#idealai

[thisisnottheblogyourelookingfor]

Rules: without naming them, post 10 gifs of your favorite TV shows, then tag 10 people.

I was tagged by @alienwriterkitty THANK YOU!! ♡♡♡

Tagging: @jinseinomerry-go-round @dichromaniac @djmorn @master-gatherer @noirapocalypto @idealai @jaeachy @ladyotakukiut @wonhos-fabuloso @seekerofthemuse

[laurelwen]

Tagged by @alteredstratus

Three Ships : Nigel Colbie x Alex Forbes, Loustat, Hualian

First Ship : Leia and Han

Last Song : No Mercy, DeathbyRomy

Last Film : The Passenger (2023)

Currently Reading : The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt

Currently Craving : French fries, king cake, homemade chai

Favourite Color : teal/peacock blue-green

Relationship Status : Me and my blorbos and cats against the world

Last Thing Googled : blackstrap molasses, recipes for mini waffle maker, incidents of sexual violence in hazing rituals, masculine messenger bags, mushroom garland, third wave vs fourth wave feminism

Current Obsession : Like Minds...still

Tagging: @myfateislosingitspatience, @duckland, @idealai, @bloodbathfortwo, @saint-starflicker, @general-theory-0f-relativity, @belovedbastardremus

[zombeesknees]

a big epic fairytale retelling of the Little Mermaid where she goes against her destiny - and ends up going to the human world decades before her destined true love is born and falls in love with the man who will become Jiminy Cricket. Think an epic historical fantasy drama a la Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - but set from 1908 to 1943. Plus, the framing device is their daughter discovering the story of her parents as a book (a la the History of Love) - a book published in our world without an ending. Alma-Eulalia (the Little Mermaid) is played by Jamie Clayton; Ovid (Jiminy Cricket) is played by Eddie Redmayne; their daughter Eos-Arielle is played by Hunter Schafer. Your thoughts (I love hearing your thoughts on retelling and fairytales)??

That sounds pretty amazing! Love the casting, and it's definitely a different/unique take on the story.

[youareiron-andyouarestrong]

A literary project I’m working on: a big epic fairytale retelling of the Little Mermaid where she goes against her destiny - and ends up going to the human world decades before her destined true love is born and falls in love with the man who will become Jiminy Cricket. Think an epic historical fantasy drama a la Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - but set from 1908 to 1943. Plus, the framing device is their daughter discovering the story of her parents as a book (a la the History of Love) - a book published in our world without an ending. Alma-Eulalia (the Little Mermaid) is played by Jamie Clayton; Ovid (Jiminy Cricket) is played by Eddie Redmayne; their daughter Eos-Arielle is played by Hunter Schafer. Your thoughts (I love hearing your thoughts on retelling and fairytales)??

First of all, I love this idea--it sounds a lot like the classic first season of OUAT, before it turned out that everybody in Fairy Tale Land was, apparently, related to each other

The timeline that you've chosen is also so great; there's a big swath of time where you have all these big world events happening, and I love the idea of Eos-Arielle traveling through it, trying to find out her parents' story. It also reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (daughter seeking lost parents via a book).

I also love your face-casting, I think it's spot on, especially the Ovid casting (what a perfect name for someone who will eventually become a literal conscience!). If you ever write more, let me know! I'd love to see it.

[missanthropicprinciple]

I saw your selfies (with you on London Underground) and I just wanted to say, you look rather beautiful!

Wow. This was from 2016. Not sure if I ever responded or thanked you.

I was a different person then in so many ways. But the freedom I obtained, while only partially sustained, was something that has never completely left me and I mean to get back to this. Thanks again for saying such a kind thing. :D 

[dear-indies]

Hi there! If possible, can you please, please help me with finding someone who resembles Elisabeth Moss? I'm hoping to find a FC which could look like Elisabeth Moss in her early 20's? Could Elle Fanning do this? Either way, thank you!

Evanna Lynch (1991) - has younger resources. 

Ana Mulvoy-Ten (1992) - has younger resources.

Astrid Smeplass (1996)

Ulrikke Falch (1996) 

Kathryn Newton (1997) 

-C

[princessscrivener]

First and foremost, I wish you guys a wonderful New Years Eve over from Australia! I've being watching your videos from November, and for me, it's a wonder that you guys don't have a bigger fanbase. Especially with your detailed critique of the live-action BatB film, which has made me a huge fan of yours.

