#fanfic writer's plight

[cartoon-buffoon]

At the very beginning of a fic that's been almost a YEAR IN THE MAKING there's this one meta joke I make between Oswald and Ortensia that WOULD of been funny if not for the fact that like 4 months after I wrote this line they announced rebrushed so now it's a stupid interaction that makes no sense.

The idea behind this was a sort of meta joke of Oswald and Ortensia were actually living nicely due to the world of Epic Mickey being made for them, they weren't trapped at all and stayed in the area called "wasteland" because it was an entire world made for them and the video games brought them fame and some money. This obviously fell through as the series ya know kind of become nothing more than a bit of nostalgia for the people who played it on the Wii and stopped making money.

THIS ENTIRE THING DON'T MAKE SENSE NOW BECAUSE EPIC MICKEY REBRUSHED IS COMING OUT AND ITS JUST—AGHHH! Damn you, I mean thank you for remaking a game and improving it's graphics and gameplay to make the story more accessible in the modern era, but also damn you for ruining this good line of subtle world building. I either gotta keep the joke and put it in the authors notes: "PS. This was made before Epic Mickey Rebrushed's announcement, there is an outdated line here" which feels lazy AF to keep it in. Alternatively I gotta remove this bit of dialogue which is also gonna be a kind of hassle because I like to transition dialogue into a setting change so the next line is Ortensia apologizing and telling him to turn right which in turn transitions to them inevitably having to change seats because Oswald doesn't know where's he's driving too. Idk I just want this to be as good to read as possible and this entire bit is gonna infuriate me in editing, I know it.

[solivagantingrebel]

Waking up and reading a good fanfic is such a nice feeling. The sheer amount of motivation and cute scenarios floating in my head is — brrrr, might just sit down and start writing again.

[cantstayawaycani]

Can’t Stay Away’s Fic Rec Friday Post #4

12.22.23

My ao3 Bookmarks (if it’s bookmarked, it’s usually a completed fic)

Fic Rec Friday Intro and FAQ

I can’t do multiple posts with elaborate reviews/commentary today. I just wanted to say that over the last few months, while I was grappling with this overwhelmingly depressive sense of doom, profound sadness, hopelessness, and apathy, reading fanfiction was one of the most effective types of escapism I engaged in. 

So, here are the fics that I have been reading, keeping track of, and loving:

Almost anything @bardocksheadband-fanfics, but especially:

1. The Re-Education of Mr. Almehen

Fandom: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Pairing: Nashuri

Summary: “Namor's life changes in all the right ways the day his student's aunt picks him up from school.”

What I Like About It: It may seem lame af to describe something as “tasteful” and mean it as a compliment, not a slight. I mean, this is a Suga Mama Shuri and a Baby Boy Namor (whom I call Ch’ah in my head) but not in the way you think. It’s a rom-com! It’s sexy, it’s funny, it’s adorable. And these two kinky assholes are in love! Also, he’s a kindergarden teacher; a good one. The way he is written with these kids just makes my ovaries quiver.

2. Filthy Mouth

Fandom: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Pairing: Nashuri

Summary: Single father Namor goes on his first blind date and gets his world rocked.

What I Like About It: Almost the same as above, but in reverse! Though more of a straightforward relationship dynamic, not a kept man/woman scenario at all. More of a freak in sheets, lady in the streets situation. But again, there is love and devotion, as there always is with this pairing (well, when writers stay away from the darker dynamics of the ship). This is absolutely amazing. Superbly written, well-paced, tonally balanced, funny, sexy, and somewhat dramatic but not anxiety-inducing. Like, literally perfect.

_______

Almost anything @zzbottomz, but especially:

unfaithful

Fandom: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Pairing: Nashuri/Loshuri

Summary: Shuri’s world unravels when she discovers her husband Namor’s infidelity, leading to a heart-wrenching divorce. Amidst the chaos, she finds solace in Loki, a charming entrepreneur with a complicated past of his own. As their unexpected romance flourishes, Shuri grapples with co-parenting challenges, the complexities of new love, and unresolved feelings.

