#the dialogue question is like. most of my favorite dialogue is fun and quippy...

[monocytogenes]

Done!

I've seen folks on Reddit do story rankings, so here's mine (spoilers obv):

IMPERIAL AGENT MY BELOVED. This story really hit that sweet spot of "complex moral landscape where you have to make difficult decisions" for me, and was one (along with trooper) where I could tell that Bioware understands politics and bureaucracy delightfully well. I know a game like this is good when I have to sit back and think for a minute about what choice my character would make at a pivotal moment, and I absolutely had to do that at the end of Chapter 1. I also normally hate mind control stuff as a plot device, but they handled it very well (and traumatically)--killing Kothe, and later Hunter, was such delicious catharsis. I also still hold that the Minister was probably the most realistic-feeling authority figure to me out of any such person in the class stories, and I also have deep affection for Shara and Vector. I wanted so much more of all of them, haha. Just a great experience all around.

Sith Warrior. Also a story where I was given a surprisingly great range of options in terms of ethical decision-making, and while the plot was more of a straightforward heroic journey, the characters really made it for me. I loved Vette, Quinn (despite the clumsy writing; having a romance where the usual gendered power dynamics were reversed was fantastic) and Pierce in particular, and I loved getting to play a morally gray patriot and how the game supported me in that. (For instance, the moment where my chick let Yonlach face death on his own terms and knelt in respect to his corpse just. Beautiful. Chef's kiss.) It was also probably my favorite in terms of the actual combat mechanics; I've played as a Marauder and a Jugg, and both are just such fun.

Trooper. SPEAKING OF COMPLEX MORAL LANDSCAPES. From the start, running around on Ord Mantell and encountering everything from war profiteering to mistreatment of prisoners to child soldiers, I knew I was in for a time. Like, this is insane, but my single favorite thing in this storyline was Jorgan's personal quest and how he went through the five stages of institutional disillusionment afterward. I loved Bioware's willingness to portray the Republic as a flawed state with bureaucratic infighting and active discrimination (e.g. poor Elara's defection story)--but still clearly not as bad as the 'has state-sponsored slavery' and 'is an oligarchy run by maniacs' Empire. I didn't get super attached to my own OC, but I am intending to run the expansion content with him just because I liked his dynamics with Jorgan and the authorities so much.

Jedi Consular. I know this is one of those stories people love to hate, and I wouldn't say it was the strongest for me, but I liked it! The politics of it were fun for me, and I got pretty attached to Yuon, thought Qyzen's whole cultural background was cool, and was frankly super disappointed I couldn't romance "ethically questionable guy with an assload of PTSD" Zenith. My main complaint was that my range of choices didn't seem as nuanced as some of the other characters--a lot of options were strictly "good guy" vs. "bloodthirsty maniac". I also did like the play style quite a bit--the glass cannon dynamic was pretty satisfying.

Smuggler: This was actually the first storyline I played, and it was alright. I felt the whole hunt for Skavak was really strong, and I liked the twist with Darmas, but the latter half of the story kind of dragged. Also felt like the romances really strongarmed you--I played a guy who ended up kissing Risha simply because I picked nice dialogue options with her, and I've heard that Corso's flirtations are kind of obnoxious on a female smugg. Overall, though, I loved the criminal underworld stuff, the quippy lines, the varying degrees of unethical I was permitted to be, and the combat style (I did gunslinger, and had a great time with that!)

Sith Inquisitor: The more fantastical, force magic stuff tends not to compel me, but this story was alright, namely because it was balls-to-the-wall insane and that was kind of acknowledged in universe (like, the sheer 'this might as well happen' energy of a lot of the dialogue was pretty funny.) I did feel as though I had less leeway than on Warrior to occupy a nuanced moral space; it felt like the writing was really encouraging me to be a scenery-chewing sadist, which I didn't care for as much. The companions were alright; I thought Andronikos was cool, and Ashara seemed a better-handled Jaesa (albeit one I didn't romance on a male inq because she coded really young to me and it creeped me out.) So yeah, just. Firmly 'okay.'

Bounty Hunter: I'm not sure why I didn't care for this story--I love the crime stuff in Star Wars, I could make questionable decisions, there were some politics involved--all of that was there. I think it just didn't have an emotional core for me. With Smuggler we were really off to the races on a vengeance quest when my ship got stolen; with Consular i got attached to Yuon and was motivated to help her; with Bounty Hunter Jory and Braden got killed before their deaths could really mean much to me and poor Mako (unlike Corso) seemed pretty unequipped to deal with the challenges we were going through. I did like Torian and got attached to him--the whole situation with his dad was feels--but yeah, I just felt unmotivated through much of it. It was disappointing too to get strongarmed into accepting Gault as a companion, as I really liked him in the expansion content; it just was one of those situations where I couldn't fathom why my character would let such a liability onto her ship.

Jedi Knight: I can tell this story was supposed to really be the main event of the game, but honestly? If the agent story was cake, this was white bread. If Agent was a published novel, this was wattpad fanfic. I was actively bored. As previously mentioned, I'm not super into the fantastical force magic stuff that much in general, and most of this story was that--the rest of it felt like sweeping up after the Republic's bullshit decisions without much political context (who the hell thought these superweapons were a good idea, anyway?) Like Consular, I felt like I had little nuance available to me in my choices, and many of the characters either straight up didn't feel like actual people or it seemed like I didn't have much time to get to know them (like, I was genuinely interested in Rusk's trauma and mindset and felt like I had little opportunity to explore that with him.) I got slightly attached to Orgus as a mentor figure, and then--well, we know what happened to him. I played a Shadow and was frankly glad I did because stealthing made it easier to get through the story quicker. Sigh.

