#paolini what have you done

[du-sailarar-nerilia]

Probably a hot take but Paolini kinda effed up with that world map

Aside from people from Surda and Hadarac, most people of Alagaësia are basically Knockoff Europeans and many are described as pale-skinned. And as we know, pale skin is something that evolved under pressure of cold European climate. And Alagaësia very much does have that cold, sort of European climate around the Palancar Valley and along The Spine.

But the problem is that humans aren't native to Alagaësia! So where do they come from!

What the hell!

-Mist

[fastestfrog]

I don’t understand how anyone could find Roran from the inheritance cycle boring. I’ve seen a few people mention that they find his chapters dull and I’m like HOW!?

Allow me to present my case.

The defence of Carvahall is one of my favourite sequences of all time. Eldest is definitely my favourite of the 4 main books (still reading murtagh) pretty much because of Roran. And even in the later books every moment with Rorans harebrained schemes and ferocious battles that he barely survives? It’s incredible, keeps me hooked to every word.

Does the fact that he kills nigh on 200 people in one battle seem a bit high? Yes of course, but if you remember the context that he positioned himself and his men in a way that they had to come at him one at a time it does make sense. It’s still Herculean, but he got badly injured in the process, it was only thanks to Carns magic that he didn’t bleed out. He was willing to die to win that battle, and that lends someone strength and stamina beyond normal means.

But more importantly, Roran is intelligent, and he has insane willpower. Like, Eragon admits himself he could never do what Roran has done. His feats of strength and endurance are mental.

But Rorans not just a heartless killer, like Eragon, he struggles with the lives he’s taken, regrets that the deaths were in his opinion necessary. He loves his home and his family and wants a peaceful life for Katrina, Ismira and the other villagers.

His sense of humour is sometimes grim but other times he enjoys having a laugh with his mates. His sense of honour and duty also matter to him.

I also love that despite being a rough, tough, battle hardened warrior, Paolini writes the scene with him breaking down to Katrina about everything he’s been through. He weeps for his loss and the lives he’s taken and the lives of his friends.

His ending is also perfect and so well deserved.

His character is so well written, multi-faceted and every scene he’s in is brilliant, whether it be the excitement of battle, the awe of a cunning plan, the sadness and grief of the realities of war, and the beauty of his love for Katrina, his family and his home.

[magicandmundane]

Hey now @delicatebluebirdruins don’t leave this comedic genius in the tags!

This honestly might be the only way I’d accept them as a ship: a chaotic duo doing their level best to piss off the snotty elves.

I'm just wondering if people would still ship Eragon x Arya so much if their genders were reversed

[literaticat]

I've noticed some book covers recently have AI art included in them. Why does it feel like publishing is giving less effort to ensure AI art is not being used? What can other authors do to ensure AI art is not being used for their covers?

I have seen a couple of controversies about this -- one, a Sarah J Maas cover, one a Christopher Paolini cover.

On the one hand, the fact is that MANY covers are made using at least in part stock images -- artists and photographers upload their images to the stock site, the publisher pays whatever licensing fees and uses the image/photo/whatever as part of the design. This is totally normal.

In these two cases, at least, it looks like these images were obtained from stock image sites. I can see a designer searching the stock sites for images (just like they have for years and years), seeing a dope-looking wolf or spaceman or whatever that somebody uploaded, and being like, "cool image!" and paying the fee and using it, just as they have done a thousand times before, and not even thinking anything of it. Which like -- is a LITTLE less scary to me than the publisher, idk, firing the designers and then just having some intern go on an AI bot and say "make me a cover with a wolf on it!"

The problem of course is that (most? all??? much of??) AI-generated "art" is scraping other images/artwork off the internet and, to use the technical term, mish-moshing it, which means that somebody somewhere's intellectual property is being used/altered/god-knows-what, unbeknownst to them. I strongly suspect that, nine or even six months ago or whenever these covers were being designed, the designers and other folks at the publisher didn't even KNOW to be concerned about what was on the stock sites -- like this technology is moving at SUCH a rapid pace, it's head-spinning.

I can tell you what agents are concerned about at the moment, and it's three-pronged:

-- we don't want our authors or artists work to be data-mined / scraped to "train" AI learning models/bots

-- we don't want covers or other imagery created by AI

-- we don't want AI generated narration for audiobooks

Agents are working to get this kind of language into contracts currently -- this is literally one of the top topics at all of our agency meetings, and I'm sure is a top topic at publishers as well. However different publishers are at different stages here -- some are including it, some are still working on the language, etc -- but I suspect/hope that these kinds of clauses will be standard in publishing contracts across the board by the end of the year. (Though of course it might be evolving as the technology evolves.)

[jgroffdaily]

As the last of the families finished smiling and posing for photos with Jonathan Groff and Miss Amie Vanité (drag performer Christopher Paolini) after the second of two story hours at the Lancaster Convention Center Saturday afternoon — in support of Lancaster Pride and the Lancaster Public Library — the two had a few minutes to talk about the day, and Groff, a bit about his Tony Award experience and his career.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Jonathan, you’re here doing an event raising money for the Lancaster Public Library, as well as Lancaster Pride. Is there a book you’re reading, or have read recently, that you can recommend?