What I Like About It: I mean, I didn’t think that a Love Triangle between Shuri, Loki, and Namor would be so intriguing. That it would be utterly confusing as to who you want to root for. That you would feel your heart beat for the plight of each character. There’s so much at stake, but especially the happiness of a little boy caught in the middle of the mess adults can make of their lives. It’s drama personified, and I live for each installment. Plus, Loki is written so well here, it’s hard not to root for him.

_______

A new writer, or a seasoned one, returned from a long hiatus, inspired by Shuri and Namor:

Before everything by stories_of_grace

Fandom: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Pairing: Nashuri

Summary: A year after her mother’s death, Shuri burns her mourning clothes on the beach in Haiti and wakes up not only back in Talokan, but also back in time. Given the chance to do things differently, can she prevent her mother’s death and convince Namor of a peaceful alliance?

What I Like About It: THIS fic is everything I want in a Nashuri. It is another “What If” scenario, mapped and tread carefully. We’ve all imagined what could have been if it had been different, as Namor lamented on the beach that day just after he speared the Black Panther, right before she almost killed him and forced him to yield to her. Go read this! It is so satisfying!

______

There are others, but ta for now! Please enjoy your holidays!

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

the plight of the fanfic writer

Now, have I created 4 basic dialects based on English but evolved for a Spaceship that would have been in space for 4000 years? Yes. Did I also invent a bunch of basic smart material tech that would theoretically belong there? Yes.

Is ANY of this going to appear in the fic?

Honestly probably not 😂 And if it does, it ain't going to be explained as much as people would want to, but the info's in the brain, I might make extra long end notes (knowing me, probably not though).

Regardless my people are speaking Scigua and Eigen as their main.

My brain the past 2 weeks:

[agentmarcuspike]

“i just don’t understand why we’re making that conversation be about which words we use to DESCRIBE what we’ve written here in this little corner of the internet when it’s so much bigger than that”

This is such a cop out. Because this issue is “bigger than our corner of the internet” we shouldn’t do something about it?? This issues extends to all media yes but it’s easier to start here, where we can have these discussions with writers one on one. Im not talking to some large studio executive or writer who is never going to hear or care about our plight. Im talking about the fanfiction community, where the best comparison for fanfic is a home cooked meal, and if you don’t care that your readers or followers may feel disheartened by being excluded, then that’s kind of concerning. We should listen to when POC tell us about their concerns, instead of trying to find gray areas or things in the fine print to disprove their points or invalidate their feelings. If a person of color is telling you that what you’re doing or saying makes them feel excluded, you should listen to them. Point blank.

I’m sorry if that was a lot and a very long and winding response thought process wise but I’m sick and tired of white writers only catering to white readers. And yes I know there are thousands of writers on this website but it’s hard to not feel upset by this when the most popular writers on here are literally writing the most egregious white and skinny coded readers. People have a right to be fed up.

answering your long ask with an even longer answer because i feel like we’re talking past each other

it wasn’t meant as a cop out, of course we should still try to do something about it. i was trying to give some perspective that a bunch of people seem to be missing rn and the way you’re going about this, i’m sorry if it came off as invalidating

i’m obviously not disagreeing with your point, like i said. everyone should feel seen and welcome and understood, and if that’s not the case then we should try our best to change that. but this is a completely different conversation than what i set out to have, because of course i think people have a right to be upset. i’m trying to criticize the way a lot of you guys are going about this over and over, and not your cause.