[reveriesofawriter]

omg hi!!!! lemme hit you with some Qs: D for all too well fic but other than all too well, E for starlight fic, merrikat elevator fic, and street lightning fic, F, I, J for psycho fic AND atw fic/series/whatever, N, R, V sorry i just love ur writing what do you want me to say XOXO UR FAVORITE ARCH NEMESIS

you made me put the answers under a read more bella that's how many letters this is (I've written an essay for you)

D: I do not have an all too well fic playlist but sam might? if I did it would only have all too well on it for the first part and then how you get the girl for the second half, we stuck so close to the lyrics for the plot that it would have been hard to add more songs to the playlist

E: I can't think of a worthy sequel to starlight fic like I could extend it a bit but it's a certain kind of magic that wouldn't last beyond the night elevator fic worked that well because it was based on tweets, it wouldn't be half as funny if it wasn't So based in real life so I don't see a sequel for that either unless there's another incident they all live tweeted that I don't know about yet 👀 street lightning sequel is based on what music tss releases next honestly, it's such a specific vibe that no other band could do justice. I guess I could write a non-songfic sequel but that feels more precarious as far as capturing that same feeling

F: favorite dialogue (from what I've posted) would have to be something from What are you after? Some kind of disaster (I haven't been tagging fics I've mentioned but I have it open to look for the dialogue so might as well)

“Jesus, Jack why can’t we just tell them they’ve already basically been dating all tour? And probably have been for even longer?” “We have to let them figure it out on their own! After all, no one told us.” “I think a lot of people told us and we just didn’t listen.” Jack waves his hands dismissively, so Alex starts listing. “Zack and Rian both, our old manager definitely tried to tell us, I think your sister said something one time—” “And that was all unsolicited.” “We made out in Rian’s bunk one time just to piss him off, I think it was solicited.”

their banter writes itself honestly, plus this is the first jalex fic I wrote plus I adore malum so I have a soft spot for it, also this part just flows well

“Shut up. You’re a fucking sap.” “Hey, you said you like sensitive boys.” “Yeah, I like horses too but I wouldn’t want one telling all his horse friends to date each other with reckless abandon.” “That’s cause your horses are prudes.” “My horses could get dates if they wanted.” “Oh yeah, I’m sure Tino’s a player.” “Tino is a distinguished gentleman, thank you.”

I: guilty pleasures... I don't feel guilty about much that I enjoy? I will gladly admit to reading every one of bella's jalex prompt fics when I'm having trouble sleeping

J: oooh psycho fic alternate ending okay I had one written that was basically just the last line changed that made it clear that they killed dickhead and the image of alex and cutie making eye contact while blood spatters across alex's face and the wall behind him is vivid in my mind but it made the tone darker than I wanted, esp considering it was in the end a sam bday fic all too well alternate ending 👀 imagine if we left it without a sequel. alternate ending: no redemption arc ahhhh that's a nightmare I could never do that to them, we did briefly discuss a sequel where alex had a ring in his glove compartment but we decided it would be too hasty (but not necessarily out of character for alex to overcorrect like that ((and then regret it)) ) and that jack wouldn't be able to say yes after six months with no visible growth

N: I can't think of a fic I want someone else to finish however I do wish I hadn't written so much of the core adventures in babysitting fic so fast bc I really would have loved for that to be a co-write with you (we brought up the idea in passing I think but by then I'd already written like 2k of it) maybe... it's not too late 👀👀

R: my leap back into fic writing was bc of helen like not only reading her quar fic but also some random tags she left on a post that I was like I could write that. you have this wonderful way of hearing a song and catching the tone of it perfectly (like daydream, the tone of which was indecipherable to me until you wrote the fic) and I admire that, also you write banter in a very fun way that I always aim to emulate. writing with sam made me a better writer I think in a lot of ways 🥰 not limited to finding something closer to balance between dialogue and description

V: I was thinking about this the other day with one of yours what was it omg I can't remember but every now and then I think about helen's holyverse malum and I'm like... what if I wrote ficfic

[ben-talks-art]

Thoughts on Dragon Prince season 4

Just finished season 4 of Dragon Prince and wanted to share my thought.

Overall opinions... I liked it but had a couple of problems with it.

I enjoyed the direction the plot is going, the themes it is exploring, the world-building and lore and the kinds of questions it is asking.

My main problem with it though, is what I can only describe as "maturity swing."

For some reason, this season felt like it kept going back and forth between being very adult, very serious, very heavy... to very childish and kid-friendly.

There are times when people will talk about things like contemplating suicide, disrespect of culture, mistreatment of civilization and race through the generations, arguing between the importance of the safety of people versus the safety of tradition and what kind of message it sends depending on which side you take... But then there are times where people will just speak as if they were all eight years old.

I don't know, it felt like they had one person in charge of the dialogue of every single character, and they all speak in this snarky, quippy, Marvel-like way where they are trying really hard to use humor to be charming... And I wouldn't mind it if it was one or two, but so many of the characters talk like this.

Everyone keeps talking about these really interesting themes but they do it in such a juvenile way.

One of the fun things about having a large cast is seeing how different characters have different chemistry with each other, but here, almost everyone feels the same. I never found myself thinking "Oh, I wanna see this person talk with that person." A lot of them felt like they didn't have a unique voice.

There are a few exceptions of course, like Aaravos (who is insultingly underused even though the season is named after him) and the dragon queen, who might be my new favorite character of the season. The queen has that badass, grumpy, mom vibes that remind me of Amelia from Infinity Train. She felt like she brought a new life to the group, I hope we get more of her.