Miss Amie Vanité: He recommended I read Barbra’s book.

Jonathan Groff: That’s the one. Thank you! I am now over halfway through the audio book of “My Name is Barbra,” the Barbra Streisand memoir. I’ve gotten up to her directing “Yentl.” I was just listening to it yesterday while I was making dinner.

Which library did you go to as a child?

Groff: Lancaster Library and Strasburg Library. And the libraries in my elementary school, Smoketown [Elementary], and middle school. My library teacher was here today! Did you have a school library you went to, Miss Amie?

Miss Amie: I had a school library that I was in all the time. I went to the Reading Public Library and the Wyomissing Public Library.

Groff to Miss Amie: What was your favorite book that you read today [at the story hour]?

Miss Amie: That’s a toss-up between “If You Plant a Seed” [by Kadir Nelson] and “One Equals Many” [by Sonny Dean]. They’re so short, but they’re so poignant and so important.

Jonathan, you have been involved in Pride events in bigger cities. You were the grand marshal of the New York City Pride Parade (in 2014). This is your first event for Lancaster Pride ... .

Groff: This means more to me than anything I’ve ever done, at any Pride event. To be back in Lancaster, to be sitting next to Miss Amie. This combination of celebrating Pride and being in my hometown is unparalleled. It’s incredible.

Miss Amie: I was so blown away and excited that you wanted to come and do this and be a part of us here. It means the world.

Groff: To me, too.

Jonathan, a lot of the interviews you did with national media, leading up to the Tony Awards, seemed very introspective. You talked a lot about the 20 years since you moved to New York, and how your career has evolved since then. What did you learn from that?

Groff: It’s part of why I’m here right now. That opportunity of “Merrily [We Roll Along],” for the actors and the characters and also for the audience, was to really become introspective and look back on your life — things that worked out, things that didn’t work out, regrets, mistakes you’ve made, and when I read about what had happened in March with Miss Amie [the cancellation of the library story time and threats received], I was in the middle of the “Merrily” run. And I can’t believe I’ve done all of these gay events and I’ve never gone to my hometown. I’ve gone home to celebrate the theater, and the theaters I’ve worked at, but I’ve never gone purely for Pride. So, when this happened, and I was receiving these articles that my friends from home were sending me, it felt like such an obvious invitation to pick up the phone and call Lancaster Pride and Miss Amie, and make good on what happened in March.

Can you talk at all about what’s next for you, professionally? It was reported in Deadline and elsewhere that you were performing in an industry reading last month, of a musical about [1960s pop star and activist] Bobby Darin, called “Just In Time” [with the possibility of it being developed for Broadway. Groff had performed a Bobby Darin concert at New York’s 92nd Street Y in 2018].

Groff: Yes. We did that, and it went great. And it was really fun, and we’ll see what happens.

Has the type or volume of the [job] offers that you get changed since winning the Tony Award?

Groff: Yes. It’s more emails, more texts. It’s amazing.

I put Lancaster in the first sentence of my [Tony acceptance] speech because I love this city so much and I love this county so much, and I really prepared what I said in that moment, because I thought, if I get the chance to speak, I want to make sure I’m very intentional about every word that I’m saying. Because I’ve officiated five weddings now, and I started to, at the second and third wedding, comprehend the value of what you say when people are listening. And that goes from that moment, that opportunity I had to speak at the Tonys, all the way to this moment today with Miss Amie. It matters. It matters what we say and what we do, and it’s important to be intentional about those things. I learned that from that experience. And I’m feeling the ripple effects of that even months later

What was going through your mind between the time you heard your name called [as the Tony winner] and the time you got to the stage to make your speech?

Groff: I was really conscious of the people I was embracing. So I remember seeing my mom, my dad, my brother, our director, Maria [Friedman], who had just lost in her category ... and I lifted her up [off her feet]. Saw Dan [Radcliffe, his “Merrily” co-star], and then I remember thinking I have to get this out as fast as possible, because I have, I think, 45 seconds, and I wanted to say what’s in my heart. So that was the big goal.

Anything else you’re working on that you can talk about?

Groff: Unfortunately, I can’t. But when I can, I’ll let you know.

Is there any category of entertainment job — writing, directing, Shakespeare, a superhero film — that you’re especially anxious to explore?

Groff: I’m open to everything. Today it’s story time with Miss Amie.

[loptrcoptr]

I’ve seen an awful lot of posts re: the new Murtagh book about how “unfair” Eragon and Nasuada were to Murtagh by railing at him and telling him to turn on Galbatorix in Inheritance. And I find that so shocking? what were they supposed to be doing, whispering “it’s ok sweetie, do your best alright we luv you :) uwu take your time honey”?? Dude has had his will broken and his mind enslaved by an evil mastermind, he’s full of rage and angst– shouldn’t they be trying to bring those emotions to the surface to help him break free? Also, Murtagh is not the kind of character that enjoys a pity party or is even vaguely comfortable with being vulnerable around others, including those he loves (on many levels), as a result of all those years of abuse and torture. I doubt it would’ve felt very compelling to him if his companions stayed silent or just offered platitudes and hollow encouragements– what should they have said, you got this, bro”?

