#and is it me or is there something very Logan Echolls about Ben?

[scabopolis]

*chants* E, K, R, Z

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? 

I didn’t create this cracky/hilarious thing, but I think I inspired it! And then you took the idea and ran with it, you utter genius. 

I wrote this VERY REAL CONVERSATION Rob Thomas had with his writers while writing Mr. Kiss and Tell. (My tags on this post make sad AND lol at the same time:  #can you tell i just finished mr. kiss and tell #mkat spoilers #book: mr. kiss and tell #rob thomas #i might be done w/ new canon #i don't trust this dude - HOW RIGHT YOU WERE, 2015 SUZANNE).

And then here I processed my reaction to the L/V ATTB scene in the movie via Monsters Inc. gifs, as one does. 

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc? 

I already talked about our boy Logan Echolls here, so let me take this chance to mention our other boy, Chidi Anagonye. 

I think that Mike Schur’s way of doing character arcs/development is so interesting because rarely do the arcs of his characters go from “person never cared about anything!” to “person cares about things!” I guess, perhaps, that’s Eleanor’s character arc but I think hers is actually a little more complicated (though that’s a subject for a different time). 

No, what Mike Schur does really well is move a person from “person cares about things in a way that prevents them from getting the things they want!” to “person cares about things in a way that is more in line with who they are as a person!” And I think that arc is very well done with Chidi. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom? 

There are so very many but here are a few with one thing I like about them!

Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation - I love how they’re basically the adult equivalent of two five-year olds sharing snacks out of their lunch boxes and being like “I don’t know anything about you, but we’re best friends now.” Very sweet. Very funny. 10/10. 

Pam Beesley and Dwight Schrute from The Office - I haven’t rewatched The Office in a hot minute, but I do remember that the first episode that we really see the Dwight/Pam friendship is an utter delight to me, and the little snapshots we get into their dynamic are such a true highlight. 

Michael Cordero and Rogelio de la Vega from Jane the Virgin - There were many issues I had with the later seasons of JTV (which is in large part why I stopped watching it), but my love for these two knuckleheads is unparalleled. They make me laugh, they make me smile, they make me wish for a Michael/Rogelio spinoff show. (Also, one of the big failures for what they did is that when they brought Michael back, THEY DID NOT HAVE HIM INTERACT MEANINGFULLY WITH ROGELIO. HE NAMED HIS DAUGHTER AFTER MICHAEL. I MEAN....)

Alexis Rose and David Rose from Schitt’s Creek - This is hands down the best sibling relationship I have ever seen on television. Would watch the reality show where the two of them travel across the country in a Drivers, Diners, and Dives type show. 

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I am having all sorts of thoughts, opinions, and feelings about what happens to character relationships when they transition from best-buddies with a will they/won’t they dynamic to a romantic couple. Specifically how the show dramatically changes the nature of their relationship, often in a way that is so ... lackluster? unsatisfying? disappointing? 

Couples with this unsatisfying shift, in my opinion, include Nick/Jess (New Girl), Jonah/Amy (Superstore, I presume...I am pretty early into the season but I’ve noticed a shift), Luke/Lorelai (Gilmore Girls, not to mention all of Rory’s relationships and maybe even Sookie/Jackson to a certain degree), Mindy/Danny (The Mindy Project), J.D./Elliott (Scrubs). 

I think what happens is that the elements of a good flirting/pining/will-they-won’t-they dynamic rarely carry over into the romantic relationship. And, if they do, they are immediately given this emotional heft to them that take a lot of the fun out. How many couples in the will-they-won’t-they stage have an episode or multiple episodes where they’re very distracted from their real life commitments goofing off, or hanging out with the person they’re pining for? Once they get together, those episodes somehow no longer exist. As if...once a couple gets together they stop flirting? stop wanting to spend time together? stop wanting to go on stupid dumb adventures and be their utterly dorky selves? 

For example, if in their pre-relationship phase person A routinely made fun of person B’s clothes, and made them go shopping, and person B grumbled about it the whole time but secretly loved the attention - once they start dating if that exact scenario were to happen, it would be much more likely that person B would not love the attention. The show would be much more likely to have person B conclude that person A wants to change them, and won’t accept them for who they are. Basically, even in shows where the couples stay together post will-they-won’t they, fun is ultimately cashed in for commitment. “These two people don’t flirt anymore because they’re together!” these shows say. “Remember in their will-they-won’t they phase how every almost kiss and kiss had this tension and catharsis and passion? Now that they’re together kissing is obligatory and doesn’t matter and is DUMB!” 

What is this? What are these writers relationships like? Why can’t couples keep flirting once they’re committed? Why can couples only see their partner as the one they confide in when they’re not together? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!

(And then there’s the exceptions, those couples who I believe maintain a key element of their dynamic upon getting together. These couples include Ben/Leslie (Parks and Recreation), April/Andy (again Parks and Recreation), Jake/Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jim/Pam (The Office), Janet/Jason (The Good Place) and yes I am demonstrating my huge Mike Schur bias - I AM AWARE!)

