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therentyoupay · 4 months ago

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CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION from your lovely lovely tags!! @thelovelybitten

#WOW my brain exploded #you see I look at them in depth but this makes so so so much sense #it’s always how do they make each other better that I can never get a grasp on. #and especially looking at this now: I never even considered speech patterns in terms of emotion #like when elsa is upset for example—since she is emotionally anxious how would a (normal? stereotypical.) person respond to these emotions #plus how do you morph the societal normalcy of emotional perception into elsa that makes sense— #at least for her character that feels natural ??? #god ur mind#me sitting here on my phone writing down things I’ll need to explore before doing simple sprints #thank god I’m going to be an English major this might help me with my summer project LMFAO #this was eye opening OP just knows what’s up #MOVING ON LMFAO

SPEECH PATTERNS, SPEECH PATTERNS.

YESSS. 🔥🔥🔥

while i think we all to some degree can recognize that specific speech patterns, dialects, idiosyncracies, word choice, and quirks, etc., etc., are connected to the ways in which we present ourselves (and by extension, how we showcase different aspects of our identities with other people), i think the most formative experiences for me in really digging into this idea were my forays into EPISTOLARY writing:

questionable ;

by therentyoupay for seevikiifangirl Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (Teen And Up Audiences) 2 Oct 2016 | Hermione/fred, epistolary, accidental pen pals

check the pipes for frost ;

by therentyoupay Fandoms: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012) (Mature) 18 May 2015 | Jelsa, epistolary, accidental pen pals

before writing these fics, i had played around characters texting each other (e.g., korra and tahno in personal record), but check the pipes for frost was totally exploratory and super transformative for me when it came to really leaning into improving my dialogue-only interactions.

the really cool part of writing ctpff was playing with two layers:

PLATFORMS AS (a) CHARACTERIZATION DEVICES AND (b) CONTEXTS/RULE-DRIVEN PLAYGROUNDS:

first,

jack and elsa's communications take place across multiple platforms. the progression of their burgeoning friendship (and, later, more 👀) is shown first and foremost in the progression of the media they use to actually communicate, which

(a) acts as a narrative device to indicate their growing fluctuating trust levels with one another (accidental postcards → emails → g-chats → facebook → selfies → skype → texting | can you tell that this fic is now a time capsule lmao), and

(2) provides the unique context-specific rules for how they can interact, namely, all of the specific features of digital communication therein, including but not limited to:

the nonverbal cues that are and are not possible with these platform choices (e.g., jack's emoji style is different from elsa's; what happens when elsa uses an emoji in a marked or notable way and how does jack react? 😂);

what kinds of email addresses do they use? (my favorite part is jack dragging bunny for still using hotmail in 2016)

what kinds of phones do they have? (for me elsa has always been iPhone and jack has always been Droid; this affects the way messages are presented and arranged on the screen)

what are their email signatures like? (fun fact: i copy/pasted a real disclaimer end note from my actual dentist for toothiana's professional email, which jack emails by accident lmao)

the immediacy or delay in replying in any of these modes;

the cultural connotations of taking a long time to reply or double-texting or Suddenly Using Punctuation to Indicate that This is A Serious Conversation, or using capital letters to indicate A Thing;

typos;

are they able (or willing) to send photos? gifs? memes? what do these things reveal about their comfort levels, confidence levels, trust levels, senses of humor?

what does someone share about themselves when they send a meme, and what do they expect from their recipient when they share this inside joke, or shared scrap of humor with the other?

WHAT DOES CAPSLOCK MEAN? who uses it? when?

can multiple threads of conversation occur simultaneously (e.g., direct messages/texts) in ways that are not possible in face-to-face conversations?

how do they react to a suggestive freudian slip of a typo?

what does miscommunication look like?

i could go on forever!

p.s. for those of you have read the story and you remember The Letter, well. 💕 YOU KNOW.

second,

within the contexts, constraints, and flexibilities afforded by these various media platforms, i also played with the following:

how do they write to one another when they are strangers who got each other's addresses by accident?

how do they write to one another when they're seriously contemplating the pros and cons of potentially trying to meet each other in person?

how do you convey degrees of distance/closeness at the word-, sentence, message-, and conversation-levels?

what happens to their typing when they are in the middle of a high-stakes argument?

how do they apologize when the other person cannot see their face?

what kinds of inside jokes can they create in texting or messages or emails that are easier to convey in writing than in speaking verbally in person?

what would they attach or include in their emails?

what would they do/say the first time they opened up skype for the first time to finally talk to one another in real-time?

what kind of conversations can they have (and what kind of turn-taking can they have) when they are writing long-form letters or emails asynchronously vs. synchronously in real-time through instant messaging or texting?

how do they sound if they accidentally send each other a message that was meant for someone else?