“(…) where we can have these discussions with writers one on one”

but we’re not doing that, are we? this conversation right now is between you, who has the safety of anonymity, and my blog followers, who are the people that will see this. the conversations people are having are through posts saying they want change, without addressing who needs to make the changes, leading people to send writers anonymous hate, which is absolutely not making any changes, rather the opposite.

it would be much more fruitful if the people who feel hurt would tell the writers directly, so that they could be educated, if they’re not, instead of attacking people with vague posting, rallying people to send them completely unrelated hate, which is what’s happening, and what keeps happening every time we try to have this conversation. if people then choose to keep writing stories about white and skinny people then i’m sorry to say that that’s their choice. yeah it sucks, and you have a right to be upset about it, but what you don’t have is a right to demand they change, because this is people’s hobby, and if they want to write about only what they know then they should get to do that. and if you have suggestions for how they can be more inclusive and diverse, or want them to add certain tags, tell them personally, and don’t make a vague post about it. doing the latter makes it seem like you don’t actually care about change, and only want people to feel bad

if there’s anything you suggest i do to make my writing more inclusive then please tell me off anon so we can have a proper conversation about it, i would love that. if not, please take it up with the people you think about when making vague callout posts instead of my inbox, because this is not gonna lead to any change

[kookoofufu]

I have all these serious WIPs and I start writing dofuwani smut… I finally understand the plight of fanfic writers

[sjmnextgenweek]

Hello all! This is @starfall-spirit hosting my first event, SJM Next Gen Week 2023! Go ahead and get cracking on your fanfics, artwork, mood boards, or whatever else you’d like, because from March 6th-12th we celebrate the children of all your favorite ships from Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City.

Rules:

Children of any and all SJM ships, canon or crack are welcome here.

If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Attacks on other authors/artists/contributors will not be tolerated here.

Lastly, have fun and write/read/draw for you before anyone else. Don’t forget to use #sjmnextgenweek2023 and tag @sjmnextgenweek to make sure your works end up on my daily masterlists! Fic writers can also submit to the Next Gen AO3 Collection.

Questions: I’ll answer from this ask box/messenger or from my personal account. Please reach out if I overlook your post. Each and every submission is valued here!

Prompts:

Day 1-Family Time

Maybe it’s their training, maybe it’s an annual holiday. How does your next gen character interact with their parents, siblings, cousins, and close friends?

Day 2-Pick an AU

Are they a modern day university student? Are they the hero of a fairytale? The answer is up to you.

Day 3-Crossover

How would your next gen character meet a person or group from another SJM world?

Day 4-Young Love

How would your next gen character meet his or her mate or love interest?

Day 5-Pick a Trope

Platonic, romantic, enemies, or whatever else, show your character facing our favorite fictional plights.

Day 6-Rising to Power

Be they an heir taking the crown or a child learning to control the family gift, show your character finding their way to who they’re meant to be.

Day 7-Free Day

Go wild, friends!

[amynchan]

The plight of fanfic writers. X'D

[ivymarquis]

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them? 32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers. 55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

So I have like…. 15 (!!!!!!!) fic ideas sitting in my WIP google doc where I list all my stuff so I dont lose track of them. 3 of those I have actually started in some form or fashion.

As for sharing; I think Ive shared all the ideas in some form or fashion but I am incapable of keeping my wips to myself so here is the start to the “Price thinks he caught his wife cheating but actually she’s just masturbating” fic lmao

The lines in John Price's face testify to the worry that nags him every day.

He’s paid to worry. His men rely on it to stay safe- not that they so much as actively do, but it’s the fear of failure -of one of them not coming home- that drives Johnto account for every possible course of action during an op, and come up with three additional back up plans for each initial potential course.

He accounts for everything. No detail goes unnoticed, no stone goes unturned. He doesn’t have the option of making a mistake. If a clerk files a paper wrong, worse case scenario John resubmits a report. If he does his job wrong? Someone very likely will die.

There’s many, many things in the day that worry John but you are not one of them.

Not usually, anyway. And the slight nagging sensation as he pulls down the street that you two live on is easily accounted to him projecting and empathizing with the plight of a young soldier John had come across while getting ready to leave base.

One of the corporals under Soap had left the day before once placed on leave, only to be back on base this morning.

John hadn’t commented on the corporal's red, puffy eyes. The man’s ego’s already suffered a terrible blow, and his crying being acknowledged by his captain would not have helped matters.

The poor sod had walked in on his girlfriend in the act with another man. Not so much as a Dear John letter, but letting him find out in the worst way possible.

