#bc I’m a playwright

[lunarrosette]

I have learned (I already knew) that domestic shit makes me so emotional. So I humbly ask nark fanfic writers…. Domestic post canon…… OR I’ll probably just do it myself

[anarchoarchie]

this week i get to help workshop this new play that’s in development and it’s literally so cool to be a part of the process it feels like helping someone raise their newborn baby i want to do this forever and ever

[fatespalm]

solemn vow to never be complacent or meek around things i feel strongly about again — to at least start the conversation even if i don’t have the words to talk back exactly to a poisonous idea — in kind, to pick up the thread if someone else does the same — tired of letting evil shit unfold —

[judas-not-that-one]

i’ve not read a book since like August :(

i just need to get back into it. i just need to read something

[manichewitz]

update: we had our two performances this past week!! it was amazing!! there was a photographer taking promo photos for it, and when those are released i’m definitely gonna post some of them bc yall the production design was incredible. its hard to put into words how special it is to see a story that you could only experience with sound be taken into the 3D world with sets, costumes, and lighting. like i rly got to see my besties martin blackwood and jonathan sims in real fucking life!! and also it was amazing to see how the story rly took on a life of its own just by changing the medium from podcast to theatre. about 99% of the audience had never seen nor heard of TMA before, and that made the whole thing better tbh. its amazing how taking this little slice of the whole podcast out of context changed the story but also really emphasised the core themes. like the themes of loneliness and surveillance really go to a whole new level when you’re watching someone alone on a big empty stage being watched by a full audience of people. its so fucking cool. i wish i couldve gotten a video or something to send to jonny and alex but alas 🤷🏻 it still exists in my mind and the minds of everyone who saw it and thats fucking epic!! im so happy!!

it truly has not hit me yet that the play i wrote based on the magnus archives is actually getting staged. like in a few months there will be actors performing my play in a theatre and people are going to see it and i will be a legit playwright. holy fuck

[sarafangirlart]

Andromeda’s race/ethnicity and why it’s not inaccurate to interpret her as black/African

Now you’ve seen how I draw my babygirl as Afro Palestinian Egyptian so you know where I personally stand on the subject. However, my interpretation isn’t the only one, ancient authors, from mythographers to historians to poets to playwrights, have proposed various different locations for Andromeda’s homeland, often times contradicting each other, what I’m trying to do here is correct some misinformation as well as argue that even if Andromeda isn’t black/ethiopian, she still wouldn’t be considered white or ethnically European.

I would like to reiterate like I did with my Hephaestus/Aphrodite post that I’m not a mythology or history expert, I just read a lot. So do your own research and come up with your own conclusions.

Let’s go.

The etymology of “Aethiopia”

Aethiopia means "of burned face" which yes is pretty racist be modern standards but basically means that its inhabitants are dark skinned, so even if you go by sources that it isn’t in Africa, the inhabitants still wouldn’t be white or Greek.

Location of the Kingdom

You’d hear the statement that the Aethiopia in mythology is not the same as Ethiopia the modern country, which is true. You’d also hear that it’s a completely fictitious location, that’s only partially true, while Aethiopia existed mainly as a mythological location (mentioned as early as the Iliad) that didn’t stop ancient historians, mythographers and poets from placing it in real locations or calling pre-existing nations Aethiopia. It’s hard to pick which one is more “accurate” bc they all contradict each other, not only that, but these writers didn’t actually visit these locations and ancient ppl weren’t as well versed in geography as we are today so they’d be weirdly vague or confusing about these locations, I mean just look at an ancient map and you’d see what I mean.

So personally, I think you can go with any version you personally prefer, the options are quite limitless, she could be from the Arab peninsula, the Levant, North Africa, Persia, hell maybe even India if you are like Ovid.

Andromeda’s genealogy

(I just realized that these are the Waterson kids color palette while writing this lmaooooooooo)

Yes Andromeda is descended from Zeus (no family tree can escape that man lol) and she’s also the great granddaughter of Poseidon, which adds a whole new layer to the fact he tried to kill her.

Now for a bit of history: The Trojan war (which didn’t happen irl obviously) was dated as taking place in the 12th or 13th century BCE by some ancient writers, that war happens a few generations after Perseus’s story, which means that Egypt was in the New Kingdom era, also called the Egyptian Empire, when Nubians (who would be considered black by today’s standards) were a very important part of society, even becoming Pharaohs. Ancient Egypt was a lot more diverse than modern ppl give it credit for, there were multiple ethnic groups living there. Not to mention that you can’t get more Egyptian than being descended from the god of the Nile River lol

Libya is (obviously) the personification of the region of Libya, not the modern country Libya, but the general area in North Africa west of Egypt. The name Libya comes from the Libu, a berber tribe. So once again, even if Andromeda wasn’t black, even if you interpreted that her kingdom is placed in Asia, she’d still be of African decent.

Cassiopeia is a tricky one, her origins are obscure, she’s called a nymph by Nonnus, while Stephanus of Byzantium (a very late source) states she’s from Ioppa and that the city takes its name from her. However, Ioppa/Jaffa was identified as Andromeda’s home much earlier in Periplus attributed to Scylax, which was composed in the late fourth century bc.