(2/continued) major twists to the Disney stories we know - one example being if Jafar was the first one to get Aladdin's lamp, another being if the Enchantress was Belle's mother. However, reading the reviews and looking at the books through preview, the books look... less than stellar. Choppy writing, 2-D characterization, inability to balance tone etc. Since I know you share my adoring and critical love for Disney (and are especially critical of Disney remakes/fanfic) and have done CONTINUED.

(3/continued.) book reviews, I was wondering if you wanted to personally give your critical review on Twisted Tales? Especially since I'm writing a manuscript for Disney-Hyperion press about an epic deconstruction and retelling of Disney and HCA's Little Mermaid (and other stories). I can give you guys more information about the novel if you like! Either way, keep being brilliant and I can't wait to hear more from you and see more videos! - Niamh

Thank you, first of all!

I actually have read As Old As Time by Braswell and...I actually love it? I’ve seen a ton of good reviews of the series as a whole, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bad reviews and people with differing opinions as well. Maybe I like it so much because I’ve read the Serena Valentino series and absolutely hate it (I especially hate her Beast book), but I honestly think that’s a really small reason why I like the Twisted Tales book(s).

I don’t really agree with the analysis above but that’s not to say I think you’re wrong or anything. I don’t. I like the one book I’ve read so far, and that’s fine. If you don’t, that’s fine too. I think she actually does a lot in the way of Belle’s character especially, in a way that the BATB 2017 movie tries to but doesn’t.

If anything, I think Serena Valentino’s books are badly written, her characterization is all over the place, and generally they don’t do anything to expand the fairy tales beyond her self-insert characters. Braswell, on the other hand, does more to aid our understanding of choices characters make and backstories we don’t get but are actually useful (but again, this is all my opinion and not necessarily going to be the case for every reader).

I actually did a BATB book comparison video where I expand on why I liked Braswell’s book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sYCGC2iVtU&t=214s&index=10&list=PLhbv_wRrdM4sfReUdKUR04Z1ByJou4IXP

Like I said, if you don’t agree, that’s totally fine. I happen to like this book - I haven’t read the other books yet, but I still plan to. So maybe, when I finally get through the series, I’ll do an analytical video about all three. I do want to thank you for the suggestion! - P

[calamity-bean]

'Will someone please write an Oscar-winning screenplay for Burn Gorman where he gets to be the hero, with an epic romance where he finally gets the girl?' I just saw this in an essay by entropy345 and seeing we're are a Burn Gorman lover (and since I've fancasted him in a epic Disney retelling involving the American Revolution, that I'm writing as fanfic, as a main/romantic character), what future TV/film roles would you want to see Burn in (adaptational work or original)? Just curious!

Burn as a romantic character in the Revolution sounds like my taste exactly. ;) To your question, though … I mean, the thing is, I’ll watch Burn in pretty much ANY role. I drove an hour to go see a movie he was in like 5 minutes of, I have no pretense of control left at this point.

But @entropy345 is right: Burn deserves way more leading roles, particularly romantic ones! And maybe that’s partly down to the roles he’s offered and partly down to the roles he’s interested in; I believe I’ve read him say before that he likes playing those villainous and character-actor parts. And he’s tons of fun in those parts, to be sure. But I absolutely adore the romance, heroism, humor, complexity, and unique sexiness he brings to characters like Hewlett and Owen Harper, and I want to see more of that from him, by golly gosh.

As for specific roles … hm. I guess I’ve never really considered it. I have a world-weary & questionably credentialed doctor OC he’d be perfect for 15 or 20 years from now, which I guess means I have 15 or 20 years to get that story noticed by some fancy film types. I also happen to think that Burn looks absolutely stunning in early- to mid-20th century fashion (see ATTWN, swoon), so I would be head over heels for any role that gave him a leading role and/or romantic arc in that era. As I previously demonstrated, he would make a dashing English cavalry officer – though that would require him to endure his horse allergy, poor lamb.

Ooh – actually, I think the dream for me would be for Guillermo del Toro to cast Burn as the protagonist (or lead love interest) of literally anything. He’s so well suited to del Toro’s genres and aesthetic, it would be PARFAIT. Anyone else got ideas?

[gehayi]

Hydrangea: what inspired you to begin writing in the first place? Iris: do you prefer writing about a man or a woman character? Why? Anemone: how old were you when you first started writing? Tulip: what is your favorite writing blog on tumblr that you feel deserves more followers and reads? (Love hearing from you!

Anemone: how old were you when you first started writing?

Hydrangea: what inspired you to begin writing in the first place?