One other thing that I really didn't like was how Rayla felt like a background character this season. I honestly feel you could cut her out and miss basically nothing. None of her scenes felt like they affected the plot in any major way and she didn't really achieve anything or helped out that much by the end of it. The most she did was wake someone up... and even then there were other ways to do it.

Overall, I'm excited about where the show is going but I'm worried that it will be a bumpy ride getting there. Hoping they tone down the jokey dialogue a bit and try to make each character feel more distinct.

And like I said I'm enjoying the topics they're bringing up and how they're exploring it. When the conversations are taken seriously they are very interesting. When they're not... They can break the pace quite a bit...

[whatsarasaid]

For that 40 question fanfic meme, I'm sorry I picked so many! 1 through 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23, 28, 29, 31, 37, and 38. Can't wait to see more work from you btw :)

😭 Jessica, why are you so lovely?

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Short. Delicate, careful moments. Theme and imagery-heavy. Little dialogue. Almost poetry. Focused on the human experience and (dis)connection.

​2. Is there a trope you've yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

One of these days, I'd like to take a swing at AU. I get self-conscious about it, though, ​because a) many people dislike them and b) it's my own world, and the amount of decision-making is dizzying. I'm better at observation than ideation.

3. ​​Is there a trope you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole?

I don't write explicit content, and so that eliminates a great many tropes, and thankfully, most of the worrisome ones. Any sort of suffering for suffering's sake is off the table. Let's just say that, in general, I try to avoid gratuity and extremes.

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

If I talk about ideas, I get the gratification of having shared them without having done any of the work, and am therefore less likely to produce the actual thing! It's for everyone's benefit that I keep my cards close to my chest.

5. Share one of your strengths.

Leaving the reader going "Oh!" or "Oh." at the end of a fic.

6. Share one of your weaknesses.

The outrageous inability to write a real plot or anything long. I've studied Dan Harmon's Story Circle and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey but run into the problem I have in many facets of life: I'm better at theory than praxis. Filling in the gaps with what actually happens in a story shatters my brain. This has everything to do with the fact that I don't think in language or events, but rather impressions. Having to translate thoughts into words is difficult enough when it's 500 words. Over 5000, and I start repeating phrases and tangling imagery and tripping over myself. It's a mess.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

My pieces are basically snippets themselves. 😕

​​8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

Nearly every line of dialogue in scales & measure is written one or two steps away from what the characters are actually saying. The quippy humor also works well in that fic.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

scales & measures (because it was over 5000 words) and absolute bearing (because I wrote it in a pandemic during finals​ and had many people asking for it).

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

the refrigerator and velocity were written in fugue states.​

11. ​​Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

​It's a hobby, but an important one. I used to play instruments or draw, but as I got older and busier, those skills atrophied and I could no longer express myself with them. Writing, however, has (somewhat) stayed sharp because I use it in my day-to-day, and so I can still scratch that creative itch with it. When I don't write fiction, I crust over.

13. ​What's the best writing advice you've ever come across?

Answered here. ​15. ​If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

scales & measures or ever the survivor, maybe?

17. ​Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?​ ​Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Start-to-finish. If I'm in a real rut, out of order. No worksheets or outlines, we die like men.

21. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Answered here. ​23. ​Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

Passing on this one. It's too overwhelming.

29. ​If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

If a story has left me wanting more, then it did it right, and anything I could add would detract.

31. ​Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

I prefer to be canon-compliant if only because I have more skill in research than I do in creation. Why make it up when I can look it up? Unless I think I can make things cooler or more logical than in canon. In which case....oops. Slipped.

37. ​Talk about your current wips.

• Death Stranding prompt: Fragile partnering with the UCA. • Control ficlet: Trench and the NSC. • Silicon Valley fic(let, maybe): Sorting Richard and Jared now that Jared no longer blindly idolizes Richard. • Resident Evil fic: Carlos(-centric) and Jill post-RE:3 to RE:5.

​38. ​Talk about a review that made your day.

On the hellscape that is the internet, I've somehow had the pleasure of receiving some of the kindest, most articulate comments. Like, really. The reviews my readers leave make me all flustered. I'm so thankful.

Ones that stuck with me, though: Both @visualheresy​ and @tallmatcha​ have read fics of mine that aren't even in fandoms they follow, and took the time to comment, saying they were beautiful. And I think about that a lot. Like, it wasn't even their thing, they were just there for my writing, even if they didn’t understand the context, and that makes me watery inside if I think about it too much.

[itsybitsyspiderling]

thank you to @imgoingtocrash​ for the tag!! i don’t usually do tag games but i figured i’d try one out for once lol

1. What’s your favorite genre to write?

If we’re talking vague, I usually stick around science fiction. Most of the stuff I write for my college courses tend to be fairly hard to categorize tbh—but if we’re talking what I prefer on ao3... anything with emotional hurt. I can’t help it. I feel like writing internalized pain is my speciality. 

2. Do you pull inspiration from real life, or do you pull things from other books/fanfiction you’ve read?

I think it really depends. Some of my stuff comes from absolutely nowhere, whereas other things I’ve written (i.e. code white light and mr. professor stark) were inspired by something. The latter is because I live in Boston and walked around MIT for a bit once before realizing I could write something about it. 

3. Do you tend to write one-shots, short stories, or longer things?

Honestly, a bit of everything. I wish I could write more one-shots, but then I get engrossed in an idea like who is peter parker? or can you hear me? (which I now just realized are both questions as titles...... nice going, Brit). I love the idea of writing a long one-shot, but once I tend to head up towards 3k words, I always find the perfect spot to end it as a chapter. There are a ton of unfinished WIPs on my laptop that are all chaptered fics without any substance.