And so John brushes off the nagging in the back of his brain. He’s a worrier, and apparently his brain feels like torturing himself with thoughts of how absolutely wrecked he would be if he found himself in the same position as the corporal.

He leaves his bags in the car as he parks, too eager to see you to bother with them. He can unpack later.

The house is quiet when he first steps in. “Darling? I’m home.”

He expects to hear an excitable “John!” and you scrambling to him from whatever room you’re in. Your usual routine ending with you flinging yourself into his arms.

He’s greeted with more silence. Maybe you’re in the shower? John has text you on base that he was coming back. But the house isn’t all that far from base. Maybe you haven’t seen the message if you haven’t looked at your phone.

He makes his way up the stairs, grinning slightly at the thought of catching you in the shower. He’ll need to be careful- that he doesn’t spook you thinking you’re alone in the house only to be found naked and wet. He would feel terrible if you slipped from fright.

No sooner does John reach the top of the stairs does his stomach drop clear to the floor.

He can hear the mattress squeaking.

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers

I can only pick 3?? 🥺🥺

Well, you of course 💕💕 I am forever and will always be obsessed with Dita, and now Izzie (any anyone else you write because I am obsessed with your writing and it is wild to me still that we are friends!! I have been reading your stuff since you were writing for skyrim!!)

@kneelingshadowsalome I am literally so obsessed with how poetic Salome’s writing is. It’s just *chef’s kiss* absolutely incredible. Literally any and of it is just so good.

@embossross we all saw my public meltdown over my upset of not ever finding her again when my computer kicked the bucket and like a dummy I hadn’t followed/saved the fic I was reading in any way. Her writing is so good and Im still working my way through the fic of hers I am reading but fr fr y’all if you have even the slightest interest in bdsm dynamics I know absolutely nothing about the tr fandom so idk how close it follows anything canon but it flows so nice aaHHHHHH

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

Lowkey the characters I always love most typically fit the same archetype (for whatever reason I huff the “traumatized soldier” trope like it’s blow and I cannot stop myself).

I can’t pick just one so Imma ramble

Like Ghost is just delightfully traumatized and I wanna snuggle him and make things okay for him going forward.

And the ghost fics/ideas are definitely the ones I get more notes on but lowkey Ive been feeling Price lately and while the price snippets/fics have gotten good responses they haven’t pulled near the numbers as the ghost ones but I do not care lmao literally if anyone comments anything nice on my stuff Im so happy but I’m not like…. Gonna cater my writer with the purpose of getting the most notes (tho I am pleasantly surprised when something blows up) so whoever my flavor of the month is, isn’t particularly swayed by reader response.

And of course Jacob will always have a special place in my heart because I have simped for that man since 2018 and I *will* excuse the kidnapping, brainwashing, and cannibalism. Because he is my babygirl.

For my actual OCs, while I haven’t written very much for her yet I just love Honey so so so much any time I do a snippet for her she just writes so easy for me.

Like I love CC still and they have their similarities in certain aspects of disposition/motivations but sometimes I gotta wrestle her down lmao

Get to Know Your Fic Writer

[shame-is-a-wasted-emotion]

Annie! For the fanfic writer ask game:

8, 12, 23, 36 💫

Aww thank you for asking Mia Cara @fallevs

So let's see

Share the last line that you wrote

Its been quite a long time to be honest that I've written anything. I haven't even started my fanzine fic and It's due in 2 days. Oh the plight of me!

Anyway so maybe this is the last line I wrote:

"His muscles were screaming for his bed and his fingers were typing sorry letters in the freeze. Not an ideal situation but this was how Kurt’s day went." (Psst Psst :this is for someone's prompt)

What fandom do you want to write for more often?

Hmm Klaine obviously. I want to write more for Firstprince(Red, white and royal blue). I want to start writing for Huskerdust( Hazbin hotel). Quintana should feasible too. I have ideas but I have no motivation.

Where do you usually write?

