#because that's what writers DO
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I'm all for a good red-string-conspiracy-theory-board discussion about a fannish property, with all the weird theorizing and what-ifs, but my gender-neutral dude, if your full reason is "this dialogue by this one character is too on-the-nose for the story theme!" I will wonder if you have any idea what writing actually is.
#not related to tumblr at the moment#but sometimes the answer is just#the writers are emphasizing a theme#because that's what writers do#there's no big conspiracy there
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Disclaimer these are just a small sampling of some possible writer traits I’ve noticed either in myself or in fics I read. Also consider a rb for sample size !
#I literally do all of these but mostly abuse of metaphor and specific descriptors and run on dialogue with no staging#writing#writers on tumblr#polls#I chose abuse of a metaphor you like because I think that’s probably my biggest#but also literally ‘you guys are getting beta readers?’ because I’ve NEVER ONCE had someone beta read for me#I like. proofread. sometimes#if you’re lucky#lol#but I’m curious what you guys do lol
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Yall need to interact with fanfiction author's more.
So. After the ddos attack on ao3.
I was encouraged to write more comments and make my love known to fanfic writers.
I dont really like commenting. Because im a bit shy and soooo lazy.
Now though. I am writing more comments. And dude. This is so heartwarming. Ya'll need to treat writers better. They are doing the lord's work.
Take for an example, couple of days prior, i was searching for something interesting to read, and found an oneshot quite compelling.
I read it. At the end of it, i was blown away by how good it was. It promised me something and it went beyond my expectations. But then i saw a crime, zero fucking comments!
At that moment, i wasn't feeling up to writing a comment. Because, normally i like to write huge paragraphs. But because im lazy i decided to be brief.
Next day, the author answered that the comment lift their mood for the whole day.
That warmed my heart.
Duuuuuuuude! Write comments! Suport the writers of the fics you like! No need to be something super elaborate. Just give your thoughts. Freak out. Ramble. Ask something. Make theories. Compliment. Make a joke about how you wished to give kudos every chapter but ao3 sucks(not true bby) and won't let you.
Truly. Just. Comment. It can make someone's day. And that is part of the apeal of writing fics. Interacting with people.
Just give love to fanfic writers yall. They deserve this and so much more.
#fanfiction writer#fanfic#ao3#ramble#it was a naruto fanfic#a narusasusaku fic#also had another thing#i commented on my fav fic that hasnt been updated for a while#i didnt pressured the author to write#because you dont fucking do that >:(#but#just freaked out and talked about how much i loved their writing and the fic#two days later they updated the fic#and then told me i inspired them to finish the chapter#and that's what you're supposed to do!#interact with the author#the fic!#no need to pressure them into writing!#sometimes just words of love and support is enough!#be nice to your writers!#or im gonna smash some sense into yall#rambles
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when are we gonna wake up and realize that Romanced Rook should have made an appearance in Lucanis’ mind prison - a reflection of all his insecurities about their relationship, his fears around intimacy, his fear for their safety around him. To have all that made flesh and be spoken from Rook’s own mouth?? Sheesh 😩
#dont boo me u know im right!!#datv#datv spoilers#lucanis dellamorte#rook#lucanis x rook#lucanis dragon age#this would have been such a good way for us to see just how much he’s struggling to reciprocate Rooks affections despite how much he wants#oh well#fanfic writers you know what to do#my rook WILL fight herself and drag him out of his mind prison by his arm#im not tagging this as critical because its not really a criticism just something i would have liked to see
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I think its absolutely hilarious that Dean and Castiel go through inhuman amounts of trauma over the course of a decade plus, and somehow they still arent the human x angel ship on the show that has gone through the most detrimental mind bending shit. Michael and Adam were literally trapped in hell together alone for over 1000 years and they walked out the other side healthier than Dean and Cas could ever possibly be. Iconic really
#spn#supernatural#spn musings#destiel#deancas#midam#adam milligan#random thoughts because the inherent hilarity of it all is fantastic#like midam LITERALLY was abandoned and forgotten about by both the characters in universe and writers#fuck sam and dean for that fr though#dean winchester you are full of So many problems and issues#cagecore#nobody is doing it like them#and by them I mean every party involved because what the FUCK is going on there#how did the writers keep getting away with this#how do you consistently write the most batshit things ever without considering the implications involved
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2x02 // 3x01 // 3x03 // 3x13 // 4x12
Team huddle!