Conclusion

You can make Andromeda black it’s ok. Ancient writers couldn’t agree on her country’s location but we can still speculate. Anyways ummm… I think that’s it? Maybe I’ll add to this if I find or remember more interesting information.

Have a great day.

[creativelycomplex]

Someone on twitter mentioned that “Sam” was mentioned in the list of characters to look out for in season 3, and that it is possible this is the vampire Sam aka the playwright for the Coven. Which means that maybe he is as powerful and was actually able to block Armand during the trial? If that’s true, that is such a mindfuck and I’m not gonna comment on anything about the characters anymore until each season ends. Bc what do you mean the man everyone has been clowning all week might actually have significance. It’s giving the season 1 situation with Rashid aka Armand

[johaerys-writes]

i’d be super curious to hear your thoughts of the characterisation of achilles in the iliad! because while he is considered honourable and respected by the standards of the culture, surely by modern day standards he wouldn’t be so much? which is why i think that MM did such a great job, because she basically modernised him so that we would see him in the same ways that the greeks did re: his nobility versus his arrogance, but i thought the general consensus on achilles is that he’s an ancient greek hero which equals Not A Good Guy by our standards (but my formal education in classics is limited, i mostly partake as a hobby, so i’m always looking to expand my understandings and opinions and you’re obviously a very intelligent and considered person)

So I think the most important thing anyone needs to do when engaging with ancient greek works (and indeed any sort of work, especially those created millennia ago) is to keep an open mind. Importing modern moral judgement is anachronistic when it comes to the Iliad; hubris, as we understand it now, simply does not exist in the Iliad, there are no Good Guys vs Bad Guys, there are no Heroes or Villains. Those notions came much later and are very much a Christian thing. A hero in the Homeric world has no moral implication; he is simply a warrior. A dude that does things, and not necessarily admirable things. So it would be pointless to try to view Achilles or Hector or Agamemnon (or even the gods in the Iliad who do some pretty fucked up shit) as good or bad guys, because such a thing is irrelevant in the Iliad.

That being said, I feel like Achilles is portrayed generally positively both in the Iliad and also in other ancient Greek works. He is noble, that is, he is of noble/divine lineage, he is well-spoken, well-educated, generally reasonable and polite with pretty much everyone, except for Agamemnon in that opening scene in the Iliad (who was a dick to him as well). He is also honourable and with a very rigid moral code: in the Iliad it is stated many times that he prefers to ransom back captives instead of kill them, and he even lets the body of one of the Trojans he slew be burned with his armour on as a sign of respect, even though it is a thing of great importance in the Iliad to claim the armour of the people one slew. He is not greedy and doesn't flaunt his wealth, he is generous with his Myrmidons and is generally rather well-liked. Until Patroclus is killed and he goes on his rampage, he is a pretty chill dude; and then after Hector is killed, he organises the funeral games for Patroclus where he is shown to be very diplomatic and reasonable, even with Agamemnon; and then when Priam goes to ask him for Hector's body back, Achilles treats him with respect and the two men bond over their grief. So like, idk about you but those don't seem like the actions of someone crazed or extremely arrogant or bad, even by modern standards.

I think what is most telling about how a character like Achilles was perceived in the culture that created him, is that his portrayal in later ancient greek works, mainly the theatrical and philosophical works of around the 5th cent BC, is generally positive. Some playwrights depicted him as a bit of a hothead or a little boisterous and full of himself, but that isn't really framed as a bad thing. Achilles in those works is a famous and powerful hero who knows how good he is and how much the army needs him, but he isn't needlessly flashy, he always keeps his word, he is brave and heroic even by modern standards: in Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, Achilles goes to great lengths to protect Clytemnestra and Iphigenia from the mob, and it is pointed out many times how averse he is to trickery and lies and that Chiron brought him up to be honourable, steadfast, to keep true to his values and to stay away from wickedness (which is what Agamemnon did, essentially). So I think it's really clear that for the ancient Greeks Achilles has many admirable traits.

You mentioned MM and how she modernised Achilles and made him sympathetic to a modern reader's eyes, and I simply don't think that's true. I think MM's portrayal of Achilles is pretty close both to the Iliad and how other ancient Greeks imagined him; perhaps the only way she differs is by portraying him a bit calmer in places lol. She simply took away all those layers of nonsense that had been piled on top of him through centuries of literary criticism that took all the later Roman works that depicted him as a sadistic monster a little too seriously or only focused on how awful he was compared to Noble Hector (no hate on Hector but those classicists really need to find a new blorbo *smh*)

I also think that maybe MM went a little too hard on the arrogance thing and on his obsession with glory without explaining it enough, but that's just my personal opinion. Achilles is very concerned with his glory in the Iliad as well, but we have to keep in mind his position here: Achilles gave up everything for that glory. He knew about the prophecy and knew that he would die in Troy, and made the choice to fight in the war because glory is just that important within the context of the Iliad. I think that many of the heroes we see in the Iliad would have chosen the same, if given a dilemma like that. So Achilles gave up the life he could have had, his kingdom, his family, just for his name to live on through the ages, and then Agamemnon royally fucked that up by disrespecting and insulting him publicly in the vilest of ways. Achilles then made up his mind to abstain from the war and to go back to Phthia and thus giving up his claim to glory because he was so over the war, and he probably would have done that had Patroclus not died. And then there was nothing else for him to do other than to die as well. So like.... idk. His actions make sense to me. He is a passionate character who is swept away by his emotions, he has flaws, he isn't perfect (if such a thing even exists) but I think he's all the more compelling for it.