In my room. That is where my laptop is. Or should I say "storage dungeon"? This room is so dirty and depressing but this is my privacy chamber. Or if I'm dead bored, on my tab or phone, in class rooms. But that's very rare.

Have you written a fic because you were inspired by a song?

Absolutely!

Work From Home inspired by Work From Home by fifth harmony

Can't Help Falling In Love inspired by Can't help falling in love by Elvis Presley

Too Early In The Game? Inspired by "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Ella Fitzgerald

Part Of Your World inspired by Part Of Your World from the little mermaid

There are many more but they are a chapter in a multi chap fic.

Thank you for asking Aurora!

If you want to ask me

[cartoon-buffoon]

Random ramble: god I fucking hate how smiling friends has altered my brain. I'm trying to write a fanfiction, in the fic I'm trying to have a serious moment where the self centered psychopathic narcissist starts feeling affection for someone and he absolutely hates it to the point he's having a full on manic episode involving him trying to get rid of the emotions he feels. Now that's all well and good and all but I REALLY feel like for the scene having the character say "get out of my head" would be easy for the monologue about how much he hates feeling things because he wants the thoughts, ya know, OUT OF HIS HEAD. The problem here is ya know there's a specific smiling friends scene that replays in my brain everytime I read the phrase and I personally can't take the scene seriously and I'm sure a few others will be taken out of the scene by associating the words with the clip.

I'm REALLY TRYING to write an actual serious moment here yet thanks to the giant shitpost that is smiling friends all I can think of is DJ Spit going "I dunno know what to think no more man! I dunno what to think no more! Get out of my head! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

[unlimitedhorsepower]

me writing my fanfic

honestly though i frequently think abt how many details i reference as truth are like actual canon things but theyre more obscure details from peripheral materials rather than in the anime.

but also some details i made up. would love to talk about my reasonings for those details. some of them are esoteric. but some of them are just based on reality to me. i refuse to call yuris mom "origa" bc it was the artist name of that one russian singer whose real name was olga and whos just known in japan for a bunch of anime collabs

its also my truth (but not totally unreasonable imo) that olga immigrated to sternbild and her surname is just "petrov" specifically due to simplifications for required forms/some minor mixups. not even petrova and nothing given wrt patronymic vs surname but i dont think sternbilds legislative system wouldve understood patronymics and its not rly important.

what is interesting to me is that olga petrova was a real person (well. im sure this has been the name of many people. but bear with me), a vaudeville performer, who actually adopted the name as a stage name. ive always felt that olga was running from something and wouldve explained why she has nobody else to care for her than her son. and nobody had ever heard of her either.

olga petrov is a bit of a fake name isnt it...

being a woman with no family nor connections in an unfamiliar city is such a ripe ground for getting an abusive fuck of a husband. i really doubt that mr. legend suddenly became abusive once his NEXT power started failing. i just think olga didnt have anyone else and she was willing to overlook all of his flaws for that long as someone who was rich and famous and kept a roof over her head etc

what choice does she have? also gives more basis to how nobody seems to ever acknowledge olga (or yuri) exist. i feel like mr. legend couldve just presented olga as his girlfriend of the day (who has a son) to maverick and he wouldve been like okay so...whatever...

and they never talked bc olga ~kept out of the way~ when her husband has people over or is on the phone etc. and this dynamic gets worsened when mr. legend starts to lose his powers bc he might not have a NEXT power anymore but what he has is total control and power over olga.

^ruminations of an unwell person who thinks narratives actually care about woman characters. objectively the name was given bc the writers had heard origa once LMFAO and petrov is a common surname

anyway. personally i still think it would be interesting if gregory sunshine was yuris real biological father (insert that theory post i made pre-cour 2) and olga just managed to get into a rlship with mr.legend so quickly she could pass yuri as his son. (or mr. legend was okay with the fact at least initially. doesnt matter). and that also adds to her plight of being stuck with mr.legend, and im sure she was also in love with him, but she didnt have any other choice... nobody to help her. heroes arent real

wouldve explained why olga was running and suspectible to shit freaks like mr. legend. i would be inclined to say nothing megaweird happened and gregory was just olgas weird creep boyfriend bc i dont want to torture olga for funsies. more of a situation where she got pregnant accidentally and was like fuck i cant raise a child with a total criminal freak... not that she was raped by him bc olga rly has enough bad shit in her life without that:/

gregory is a creep for sure considering even the scene where he makes ryan lose control (which is. really weird lets be real. the kotetsu scene mirrors it) but still.

