#diegetics

[twosides--samecoin]

also, unsure if you ever read pokemon fic, but if you appreciate music informing the reader of a character's personality and diegetic music, you may enjoy "make you suffer" by girllikesubstance on ao3. i certainly did! it's written like an action movie but with solid characterization; i literally cannot recommend the author's work enough.

Oh, I have not, thank you for the recommendation!

"Diegetic music", for anyone who's never heard of it, refers to any in-universe music or lyric that is interacted with or acknowledged by the characters. The musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is entirely diegetic music, performed by the characters; however the intro theme of that show is not.

I consider music a main character in the fic. It started with choosing song titles for chapters and the fic title, then it snowballed into, "How do I indicate to the reader Music Is Happening in a natural way that doesn't always need me introducing, like, 'a guitar rang out/a solemn voice sang', etc?" How do you solve the characters hearing what the reader can only, well, read? Sure, I have some playlists on Spotify to follow along, but as Marshall McLuhan said, "the medium is the message". It must be clear in the writing that music is playing. A new voice has entered the room.

One of my favourite novels is Ulysses by James Joyce. He had a masterful talent for cacophony and onomatopoeia. Several threads of conversations and voices and thoughts all happening at you on one page. And he just goes for it.

I chose to solve the problem by having my own style guide. Lyrics just happen as though they're a person speaking, they're just italicized to indicate it's a recording. Here's an excerpt of one of the most successful examples of diegetic music I have written in the fic, from the chapter Thunder Road.

The radio DJ’s voice interrupted the silence. “Hi, it’s Delia, we got the weather monitor fixed. It’s only a few degrees below freezing tonight and I’m not in a sour mood anymore, so.. Here’s a favorite, for my favorite. Here’s Thunder Road.”  Olivia’s eyes widened as harmonica and piano played together. She turned towards the radio. “Are you serious right now?”  “What?” RJ asked.  "..The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways. Like a vision, she dances across the porch as the radio plays.." Jack smiled. He knew what this song was about and wondered just how well she knew it. He caught Olivia’s eye as she turned away from the radio. RJ saw Jack’s shit-eating grin and knew it meant he figured something out with her. A smile that could mean he was having fun, or he could checkmate you.  The same glance Olivia and Jack shared about him earlier. "..Roy Orbison singing for the lonely, 'Hey that's me and I want you only,' Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again.." “I- what, why are you looking at me like that-”  “Good song, huh?” he responded, smiling at her. "..Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for.." RJ didn’t quite understand what Jack was getting at. The radio was low enough that he could hear the music, but the lyrics were harder to hear from across the room.  “Bruce fan?” Jack asked her. “Yeah, um.. I like him.” Jack’s heart melted. “My wife, Nora, was a huge fan. We have the first seven albums on one holotape,”  “Wait, no way-”  "..So you're scared, and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore.." “Yeah, way. How many Bruce albums you got in this vault, huh?”  “I don’t,” Olivia told him, looking almost apologetic. “I only get to hear Bruce when he’s on the radio.” 

[tsartistry]

[officialbruciewayne]

[v0id-of-thought]

If I Loved You gets 10x funnier when you consider they haven’t left Beanies and Paul was standing there the whole time like

[valkugo]

Daniel Molloy + first impressions

[avatarthelastairgender]

i think there are meme references in tlt that do not add much to the story but none planet with left grief is not one of them imo. absolutely pitch perfect character establishing moment for john gaius— what he's experienced, the exact type of person that he is, what he finds funny and what times he finds appropriate to crack a joke only he's in on. i will defend that writing choice wholeheartedly

[everysongineverykey]

good omens the book, 1990: see, queen is so ubiquitous in london these days that if you leave a tape in a car for too long, it'll inevitably morph into a best of queen tape. which is why their megahits are playing in crowley's bentley all the time! isn't that a funny and topical joke?

good omens the show, 2019-2023: yeah crowley's car has a hands-free call system and also only plays cassette tapes. yeah it's whatever don't think about it. what's an incredibly earnest and passionate queen love song we can play during this scene where crowley tries urgently to reach aziraphale

[mintofhtagn]

TA: cant beliieve ii flew there from the traiin2top.