I hope this answered your question, anon! Thank you for giving me the chance to ramble about my favourite fictional man <3

[burningvelvet]

practically every time i have a line of poetry stuck in my head i look it up and it’s from shakespeare. i read a lot, and there are tons of writers that i love way more than him. but i never passively memorize their lines. in fact, i struggle to actively memorize their lines.

i have studied/read many of his works (bc he’s one of the most important english writers ever & i think every english writer can learn from him!) but i wouldn’t even say i’m that big of a fan, and i don’t think i’ve actively tried to memorize much of his work aside from two or three monologues. it just continuously stuns me that so many of shakespeare’s expressions are so unforgettable. it’s no wonder he created so many common sayings, but exactly HOW did he do it? he was an actor and a playwright, so writing with the intention of memorization was apt for him, but even lines from his sonnets are just so effortlessly memorable! he just constantly blows my mind.

[amoeba-shaped-rock]

Arknights's Phantom and the Black Cat(s)

Preface – What is the Black Cat?

Phantom, or Lucian, is known to be based on the work Phantom of the Opera. His Blood Diamond costume is also a reference to the Masque of the Red Death, a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe – a well known gothic lit writer (gothic in this case meaning the architecture in the European Middle Ages). This may be because in the musical, Erik is shown to be wearing a costume referencing the short story. Plus, Phantom’s birthday, 19th January, is also shared by Poe.

The Black Cat is a short story written by Poe. Luci and Ms Christine, by extension the Playwright as well, share similarities with the themes and characters in The Black Cat. Given the references to Edgar Allan Poe as stated above, all of these may be intended. (or maybe I’m overanalysing, but the similarities are still interesting to think about in regards to the characters and the direction HG wants to develop them)

(Warning: This post contains spoilers for the 4th ending)

PART 1 – About The Black Cat

The Black Cat – Summary

An unnamed narrator recounts his life, and says that he will die soon, to the gallows. He mentioned loving animals and his wife, particularly a black cat called Pluto his wife gave him, but at some point, alcoholism took over him and made him violent. He mentions being abusive to his wife and pets except Pluto, until one day Pluto ignored him – which made him hurt Pluto too, and poked one of Pluto’s eyes. Pluto got physically better, but it was terrified of the narrator. The narrator hated this fact because he still loved Pluto, but then talked about how he got possessed by alcoholism to give in to his violent impulses and killed Pluto – hung him from a noose. Mentioned that he knew he shouldn’t, but there was an intrinsic part of him, humanity itself, that loves to break laws because it shouldn’t be broken. His house burned down except one wall where a carving(?) of cat with a noose appeared. He got freaked out, but he missed Pluto, so when a similar cat appeared on top of an alcohol barrel, he adopted it. Pluto was a black cat, but this other cat has a splosh of white pattern on the whole chest. At first he loved it, but then because it kept reminding him of his crimes, he grew to hate it. And the cat started to love him even more, and followed the narrator everywhere. One day he and his wife went to his basement for an errand, and the black cat ran in between his legs. Annoyed, he tried to kill the cat, but the wifey shielded the cat. He killed the wife, hid the body behind a wall, and the cat disappeared. He was happy and relieved for 4 days bc the cat is gone, but neighbours and police got suspicious of him. They checked his basement for 3 or 4 times, and bc the narrator is so proud of managing to get away with his crimes, he told the police that the house is well built while knocking on the wall where he hid the body – and then there was a sound of a yelp. The police took down the wall and found the corpse, and the unnamed black cat, with a white pattern that resembles a noose on its chest and around its neck, stood on top of the head of the corpse. The narrator blames the black cat for his crimes and his arrest.

The Black Cat – Major Themes

Unreliable Narrator – the narrator questioned his own sanity multiple times, and he himself mentioned that he was under the influence of alcohol most of the time. There are plenty of inconsistencies within the text, further telling us that we must not take his words at face value. He considers himself a rational and logical man who does not believe in superstition, but times and times again we see him pray to God in fear, or justifying his crimes by saying that he got possessed. He tries to explain events with logic and reason but a lot of times his excuses are farfetched.

Sanity (or rather the lack of it) – He starts off the story in a rather calm tone, but descends further into rage and madness as we approach the end of the story. The contrast in language is strong (example: calling his cat a dear friend, vs at the end calling it a monster and Satan). He also constantly considers himself ‘possessed’ by a fit of rage/perverseness whenever he commits violence.