Idk, I think that it’s interesting that as a fandom we can spend a lot of mental energy (and I mean a lot, 20 years of it over here on my end!!) bending over backwards being compassionate towards Broody McWarcrimes because he has been mind controlled and tortured within an inch of his life, but Goodboy Mainkid and Badass Queenieface try to get him out of his broody dark spiral of a brain for once and it’s like “oh my god, they’re so manipulative, they don’t even care”. Eragon had seen and done Some Shit and Nasuada was also a tortured mind control prisoner (by this guy!!), but for not being moody emo kids about their pain, the way Murtagh is, and compartmentalizing it differently than he does (too stoically, possibly), it’s like it erases their suffering for some people, and I think that’s an unfortunate reaction. If your traumatized friend was maybe the key to saving all your lives, wouldn’t you try to snap them out of their misery in any way you could, magic or no magic? Paolini says it himself multiple times in the new book - “Murtagh was feeling bad for himself again”. It’s the way a lot of us would cope with severely traumatic shit, I’m sure, brood and overthink and marinate in our pain. That doesn’t mean it’s compelling behavior for the people who are depending on you. I think Murtagh needed that needling, that boost from Nasuada and Eragon to get the ball rolling, or else he would not have been clear-headed enough to really think about his true name changing, because he would still have been stuck in the dark, sad spiral of the mind control, and it might have taken more time than they really had for him to get right with himself. They’re not chiding him and making light of his plight, they’re reminding him that he is even stronger than he knows and that they believe in him.

I love that little emo-boy blorbo, but he broods too much, and I think it’s ok for them to say it!

[alagaesia-headcanons]

There's something inherently ugly about how you ship Murtagh with Orrin. It's one thing to not like the main ship for a beloved character as set up by the author - valid - but it's another to push half of said ship away to force in your fave pasty white boy. You can write meta after meta after meta all you want about how poor Orrin is done dirty, or how that meanie Nasuada hurt him, or how the books don't put your fave background character on a pedestal, but all your writing amounts to is the fact that you've imprinted on Orrin and are now using him as a vessel for your original character. In your writing, he's not a character from the series anymore - he's your OC wearing Orrin's face and bearing Orrin's name. Which, it isn't bad to expand upon a sidelines character. But it's the way you turn around and spew how fandom fave Murtagh is in love with your OC that really shows the truth and the rot festering in you. You can cry and bemoan the romantic love Paolini has written between Murtagh and Nasuada, but your essay won't amount to jack shit if you're just going to turn around and replace Nasuada with your OC and suddenly sing it's praise.

Before you start decrying all of this, ask yourself: why are you so desperate to discredit canon's romance? It's one thing to think they should both remain single after the trauma they experienced throughout the series - fair take. But then why are you so eager to prop up your own ship? Is "Orrin" inherently more worthy of of Murtagh's love? Or is Nasuada simply not worthy, but instead in the way, in your eyes? You can wish all you want for people to love your writing, but that doesn't hide the rotten foundation of your ship: sidelining Nasuada to uplift your white fave and wanting him to have all that she does. No amount of rambling meta about how they're a "good ship" and they would work will ever cover up your inherent biases and -ism's that your poor sad white boy's ship is built upon.

For the love of god.

Anon, let me just say this to you directly- block me. It's that easy. Sending something like this instead is an embarrassment. But since you've already said your piece, I'll go ahead and say mine.

Let me first bring up what you oddly wouldn't directly accuse me of (maybe even you knew what a blatant straw man it is), that being racism. I'm not going to make light of this. Racism in fandom is a real issue, and separating a ship with a character of color to ship white characters can be a symptom of that. I have never turned a blind eye to this and I make a continual effort to remain conscious of it because it's incredibly important to me that I'm not contributing to this kind of prejudice in fandom.

This pairing started years ago when I thought of a crack ship polycule with all three of them. Over time as I considered that, the idea of shipping Murtagh and Orrin developed into a distinct concept which I found more intriguing than shipping Murtagh and Nasuada. At that point, I made an active decision to examine my interest and determine if it was grounded in the way canon presents the individual qualities and dynamics of these specific characters, independent of the broad groups any of them fall into, or if it lacked any such basis in canon and only stemmed from an unconscious bias of mine. And if I didn't find any substantial elements of canon that supported the idea, I intended to put it away and work through my bias.

So I looked, and I found I could fully explain the reasons the ship appealed to me through the details in the books. I never made some public announcement about taking this issue into full consideration because it shouldn't be performative. Holding myself accountable is a basic personal responsibility which I take seriously, not something to make me look better. But it’s always felt meaningful to simply convey that I care about putting thought and reason into my ideas and my preference for my ship isn’t baseless. I’ve done that, but it seems I should be more direct here.