#so funny that there are no team huddles in s1 because they didn't plan back then#And then for most of s4 MK is in denial that there should be a plan beyond ''get my friends!''#lmk#lego monkie kid#plan man#one day I'll make my post of every time they mention the word ''plan''#that'll be a long one#''How could you lead us into this fight without a real plan?'' ''We've basically winged it without a real plan!''#yeah#4x12 did so much for me personally#Me pre s4: oh yeah it looks like MK took on the role of planning especially after Wukong failed to do so#And even further back MK focused on developing this skill after 1x10 when he was worried about winging it with his friends on the line#''What's the plan monkie man?'' ''I don't know. Wing it?'' ''Yeah! Sounds great!'' ''No! I didn't mean you guys too!''#s4 special: Hold my beer#Me: REALLY????? YOU'RE BRINGING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT FOR MK???#no one else may care but lmk writers just know. I do#I care
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the thing is, i love The Narrative, but i also absolutely adore a truly character-focused tragedy where everyone’s downfall is caused not by larger narrative forces, but by hundreds of tiny decisions made by characters who, despite their best efforts, just suck.
#like. The Narrative is inherently a factor in every story because that’s how fiction works#there is ALWAYS a writer pulling the strings#but sometimes characters are written SO well that you legitimately forget#and you can just focus 100% on them and their choices#most characters can’t make choices but some characters are so good that they can#i can only think of a few examples of this - but it is real and i stand by that#there are stories that were created plot-first#where the author had a plot in mind and then made up characters to play it out (who are controlled by The Narrative they were forced into)#and then there are stories that were created character-first#where the author made up some fucked up characters and then let them loose to see what they would do#and THAT is some good stuff#and like. tbf i have ABSOLUTELY no idea if the story i’m thinking of was created that way - but it just feels like it#because the characters feel so much like real people#it’s fucked up. i love it
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Call me homophobic, but I don't actually think it's great representation to stick a complex, dynamic, newly-realized bisexual character permanently with a flat, boring, underdeveloped love interest just because that was the first guy who showed interest.
#in my hater era#like what you like#but goddamn#the argument that this is somehow outstanding queer representation is baffling#they have had 13 episodes to DO something with this character and they have chosen not to#no development anywhere#even though they literally brought him back so there is built-in background ripe for the picking#and yet#anti bucktommy#anti tommy kinard#the saddest part is#i don't even hate him#he's not important enough to hate#there is just absolutely nothing to him#and that's sad because whether or not he was intended to be long-term or endgame#the writers are better than this and the character SHOULD have SOME development#like why are we all swooning over 911 shoehorning in a returning character to tell a bi buck story#but treating that character like the most expendable love interest in history#i don't like him but actually i think queer characters#and especially ones who are part of such a major later-in-life bisexual realization storyline for a beloved main#deserve a little more respect than what 911 has been giving him#anyway#might delete later i don't know#also i need to stop looking at the 911 subreddit#worst takes i've ever seen that place is a cesspool
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Cool awesome reminder that you don’t need amazing technical skill to be a good artist/storyteller
#I still compare myself to other people but also like. Damn. What if I don’t need to#That’s literally what working with other people is for . so you can fill in for eachother and make an awesome thing :)#Reminder that Toby Fox is not a skilled visual artist LOL he makes concept art in mspaint#Ik He’s more of a composer / character writer but you know what I mean. He works with other people to bring those ideas to life#You don’t have to be good at everything !!#Txt#art#I say this because rendering pieces of art takes me dozens of hours and it’s literally so much work and I hate it sometimes#Ok then make a simple stylistic choice instead of doing a giant painting !! it will still carry the same or maybe even greater impact#I still want to make awesome giant beautiful pieces of art (illustration) but alas I don’t have infinite energy#I usually only make sketches instead and that doesn’t mean they’re unfinished. Maybe that’s just all they’re meant to be#Until I change my mind at least 🩷#Adhd#Honestly anything that gets your idea across is good enough. Depends on the idea
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reading everyone’s thoughts on the london special and marinette’s actions have given me a serious case of deja vu in relation to the s5 finale, here’s why
a very very VERY common reaction from the fandom i saw to the finale was “why are the writers letting gabriel get away with being a hero why isn’t he being held accountable horrible finale horrible writing i hate this show etc etc etc”
before i share my thoughts on this for like the thousandth time i just wanna mention i DID cry during the finale, partly because i was in shock and also because i HATED it. but now i genuinely believe it was one of if not the smartest thing the ml writers have ever conjured up and i just. fucking love it. (point is: i understand disliking it. that was me at some point, until i began to consider the implications of the “ending”)
similarly, a reaction i’ve seen to the london special (mainly from ml salters) is “why would the writers let marinette lie to the world when it’s so clearly morally wrong she’s such a horrible person she needs to be held accountable blah blah blah”
something both the s5 finale and the london special share is that THE ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN BOTH. ARE NOT MEANT. TO SIT WELL WITH THE AUDIENCE
NO writer on ml is trying to convince a fan that “gabriel was actually a hero because he made one selfless decision (that wasn’t even that selfless?????)”. NO writer on ml is trying to convince a fan that “marinette is completely right for hiding the truth about gabriel from not only adrien but also the whole world!!!!!! no one should ever find out!!!”