Absolvement of guilt – he constantly blames alcohol and possession for his own crimes, in an attempt to absolve himself from guilt. He blamed his cat’s death on alcohol and his wife’s death on the unnamed black cat, even though he admitted he wanted to do those. If he really was possessed, like he claimed, does that remove him from the consequences of his actions?

Black cats as a harbinger of bad luck – Black cats were often believed to bring bad luck. In The Black Cat, this is both true and not. From the narrator’s point of view, Pluto and his successor was the cause of all “misfortune” that had happened to him. However, considering that the narrator is an abusive husband, the black cats can also be seen as the harbinger of justice, exacting punishment onto the narrator for his crimes.

Home as a source of anxiety and restlessness– Another subversion of a popular theme where home is a symbol of safety. The narrator felt anxious and stressed in his home, where he was reminded of his crimes, so he spends his life away at the tavern to drink. The only time he saw his home as a source of happiness and safety was after hiding his wife’s body.

Supernatural or Hallucination – Considering that the narrator admits he was losing his mind, it is hard to take his words at face value. If we do take them at face value and believe him, it seems that something supernatural is at work, which is common in gothic literature. For example, Pluto’s spirit who came back to haunt him and exact justice upon the man who killed him. Another interpretation is that he hallucinated under the influence of alcohol and the guilt at the back of his mind.

PART 2 – In Relation to Phantom and those in his orbit

Phantom and The Narrator

Despite some core differences with regards to alcoholism and animal abuse, Lucian shares some similarities with the narrator.

They both had a black cat as a pet

Both are unreliable narrators, and constantly question their own perceptions of reality

Both started out kind and normal (if we were to believe the Narrator’s words) until at some turning point in their lives when they started to commit violence

Both were haunted by their pasts

Both seem to hallucinate their past, whether from guilt or from a supernatural force

Just like the narrator, Lucian considers the troupe his home, but also finds it a cause of unrest.

Both justify the murders they choose to commit, the narrator with alcohol and human nature, while Phantom uses his sense of justice (battle voiceline: “The guilty must be punished”). Also noteworthy is Lux’s theory (linked below in the additional reading section) about how the incident on Phantom’s debut night wasn’t entirely an accident, but a premeditated assassination too, which I think is a compelling argument.

Ms Christine and the black cats

Pluto is an important companion of the narrator, and so is Ms Christine to Phantom. Both are described to be a beautiful and affectionate black cat. Pluto himself didn’t have much of a characterisation beyond that bc it died early in the story, but Ms Christine also have a number of similarities with the unnamed black cat

The unnamed black cat has white fur shaping a noose on the neck, while Ms Christine is always shown wearing ribbon, infection monitor, etc on her neck

Very intelligent

Was picked up at a drinking establishment (tea in Luci’s case)

Follows their humans to a lot of places (this is true of Pluto too) (actually can confirm cats do this a lot in general)

Drops hints for the people who were searching for clues

There might be more, but so far these are all that I can find.

The Playwright and the unnamed black cat

Considering that Ms Christine has a lot of similarities with the two black cats, one might be tempted to stop thinking there and then, but the Playwright also surprisingly shared a number of similarities with the unnamed black cat. (He is a feline for narrative purposes I tell you) However due to the lack of material, this section is limited and works on assumptions, theories and possibilities. May need to update this section when we get more information.

He has white hair, similar to the unnamed black cat. Not only this, his white hair trails  from near his temple, to behind his ears, through his neck and shoulder, and ends at his chest. There is also a white lining on shirt that runs through his entire abdomen, just like the unnamed cat, who has a patch of white fur around the neck and on the chest. Is it a stretch to say that his white hair and part of shirt form a noose? maybe, but the similarity to the cat is there.

The unnamed black cat is constantly mentioned with a noose - usually associated with two things: the gallows, or suicide. Not sure which one of these can be applied to the playwright (although I’m leaning towards suicide), but he is associated with deaths and endings.

Pluto is also named after the Roman version of Hades, the god of the dead. the playwright is also associated with godly powers (ability to manipulate reality) and deaths.

Soon after Pluto died, the narrator’s house was set on fire. The cause of fire is never explained. The Playwright is associated with death by fire. Also noteworthy that in ACT 1, it was mentioned that the fire consumed everything he treasured, just like the fire that burnt all of the Narrator’s wealths and treasures.

More details with regards to Act 1: In the short story, the black cats are shown to be antagonists from the narrator’s point of view, but when looking at the piece objectively, we can conclude that the cats are the ‘hero’ and the narrator is the ‘villain’. Similarly, The Playwright is an antagonist and a boss to fight in IS2, but in Act 1 he is described as a hero. With this information and the fact that Lucian hasn’t escaped the troupe’s brainwashing completely, there might be a role reversal later on in the story.

The unnamed black cat can be seen as a harbinger of justice, exacting revenge on the man who abused his pets and wife. Throughout the route to his ending, it was mentioned and emphasised many times that The Playwright is working towards revenge.

