaurant that means we have to bring the provisions ourselves.

Make it easy the for the first meeting and simply ask everyone to contribute something to eat or drink. If everyone shows up with a bottle of wine and nobody brings food, you can pass around a sign-up sheet for the next meeting to even things out.

  Step 5 – Help Everyone Prep for a Successful Meeting

I’m the type that does much better with a little preparation. Meaning I’m much more likely to have a thoughtful answer to a reading guide question if I’ve been stewing over it for a while than if it’s sprung on me after a long day of working and carpooling kids around.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

I’m planning to do a quick google search of reading guide questions for our book and to email them to everyone in the group about a week before we meet.

Along with the reading guide questions, I’ll also send them the results of the book survey. I’ll rate all positive responses to a book (“Read and Liked” or “Want to Read”) with a value of 1 and all negative responses (“Read and Didn’t Like” or “Don’t Want to Read”) with a value of -1. Then I’ll score each book accordingly.

So, If 3 people read and liked The Girl on the Train and 1 person didn’t want to read it, that book’s score would be 3 + -1 = 2. (I know, who knew there’d be so much math involved in book club?!)

The idea is to compile the results and send the list out to everyone ordered from highest to lowest score so we can all see what the group as a whole is interested in reading.

Finally, I’ll remind everyone to bring something to eat or drink and ask them to come prepared with three selections for our next book.

  Step 6 – Have a Loose Agenda

I’ve done my fair share of public speaking and group leading but I’m still not the type that loves running the show. To keep things moving, and still be relaxed, a general plan is a must for me.

Here’s my strategy for our first meeting:

Give everyone time to socialize before diving in. I’m going to set a timer for 20 minutes after everyone gets there on my phone. When it goes off it will give me a natural time to ask if everyone’s ready to dive in.

Warm things up with an Ice Breaker. I’m gonna play this one by ear. If it seems like we’re ready to go to book mode I’ll skip it. If it feels like we need something to help us transition, this book-themed pass the hat game is a nice way to do so while getting to know each other’s reading tastes a little better.

Lead off with one of the reading guide questions. This is the time in the evening where there’s the most potential for things to go south. I’m really hoping for a book club that sparks enthusiastic conversation about books but I’m definitely not looking to make everyone feel like they’re back in 10th grade English class. To strike a good balance, my plan is to start off with the juiciest question from the list and hope the conversation flows from there. I’ll probably bring a couple copies of all the questions and leave them in the middle of the table in case we get stuck but I’m stopping short of passing them out to everyone at the meeting- just feels too formal for the vibe I’m going for.

Do some club housekeeping. Once the book discussion wraps up, it’s a good time to poll members on how often and where they’d next like to meet.

Give something away. For an extra bit of fun, I’m going to draw someone’s name out of a hat. The lucky winner will get a copy of The Mothers; pages 100% intact, cover 30% chewed by my new puppy.

Select your next book and moderator. The lucky door-prize winner will also be the person in charge of leading the next meeting and helping to pick the next book. She will give her list of three book selections, along with a brief synopsis of each, and the group will vote on what we want to read next.

That’s it! My six-step recipe to book club success. Once we get the ball rolling we made spice thing up more but, for now, this feels like a good plan of attack.

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  More from MPMK

Virtual Book Club: Happier at Home

How to Find Time to Read as a Busy Mom

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