So let me lay out my thought process. Why am I not interested in shipping Murtagh and Nasuada? The things that deter me personally are both emotional and logistical issues. The major emotional issue to me is how disparate their priorities are. Murtagh prioritizes protecting loved ones, which causes issues when he accepts and complies with awful acts while trying to defend them. Nasuada prioritizes the good of her cause, which causes issues when she dismisses another person’s wellbeing when it’s in the way of her goals. Murtagh’s character arc is about learning the best thing he can do for his loved ones might be accepting their willingness to make sacrifices, suggesting he becomes aware of his issue and would try to correct that going forward. However, Nasuada still doesn’t seem aware of her issue after the war, given her policy about magicians and her minimal concern for Roran, so that still presents an underlying problem that would badly exacerbate their serious trauma until it’s addressed.

None of that is a moral judgment on anything. Both of them could cause any number of other issues; it’s just stating where they stand. And I still think they could be written in a way that stays true to their characters while working through those issues so that they stay together. I think it’d be exceptionally challenging, and it still might not be to my own taste, but it has that potential. But there are also logistical issues. Nasuada is queen in Uru’baen. I genuinely feel like this is so meaningful to her character, a very fitting culmination of her aspirations, and if she were to take substantial spans away from her throne, it would be a disservice to how she was written. That said, with the way I characterize Murtagh, I really don’t feel that he would want to openly settle in a place defined by politics and power struggles. I feel like it would be very unfulfilling for him and Thorn, especially in the city of his tumultuous childhood and their tortuous enslavement. So given the dissatisfaction if Nasuada left the rule she wants and deserves and the discontent of Murtagh living in Uru’baen, I struggle to imagine them as more than a distant, intermittent relation.

So that’s why I personally don’t enjoy shipping them. Of course, it’s subjective, but I feel like it’s also fair, and you seem to suggest that you do too. So let’s move on. So now the question is if a potential relationship with Orrin would present the same or equivalent issues that I overlook just because he's a white man.

Naturally, this is subjective too, but I say no. Of course there are still possible emotional issues between them (if there were none it’d be boring), but they’re different. Given the way specific way Orrin grieves for his friends and struggles to have faith in their cause when he sees the risk of his people being killed, I believe he is also more focused on looking after individuals than pursuing a cause. I feel like that lays a smoother groundwork with Murtagh, who has been hurt by people who dismissed his wellbeing, and that reduces a lot of underlying pain between them. Orrin’s other struggles, like defeatism, fear, and hopelessness, as well as yearning for recognition and autonomy, align with Murtagh’s experience more in a way that makes their emotional issues more interesting to engage with.

With logistical issues, obviously Orrin is also a king. But I don’t find that presents the same issues either. I interpret that Orrin didn’t want to be king and isn’t content in that role. When the matter of Murtagh’s desire to avoid being openly tied to Surda’s seat of power arises, I find a much more interesting and balanced potential story where Orrin also hopes to leave his crown and they support each other in their search for a home that they can both make their own. The discrepancies I personally find so bothersome between Murtagh and Nasuada don’t come up with Murtagh and Orrin, so I enjoy their ship more. It’s just about my interpretation of compatibility. That is the crux of my thought process. No one has to agree with it, but I believe it stands as a fair assessment.

You insist that I ask myself why I prefer one ship over another. I've done that. I've already been doing that the entire time and will continue to do so. You keep whining that I make a lot of meta analysis about aspects of the characters and how I feel like they would or wouldn't mesh together, and yeah. That's the whole fucking point. In the same way I just did, those posts explore and articulate the concrete reasons one ship appeals to me and one doesn't. For years I've diligently asked myself why I'm drawn to Murtagh/Orrin more than Murtagh/Nasuada and I'm fully secure and confident in my answer that it's the emotional and narrative possibilities they have that appeal to me more. If I was given all the details of these characters, stripped of any names, descriptions, genders, ect. I know I would still really love this ship.

And that's not even to say that it's somehow "better" (it's just different in a way that suits my taste), or that Murtagh and Nasuada's relationship must be meaningless or non-existent if it's not romantic. In my story where I ship him and Orrin, he and Nasuada go through struggles, but as they grow, they're able to reconcile and learn to better support each other and their relationship ends in a much better place.

(Also, if you're talking about my “essay” that Murtagh's true name doesn't change because he fell for Nasuada, that's irrelevant to shipping them. The series could end with them getting married and they could be my all time otp, and it'd still be true that falling in love didn't change his true name. It's just a separate part of his character arc.)

For another thing, Murtagh and Nasuada are NOT a canon ship, and that does matter. For example, it has very different implications to change an interracial ship that is happily married in canon. In the IC, it is canon that they're attracted to each other, but nothing beyond that. (And I've never even discredited that! In fact, I've said their attraction is well written and in character. It's included in my story; I didn't overwrite it.) They're never in a relationship and there's no set up that implies romance is inevitable for their stories. You yourself acknowledge that there are very valid reasons to interpret that a romantic relationship wouldn't work between them!!! So if it's fine to not ship Murtagh and Nasuada as a couple, why is it suddenly heinous to imagine Murtagh with someone else?