Just by being associated with the troupe, he reminds Phantom of the incident on his debut night

Since he is the one who wrote Phantom experiences into reality, in a way he stays with him all the time and gets in Phantom’s way, similar to the way the black cat follows the narrator around and run between his feet to get in his way

If the “youth” in Crazy Puppets encounter was truly him, then he, just like the unnamed black cat, assisted people in their investigations, in this case the RI.

Despite being the antagonist of their stories, neither the black cat nor the Playwright showed any hostility. (as per his description. except contrary to that description we had to fight the playwright… HG why)

The police found the black cat and the corpse during the 3 or 4th time they searched the narrator’s basement. Incidentally, the playwright is in the fourth ending, and requires you to complete an IS2 adventure at least once prior.

The short story ends with the narrator blaming the black cat. The playwright is often associated with endings, and it’s noteworthy that he took the blame for the events in PCS, saying that mistakes happen in the script

Not the black cats specifically but both him and ms christine has a lot of ribbons on them. Wonder if there’s some sort of meaning/symbolism to it.

PART 3 - Extras

not required reading but gives additional context:

link 1: The Black Cat

link 2: Lux’s thread about Phantom’s past

link 3: Ling’s translation of a weibo post analysing Phantom’s lore and background

[s1utspeare]

Writin Patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks to @hils79 for tagging me, mostly bc I then got to read ur ateez fic that i didn't know existed!!!! and it was great!!!!!!!!!! amazing and iconic as always

(at first i was like lmao i haven't written for so long i think the last time i did this i had the same exact fics WELL I DIDN'T THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN LAST TIME)

“I’m sorry,” Ba-ye says, “What did you say?” - if i can never find you anywhere (we will never find peace again)

It’s his second week working at the convenience store, and Zhang Qishan thinks that if he doesn’t get shot soon, he’s going to lose it. - you don't recognize the bodies in the water

Really, the thing about curses is that they’re annoying.- pain's a well-intentioned weatherman

The first time Liu Sang sees him, he thinks, Why do I have to guard this one? because Kan Jian’s muscles are very large and his hair is cut very neatly and the square shape of his jaw would make anyone think twice about crossing him. - No One Take You Down

Error 404: File Not Found. - to the point of absurd (but i know that he loves me)

“I mean, look at her,” Deng Shi says, gesturing at the crate. “She’s a good girl.” - Baby Mine

Well. Shit. That’s the first thing that Pangzi thinks upon waking, mostly because he’s immediately flattened by a headache that seems to have come out of nowhere; it’s like he blinks back into consciousness and is slammed into by a truck. - Rock Bottom

Wang Meng does not like being underground. - The Cold Light of the Stars

Zhang Qishan looked down dubiously. “Wu-ye, I don’t know—” - i'll be the loyalest of all

Zhang Qiling was born to be a fighter. - lean in and let it hurt

Is there a pattern? Idk. I mean, of course we've got the short and snappy ones, but there are a couple that are longer! Cause I like spicing things up! I also love starting off with dialogue apparently (is it cause I'm a playwright? fuckin probably)

anyway i'm gonna tag @forerussake, @pangzi, @humanlighthouse, and @highpriestessofjogan, as well as anyone else who would like to participate! Consider this your tag-in! love u <3

[fixfoxnox]

my friend, i am begging you for legitimate advice: how tf does one make plot????

most of All of my writing is just thinking everything up on the spot with no plan bc whenever i do try to think things through beforehand i always overthink the tiny irrelevant shit and end up stressing myself out and dropping the whole idea for months like it personally wronged me

i have this au i wanna do and i have like all of the world-building done, i know all of the general stuff and managed to actually keep the basics pretty basic, but i have No Idea where to start with actually organizing a digestible presentation of this world

(i’m like a tolkien sorta writer where i can invent these vast, complex, in-depth worlds unlike anything else, but when it comes to picking One Guy or group/s to hover over like a nature documentary as they just go around doing things and then i also need to make this little whatever interesting and entertaining at the same time??? i’m useless T^T)

Hi, okay I'm going to give advice to the best of my ability, but please know that I am by no means an expert, and what I say might not work for you! Every writer is different and your process will reflect that!

So the biggest thing that I think a lot of people forget when coming up with a plot is that plot isn't just one thing right, there are pieces to a plot that work together to create a cohesive story.

The five elements of plot are: Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. I think that part that you are likely getting caught up on, that a lot of people get caught up on, is rising action.

It seems like you already have a lot of exposition through your world-building, and you can work that stuff in throughout your story, not just at the beginning. So let's just focus on Rising Action.

It seems to me like the issue that most people have with getting their story started is that they don't really know what their conflict is going to be within the story. So let me ask you a couple of questions that could potentially help. I'll try to give examples as well so you can see fully what I mean.

Where do you want this story to go? What is the ending conclusion that you're aiming for? This doesn't have to be something fully concrete yet, it could be something as simple as two characters getting together, one character becoming king, one character dying, etc.