the entire point of the finale and special is to make the viewer uncomfortable, as we watch marinette sit with her questionable choices, watch adrien refer to his father as a hero and watch their class throw a party. none of this is supposed to make us feel at peace with the way this arc has concluded.
what people seem to be missing is that even if the s1-s5 arc has ended, the s6 arc is just beginning, CENTERED AROUND THE CHOICES THAT HAVE MADE US AS THE AUDIENCE FEEL SO UNCOMFORTABLE!! you’re completely ignoring the way the plot is set up if you think the writers are going to neglect gabriel’s storyline, because it is far from over.
i think it’s also important to mention that neither marinette nor adrien are at peace with what’s happened (even if that was implied during the s5 finale—the london special has provided us with this new information on their emotional statuses). marinette is clearly being eaten alive by guilt, seeking confirmation throughout the entire special that protecting adrien from the truth was the morally correct decision. adrien was obviously affected by his father’s death (contrasting the idea that he just “threw a party” without any emotional backlash), and will undoubtedly learn to grapple with his conflicting feelings on gabriel’s character throughout s6 (he sacrificed himself??? but he abused me??? but he saved ladybug and nathalie????? but he apparently assisted monarch?????)
POINT IS
no one is meant to be satisfied with the way things are in the miraculous universe at the moment. you aren’t supposed to want the truth about what really went down during recreation to stay hidden. if you feel uncomfortable with the current situation our main characters are in, GOOD! please stop the discrediting the writers, because your discomfort means they have done their job well.
#if you read all of that ily#i love the writing of miraculous. if you don’t that’s okay.#HOWEVER the writers clearly know what they’re doing because i have NEVER been so excited for a new season like i am for s6#GET HYPE PEOPLE MORE ANGST MORE QUESTIONABLE CHOICES MORE LIES MORE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! YAYYY#however if you have thoughts on the new animation��…..well. that is a different story#ml#miraculous#miraculous ladybug#ladynoir#ladybug#chat noir#mlb#miraculous fandom#adrien agreste#marichat#ladrien#adrienette#marinette#marinette dupain cheng#ml london#ml london special#ml london spoilers#ml s5#ml s5 finale#ml recreation
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What do you mean the irl Edogawa Ranpo was gay. What do you mean he traveled with his boyfriend researching the history of homosexuality in Japan. What do you mean they had a competition on who could find the most books about gay sex. WHAT DO YOU MEAN-
#what do you mean he was inspired by and slightly attracted to Edgar Allen Poe and chose the pen name Edogawa Ranpo after him#what do you mean he told his middle school crush that he wanted to eat him platonically#what do you mean he finished and published the rest of his boyfriend's work on the history of gay after he died#what do you mean i haven't slept because ive been researching gay mystery writers#bsd irl#edogawa ranpo#bungou stray dogs#bsd#ranpoe
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feeling emotional
about this
#and you're telling me that katniss just somehow ended up with him at the end of mockingjay because suzanne is a bad writer#and didn't know what she was doing?#katniss and peeta were by design#they were endgame right from the beginning of the first book and it's so clear when you read the books back#so many parallels#so many mirrored moments#a well thought out line of plot that is so specifically and perfectly executed across 3 books#this makes me so soft#everlark#peeta x katniss#katniss x peeta#katniss everdeen#katniss and peeta#peeta mellark#the hunger games#mockingjay
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thinking about "it's unreasonable to assume that a character knows what genre they're in" and how in series 1-3, Merlin (and the audience) thinks that he's in a fantasy adventure comedy. no one realises that he's in a tragedy until it's too late.