It’s not. Your claims are far more baseless and distasteful. Why do you act like Nasuada couldn’t possibly be respected or worthy without Murtagh’s affection? Why do you act like pointing out her mistakes condemns her entirely, as if she’s not allowed to have any flaws? Why do you think a relationship with Murtagh is equivalent to all that Nasuada has? I won’t make your kind of moral accusations about a stranger, but I will simply say that I find that very objectionable. I love Nasuada for being such a unique, flawed, and fascinating character who is so much more than all that. And if you made such a volatile, deplorable, inappropriate response simply to the idea that Murtagh- a fictional character- could love someone else, you might need to take a step back. You’re being cruel.

(Also, I don’t feel like going through the whole “u just made orrin into an oc” shit tbh. This is long enough. I take care to draw my characterization from canon, but y’all can read my stuff and decide for yourself if you’d like. Although, saying I imprinted on him is the funniest part of this ludicrous message. You know what, yeah. I’ve tricked you all. You thought this blog was being run by a human being? WRONG. Baby duckling.)

[morosoro]

So as we all do, I bought more books.

I had good reason- we were on vacation and there was the cutest little book store and- oh I’m sure you all understand 😅

Anyways, now I’ve got quite the pile of unread books to make my way though. And since I’m finally nearing the end of Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller, (after putting reading on the back-burner for a while (we moved houses, had that vacation to plan and arrange, all that jazz)) it’s about time I start thinking of what to read next.

I know that if I wait until I’m 100% done with this book then my decision making paralysis will just have me avoiding my books like the plague again smh.

So these are the 9 unread books in my little collection. I’ll leave this poll up for a week or so, and hopefully let the strangers on the internet sway my opinion lmao

[eliza-makepeace]

so i have some Thoughts™ about eragon turning into an elf-looking guy and they're not pretty.

to me it all seems like "elves are cool everyone else is not cool" and it clearly stems from paolini himself thinking that, but also *in story* i think it's worse.

first off, a big part of who eragon is, and what his struggle has come from, is being human. I don't like how it differentiates him from the rest of his family, from roran and garrow, from selena, and even from murtagh! it's like he rejects his whole history for something he thinks it's better. in eldest he says "this is what he was always intended to look like" and i'm like "how about no?".

he gets bullied by the elves (looking at u, vanir) bc he doesn't look like them and how could the first rider since the fall be a human and not an elf?!? the offence, the horror! the minute eragon resembles them is the minute vanir suddenly is all like "i like you now lol". and they do it without asking eragon whether or not he wants to look like them! he just wakes up the next morning and is like "oh, look at this.......i look great :)"

and tbh even if he likes it, it's a no no from me. like, part of the reason he wants to look like this is bc he thinks arya will like him better this way! (and then proceeds to keep asking arya about it even when she says no...like, my son, it's not your appearance that is the problem. stop fucking insisting. you're starting to look like a bit of a jerk)

and then there's the whole thing about the scar. he could've had it healed, he was the one who didn't want it healed in the first place! and then he goes to the oath celebration, they change his appearance and they erase his scar and he's fine about it? like. he *could have healed it* if he'd wanted to. and not even entirely btw, he could've done what murtagh did to essie's scar, reduce it and make it not hurt but keep it as remembrance of past pain. (btw i also think it's a really low shot when eragon says to murtagh at the burning plains "i'm not like u, i don't have the scar anymore" .......like, bro. this is not the "win" you think it is)

[modern-inheritance]

Next chapter of Stabilize is now up on AO3

And I'm being lazy and not posting here for now because I am cold and I need a bath and Glenwing needs to unload his feelings in my brain for the continuation of the chapter after the one that is yet to be posted.

You can read the new chapter here!

Overall Summary: What should have just been an outreach mission to help heal and treat citizens of a recently captured city goes wrong. Arya finds herself tossed into her own mind with little to no control over anything around her, watching confused and in pain as the world whips by. Outside her body, Eragon, Saphira, Glen, Blödhgarm and the other spellcaster guards work franticly to stabilize her, uniting as a family Eragon and Saphira had not quite realized had formed around them.

TW: Injuries, blood, lots of it, broken bones, flashbacks, just the usual MIC stuff really. And me attempting to flex my rapidly dwindling EMS knowledge.

Chapter Summary: Let's get some fluids on board and some blood circulating in the right places rather than onto the floor, yeah? Eragon comes to and finds that the elven guard is already hard at work, while Arya gets another visit from a familiar yet...not so familiar face.