And then, of course, you get into the other factors that can influence speech patterns on a more foundational level (e.g., background, education, personality, manners) and...

a more temporary, local level (e.g., mood, comfort level, time of day. 😂 social battery. patience level.). and so on!!

the fic is here, if anyone wants to check it out: check the pipes for frost

TL;DR → if you want to really explore and play around with dialogue and speech patterns as characterization devices, i highly highly recommend trying out some EPISTOLARY works!!!! 💕 have fun!!

TRYP thoughts on characterization

jack frost // elsa | characterization considerations

PART 2 | OVERVIEW: the tl;dr of personality + dialogue choices

ground rules + intro

overview: the tl;dr of my personality + dialogue choices

deep dive: characterization, personality, + identity

shared ice powers (or AU-equivalent) + shared connections

questions/points to consider as you write

PART 2 | OVERVIEW: the tl;dr of personality + dialogue choices

(this was written super fast so tell me if i missed stuff)

for elsa, i look to create and explore moments that highlight her journey from fear to self-acceptance. i focus on her struggles with control, her deep sense of responsibility, and her moments of quiet reflection (or LOUD, powerful, FREEDOM). when writing her personality, i try to capture the sometimes contradictory variables of her reserved nature, her inner strength, her desire for freedom, and the way she often internalizes (suppresses, ignores, fights, hides) her emotions. i also pay attention to how she interacts with others, particularly the contrast between her public demeanor and the more intimate, personal side that she rarely shows.

in terms of register, she adopts a more formal tone, more precise diction, slightly more advanced vocabulary. readers have described my elsa as generally varying degrees of:

“regal,”

“proper,”

“classy,”

“measured,”

“analytical,”

“thoughtful,”

“astute,”

“clever,”

“intelligent,”

“responsible,”

“introspective,”

“dignified,”

“determined,”

“guarded,”

“reserved,”

“funny,” and

“(deeply) passionate,”

although to suggest that she’s only those things would be to do her a disservice (we are all messy, sometimes!),

so it’s all about balance and context. (re: passionate: please remember that there is a physical and metaphorical storm inside of her. <3 )

for jack, i’m drawn to the contrast between his outwardly playful, carefree persona (his center, rooted in his pain and his inherent optimism and resilience born from trauma and perseverance and survival) and the deeper, more complex emotions he hides (ignores, neglects, doesn’t understand) beneath the surface. i look to emphasize moments that show his loneliness, his sense of duty (especially when it ties to his need to belong, to be loved or WORTHY of being loved, his feeling that if he does not do something for someone/if he is not useful then he will be abandoned), and the way he uses humor to create light, deflect from his pain, bring joy to others, and cope with what he’s lost. when writing his dialogue, i focus on capturing his wit, his tendency to tease, and the occasional glimpses of his more serious, reflective side. i also think about how his interactions with elsa differ from his interactions with others, showing the unique bond they share.

when i write jack, it’s not as punny as chat from miraculous ladybug… i love it when his humor (and elsa’s!) is sharp and clever and fast. i love when he uses self-deprecating humor (but it’s usually layered; he’s saying it lightly but he means it heavily, and the humor and dry tone and the carefree word choice has a lot about ‘hiding in plain sight’, sometimes, i think). readers have described my vision of jack as,

“playful,”

“protective,”

“witty,”

“optimistic,”

“clever,”

“insecure,”

“smitten,”

“hilarious,”

“tender,”

“supportive,”

“impatient,”

“selfish(/selfless, depending),”

occasionally “possessive” (especially re: fear of abandonment/rejection/loss),

“covetous,”