So for SiTO: Where do I want this story to go? Well, my end goal is to have Soap/Ghost/Roach together in a relationship. I also want Roach to fully accept his place in his new life and be happy.

What type of conflict exists in this world? What is stopping your end goal from happening? This will help you determine conflict as well as some things that are going to happen within the story.

So for SiTO: What is stopping Roach/Soap/Ghost from getting together and Roach being happy? Well, currently it's Makarov, but on a deeper level, it's Roach himself and his first life.

Then from here, we ask some of the bigger questions, or as my playwrighting professor called it: The Seder Question.

What makes today different from every other day?

Why today? What starts our story? If let's say, your characters are constantly going on little adventures, what makes the adventure that you're telling us about different? Why does this adventure become something different?

Essentially this question asks you, what starts your story in motion.

So for SiTO: What makes today different from every other day? Roach dies and is reborn. That's what's different.

Ask yourself how this initial story beginning action or change impacts your characters. How does this initial beginning action eventually lead us to our end goal for the story?

If you're struggling with which character to focus on or which group to focus on, you may want to consider going through your world and determining which characters have the most connection to some of the conflicts going on in your world. So, for instance, let's say in world building you decided that one of your kingdoms was going to war and that is a major thing going on in this world. Which of your characters has the most connection to that war.

Generally speaking, it might be easier for you to determine which characters you want to use after you've determines what the main conflict of your world is. If you have multiple conflicts at once, you should try to connect them to one another in some way and, if you can't, you might want to consider either scrapping or putting whichever conflict on the back burner for the time being (So maybe you really like a conflict, but it doesn't fit in, so we save it for later when the other conflict is either taken care of or not such a big deal anymore.)

I also find that typically, when I'm writing, I may have one character who sticks out to me as the easiest to write from. If you're having trouble deciding between different characters, you might choose a short little writing prompt for yourself and write something short for it with each of those characters. This will give you an idea of which of the characters you actually seem to want to focus on as writing for them will likely be a bit easier.

I would also like to say, I find it much easier to fully put together a plot and little mixes when I have the end goal and, most of the time, a climax for the story in mind. From there I can more easily build up to those goals.

As I said, I am not an expert and this may be more kinda rambling than usable advice, but I do hope I was able to help at least a little bit!

[classicschronicles]

Hi lovelies,

First of all, whoever decided A-levels were sensible. Run. I will find you. Secondly, whoever put the Classics, Politics and History papers in the space of TWO DAYS. Don’t even bother running, it’s on sight.

Anyways, so on Tuesday I have my Greek Theatre exam and I’ve been so wrapped up in History and Politics that I’ve done no Classics revision, so today I’m going to try and summarise all the context to the component. Don’t know if it’ll work but here goes nothing.

Okay so a quick introduction to Greek theatre. It started in Athens in the late 6th century BC and there’s varying arguments over whether or not it developed from the performance of Epic or as a religious ritual to Dionysus. The tragedies written at the time are still hugely popular today because they concern themselves with aspects of human life that don’t change (i.e. happiness and suffering, the relation between the individual and the state, or just general human relationships). It is really important to understand that drama in the Ancient world was not for the purpose of entertainment, but rather it was your civic and religious duty to attend.

The biggest festival in the dramatic scene was the city Dionysia, which would take place in late March/ early April in Athens. The festival was a way of honouring Dionysus and in total eight playwrights would take part (5 tragedians, and 3 comedians), and the whole event was organised by the leading political figures in Athens. In fact, if one wanted to gain public favour for the next election he would fund or pay for either all, or parts of, the Dionysia. Anyone who contributed to the production of the plays was called the Choregos, and there was a liturgy on the super rich which required them to contribute to the festival as part of the functioning of Athens. The Dionysia was attended, it is thought, by the male population of Athens, and in demonstrating its importance, some seats were reserved for slaves and convicts, who could afford to attend thanks to a state fund. It being in spring meant it was the perfect time of year for foreign dignitaries and allies to attend as well. At the Dionysia it is highly unlikely that women attended at all, apart from a high priestess. Before the actual ‘Dionysia’ there would be a Komos in the streets, which was basically like a loosely organised revel in honour of Dionysus.

There were two other notable dramatic festivals that also took place and they were the Lenea and the Rural Dionysia. The Lenea was held in late January and it was competition creation in 440 BC. The rural Dionysia was held mid i winter and it was celebrated by the rural, more far flung, areas of Athens. Its thought by some scholars that the plays performed at the Rural Dionysia were like ‘tour’ versions of the plays that had been successful at the Dionysia.