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Saphira & Eragon Shadeslayer, Arya Dröttningu & Glenwing, Arya Dröttningu & Eragon Shadeslayer, Arya Dröttningu & Saphira Characters: Arya Dröttningu, Durza (Inheritance Cycle), Eragon Shadeslayer, Saphira (Inheritance Cycle), Glenwing (Inheritance Cycle), Blödhgarm (Inheritance Cycle), Angela (Inheritance Cycle), Eragon's Spellcaster Guards, Evandar (Inheritance Cycle) Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Blood and Injury, Injury Recovery, Look Durza started this by running through my head screaming RIBCAGES, so it's a doozy, Past Torture, Flashbacks, flash presents(?), there's a lot of blood, First chapter technically spoils it?, Durza being a creep, Torture, Arya does a Protec, flail chest lol more like fail chest amirite?, Eragon is competent and panicking, further chapters have different POVs, Broken Bones, Tags are the warnings here, Brom Lives (Inheritance Cycle), Glenwing Lives (Inheritance Cycle), Platonic Soulmates, Platonic Soulmates Arya and Glenwing, questionable visits from questionable yet caring sources, guys I totally miscalculated the needed blood units, Ringer's lactate exists tho so we're good for now!, Magic and Science, person to person transfusion warning, don't do that kids it's not good unless done right Series: Part 24 of Modern Inheritance

[bruceandmary]

I'm still processing what happened last night. I was more nervous than I could remember in years to the point that I was shaking a little, but it was all worth it in the end. That's because I got to meet Christopher Paolini at the release event for "Murtagh."

I've loved the Inheritance Cycle ever since my parents gave me the first two (and only, back then) books in a box set on Christmas Day almost 17 years ago. They were the first full-length fantasy books I had ever read and I devoured them. When Brisingr, Inheritance, and The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm were released, I got them as soon as I possibly could. The moment Murtagh was being announced, I was over the moon. Then in July, I got the stunning news that his book tour would begin at a Barnes and Noble in New Jersey, my home state. I couldn't believe it. This was a chance I never believed I would get. I reserved the book, put in for time off, and counted down the days until November 7th finally arrived.

When I got there last night, I was amazed at how many people were already there over an hour before the event started. There were kids younger than I was when I started reading the series and adults far older than I am now. I went straight to the registers, picked up my copy with its Zar'roc pin, then found my way to a good spot. From there, the building filled up until almost everyone was brushing elbows. Right at 6:00 PM, Christopher Paolini came in and immediately brought down the house. I was cheering, but also utterly in awe at being able to be there. The talk he gave was funny and heartfelt and I learned so much about him and the Inheritance Cycle I had never knew before. He then turned the mic over to Gerard Doyle, who's done the reading for every single audiobook. It was incredible to hear what Murtagh and Thorn sounded like. Afterwards, Christopher opened the floor to questions and I was able to have mine answered.

When the Q&A was finished, it was time for the book signing. I ended up waiting over an hour before the block my number was called because, in addition to the personalized copy, Christopher would be signing as many back copies as a person wanted, but it was worth the wait. It took another twenty-five or thirty minutes before I reached the table. I spoke a little of the ancient language and he responded in it with a smile. The only copy I brought aside from Murtagh was Eragon, still in its original dust jacket. While signing them, I was able to briefly ask him another question and he answered me again. It was a moment I'll never forget. I was then able to get my copy signed by Gerard Doyle.

By the time I reached my car, I was literally shaking from excitement. When I got in, I focused myself so I could get home and drove off.

So far, Murtagh has been beyond my wildest dreams from what I expected. I'm about 120 pages in and it's had twists and turns that leave me utterly stumped as to what will happen next. The black and white illustrations are incredible to look at and I plan to translate the map as soon as I finish the book. But none of that compares to what's on the title page. For the rest of my life, I'll be able to open to it and the title page of Eragon to see Christopher Paolini's and Gerard Doyle's signatures there. When I see those pages, I'll be reminded of a night that will mean more to me than anyone will ever know.

Thank you, Gerard Doyle.

And thank you, Christopher Paolini.

Atra esterní ono thelduin.

[elvain]

6, 29, 34, 39, 49 + 66 about whichever fic you want to discuss 🌸

6. What’s the last line you wrote?

i wrote this last night for an upcoming sam/steve one-shot then promptly crawled into bed and passed out.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

i like to think i have a good sense of characterization! it's what most people tell me, and it's something really important to me. i need all my writing to have a little bit of soul in them.

34. How much of your personal life/experience do you include in your fics?

it depends on the fic/character/mood. sometimes i include a specific thought i have (example: it isn't fair that even after we are done suffering, bad things continue to happen) and sometimes i include a personal opinion/preference thing (example: mangoes are the best fruit in existence). i stopped writing about specific, personal experiences a long time ago. i found that if i wrote about it, and put it down on paper, i was never able to move on properly because i was always transported back to those moments when i sat down to write. for me, it's just never been a useful tool to include my personal life in my work beyond vague facets of my personality.

39. What’s your most self-indulgent wip?

A Semblance Of My Soul where simon/hank and steve/tony are contestants on Love Is Blind. i am genuinely surprised when i see the fic get hits or kudos or comments. <3

49. What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

it depends on the kind of writing! for my light-hearted writing, i think it's Almost (my first chaptered fic). for introspective/character study writing, it's visions of the self (hello, second person pov!). for smut, it's The Taste Of Ink (filisigrid anyone?). i don't think i could pick ONE overall!

66. Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

hmm. i don't think so! i've read fics that influenced me re: ships and characters, but not writing styles. i always say my writing style/voice is an amalgamation of paolini/tolkien/a little of my real life voice. :)

fanfic asks

[nerdypagan1]

"how can you write [thing you don't do]" is such a dumb question, because like... I've never gone hawking or wielded a spear. the writers of Star Trek have never been on a spaceship (probably). Paolini has never spoken to a dragon. people write about things they've never done ALL THE TIME. that's what fiction primarily is.

Pride Month and The Aphobic Stereotypes

With Pride Month being here we will unfortunately see a lot of aphobia. The usual:

'you just haven't found the right one'

'are you x because you have suffered?'

'sex/romance is everything!'

'you're like an innocent child'

'you're a monster for not feeling (romantic) love'

'how can you write/draw smut or enjoy smut art if you're asexual?'

'how can you write/draw romance or enjoy romance art if you're aromantic?'

'you're going to die alone/be miserable without a partner!'

'that person can't be your friend; must be your lover/crush'

No aphobia allowed. Asexuality and aromanticism is a spectrum. We're not all the same. I'm a sex-repulsed and romance-repulsed aro/ace. If you want to learn more research and kindly ask around. So Happy Pride Month to Aromantics, Asexuals, and Aroaces!

[2am-poetry]

Poetry Studies: Narrative Breakdown

"Sometimes I walk into the storm, just to feel the wind"

While that line alone sounds swell, without a *purpose* or *audience,* I as the *speaker* would only end up poetically rambling and while it might sound good to a novice, it would not be necessarily great. This is what makes the difference between general poets and poets like Edgar Allan Poe, Elizabeth Bishop or William Henley. Once a writer has a purpose, audience and speaker, picking words or diction becomes as easy as choosing colors for a painting to set a tone and mood of inspiration, especially the *title.* The best poems guide the reader through novelty and leave an aftertaste of sensation in their minds. "The best poems leave an aftertaste." is more quotable.

Drake is an excellent writer, but would likely lean more towards music than poetry consistently because of his legacy and the the immediate return on value. If I had to predict what he would write an excellent poem about, it would likely be about 1) [insert something] standing the test of time or 2) Elitely getting away with something but those are still assumptions and I gave two options for strategic options if distracted

"I forget to remember [blank] the [blank] of [month]ember, a [blank] that was always mine.." Every time I remember that line, it gets ever better, Yves Mathieu. When done properly, it feels like you've caught a time travel artifact, which may seem like an accident, but knowing the best writer's levels of intention, I would not think so. So IGNITE. "Good writing ennobles you." -such as the poem Invictus and my poem, "The Art Of Time Travel" is so good and effective, I may not ever need to again, yet I love the fun of writing, so I'm likely to start strongly adopting identities and doing personification.

What would it be like to have a song tied to a virtual location, save it once you visit and have that song be remixed further upon your journey? What other ways can art or songs be gamified? I want an Ai dragon that can speak poetically and eventually produce offspring with another Ai animal with unique AiDNA; thank Christopher Paolini for the inspiration. And what would it be like to visit an art show and use technology to collect an artpiece for a digital frame at home? All the monetization, tracing and uniqueness considered of course. Recall there is a dark planet where the first thing you touch glows red and the what you collect after that glows different colors and further gamification. I enjoy Litten and Glorilla and I am at Diamondback Gorillas. I remember saying that I turned the sea into data for people to shout anything into and I could turn all my notes blue now but, "Sometimes I walk into the storm, just to feel the wind..."

[arcticdementor]

My professional ambition is to be the greatest and most interesting writer Asia has ever produced. Here I am all suited-up, walking out of a helicopter James Bond style. This may be a narcissistic thing to say, but the only way the GIF above can be cooler is if the helicopter explodes in a giant fireball behind me — while I ignore the heat and deadly flying shrapnel like the smooth operator I am, of course. Other cool things I’ve done include: • Starred in The Apprentice • Served in the Air Force • Got fired on national TV for all to see • Trained martial arts for almost a decade • Fought no less than four grown men in the cage for nothing but shits and giggles • Dropped out of University to start my own events business • Got sued for libel • And more

…

Take a look at the great writers of old. Hemingway wrote terse tales about war and adventure because serving as a war journalist was how he cut his teeth. In his later life, ���Papa” would also become an avid sportsman and traveller. Bukowski wrote stories about being a drunken degenerate, womaniser and gambler because, well, he was all of the above. He once gave up writing to spend ten years drinking, but chose to return to the typewriter after his decade-long bender not because he felt he was good, but because he thought the other writers were so bad. His words, not mine. And the legendary Chinese poet Li Bai was a fine swordsman in his youth. He killed several men in duels to the death, before getting bored and deciding to travel across ancient China, getting drunk, making friends and writing beautiful poems about the country and his love for it. He even served as an advisor to the Emperor at one point. The writers I mentioned above are some of my favourites because they walked the walk. They didn’t just write about life. They lived it — then tried their best to pen down the highlights. And that’s the way it should be.