#I do stand by what I said literally a few minutes ago about how calling merlin a tragedy is giving the writers too much credit#but I think you could twist it and say that the writers also think merlin is a comedy and don't realise that it's a tragedy until series 4#which makes it worse. because so many things that happen in the first half of the show are absolutely tragic but are played as comedy#the end of 'the sins of the father' where uther says that merlin is “a trusted ally in the fight against magic” THATS FUCKING DEVASTATING#but it's played as funny#and it's only when you reframe the genre that you realise how truly heartbreaking it all is#bbc merlin#merlin#merlin meta
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taash said "they were doing it" and people ran with the interpretation of an npc that doesn't know solas or the history of the elvhenan even when bellara interjected and said, no, that's not right. that's not how it was for the elvhenan. they formed bonds before they had physical bodies. and people ran to doompost or create weird anti-solavellan shit even though mythal & solas refer to each other as old friends and when she releases him there is no tenderness or love in it. it is the act of unchaining a dog from his post, the stepping down of a general. but to each their own ig.
#let the record show i think love was there. do I personally perceive it as romantic / sexual? no.#mythal's perception of love & care is warped in and of itself#i think they loved each other. but she loved what she could take from him and what he could give in terms of service#not because she was romantically into him#also i wish we knew more about her & elgar'nan. her regret prison form says she holds no love for him anymore#and it makes me wonder when that love soured. was it when she was blighted? before that? was that love also born of duty and companionship?#this is the last post i'm gonna make ab this i think#bc i believe people are too caught up in the modern western ideas of love as thing we give solely to our romantic partners#and we literally have a character go ”our perception is warped bc of the age we live in” and some of you are still being purposefully obtuse#and i think trick saying it's up to interpretation is basically admitting EA had them dumb down the game anyway#if everything ab the rise and fall of the evanuris in game#was condensed to five 2min cutscenes it says enough that whatever the writers wanted#was swiftly cut down by corporate dept. basically saying it's in the fans' court now#also bc it's an easy cop out around new players & non solasmancers who are indifferent ab him / dislike him#as a way to appeal thru a more sympathetic lense of look!! he loved and was led astray#not to mention the clear justinia / leliana parallels#and leliana gets angry if you imply she was romantically involved / in love w justinia#and the romance descr when you remake your inq saying the dread wolf could not predict what it would mean to fall IN LOVE#implying he had never fallen in love before or at the very least experienced a romantic love#also him saying drinking from the well would make you a slave and he gets really upset#yet ive seen takes of ”hes doing this for her cus he dgaf ab lavellan” ?? he got mythal killed when he told her ab the blight#whatever feelings of admiration he had for her have rotted. he is literally burdened by his mistakes and his choice in joining her#i feel like if i were a spirit bound and twisted into a weapon i would need my creator to tell me i am Free. i would need that closure#like when cole says its not abuse to bind him if he asks and solas said thats not always true???#if you perceive her interaction w him in vg third act as#anything more than the way justinia released leliana in inq then im sorry maybe youre just obtuse#solavellan#mythal#dragon age meta
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Ummmmm vavoom heres a fem aziracrow doodle ! Based off of mr gaiman's post here ! Tbh i just wanted to draw crowley with audrey hepburn hair sssssoooooooo yeah....
#good omens#good omens 2#good omens fanart#aziracrow#ineffable husbands#wives?#ineffable wives#?#aziraphale#crowley#so many people have been unfollowing me lately#i think its because i draw fanart for every other media and then never again#and ive changed my username so much#call me killer queen coz i never keep the same address#i do not speak like a baroness tho#anyway i havent watched the last ep of go2 yet#i know vaguely of what happens and that vague knowing is scaringgg meeee!!!!!#writers named neil love to ruin my life#my art
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Hey, what makes a character a 'plot device but not a character'? And how do you not do that? I'm trying to do it on purpose but also I need to still make them interesting because it's on purpose, yknow?
A good skill to pick up is to learn to criticise criticism itself. A "plot device" is simply a thing that moves the plot along, it's a neutral literary analysis term! Usually, when people are angry that "a character has been used as a plot device," it doesn't mean they hate plot devices. It means they're gesturing at something deeper.
Runningwind and Bumble are equally plot devices in their deaths. They are both killed by the antagonist to escalate political tension. Runningwind is rarely "accused" of just being a plot device, and yet, we're talking about Bumble for the same thing.