AND would also explain why olga blames yuri so strongly for Everything...doesnt excuse her ofc but like. i also understand it. her life sucked. tfw women could be more than Mothers and perhaps even lead full and nuanced lives that explain their actions

this is irrelevant to my fanfic btw (kinda) though i explore yuris and olgas rlship in it. olga is someone who tries but she is so crushed by her circumstances that sometimes her best try isnt enough. its a tragedy is all.

and also interesting how gregory never showed up in sternbild before s2. like olga chose a good place to run to (in the case she had). ripping my hair out ahhh ahhh ahhhh the lore... its so deep (the lore i made up in my head that is)

[anotherpapercut]

have an idea for a character and I know what his whole character arc should be I just don't have the story to get him there

[herald-divine-hell]

When you want to write the smut, but you don’t know how to properly even write that.

[lillianofliterature]

about me. . .

Lillian, 23, she/her, panromantic asexual, pots, adhd, infp, 2w1

follower of Jesus, friend to bugs, obsessed with dinosaurs

aspiring author, fanfic writer, jewelry maker & paleoartist

what i’m typing. . .

REQUESTS

"silver fox”, terry silver x younger!reader [age gap] [mini series]

various preferences

ONE-SHOTS/MINI SERIES

“extending hospitality”, obi-wan kenobi x reader [part three] [mini series conclusion] ON HIATUS

“reflections of the heart”, severus snape x reader [mini series]

“the guilt of seven graves”, severus snape x reader [one-shot] [dark content warning]

"of gits and glowers", severus snape x reader [one-shot]

"down by the river", halsin x reader

"folk hero's plight", astarion x reader

links and resources. . .

main masterlist

imagines/preferences masterlist

request guidelines

my spotify (including character themed playlists and povs)

characters i obsess over. . .

alan grant, aragorn, astarion ancunín, august booth, beetlejuice, beorn, bofur, bruno madrigal, daniel larusso, daryl dixon, data soong, din djarin, dwalin, eddie munson, elrond, frodo baggins, george of the jungle, haldir, halsin, heimdall, jack sparrow, jareth, johnny lawrence, killian jones, loki, obi-wan kenobi, remus lupin, rick o'connell, rumplestiltskin/mr. gold, severus snape, silco, spencer shay, spock, tarrant hightopp, terry silver, thranduil, tyrion lannister

ariel, arya stark, brienne of tarth, danaerys targaryen, emma swan, frankie bernstein, jinx, karlach, katniss everdeen, leia organa, merida, mulan, natasha romanoff, regina mills, sansa stark, zelena

my fandoms. . . 

TV/SERIES:

once upon a time, outlander, arcane, star trek (tos, aos, tng, voy, pic), stargate (sg-1, atlantis, universe), cobra kai, game of thrones, good omens, our flag means death, the last of us, the clone wars, the mandalorian, the book of boba fett, the falcon and the winter soldier, loki, avatar: the last airbender, the legend of korra, grace and frankie, the walking dead, the waltons, matlock, sherlock, icarly, 2000s nickelodeon/disney channel shows

MOVIES:

the hobbit, the lord of the rings, harry potter, the chronicles of narnia, star wars, star trek, marvel/mcu, jurassic park/world, pirates of the caribbean, the karate kid (I-III), labyrinth, hunt for the wilderpeople, sense and sensibility (1995), alice in wonderland (2010), finding neverland (2004), the phantom of the opera (2004), beetlejuice, the nightmare before christmas, the little mermaid, emperor’s new groove, tinker bell, and a gazillion more 