…

Contrast these worldly authors to young Christopher Paolini, the man who became a best-selling author at the age of 19. I liked Eragon well enough, and it may not be my place to criticise Paolini, but even he would not deign to refute when I say his world-building skills are not up to par with the likes of Tolkien or Rowling.

…

Reading Paolini reminded me of my teenage years, a time when all I read were stories chock full of swordfights and violence. The fight scenes in these books were expertly written, but after I started doing martial arts, it became blatantly obvious to me that the authors in question had no clue what real-life combat looks like. That was really jarring to me. It took me out of the magical world of the story and into the mundane humdrum of my present existence. This failure to completely suck readers into your story is one of the most deadly failings a writer can commit.

…

What I am saying is the more experience you have, the more realistic your writing will become. We can imagine all we want, but at the end of the day, it’s tough for a virgin to write truthfully of sex, a pacifist of war, and a teetotaler on drunken revelries.

…

First seek to live, then and only then, sit down and pen down the adventure of life. With any luck, what comes out of you will be honest, brash, raw, and above all, interesting. Authentically and organically interesting, the story of a life well-lived. So go out and live an interesting life. Seek to translate your original experiences to the page. Seek to go out and experience instead of stay home and imagine. This is how you avoid dull, inaccurate, unoriginal writing. This is how you become a better writer…while living your best life in the process.

[varinsson]

You could call it what it actually is: generative AI is the problem, assistive AI (like those for helping people with arthritis or vision impairments, etc) are not the issue.

No more than it would be with a car having assistive AI for keeping you in the lane, taking over should you fall asleep or have a medical emergency, or the robot that helps keep the dangerous aspects of the job human-free (re: mining as applicable.)

Generative AIs are the bane of existences. The ones without regard for the human factor. The ones that do go around and glean bits and pieces from places here, there and everywhere. Like Chat GPT going and writing college level essays for college level students who should college level know better because college level. I had this conversation with a professor of mine in college about how the college would be handling AI being handed in as fully original works and the answer I received was far less than savory: "We'll be handling this on a case by case basis. The book is being written as we go." So, in short, someone could accuse me of using AI to cheat, I could be suspended and/or expelled from the college with their zero tolerance policy for cheating, and be shit out of luck. I've since changed majors because of how much people just expect AI to be a cheat code to life and design, they don't have to pay the human element, feed the human element or anything like that. AIs don't get sick, they don't have to get up to use the bathroom, they don't have to eat, it's a perfect business model in that sense.

Or where they're using the AI likeness of certain people for false advertising (e.g. Tom Hanks) or using it to fake political ads (e.g. Kamala Harris. Pick one.)

Or you want a graphic designer but you want them well versed in Canva so you don't have to pay them nearly as much as they're worth. If you even hire them. I mean, Canva does all the work, right. Who needs to pay graphic designers anything close to what they're worth when you have an AI that can do it all for you.

If you can't figure out the differences by now with as much articles on arguments for as against, I don't know how to begin. Maybe this will help in regard to the difference. That's assistive. Done by a visually impaired actor and director. The Spot robot by Boston Dynamics? Can be assistive. Even if it looks like the Mechanical Hound from Fahrenheit 451. Christopher Paolini's (the guy who wrote Eragon and to whom most homeschooled kids were compared to for a while) was trying to be professional about it but... anyways.

Idk, maybe it's me and my vision problems. I'm half blind. I get irked when people come in and go, "THIS IS ABLEIST." And it's really not. AI is lazy in the wrong hands, in the right ones, it's a boon.

Do I have AI stuff on my computer? Yeah. Am I thrilled beyond repair to have them? No. Not in the slightest. Go ahead and ask me my opinion on Adobe's bullshit.

Give me assistive AI. You can leave the generative AI at the door or, better yet, in the garbage until someone figures out how to use it and not screw each other over with it in newer and more creative ways.

TL;DR - it's going to burst. Not due to the fact of anything more than human selfishness. The tech grew rapidly but the things to protect people from getting utterly ripped off by AI, screwed out of jobs, and so on didn't.

Should we just grin and deal with it?

No. I want Cortana. I don't want 343 Guilty Spark.

And no, don't at me on this, this is all I'm saying on the matter or variants therein. It's a tiresome conversation already and then to have it with tiresome people.

Remember too - there is a thing in Tumblr's settings to keep them from using your new content, from the time you tick it off, for AI learning. They already have everything for the rest of your time on Tumblr, in some case, over a decade's worth of data from each user dumped into an AI and they called it a day.

Kbai.

Oh, I do not like the implication that banning AI from writing competitions is 'classist' or 'ableist.'

My grandmother was a hillbilly with a high school education and crippling arthritis who still wrote beautiful poetry til the day she died.