Probably a desire to communicate. Family lore says that I was writing stories and verse (I won’t dignify it with the name of poetry) from about the age of three on, which can happen if your mother and aunt teach you to read and print when you’re about two. I didn’t start speaking in sentences until I was about two and a half, so...well, doing the math, it seems clear that I was writing before I was saying more than the occasional word.

Iris: do you prefer writing about a man or a woman character? Why?

Whichever one works best for the story, honestly. 

Tulip: what is your favorite writing blog on Tumblr that you feel deserves more followers and reads?

I can’t answer this one. I’m afraid I don’t know many writing blogs (as opposed to personal blogs) either here on Tumblr or elsewhere. And the few that I can identify as writing blogs (like Writing With Color) generally have large numbers of followers already. 

[culpers]

Hello Culpers! I've being watching from afar and I wanted to ask your opinion on two things. First and foremost, what's your opinion on Major Edmund Hewlett (aka Burn Gorman's role)? And secondly, what do you feel about the narrative concerning the romance between Hewlett and Anna?

hey there! these are two things i’ve never, never been asked about, so if this comes out like complete shite, i’m so sorry. i had an inclination to like hewlett as soon as turn began because of burn. he had been a favorite of mine way back on torchwood (i still can’t rewatch his character’s demise on that show), so i was curious to see where his character would go.

in particular, the first two seasons were a joy to watch him in: we went from meeting this rather generic, unyielding base of what a major in his position might have been to seeing his heart and the actual man beneath – to edmund, with all his interests, all his excitement and nervousness. it was a delight to see him fleshed out and humanized, and of course, that’s where mrs. strong came in. 

during season two, there was nothing anna needed more than an honest friend. remember in 2x04 when she brought him the delivery for abigail then later came back to see what was in the box? i loved that. even more so, i loved when it came to simcoe’s return, how hewlett, with no more than a few seconds of thought, spoke up in agreement to have her brought to white hall. they would come to aid each other in so much.

but with season three, i don’t know what happened. i was somehow left behind on the romance entirely. it never felt equal or without a catch to me. i don’t doubt that she truly cared for hewlett – deeply, too. she had been ready to marry him, after all. had everything gone smoothly, i feel like she would have gone through with it and worked to find purpose in it as she has with everything else. on the other hand, something seemed to eclipse it. in parallel to robert’s realization, she understood something bigger was happening around her. the whole marriage plot came out of her need to save both edmund and abe, and it seems that sort of gets lost in thinking about her motivations.

i get very middle ground about them, i guess, and with so little of the show left, part of me hopes they lay to rest the focus on the love stories. seeing anna with ben and caleb, urging her boys to be more brilliant, that was beyond glorious at the end of last season. if we could see hewlett doing better wherever he roams now, i’d be happy.

[i-did-i-did-i-do]

Gryffindor primary//Hufflepuff secondary for @eatsleepswimread and @idealai

[youareiron-andyouarestrong]

Wanted to tell you about a major subplot in my magical realist epic (you and zombies knees are the best people to talk to). Lupita Nyong’o as Ursula Nachtigall, the 30-year-old wingless daughter of the Queen of Valkyries Brunhilde (Viola Davis) and her mortal deaf husband Siegfried who lives upon a bustling island community off Massachusetts called Gimle; there she lives as a beloved writer, oil painter and keeper of the lighthouse (1/3)

We want Lupita in all the things

[wearyewe]

idealai replied to your post “There are so many users on here that are so toxic… And who have...”

I'm so sorry you feel that way. *hugs* Is there anything I could do to help cheer your up? Have my inbox open, send some good photos, anything?

Oh no! I’m good. These are people I don’t interact with personally so I’m good. I’ll never say no to being tagged in cute puppy photos though!

[dear-indies]

Hello Cat and Mouse! I wanted to as if you could help me with finding new FC's! Can you help me find two FC's who could replace Sally Hawkins and Chiwetel Ejiofor? I'm hoping to find versions of the two in their late 40's-early 50's if that's possible. I hope you two will have a wonderful holiday; you deserve it!

Sally Hawkins:

Mary Page Keller (1961) 

Famke Janssen (1964) 

Marisa Tomei (1964) 

Gillian Anderson (1968)

Jorja Fox (1968) 

Catherine Zeta-Jones (1969)

Tina Fey (1970)

Rachel Weisz (1970) Hungarian Jewish / Italian and Austrian-Jewish.

Chiwetel Ejiofor:

Richard Mofe-Damijo (1961) Nigerian.

Blair Underwood (1964) African-American.

David Harewood (1965) Barbadian.

Michael K. Williams (1966) African-American / Afro-Bahamian.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (1967) Nigerian.