So, why?
Well, Runningwind is just a background character, but in life, he was a part of the community. He was characterized as impatient but responsible. Yet, he wasn't SO important that he died with a bunch of unresolved plot threads.
He is mostly an extension of the entity of ThunderClan. His killing by Tigerstar, and the fear and paranoia that settles on the group after this, feel like a progression of the story insteas of something forced.
Bumble, on the other hand...
Is hated immediately by Gray Wing, when she's established as Turtle Tail's friend. Bumble's abuse at Tom the Wifebeater's hands invites even MORE investment. The rejection is shocking and upsetting. There's a story there about our main characters being imperfect; jealous, bigoted, and judgemental.
But, she is simply killed off. Everything they set up for this character is gone with little personalized fanfare. It's not a tragedy with a lesson about cruelty, or something anyone regrets.
It's just... plot. Gray Wing whinging that no one will like his shitty brother now that his body count is 2.
More than that, in the discussion of women in particular, "Fridging" was coined to give a name to the way women characters often don't get their stories told at all. There is a CULTURAL trend of female characters facing disproportionate violence, for the sake of advancing male plots.
Bumble has a lot going for her. Petal had a lot going for her. Turtle Tail had a lot going for her. Bright Stream had a lot going for her. When they died, they took their potential with them.
It's not always wrong to kill off a character of high potential, mind you. In Gurren Lagann, Kamina's death is sudden and shocking, leaving a massive hole in the hearts of the cast that never heals. Grappling with that loss, but also letting his memory fuel them, is a major theme of that story.
All that to say... there's no formula for avoiding it. You've gotta identify what the deeper issue is, in your specific narrative.
I can't say for certain what that will look like for your story, but here's some things I keep in mind;
When you make characters who exist to die, make sure they're people before you axe them.
Ask yourself; what about them does the cast miss?
If they just miss them because they were (pre-existing relationship), go back to the drawing board.
Fluttering Bird as an example. Who was she? Dead sister. Why do they miss her? Dead sister. No traits until after her death.
Runningwind was short-tempered and helpful. Kamina was a valuable leader who made people believe in a brighter future. Swiftpaw was fiesty and desperate to prove himself. The better characterized, the more profound the loss usually is.
If this is a female character who is dying just to serve the plot, be aware of cultural bias and tropes. How is the gender ratio looking in your cast? Is this happening disproportionately with your girls?
Note how Quiet Rain's litter had both a boy and a girl, but the girl was chosen to be "weaker" and wither away.
And how most of the time in DOTC, whenever a man had to be upset, a girl would get killed for it.
If you ever feel like the character on the chopping block is NOT a full character, ask yourself why it needs to be a character at all. You don't need to spend narrative time building out someone when a literal object of high value might suffice.
"My sister died when I swore to protect her and I can't face my family" = Old. Tired. Ive seen this.
"I lost my heirloom sword when I swore to protect it and I can't face my family." = Fascinating. Why was the sword so valuable? Will they really not take you back? How did you lose it?
When you do kill off "high value" characters, try to make sure you're not leaving too many plot threads hanging. Or at least make a point of how they will never get closure.
#Bones gives advice#These questions can be hard for me to advise on because making characters is one of the easy parts for me.#It's more the “working them into a story without overwhelming it” part#But making characters that are fun and interesting has always come naturally to me as a writer.#I just work out some fun dialogue and fill in what their wants and desires would be based on backstory#And the rest kinda fills itself out as the message and themes of my narrative forms.#In fact the thing that makes BB so easy for me to work on is having an existing “story template” in mind#I don't have to chart out the long term events in advance because I do have a full picture of what leads where#And what I want to say with each rework.#I've always been told I'm really good at killing off characters though#Especially in my RP days. I remember I singlehandedly turned a pretty standard 'escape from evil lab' plot into--#--a painful story about loyalty and suffering. I was the main villain and the escapees knew he would never give up.#Because he loved their master and believed fully in the idea of 'sacrifice for the greater good.'#Always friendly. Passionate. Would have been a dedicated leader in a slightly different setting.#They knew he would never want to actually hurt them so they had to trick him into trying to “coral” them with his fire powers on ice#He didn't know it was ice and melted through#I guess the thing I do is just... make them cool lmao. It's hard to give advice on this#''Draw the rest of the owl 4head''
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