Okay so when it comes to Greek theatre, there are a few key features that were shared between both comedy and tragedy. These features included costumes, masks, chorus, actors, messenger speeches, and an agon. Okay so starting with costume, they were key for a playwright to give information o the audience, because there was a set archetype of costume used for a god, or to depict a woman, or a soldier etc…. Masks were a hugely hugely important part of plays because of the depth they added to the performance. Tragic masks often had solemn faces and comedic ones were farcical in nature, but in any case they were all used to depict emotion and even stage effects (so for example when Oedipus blinds himself, a mask covered in red paint would be used by the actor). The next feature was the chorus, absolutely not in any sense of the word to be underestimated. The chorus was made up of 15 ordinary citizens (initially 4, then 12, then 15). There is not record of how chorus members were chosen but due to the competitive nature of festivals, those who were chosen were excused from military service during their practice time. There is no surviving information on how the music accompanying the chorus would’ve sounded, but safe to say it would’ve added to the vibes of whatever the chorus were doing. The chorus were often used to provide sublime political and social commentary in their roles (for example the chorus of initiates in the Frogs). The next, and most obvious part, was of course the actual actors. Actors, unlike the chorus, were trained professionals and in tragedy it was the same three actors that played all the leading roles, they would just hide behind the skene (backdrop) and change masks and costumes. The next feature was the messenger speeches. Due to its religious nature, and also just tradition, violence did not happen on stage in theatre. Messengers are the ones who report this violence and the messengers are usually chorus members. The last feature was thing called an agon. An agon was a dialogue at times of high tension between two different actors culminating in a debate (for example Euripides and Aeschylus in the Frogs).

Okay so tragedy! Tragedies were performed in open air theatres and as a consequence of being part of the serious matter of Greek religion, they were very serious, dealing with moral wrongs and rights. Violence was not permitted on stage and its important to note that tragedians weren’t technically allowed to make political commentary, that had to wait to the comedians. In very early tragedy, there would only be one actor who would perform in a costume and mask. The actor would often speak to the chorus (up to 15 people) who sang and danced but did not speak. After a time, the number of actors grew to three (but it was capped here so that were wa a level of equality in competition). Tragedy was meant to be cathartic for the male audience of Athens, approaching topics that they wouldn’t discuss in every day life (for example the treatment of women as discussed in Medea). Plays like Oedipus may have been cathartic through their demonstration of tragic heroism. There are three main tragedians- Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Aeschylus often had a theme between plays- creating trilogies like the Oresteia. Sophocles was known for adding the third actor, and also for his complicated plots, and changes of scenery in plays. The last of the famed tragedians was Euripides. He was particularly known for having opening speeches to set the theme, using simpler language so that his plays were more accessible, and for posing unsettling themes to make the audience question things.

Comedy time! The word comedy comes from ‘komodia’ meaning the ‘song of Komos’. Aristophanes is the only comic writer who’s plays have survived (11 of the 40 he wrote). He was a very satirical writer and make a lot a lot of political comments, particularly about the Peloponnesian war. In comedy, 4 actors were allowed, and 24 chorus members who were divided into 2 semi-choruses. The chorus often broke the fourth wall and would talk directly to the audience themselves. For example, in Aristophanes Frogs they offer to buy the priest wine after the show. Actors in comedy would wear ridiculous costumes, like comically short tunics and tights stuffed with padding, fake phallus’ and grotesque masks. There was also this thing called a parabasis which was like a little interval in which the chorus would deliberately break the fourth wall and talk about literally anything, including any scandals of the day, politics, or even why that play deserved to win.

Okay, last thing! The layout of a greek theatre. Greek theatre was always performed outdoors. Early theatres were probably just open areas in city centres or next to the hillside where the audience would just stand and watch. From the last 6th to 4th century BC there was a gradual development towards more elaborate theatre structure, consisting of an orchestra, skene, parados, and Theatron. The orchestra was normally a level circle space where the chorus would sing, dance, and interact with the actors. The Theatron (which translate to ‘viewing place’) was where the audience sat. It was usually just larger than a semicircle (which was great for acoustics). It was usually part of larger hillside and made of stone seats. The skene was a building directly behind he stage which worked as a backdrop as it was usually decorated as a palace or temple etc…. The skene also had a set of doors which actors could enter in and out of. The parados were a set of a passageways that the chorus and messengers could make entrances through. There were also two main mechanisms used for dramatic effect. There were the ekkyklema and a crane. The ekkyklema was a like a platform on wheels that was brought on stage to depict the violence that had happened off stage. For example, in Euripides’ Bacchae the body of Pentheus is wheeled on stage using an ekkyklema. The crane was, literally, as it sounds. A crane used to show characters from above, usually reserved only for gods.

Anyways, there you have it. A whistle stop introduction into greek theatre. Guys I promise not long left of me bullying you with revision. I hope you all have a lovely weekend <3

~Z

[parfaitblogs]

Omg yes being sick during rehearsals is the worst 😭 i remember one time 2 cast members got covid like 2 weeks before the show, it was the worst

And yes!! I also prefer theatre over screen sometimes! Its a controversial take but yea

I was also taught theatre plays are chosen only if they are relevant to today and society, which is at least 1 advantage it has over the screen. Also, for me at least its easier to connect to a character's emotional journey in theatre (but thats me lmao) (sorry for the long ass rant, i got passionate 😭)

oh babe never apologise for doing a long rant because that’s what this became LOL omg sorry guys i’m sick and have hardly been able to speak all day bc #vocalrest so this is my yap session

stop because i literally got covid right in the beginning of my rehearsals back in feb when i did midsummer nights dream 😭😭 i was so freaking upset the first week was so important and i MISSED IT 💔💔 but my other horror story is my LITERAL SCENE PARTNER (it was a two hander scenework kinda play — when the rain stops falling if you want to look it up) got covid the week of the show and we had to fill in that was awful.