“jealous,” “envious,”

“tenacious,” and,

in his own way, “guarded,” too.

in their dialogue, i aim for a mix of lightness and depth. jack might generally bring a playful tone to the conversation, but elsa can absolutely be light and playful, too, depeneding on where they are at in their journeys.

elsa’s responses are often measured, thoughtful, and occasionally tinged with uncertainty or hesitation, reflecting her internal struggles and her cautious approach to new emotions. the dialogue between them often becomes a dance of words, where what’s left unsaid is just as important as what is spoken.

both of them speak highly respectfully to one another but (we are all human) can also occasionally lash out; one of the natural byproducts of getting to know someone so well is that you also create an arsenal of all the most effective ways to (intentionally, or perhaps not) hurt them.

(at the center readers…. you know. 🥹 please please please no spoilers. 💕��)

OVERALL, THEIR DYNAMIC (DEPENDING ON ANGST/WHUMP/FLUFF/DRAMA LEVELS):

what fascinates me most about elsa and jack is the way they mirror each other.

ISOLATION: both of them are, in their own ways, defined by isolation—elsa by her fear of hurting others, and jack by his literal invisibility to the world.

IT IS ABOUT THE YEARNING: they both yearn for connection, for someone who sees them for who they truly are, yet they’re afraid of the vulnerability that comes with that. in my mind, their interactions are usually charged with this tension, a push and pull between wanting to get closer and fearing the consequences of doing so.

WHAT IS LEFT UNSPOKEN (UNTIL IT IS NOT 👀): when i write them together, i’m constantly aware of the unspoken emotions that simmer beneath the surface—the trust that’s slowly building, the attraction that both excites and terrifies them, and the fear of what it would mean to truly let someone in. there’s a kind of quiet longing in their relationship, a recognition of kindred spirits who have found each other in the midst of chaos. (pining. SO MUCH PINING.)

JOURNEYS: elsa’s journey is one of self-discovery, of learning to embrace her powers and her emotions rather than fear them. jack’s journey is about finding his place in a world that has long forgotten him, about understanding that he’s worthy of love and connection—and not just for the contributions that he makes to the Guardians, to the world, to the children, to nature. Just him.

GROWTH: together, they challenge each other, push each other to grow, and in doing so, they start to heal the wounds that have defined them for so long. (well. at least when things go well. 👀 I HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO DABBLE IN ANGST.)

MUTUAL DEPENDENCE AND TRUST: both characters are strong (physically mentally emotionally) (and weak) in their own right, but they eventually come to realize that they are stronger together.

DEFINED BY SACRIFICES (*coughSISTERScough*): sacrifice is a recurring theme in their individual journeys and their burgeoning relationship (in any universe). both elsa and jack are a times willing to sacrifice their own well-being for the other—sometimes to their own detriment. jack’s determination to keep elsa safe, even at the cost of his own life/happiness/feelings, and elsa’s willingness to push herself beyond her limits to protect jack/keep jack/keep jack but also keep him away. however, this selflessness also creates a barrier between them, as they are both reluctant to fully admit their feelings (are afraid of being selfish, or of being perceived as selfish), fearing that doing so would be a distraction from their mission/duties/responsibilities, or a weakness they cannot afford (UNTIL THEY CAVE AND THE TENSION BREAKS AND THEY GIVE IN AT LONG LAST).

tl;dr

elsa and jack are two deeply complex characters, each carrying the weight of their pasts, their powers, and their responsibilities. their relationship is marked by a delicate balance of strength and vulnerability, trust and fear, duty and desire.

as they navigate the dangers (emotional, physical) around them, they also grapple with their growing feelings for one another, feelings that challenge their perceptions of themselves and their place in the world.

together, they form a powerful yet fragile bond, one that is constantly tested by the forces, pressures, and expectations around them and their own internal struggles.

i love writing this story in so many (33 and counting?? universes) because their story is one of mutual growth, as they each learn to embrace their vulnerabilities and find strength in their connection.

🥹💕🙏

#therentyoupay thoughts on characterization #therentyoupay thoughts on epistolary works #therentyoupay advice #jelsa #therentyoupay check the pipes for frost #therentyoupay on writing #thelovelybitten

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