4. Do you prefer to write description or dialogue?

Oh, what a question. I love dialogue. I love delving into a character’s personality with word choices and their tone as they talk. Especially when my readers already know the character, i.e. Tony and Peter, writing their dialogue can make someone feel like what they are reading is something Tony would actually say. I love exploring Tony especially since he’s so quippy and witty. He’s so fun to write. 

But don’t get me wrong, I love description too. Writing prose is most effective for me when I’m emotionally involved in the scene. Otherwise, it’s really hard to do.

5. Favorite fic/book of all time?

I’ve never had to compile a list of recs before, so bear with me. 

One story in particular that literally rocked my world was Reviving Peter Parker by @yellowdistress​ — it was one of those stories that tore out my heart and patched it back in place. So good. And so heartbreaking. I’ve been thinking about this story for well over a year. 

Another piece that has destroyed me in the best was is The Five People Who Missed Peter Parker the Most by @seek-rest — I don’t think I’ve cried so hard in my life; my roommate had to come make sure I was okay. It’s so sad, but it’s so well-written. This is another piece that has stuck with me for the longest time. 

Also Sigh No More by @blondsak has stuck with me. It’s one of those stories that makes you really think, and then once you’re done reading it (at least five more times), you can’t stop thinking about it. So, so good. 

Anything these writers have written can take your breath away.

6. Favorite trope?

God, I can’t decide. One of my favorite stories I’ve written was what’s in a name because they were sort of enemies at first. And then they grew to have that mentor/father/son relationship. 

7. Are you the kind of person to work on more than one wip?

omg.... Okay, so, yes but also no. If I’m writing a bunch of one-shots, then I definitely have a few that I work on. However, I cannot write anything else if I’m working on a chaptered fic. I need to have that story be the sole focus. I have ideas galore sometimes, and I like to jot down the ideas in the notes on my phone. I usually end up starting to write some things and then never get back to them again.

8. How long have you been writing?

Damn. This really puts it all into perspective. I really got into it when I was 11 or 12, so around 10 years now. An old English teacher told me I had a knack for creativity, and that really pushed me to keep writing. I started off with original ideas and then moved onto fanfiction when I was around 13. I decided I wanted to major in writing in college when I was either 14 or 15. A lot has happened since. 

9. Do you tend to write more in the morning, afternoon, or evening?

Wow, I wish I was a morning/afternoon writer. I usually get the ball rolling around 10pm and, depending on the mood, I can’t stop until 2 or 3am. It’s become an issue especially now that I’m stuck at home and have totally fucked up my sleep schedule. 

And when I try to go to sleep, it’s hard to turn my brain off, so if I keep having ideas I absolutely need to jot them down before I forget. 

10. Do you prefer to post and update your WIP chapter by chapter or wait until it’s 100% complete before sharing it?

I really wish I could complete it before sharing it :( I just get too excited. I post chapter by chapter, and it’s an issue because sometimes I end up abandoning the thing :((( 

This was fun! Thank you for tagging!!! Anyone who wants to do this can (and I’m also not sure who has or hasn’t, but I’ll throw a tag out to @floweryfran and @ithinkiwannamarvelyou

[pipsqueakparker]

For the fic writer ask meme: 3, 8, 13, 37, 38!

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

i….. i don’t know? i mean, throw some tropes at me and i’ll let ya know, but i tend to surprise myself with how okay i am with some things. anyway, there’s nothing that i’m like consciously vehemently against, at least that comes to mind rn. 

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“And why do you think that is?” Baz gestures to the bottles he’s got lined out in front of him.

“Well, I figured it was the vampire thing, didn’t I?” I mumble, but thanks to the vampire thing Baz hears me clearly and rolls his eyes. I immediately feel the need to defend myself, sitting one of his products down and raising my voice. “It wasn’t that outrageous a thought! Vampires are meant to be fit!”

“You think all dark creatures are fit,” he retorts. He’s moved on from his face, washes the residual cream from his hands and starts in on his hair, still damp from his shower.

“I do not,” I argue. Then, “S’not my fault a good lot of them are.”

“I knew you had a type, Snow, but I never realized it was exclusively non-human.”

“It’s not! I - You’re human. And Chris Hemsworth is properly fit, he’s human.” Baz bypasses my comment on his humanity entirely, he almost always does.

“‘Course you’d be a Hemsworth fan,” he mutters.

“You can’t tell me being a vampire has no additional benefits to your complexion.” I bring the point right back around, because for some reason this is the hill I’ve chosen today. I’m not sure what I want to prove exactly, perhaps just that I was right to use that as evidence of his condition all those years ago? Perhaps I just want to win an argument. “You’re potentially immortal, that has to affect your skin and aging, or whatever.”

“You know fuck-all about vampires.” He’s working a second foamy product into his hair, not looking at me. And he’s right, I know fuck-all about vampires. But neither does he.

“Neither do you.”

He does look at me now. “Snow, if one of us were going to be an expert on the subject, I’m fairly certain it would be me.”

I think about this one a lot, and honestly I’m just proud ‘cause when I read it back it feels and sounds like a natural, fond banter. I love banter, and writing it is so hard ‘cause it should sound natural and quippy and quick, not like you’ve sat there thinking about it for three days and this is the best way to get this character’s point across - and I feel like I accomplished it with this lil’ bit. And it’s just fun, Baz teasing Simon. 