BOOKS:

the hunger games, the hobbit, the lord of the rings, the true confessions of charlotte doyle, percy jackson series, the selection series, anything austen or brontë, and a lot of heckin’ good fanfiction

MUSIC/GENRES:

film scores/soundtracks, musicals, reggae, alternative/indie, celtic punk, celtic music, various independent instrumentals/composers, folk rock, 70s/80s rock, indie folk, pop, and a sprinkle of everything else (I listen to almost every genre, it just depends on what my soul needs in the moment! music is so cathartic, i’m almost always listening to it)

james newton howard, howard shore, bear mccreary, rachel portman, anne dudley, alexandre desplat, john powell, john williams, harry gregson-williams, mark isham, bob marley & the wailers, jack johnson, dave matthews band, red house painters, iron & wine, cat stevens, daft punk, adele, lord huron, fleetwood foxes, dodie, birdy, avril lavigne, priscilla ahn, AND SO MANY MORE! (i freaking love music)

if you want to know more or chat about any shared fandoms or inquire about unlisted fandoms or interests, just dm me!

[bigskydreaming]

This might sound like a nitpick but its really not lol.....

The thing is, I have a GRIEVANCE with the oft-spoken-by-DC-fans line that goes: 

“Let Bruce be a good dad.”

The specific gripe I have with this line is it kinda lays the default impression that like.....DC is actively standing in the way of Bruce being a good dad, like if they’d just get out of the way, he’d obviously be a good dad.

And that’s....not how this works.

Because Bruce isn’t anything. Bruce is lines on a page. He’s squiggles. He’s text balloons and thought bubbles and various different writers’ biases stacked one on top of the other wearing a cape and cowl.

He’s not an actual PERSON who has thoughts, choices and motivations of his own that DC are actively interfering with or throwing up roadblocks to.

Every single thing that comes out of his mouth is something that’s WRITTEN to come out of his mouth, and this is significant.

Because see, it means that there is no default state of Bruce in which Bruce is naturally a good dad, because Bruce isn’t naturally anything. He’s only what writers put into the writing of him, and as we’ve seen time and time again, that can JUST AS EASILY BE BAD AS GOOD.

So Bruce being a good dad isn’t a thing that can happen just by an absence of writing him as a bad dad, even.

Its a thing that has to be chosen. With intent. It has to be WORKED towards. It has to be a GOAL. And it has to be the result of actual effort applied towards meeting that goal.

In both canon and in fanfic.

And too often, I feel like people just default to thinking that like, as long as they’re not writing Bruce actively hitting his kids or kicking them out of the house, its okay, he’s a good dad, its fine.

And that’s like....the bare minimum though.

But like, the entire nature of his....dadhood....is exceptional, is the thing? Like, he consistently takes in kids who are already massively traumatized before he ever even meets them. Already replete with abandonment issues out the wazoo. Now don’t get me wrong, bare minimum isn’t in my mind good enough for any kid, like, that shouldn’t be a standard here at all and I’m not advocating for it to be, I’m just using it here because its....really what’s on display.

But additionally, I’m saying like....while every child deserves nothing short of a parent’s best effort, DC and fans have for decades EMPHASIZED the extreme circumstances and plights of each of Bruce’s kids in order to coast on the laurels of like.....his saviorism, when he swoops in and rescues them from these extreme fates and takes them to join him in his castle on the hill. Yes I know its a manor. ITS A METAPHOR, KEVIN.

Anyway.

Point is, if you’re going to lean into that particular aspect of things to the degree it is very much leaned into....I say its not just that Bruce Wayne shouldn’t be a bad dad, and its not enough to just have Bruce Wayne be a good dad.

He should be an EXCEPTIONAL dad.

He has the resources. He has the willpower. He has the patience. He has eighteen million different character traits that in literally ANY given story exist even if they’ve never been on display previously, so long as they’re what he needs to pull out of his ass in order to save the day and triumph over evil or whatever....because that’s his premise. That’s his story.

Now....extend that to his parenting.