TA: but ii threw my fledgliing p2iioniic2 around liike nobody2 bu2iine22 back then, way two much power for a four 2weep old.

GA: You Lit Up The Sky Like Fireworks

GA: It Was Safer Than Walking Though I Am Sure

[rottmnt-residuum]

Part 11 of Arc II (Part 37)

huzzah! exposition be upon ye

⇇ | ⇽ | index | ⇾ (censored) | ⇾ (gore)

[d8tl55c]

physeng(write, file, "tco_physeng_breakdown.png");

to:compiler {file}

to:compiler {txt: "Internet and Outernet are full of StickFigures with similar body plans, so there are optimizations for rendering vector strokes specifically. it's way more efficient to use those optimizations than keep calculating perfect spheres for no aesthetic benefit."}

{txt: "btw why haven't heat issues been patched yet"}

{txt: "i fixed this years ago for the latest model. remember."}

from:compiler {txt: "Thank you. The avast! nodes will appreciate the credits. TheChosenOne.exe has been unreachable for some time."}

to:compiler {txt: "you mean OuternetPhysEng still won't update their programs"}

from:compiler {txt: "Yes."}

to:compiler {txt: "and still won't provide a specific location?"}

from:compiler {txt: "Do not allow them to bring up the moral argument again."}

to:compiler {txt: "OK. fine. yes. i will spare both of us"}

to:compiler {txt: "abridged or full docs?"}

from:compiler {txt: "Abridged. Please describe the acronyms."}

to:compiler {txt: "ofc"}

{txt: "

sel.per.filter: standard StickFigure component (src)*****. invisible membrane with special collision properties. protects mouthparts.

H2O scoop: avast! code. implements water retrieval from ambient air.

EIS: avast! code. destroys ingested materials identified as, "dangerous" before they reach internal systems.

SOS: avast! code. they only said this one was, "used for control."

ECL: avast! code. recycles some forms of contact energy.

THROUGHLINE: base code, initialization data, and processing space for vitals. found in some form in all StickFigure-type worms. following unique sectors noted: Black Hole Monitoring System, Basic Intake Threat Enum, Fly By Wire.

smaller points list other vital and peripheral systems.

"}

from:compiler {txt: "Thank you. That's enough."}

end(physeng());

@compressedrage as per my previous email /silly

related: pliable stick figure biotech

[night-lie]

𝔻𝔼𝔸𝕋ℍ ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔼-tober Day 30: aLone

[beingharsh]

Dementia (1955), dir. John Parker

[ifishouldvanish]

(here we go, @xshingie, my nonsense headcanon nobody asked for lmao)

My most unhinged Olrox cope/headcanon is that the reason he goes by 'Olrox' instead of an actual Nahuatl name is because he was named Quetzalcōātl and hated it.

It was not uncommon (especially for nobility), that if you were born on a calendar day ruled by X god, you would be named after them. This calendar day also served as a sort of horoscope that was supposed to determine your 'lot in life'. So I like to imagine he was born on a day ruled by Quetzalcōātl, was maybe foretold or whatever to serve as an avatar of Quetzalcōātl, and that this was a 'lot' he did not want and grew to resent. (He's never been much of a believer, of any kind, after all.)

Anyway. Olrox has been trying to disassociate himself from 'the gods' or any possible responsibility to serve said god his entire life. The concept of fate is mortifying to him. He wants to forge his own identity/destiny, and perhaps saw his rebirth as a vampire as the opportunity to do so. So I imagine Olrox is the name he chose for himself.

[cursed-dreamers-dream]

The music- his face- his voice-

I’m going to need three to five business days to recover

[horse-is-a-horse-of-course]

Mad Max is one of the games ever

[allthecastlesonclouds]

i will. i will say. i understand that eugene ducked out this episode and it looks very suspicious and it IS but also i will be the one to point out*: this is a thing julia did with jancy in season one! she did this in season one so she didn't have to animate an extra character! his exit hasn't been acknowledged in universe so i can't bring myself to suspect my poor boy yet :(

* i don't want to suspect him eugene's a darling character to me :(