D.B. Woodside (1969) African-American.

-C & @orneryrps & @sonamhelps!

[gehayi]

What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in? What are the best things about your current fandom? Any NoTPs? Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike? If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of? What inspires you to write? Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics? Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world!

So many questions, @idealai!

What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

I think that the most welcoming one and the one with the fewest gatekeepers was Highlander: The Series–this would have been around 1998-2003. That’s the one where I learned the most about research; the series wasn’t big on historical accuracy, but the fans that I ran with were…and they were vocal about it. It’s also the fandom where I learned about writing crack taken seriously, roleplaying with characters, and so on. 

What are the best things about your current fandom?

For A Song of Ice and Fire? The meta, hands down. I learn a lot about world-building from people’s detailed constructions (and deconstructions) of backstory for the books and for the show (and I’ve written about them in an essay in Fan Phenomena: Game of Thrones).

For Harry Potter? The inclusive headcanons about established characters, original characters, and wizarding schools around the world, most of which beat both Rowling’s canon and the ghostwritten Pottermore essays all hollow. There are so many great ideas in the Potter fandom about how to make fantasy richer and better, and I love drinking them in.

Rewritten fairy tales? T. Kingfisher, a.k.a Ursula Vernon.  You NEED to read the Kingfisher books, OMG.

Elsewhere University for the style.

Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch in the Night? THE WRITING. The story will break your heart a thousand times, but for God’s sake, read it.

Any NoTPs? 

Oh, yes. I don’t like Remus/Tonks because I didn’t like its setup. It would have been fine if they had been unashamedly in love, but I disliked Tonks pining for Remus to the point where she lost her powers and Remus deciding shortly after his marriage that he was going to desert his wife. I always thought that those two would have gotten divorced within a matter of months if they hadn’t died in the war; there didn’t seem to be enough there to glue their relationship together. (And my impression that Rowling created the ship to negate Remus/Sirius–forgetting that bisexuality exists–does not help.) 

Bottom line…it’s a NOTP because it’s so poorly crafted that I can’t believe it. It feels shoehorned in.

I tend to regard incest ships as NOTPs–like Pevensie-cest in the Chronicles of Narnia fandom, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark in ASOIAF and GoT (actually cousins, but raised as half-brother and half-sister), or Circlecest in the Emelan fandom (Circlecest involves a circle of four mage prodigies, all of whom have been foster siblings since they were ten or eleven and all of whom consider themselves to be one brother and three sisters). 

I freely admit that the Pevensies and the Circle kids are emotionally closer to each other than anyone else (though I don’t feel that Jon and Sansa are in that position); I just don’t think that this means that the Pevensies or the Circle kids have to fuck. Instead, I want Tris Chandler to come to terms with her asexuality (a popular headcanon)  while smacking down everyone else’s fatphobia (canon) while her sister Daja Kisubo finds herself a nice, understanding girlfriend (yes, she’s explicitly and canonically lesbian).

Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Harry/Draco. I’ve always seen Draco as a bully who got in over his head, and that hasn’t changed. I also don’t like Jaime Lannister/Brienne the Blue. No matter how much Jaime appears to change, he still threw a seven-year-old out a window, permanently disabling him, because the kid saw Jaime having sex with his sister. I feel that both Harry and Brienne deserve better.

If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’d be too busy being flabbergasted that anyone wanted to do so.

What inspires you to write? 

As a rule, the juxtaposition of an impossibly difficult situation and how Character X would try to change it, improve it, escape it, etc.–I’m a big fan of plot arising out of a character’s personality and actions–or a piece of canon that is in dire need of fixing or explaining. I also love AUs and crossovers, and taking a cracktastic situation and finding a way to make it make sense.

Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics? 

I write both one-shots and multi-chapter fics. I’ve never managed anything of epic length, which I’d define as being 100K words or more

Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? 

Sometimes. It depends on how much energy I have that day, as writing reviews (or answering them) generally takes me hours. If I don’t have the energy to review or if I’m in pain that day, I just leave kudos.  And I always feel bad about not providing a long and detailed, because I love to hear from readers myself…even if I do get embarrassed and have a hard time answering reviews.

Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world!

Uh...can I take a rain check on that? Thanks to political and economic stress, I’m feeling exhausted at the moment, and ranting and gushing both cost a lot in energy. Sorry.

[idealai]

Phantom of the Opera (2020). A two-part HBO miniseries adaption of Gustave Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera featuring Doug Jones (Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth) as Eric and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Beauty and the Beast) as Christine. Also an upcoming fanfiction retelling project by idealai.