and yes they are!! big theatre companies have to guess and predict what they think issues will be in the coming year because they plan the season in advance, but smaller theatre companies who choose plays as they go do use the current relevance to influence their choices! but this also extends to the writers, the plays as a piece of work too (e.g. the play i’m doing was chosen because the playwright is currently being talked about a lot).

also yes i agree and im not sure if its because on screen the environment is so less focussed on the actors acting and more on the shots and the overall story or because theatre plays have sooo much more time to rehearse and bond as an entire cast… but i love fleshing out my theatre characters… i literally have a mandatory set of 90 q’s i do for every character i play even if its small scenework for uni😭😭

[otakunoculture]

When All You Need is "Yaga," You Better Be Ready to Fight Instead of take Flight

Kat Sandler's Yaga has come to Victoria, BC and @BelfryTheatre version is running till early Oct for those who love a great #murder #mystery based on #mythology of the #slav world! and we got a review here: #yyj #yyjarts @katsandler

Playing at The Belfry, Victoria, BCFrom Sept 14th, 2023 to Oct 8, 2023.Tickets are available here Please check Playwrights Canada for other regional performances. The formula for what Kat Sandler‘s play, simply titled Yaga, is about may well be like an episode of Twin Peaks for some attendees, but for myself, I’m thinking Murder, She Wrote. But instead of solving mysteries from the perspective of…

[the-cat-chat]

May 27, 2023

Tick, Tick...BOOM! (2021)

Based on the autobiographical musical by playwright Jonathan Larson. It's the story of an aspiring composer in New York City who is worried he made the wrong career choice, whilst navigating the pressures of love and friendship.

JayBell: I remember when this movie came out and everyone online would not stop talking about it. So I added it to my watch later list and years later here we are. I didn’t know anything about Jonathan Larson going into this. Unlike Anzie, I like musicals and singing in movies. But I also can’t say I’ve seen too many musicals, including Rent.

With that said, I had a great time with this movie. The acting, the singing, the dancing, the songs, the relationships, the story—it’s all great. I also really love how the story is told. Jonathan Larson (played by Andrew Garfield) is telling his own story on stage to an audience. Almost like he’s doing stand up for his own life. And that’s just something I’ve never quite seen before, so I find that refreshing and interesting.

Also I’m glad the movie shares Larson’s fate in the beginning so I had time to prepare. Because I would have been so angry to be surprised in the end. But it’s still incredibly sad and bittersweet. But it’s also honest, and sometimes an honest ending is more effective than a happy one.

The relationship between Larson and Michael was clearly a major part of the movie, and the way it’s portrayed is beautiful. Also a surprise Vanessa Hudgens appears. Hi Vanessa!

This movie is way more existential than I thought it would be. I definitely was not prepared for that. It really does capture the anxieties that come with aging as you approach these “age milestones” for lack of a better word. These fears and anxieties are almost captured a little too well for my liking. Like please don’t expose me that much. That just goes to show how relatable it is though, even for amazing writers like Jonathan Larson.

Rating: 7.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: Soo this review is very hard to write. I’ve thought about my feelings on the movie all week. And I have to just begin by saying any issues I take with this movie is probably only bc I’m an uncultured swine. I have no thoughts about Rent bc I’ve never seen it- I knooow- I only know it was very popular.

I just wanna say all the actors were soo good and all the performances and singing was great. Andrew Garfield was so great and definitely gave the “Omigawd I’m getting older and anxious vibe,” flawlessly might I add. (Which ouch too close to home) And how the conflict of wanting to be in a thousand places at once to accomplish everything you need but also be there for loved ones. (Again so ouch) And the scene where it’s them singing about the insane mess of trying to figure out what someone wants in a relationship was really good too. Everything in the total anxiety of life is just so relatable, and then terribly sad. It’s a good movie and there are so many details that make it- like Jonathan’s bday gift towards the end and how it’s thoughtful and sweet, and that small little understanding about another person in relationships and uggggg why’s there so much singing.

Now I’m sooo soo sorry, but the singing. Unless it the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors or the Sound of Music, I’d rather jump off of a cliff. And that’s on me- but if I heard the song they were practicing one more time I was going to screech. All I know is it was “everyone will be there or something.” Bc it’s drilled in my head. I also had no clue about Jonathan Larson, which makes me feel like a total jerk. Like it’s me not you. I loathe musicals for the most part, I’m sorrry. It just felt like the singing would never end.

And how everything ends is soul crushing. Like if you don’t believe that the universe is sometimes very cruel, I’d give you Peoples Exhibit A. - Sad and Horrendous, and I feel guilty for hating the music. 🥺

Rating: 5/10 Cats 🐈