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

There are only 7 story ideas, it’s your individual take that makes it original. I get caught up a lot in not wanting to use a cliche idea, or needing to come up with an original idea but original ideas just don’t exist, you gotta take what exists and make ‘em your own. 

37. Talk about your current wips.

I have several, like, half-written fics I wanna get back in and finish, but most of my focus is currently going into a follow-up fic for you’re a fit one mr. grinch and a fake dating au that i wanna do, but i keep getting overwhelmed by the idea of actually writing it lmao 

and also maybe a little something as a belated birthday gift for @thehoneyedhufflepuff as of a couple hours ago lmao

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

Honestly, every review I get from @captain-aralias and @krisrix make my day. They stick out to me the most, bc i swear aralias leaves the longest most thought out and kind and heart-warming reviews, i get so excited happy and lowkey teary when i see she’s left one. and idk, i just remember when kris left a review on brought to heel which i was nervous as Heck to post ‘cause it was the first time i dared write something smutty and it felt like a Blessing bestowed upon me. uh so hi guys thank you for your kinds words in the past they’re very appreciated and adored and treasured.

ty ty for the asks

40 questions for fic writers

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 4x10 Hush

aka Tara Maclay has done nothing wrong ever in her entire life

Welcome to this dailyish text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and go on an impromptu rant about it for an hour. Is it about one hyperspecific thing or twenty observations? 10 or 3k words? You don’t know! I don’t know!!! In this house we don’t know things.

And today’s episode is one that I’d easily recommend to first time viewers as their introduction to what Buffy can do - but one where I’m also starting to notice my own fatigue about trying to hyperanalyze the show on this rewatch run. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and take a moment to appreciate the nice things in life. And by nice things, I of course mean Tara.

Hush was nominated for an Emmy for its writing, and that’s significant, because it marks the show’s only Emmy nomination in what people consider to be major categories. I guess it’s also sort of an ironic twist that it’s the episode that lacks any dialogue for most of its run time that gets nominated for best writing, especially on a show that was largely known for creating its own language and voice… But that’s sort of the point. (And it’s the kind of ironic twist that Buffy would certainly appreciate.)

Through Hush, Buffy successfully challenges its own tropes and boundaries while maintaining its tone throughout. Quippy dialogues are replaced by visual gags, thanks to acting, editing, and some fantastic musical score choices. This is easily a top 5 episode contender for most of the fandom, and many people’s favorite of the entire show.

That being said, it did bring to the surface my aforementioned critical fatigue thanks to scenes like Xander thinking that Spike killed Anya. The ensuing fight, and the relief upon realizing that Anya is alive is supposed to prove that Xander truly cares about her… and then is immediately undercut as the two very unsubtly leave for a quickie.

I find that I have a much harder time getting into Xander and Anya’s relationship now, but that scene also tells me that the show is aware of how dysfunctional this relationship is still. Much like the swelling romantic music that played during Xander and Cordelia’s early make-out sessions, here, it feels a purposeful exaggeration to lampshade the romanticization of certain tropes.

Needless to say that at the time I interpreted all as romance played straight, but I enjoy discovering the nuance in these stories now. It’s far from being a subversion, and there is very much a genuine relationship build-up happening between the two, but there’s also a level of self-awareness about where they are now, currently.

I’m also still overthinking Buffy’s dream opening. “When I kiss you, it’ll make the sun go down.”

Is this a foreshadowing for Buffy about Riley’s hidden side, and who he is in the dark? Is this referring to how she talked about having a boyfriend in the daylight now, and does this line then mean that after kissing Riley, she’ll have to integrate him into the Slayer part of her life as well? Or is it just about her fully letting go of Angel and how that day has now truly passed?

What does it all mean???

And if the Wicca group is also the Lesbian Alliance that Riley put up the banner for in the other episode (I’m like 99% sure that that was the actual intent here, even if it’s not a textual equivalence), what does it mean that Tara feels uncomfortable expressing herself in that very environment? Is this a social commentary about silencing the most vulnerable in a community of those it’s supposed to represent?

See, this is why my brain is a mush trying to interpret all these themes and metaphors and probably foreshadowing. I need more processing time.

So instead let’s go into a lighter theme: communication.

There’s an obvious thesis here about how language often makes a barrier to communication. As a result, going non-verbal actually helps Buffy and Riley get over their little dance of blabbery, and even Xander and Anya get their groove back because… Actions speak louder than words? I guess?

But admittedly my favorite thing about this concept is that it’s essentially what informs Tara’s entire character. She stutters. She has valuable input, but she either gets ignored and is spoken over, or she’s put on the spot where she has trouble expressing herself.

Think about that. A character that will become an integral part of the series over the next two and a half seasons, and she was written with this specific episode’s themes in mind. That’s kinda neat.

We also see her running away from the Gentlemen, unable to speak, as her frantic knocking and non-verbal cries for help get ignored by the rest of the dormitory. A fellow student in danger who the rest of her peers are too afraid to open their doors for. What if they become victims too? What if she is the monster?

Everyone except Willow. (Fortune favors the brave and all that.) And while individually they’re easy targets, together, combining their powers, they’re strong enough to protect themselves against the threat. A community of two.

And then they have that adorable talk by the end of the episode, and Tara tells Willow that she’s special. Which is Willow’s catnip, so she’s probably already in love.

I was also wondering about Tara looking up Willow’s room in the dorm directory. (Kinda like Spike did Buffy’s in The Initiative? That’s a weird parallel.) She seemed rather convinced that Willow had powers based on a rather short group interaction… but then I also remembered, that Tara’s magic is pretty intuitive. She’ll spot Faith being in Buffy’s body right away later in the season based on her aura, despite never meeting Buffy. So of course she senses that Willow’s like her.