THAT’S what his kids deserve, if he’s going to take them in even with all the massive issues they have before they’re even a mote in his eye, specifically BECAUSE he can devote resources and determination to giving them a better life than the one they’re living when he finds them, that like, few others can...

Anything less than that is not just the bare minimum, its just....not enough.

Not when he’s Bruce fucking Wayne, the goddamn Batman, and like, he can do literally anything else when the plot demands it.

Writers just have to put the effort in to pull off his ‘win.’

Well, IMO its not enough to just have DC and its writers ‘get out of the way’ of Bruce Wayne being a good dad.

They need to PUT IN THE EFFORT of making him an EXCEPTIONAL dad.

Because you ask me, I look at this dude who has no end to resources, skills and brainpower he can devote to literally every other problem to cross the street in front of him, and I see him devoting ANYTHING less than that to parenting his children, being the solution to THEIR problems....

And that - to me - is and always will STILL be.....being a bad dad.

Because it constantly places them as of lesser priority in either his eyes from an in universe perspective, or in his writers’ eyes.

If he can devote himself to solving the world’s problems with preternatural degrees of intensity, he can similarly apply himself and all his resources, intellect and emotional being to being what his kids need, and the question will always be then - why ISN’T he, and why do they deserve less from the man who PLEDGED himself to be responsible for them DIRECTLY, than strangers the world over?

He’s not sacrificing himself and time and attention he wishes he could devote to his kids when he selflessly puts everything else first. He’s sacrificing the time and attention he made a COMMITMENT to give to them every single time he took one of them in.

And those two things are NOT the same, nor are they interchangeable.

Now to be clear, I’m not saying there aren’t stories to be told about what happens because he’s NOT helping his kids with their problems rather than just being another one of said problems, I’m not saying that there’s nothing to explore about him being a flawed parent specifically.

I’m saying.....if that’s the angle you want to go with, if you’re TRYING for family dysfunction specifically DUE to dynamics resulting from Bruce NOT applying himself to his parenting like I’m describing above....

You can do that! Absolutely! 

Its just.....why is “Good Dad Bruce” still being used as the go-to tag even in those scenarios, when by your own admission there, Bruce NOT being the father he could be or even should be.....is a key part of the story you’re telling?

I mean, I get that ‘Adequate Dad Bruce’ or ‘Bare Minimum Dad Bruce’ don’t have quite the same ring to them, but its like.

We need to be raising the bar on what ACTUALLY constitutes good parenting to these kids he freaking VOLUNTEERS to raise, like the bare minimum of effort is all that it takes to qualify as a good dad because well at least he tries.

No, sorry. Do not pass go with that BS. Do not collect $200. We’ve SEEN what happens when Bruce ACTUALLY tries, even if he fails, and its nothing short of a full scale assault on every aspect of a problem facing him. This man doesn’t DO lukewarm efforts. He doesn’t DO half-assed.

Except when it comes to writing him with his kids and wanting him to reap the accolades of being the guy who saved them from life and made their lives so much better.....without actually prioritizing them as a focal point of his life and efforts when it might take away from other stories writers want to tell more.

Parenting requires sacrifice, and storytelling about parenting at least requires sacrificing the occasional non-parental storytelling beat because you have to acknowledge how that would look or impact a storytelling beat that intersects organically with one of his kids. When there’s conflict of choice, his kids are supposed to be the ones he chooses to prioritize because like.

He chose them in the first place, and that’s not a bell that he gets to unring.

And if part of the appeal of his character is that he made that choice, he dedicated himself to these kids, then like.....its not really a bell that you should be trying to unring, perhaps? 

Because I gotta say, lot of writers out there on both sides of the professional and fanfic line tend to act like his kids are just accessories meant to enhance his character rather than intended to be perceived and engaged with as full-fledged characters and people (albeit fictional) in their own rights.

And that’s not something that can actually be papered over simply by declaring him a Good Dad in a tag, when the actual writing of the story is like, “mmmm, Facts Not In Evidence, Actually. MLA citations requested, please.”