[paceypeternathanslawyer]

Another Top 10 Male TV Characters (In no particular order)

I posted something like this before but I added some favorite characters and I had to get my feelings down in writing :) You can read my other post, but in summation, the characters I mentioned before were: Gilbert Blythe, Lenny Bruce, Logan Echolls, Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington, Shawn Spencer, Burton Guster, Stanley Barber, Luke Danes, and Jim Hopper.

Pacey Witter (Dawson’s Creek)

I’ve found that my top 3 favorite male characters have something in common. They’re all funny men with a deep sadness underneath. Logan Echolls, Gilbert Blythe, and Pacey Witter. Pacey is such a kind guy. He is so caring and comforting. He is also so funny, snarky, and sarcastic. But then there is that vulnerability that he has and it’s so appealing. Pacey is this strange combination of complete confidence but also having a strong streak of insecurity. There’s this scene in season 1 where Pacey opens up to Joey and tells this story of how when he was 8 years old he lost a game of baseball and his father yelled and screamed at him and called him a disgrace. The next day he overheard him tell Pacey’s brother about the events and his father said “at least I have you.” The way that Joshua Jackson delivers that is so heartbreaking and makes you want to give him a hug. Joey and Pacey are far and above the most entertaining and interesting characters in all of Dawson’s Creek.

Jim Halpert (The Office)

Jim is such an important part of The Office in my opinion. He's the type of character that all those mockumentaries need. There are so many crazy characters and they need some normal characters that you can relate to. Yet Jim is also far from boring. He's hilarious and an extremely entertaining part of the show. Also John Krasinski is the freakin best :)

Ben Gross (Never Have I Ever)

Ben  Gross is another character like Logan and Pacey who is funny and yet also has a deep sadness beneath all of it. You really don't start the season feeling too much sympathy for his character. Though I don't believe it's right to demonize Ben more than Devi. When the show starts they are very antagonistic to each other and they both say hurtful things to each other. But when Ben starts caring about Devi, he does not look back. Ben would do anything for her, even drive in bumper to bumper traffic even though he's terrified of it. In episode 6, we see Ben's home life for the first time. That's when collectively so many people started to feel immeasurably sad for Ben. He puts forth this facade at school, but we find he just a sad and lonely boy who deserves all the love in the world.

Nick Miller (New Girl)

Nick Miller is iconic. There's a reason that he was trending on Twitter 9 years after New Girl began and 2 years after it ended. I could never find the reason he was trending aside from the fact that he some classic and iconic lines and a lot of people are discovering the wonderful world of loving Nick Miller. Nick is an absolute gem and in my opinion the best character in New Girl.

Maxwell Smart (Get Smart)

Maxwell Smart is such a deservedly beloved TV character. Max and Get Smart are so important. So many of Max's lines have entered the English lexicon and taken on lives of their own, such as "Would you believe...," "Missed it by that much," "Sorry about that Chief," and "I asked you not to tell me that." He's hilarious and no can play him as well as Don Adams.

Lucas Sinclair (Stranger Things)

Lucas is such an underappreciated character. On Youtube there is next to no tributes to his character. He's always been amazing but season 3 really brought him up to a new level for me. Lucas saved the day at the end of the season. I would also say that El's humanity and how she got through to Billy helped save the day. But it was Lucas' idea to use fireworks on the monster and that was huge. Plus he had the heroes entrance. When they reveal who is throwing the fireworks and Lucas says "Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!!" It's a truly iconic line for an iconic character. Actually Lucas continually saved everyone's asses in Season 3. Also he's so funny... especially in season 3. I feel like the writers did a good job of shining a light on Lucas and giving a lot more to do. I love that we got to see Mike and Lucas' friendship as well, we've heard so much about it in past seasons, but to finally see the friendship in action was supremely important.

Dustin Henderson (Stranger Things)

Dustin is a precious ball of sunshine and must be protected at all costs. He has the sweetest smile and the kindest heart. He’s also a literal genius. If your ever in a bad mood just google his name it’s just what you need to brighten your day :) Side note. Gaten is a comedic genius already!!

Winston Bishop (New Girl)

Winston Bishop AKA Prank Sinatra!!! Lamorne is such an amazing addition to New Girl. There are so many classic Winston moments, like his love of “puzzling.” His inability to do a prank without going way overboard or not going far enough. I also love the scene where he gets the glasses that counteract his color blindness, his excitement at seeing different colors for the first time is so pure!!

Jerry Helper (The Dick Van Dyke Show)

Jerry Helper is such a dynamic person and a lot of that is thanks to the fact that Jerry Paris (who plays him) is so dynamic. I think the saddest thing about TDVDS is that Jerry had less of a big part of show as it went on, because Jerry Paris became the main director of the show. It was his dream to be a director, so i’m happy for him, but it just means that he directed more of the episodes and acted in less of them. Jerry and Millie were perfect for each other, they were both such entertaining people and I loved their relationship on the show. In a lot of shows there’s always the token couple who seems to hate each other and fight bitterly. Jerry and Millie were the type of couple who fought all the time, but the unique part is they truly love each other as well. The way it’s written you get the impression that they fight passionately but they also make up passionately.... do I need to write Jerry and Millie fanfiction? I think I do ;) Side note: were Jerry and Millie the first couple on TV to go to marriage therapy? I feel like they were, which is another way that The Dick Van Dyke Show was ahead of it’s time.

Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli (Happy Days)

The fucking Fonz!!!!! Icon!!!!! I don’t think there has ever been a more iconic character in all of television. It’s been said that after The Fonz talked about getting a library card in an episode the amount of library cards being issued spiked dramatically. Supposedly the library association said that it spiked by 500%, whether or not that exact amount is correct, it points to just how popular The Fonz was. His leather jacket is in The Smithsonian museum. But the The Fonz is not just cool, he’s also an extremely interesting character. Sadly he was abandoned by his father and by the sounds of it also his mother. He was largely raised by his grandmother since the age of 6. He dropped out of high school and he joined a gang. Fonzie is an incredible man and he adopted a son out of wedlock because he wanted to give a kid a better childhood than what he had. He truly was a symbol of kindness and he was the coolest fucking character to ever exist. He was a proponent of civil rights and advocate for people with disabilities, and he even learned sign language so that he could communicate with a woman who was hearing impaired. Henry Winkler was nominated 3 times for that role. Since then Henry has gone on to other amazing roles. He had a part in Arrested Development, he plays Jean Ralphio’s father in Parks And Recreation. And most recently he finally won a much deserved Emmy for his role in “Barry.”

[sneakyasaspider]

Tagged by: @radar-technician (You are going to make my heart burst, Mads, you sweet woman. Thank you <3 )

What is your total word count on AO3?

22632 (But I’m updating one of my fics tonight hopefully so it’ll go up roughly 3000)

How often do you write?

I write as often as I can. Working full-time makes it so it isn’t always daily, but I spend my entire day off chained to my laptop to make up for it.

Do you have a routine for writing?

If it’s a new story then I sit down and write an entire outline with chapter by chapter breakdowns and then I make a full playlist of songs that belong to that fic. Once that’s done, I pull up my breakdown in one tab, my designated music playlist in another, and finally the fic itself. Sometimes I deviate from the outline a little bit or I want to listen to something a little different. If it’s late at night or I’m exhausted then I usually have an energy drink of some variety. I don’t like to stop mid scene if I can help it, so much of my fics are done in three sittings. The first draft, the beta reading, and then edits/rewrites.

What’s your favorite kinks/tropes/pairing?

kinks: Oh no, there are so many hhhhh.Tantric sex. Sensory overload. Exhaustion. Praise/worship. Semi-public/Risk of getting caught(don’t @ me). Fingers in mouth???(Also don’t @ me). Dirty talk. Lawyers. Professors. Deliciously sophisticated and in a suit god yes please.

tropes: enemies to friends to lovers/pretend couple/mutual pining/ust/crime aus

pairing: reylo is my #1 right now. But I also adore LoVe (Veronica Mars x Logan Echolls), Kanej (Kaz Brekker x Inej Ghafa from Six of Crows) and HanLeia was my first OTP ever so it holds a special place in my heart.

Do you have a favorite fic of yours?

My favorite fic of mine is one that I haven’t posted anywhere. I spent hours plotting it out and laying everything exactly how I wanted only to decide that maybe I shouldn’t post it because it’s super self indulgent and edgy for no reason. It’s an AU with a detective Rey Kenobi on the hunt for Ben Solo, famed neurologist who worked for a shady pharmaceuticals company and is the man who killed Luke Skywalker. BUT, my eternal WIP aside, I’d have to say that I’m still in love with this ficlet featuring a cape wearing Ben Solo who isn’t Force sensitive and was practically raised by Lando Calrissian(The one true love of my life.) I hope to someday make something bigger out of it. Maybe when I finish my current AU.

Your fic with the most kudos?

My piano AU Found a Flower in a Field of Weeds has the most kudos. It’s my first long fic on AO3 and is still a wip. I’m fairly new to the writing game so none of my works even have 100 kudos LMAO

 Anything you don’t like about your writing?

I dislike MOST things about my writing. I used to write a lot more confidently when I was younger, but I had a few people who I cared about a lot tell me that I was a terrible writer and that I should just stick to what I’m good at. I struggle finding balance in keeping my writing from being too wordy/boring. I’ve been told that I suffer from purple prose syndrome and so I’m VERY paranoid about it.

Now something you do like?

I love the process of making a story. The hours I spend plotting out these stories are the best hours of my life. I LOVE reading, so it brings me that most amazing feeling to know that I’m writing something that someone else might want to read. Character growth and exploring AUs are my two favorite things in this whole wide world and I love that I can do that.

Tagging: @hyperphonic (Because Featherweight and all of your lovely ficlets are SO wonderful <3)