Alright, so it’s a gaydar.

And I’m just so excited that Tara’s here??? In a show that’s full of flawed characters who will each do some questionable shit, Tara is like an actual ray of sunshine who you can always count on to not be terrible. I love her and I can’t be held responsible if I end up talking about her in most of these posts from now on.

You’ve been warned.

(Fun Fact: the first room we see the Gentlemen visiting is Room 118… So I looked it up, and I know you’re wondering it too, but no, Seeing Red is not the 118th episode of the show. It’s the 119th. 118 is Entropy where Tara and Willow get back together. So there’s that.)

[storyteller-shealie]

11/11/11 Tag Game

Thanks so much for tagging me @dotr-rose-love​! :) 

Rules: answer 11 questions, write your own 11, tag 11 people

1. Did you have alternate ideas for a wip that eventually didn’t make it in the story or were exchanged with a better scene or sth? If yes, tell us one or a few that you left out (could be just a character too, or a name)

OMG, so many. At this point I have an excessive and over-growing number of random scenes that may or may not (a lot probably may not) become part of the story eventually. It’s all over the place. I think I’m still learning what plot even is. :D

As for already established changes, let’s see... I had this persistent idea at first that my two MCs, Flame and Moth, used to be friends growing up and then got separated for years. When they meet again, Moth knows who Flame is, at least in Flame’s civilian identity, while Flame is certain they never met before. However I couldn’t for the life of me come up with a good explanation for why Flame would have this partial amnesia about his childhood, and his backstory already involved a period he can barely remember, back when his powers first manifested when he was around 17-18, so that’s too much amnesia for one character. So I just placed his first forgotten meetings with Moth in the middle of that period he barely remembers.

2. do you have a specific audience in mind for your wip?

Um. People who like queer romance? People who like found families? People who like action-filled contemplations on where the line between superheroes and supervillains can be drown? Fans of conspiracies? Lovers of bored lovecraftian monsters showing up in the middle of the plot out of nowhere? All of the above? 

3. is it important to you that your wip has a moral or a message?

Yes, but it doesn’t have to be something incredibly deep. I mean, it often is, but it doesn’t have to be. Messages “Friends have your back, so treasure them” or “Sometimes you just need a day off” can be just as good as “The difference between good and evil largely depends on the point of view.”

4. what kinds of relationships do you like writing the most (romantic, platonic, familial, etc)?

I like writing relationships where people have a lot of things in common but also a lot of crucial differences and points of conflict, and I love following them as they work through their differences to form a close bond despite everything that should keep them apart. Whether that bond is one of friendship, romance, or something else doesn’t really matter for my enjoyment of writing about it.

5. what kind of research have you done for your wip? what have you learned?

If you took a look at my most recent search history, you’d think I was a pre-med student or something, but I’m just trying to figure what that mysterious virus Flame got infected with could be based on. I’ve also researched plenty of stuff about city planning, and martial arts, and weapons, and even tailoring clothes. There’s always something to research, even when you start off thinking, “Hey, this story isn’t about the real world, I’m sure I can make everything up as I go.”

6. if your wip became very successful, would you want to make a movie adaptation? why or why not?

I’d prefer a TV adaptation. It’d be cool to see how it would look on the screen, but a TV show offers more space to introduce all the secondary characters and side plots, while a movie would probably be too rushed and leave out too much.

7. did you have any alternate title ideas for your wip? if so, what are they?

Nope, it’s been The Flame & the Moth all along, although perhaps I’ll come up with a better title one day.

8. what has been the hardest part about writing your wip so far?

Putting all the little bits together and figuring out the actual plot without letting it grow too big and out of control. 

9. do you prefer writing action or description?

Both are very hard, but I guess action? I can usually pepper it with some quippy dialogue, which is my favorite part of writing.

10. what do you want your readers to come away with after reading your story?

I hope they have fun reading it, and that this story might help readers who are queer and/or neurodiverse in similar ways that my characters are queer and/or neurodiverse to feel seen and... accepted, I guess. I also hope they grow to love at least some of the character that populate this story.

11. what’s your favorite part about your wip? what makes you excited to write it?

The characters! Flame and Moth, but also everyone around them, including some of the actual villains. Also, as much as I sometimes sigh and complain about it, I actually like the process of figuring out the plot. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle that keeps changing with every step you make closer to the right answer, and it’s very frustrating, but also very satisfying when you finally get pieces of it right.

My questions and people tagged below:

1. Do you ever notice that the media you consume (books, tv-shows, etc) influences your writing in some ways?

2. What was your favorite part about the last scene or chapter you’ve written?

3. What was the most difficult part of writing that last scene or chapter?

4. Do you write everything in order, or do you find yourself often moving scenes around?

5. What’s your writing software of choice? Why do you like it?

6. What’s your favorite writing environment? Do you need to be alone, or maybe you’d rather write in libraries or coffeeshops? Do you prefer silence or music?

7. If someone distracts you in the middle of a writing session, how do you usually react?

8. Do you like writing sprints?

9. Have you ever done NaNoWriMo? Why or why not? What are your thoughts about this type of challenge?

10. Do you find it easier to write short stories or novels? 

11. How are your WIPs born? Do you start with characters? With a plot idea? With a worldbuilding thought, like “what if there was a world with sentient dragons who were the source of magic”? Something else?

Tagging (feel free to ignore if you’re not interested!): @dragoneran @stravaganzaa @a-ray-of-moonshine @sweetcatminteareblog @limassol-writes @marie-writess @fantasy-shadows @thedreamsofthesky @1kwordsand10littlecandies @arieswriting @everynextdream and anyone who might want to answer these questions.

[simba-bonfamille-lyons]

☾ ♥ ● ♦

I put this under a readmore bc it’s LONG AS FUCK im sorry

☾: Favorite moment from your Muse's canon, and why. (If your Muse is an OC, then favorite aspect of their story.)

i love this question.

Belle: my fave is def the scene where she’s taking care of the Beast after the wolves attack them and he gets all grumpy and she Shuts That Shit Down. i take so much of my inspo for belle from that scene alone tbh--but i also do love the opening sequence and how could you not love I WANT ADVENTURE IN THE GREAT WIDE SOMEWHEREEEE

Simba: ugh, so many good moments, but the best scenes in the whole movie are def the stars scene with mufasa and when simba sees rafiki. i also LOVE LOVE nala and simba’s reunion. also, ofc, okay this part is def my fave: the running back to pride rock UGH THAT SCENE

Toulouse: FFT FFT FFT!! that was legit the only part of the movie i remembered from watching it as a little kid. also when he and ber are fighting on the piano, i love that scene, it’s so cute.

Bambi: the part where thumper and bambi are like hanging out and thumper is teaching bambi to say shit. and he’s like BIRD BIRD BIRD BIRD and he’s walking along following this lil butterfly, ugh so precious my darling.

Perdita: gosh there is not a lot of canon perdy tbh but i do love her and anita’s relationship. also when she’s kickin ass and taking names to save her babies. also how she really doesn’t want to get covered in coal and pongo says “c’mon perdy time to put on your make up!” 

Sweet: everything?? about him??? he’s so great?? all his lines?? but i love the part where he’s taking care of the old king the best bc before that moment he’s kind of been liek quippy and comic relief but u get to really see his compassion and strength and steadiness in that scene and i love it.

Maui: his backstory, definitely. that was what made me really interested in playing him bc he totally models slyth but is actually a big ole puff and just wants people to love him. also i like the scene where he leaves moana after she Fucks Up (tm) i know that’s probably a weird scene to love but idk i thought it was super interesting.

Hercules: alskdjfladjkflaskjdfljfl EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM?? herc is just my precious darling. but i love how awkward he is but then how FIERCE he gets when he’s protecting people. like you think what a soft marshmellow how is he a hero and then when faced with danger he RISES and it just always warms my heart. my fave is the hydra scene bc that’s the first time he’s like rly sUCCESSFUL as a hero and it’s such a good fight and he uses his strength to his ADVANTAGE ugh i lvoe hercules.

Attina: ahaha she also doesn’t have a lot of canon, but def my favorite is when they find out that ariel has been #gettindown at the club and attina is like NO ABSOLUTELY NOT and hten everyone makes puppy faces at her and she caves so easily. i based a lot of her character on that. like she seems like a hardass but she’s rly not she wants her sisters to be HAPPY

Akela: gosh, he really does not have a lot of canon to go off of at all, in either movie. i’m gonna say the Law of the Jungle. That’s really important to his development in my head. also the scene in the live-action with grey where he tells him that the runts get eaten sometimes bc it’s like the only time he’s not the Serious Alpha but to me it just showed this like softer side to him? that was playful--and i based a lot of his character on that.

♥: One thing you love about your Muse.

Belle: laksdjflkajdf what don’t i love about belle? i mean as a character as a whole i love how inspiring she was to all young girls who loved to read and encouraging girls to be SMART and not be SHY about it. to EMBRACE their bRAINS which is such an important lesson for young girls. and i really love that about my belle too. that she is very demure about a lot of things but DO NOT QUESTION HER INTELLIGENCE. it is the one thing she will unflinchingly defend about herself and i don’t think we see that enough in female characters.

Simba: i love how much simba loves himself. i make fun of it quite a bit, bc he can be so over the top with it, but i really appreciate his level of self-care because that’s something i struggle with. like--not so much confidence, i have a decent amount of that but just, he really does take care of his overall physical health. he exercises, he showers, he eats properly (tho i mean he eats a lot too and lets himself indulge which is important). but he like idk keeps his beard trimmed and takes care of his skin and this sounds like a really weird thing to admire but since i struggle w depression, it’s nice to see ppl who function normally even tho he also struggles w depression. ALSO i love his flirting. haha. inspires me to be a better flirt.

Toulouse: kind of self care too, in a way? i love that lou is unapologetic about who he is, even when he doesn’t like himself. and he really does take care of himself before anyone else. like he does not let other’s opinions (except his siblings) influence his decisions and that’s something i struggle with. it actually makes lou one of my most genuine characters, because if he is sweet to you, if he helps you, if he protects you, he’s doing it because he wants to, not out of any obligation. as someone who struggles to say “no” to people, it’s admirable.

Bambi: ahaha honestly there isn’t much i admire about bambi. not because he’s a bad person but because he’s a teen who is still finding himself and struggling with a lot of self loathing and is in that place in his life where he is making mistakes. but, i do like that, writing him, im getting a--chance to look back and rexamine teenhood from a new perspective which is interesting and fun.

Perdita: i love how FIERCE she is. i always say perdita’s attitude is mine if i didn’t care about what people thought of me and that’s definitely true. i love that the first impression that paul got from her was she didn’t care what anyone thinks BUT i love that she really actually does too bc it just adds so much dynamic.

Sweet: gosh i love how level-headed he is. as someone who is temperamental i really appreciate characters like sweet and poca and haku who are very centered and strong and sturdy. i appreciate their calm presence in my head. i also LVOE how poetic writing him is. he’s one of my characters i feel like i can indulge lyrically in my words with the most.

Maui: i love how conflicted maui is. i love that he has this really stark duality to him and is much more than his cocky exterior and he genuinely really does care about people, not just about the attention, though that is a big draw. i also love what a BOY he is. it’s really fun to play him walking that line of fuckboi and genuine person.

Hercules: what a PRECIOUS MUFFIN HE IS. i just love the whole super strength but has no way to control it thing. it’s just a great duality to play with. like he is so gentle and so afraid of hurting people but has this awesome power. he’s just very precious to me just so sweet and good and pure. 

Attina: my self indulgent bae ahaha. i love that she’s a MERMAID i love that she’s so bubbly. i don’t have any BUBBLY characters. and she’s so happy and smiley. i mean, simba is kinda like that both of them just Radiate Joy. and i also love playing sisters. i love love the family dynamic and the fact that there is so many of them, because it just leads to such RICH character development. i love what a romantic she is. i love how soft and kind but how protective. how scared but how brave. ugh my beeb

Akela: he’s another really calm person. i love that akela doesn’t linger on his mistakes. he has regrets. he acknowledges when he’s done something wrong and then--wait for it--HE MOVES ON. he doesn’t dwell. he doesn’t beat himself up. he picks himself up and dust himself off and moves on. which is so refreshing bc most of my characters are wallowers ahhaa

●: If you could say just one thing to your Muse, what would it be?

Belle: GIRL I S2G GET SOME FUCKIN SELF CONFIDENCE it just really annoys me that she needs to be poked and prodded into feeling good about herself bc she’s so BRAVE AND STRONG AND KIND AND WONDERFUL she’s perfect and she SHOULD KNOW THAT SHE IS WORTH GOOD THINGS

Simba: honey, stop, trying, to, please, everyone,, it’s not gonna work and you’re just gonna wind up making a mess of things. also i love you /pets

Toulouse: i s2g i have so many things that i could say to toulouse but if i could ever interact w some real form of him u know what i would do? i would give him a goddamn hug. just a good, long hug where he can put his lil head on my shoulder and just relax. he craves physical affection ppl

Bambi: i would give him support about his choices and tell him it’s okay to be afraid but he should be brave too bc being brave is the best fuck u to all the people who want to scare you.

Perdita: i understand why you did what you did and i don’t blame you for it. 

Sweet: keep doin you babe

Maui: IT’S OKAY YOU CHEATED JUST LIVE UP TO IT NOW (also you are real hot and we should date)

Hercules: embrace ur powers lil honey u are wonderful

Attina: relax babe you should take care of YOURSElF (she won’t listen to me)

Akela: i’m sorry about your family *gives him snuggles*

♦: Relationship with your Muse.

im gonna answer this like “how does the muse come about” kinda deal bc this question is weird

Belle: well her voice comes so easily to me i love it except it’s SO thinky. she is always who i write the longest posts on bc she just examines everything but i love it bc i so do not think like that but it opens my mind to interesting thought processes i haven’t explored myself before. though i also edit her the most bc her dialogue is SO HARD. it’s getting better tho as she gets more confident but it only takes one set back to go back to stuttering and holding her tongue.

Simba: gosh. i love his voice. it’s so COLORFUL. i can write simba all day because even in his darkest moments he is so BRIGHT and he feels everything so deeply. i love his background. i love writing about africa and islam and how he is bisexual and his race (but in the little things like how he has sensitive skin and likes movies like Hairspray lol). he’s really so different from me in so many ways, but he’s also an accumulation of like all the men in my life i’ve admired so he has a v special place in my heart.

Toulouse: gosh i love toulouse. idk his voice comes SO naturally to me. he is, without a doubt, the character i just instinctually know the best. i can’t even explain it but he just popped into my head completely formed. i knew everything about him almost immediately and even the things that came later just fell into place so easily. i just love him because he is so complicated and dynamic and feels so deeply while also having a really complicated relationship with those emotions. writing him is both frustrating bc he always makes the same mistakes, but very easy for me.

Bambi: ugh i love bam. he’s another one that i just loved from the start. i wanted him for so so long before i actually got him and he just mad sense to me. i love his shyness. i like writing his view of the world since he def has so much influence from books and movies and he thinks in like tropes a lot and i’ve never written like that before and it’s super fun.

Perdita: i love how concise she is. i love all the sharp language i get to use with her. how every sentence i feel like i hit the period mark really fiercely. every sentence is important and to the point. she doesn’t like meander and as someone with flowy writing it’s nice to be able to know that i can do shorter stuff.

Sweet: UGH i love the poetry to his voice. making him a poet was a great move on my part bc i just looooove it. i love his voice. how calm. how gentle. how wise. and beautiful tbh. also all his experience is really fun to write. he’s like a fully formed person.

 Maui: i think i mentioned this but what a BOY he is. i love it. i love being able to play with the line between saying shitty sexist things but not knowing they’re shitty and sexist and really being a (mostly) genuine person but not always kosher or PC or anything like that.

Hercules: im still getting used to his voice but i really like how much he curses lmao he is like FUCK FUCK FUCK in his head at all times and i love that bc he’s so soft and smol and it’s such a funny contrast. also i get to play with humor and irony a lot with him and that’s fun. hopefully i can do more allusions to mythology once i start working with his powers more and that’ll be fun

Attina: i love her OCD. i think it makes for really interesting writing because people with OCD repeat phrases and stuff a lot and always having to be hyperaware of her actions like--remembering she doesn’t like to touch people and remembering that she locks the door nine times and that she doesn’t eat food from public places. it just really plants me in her head every time i write her.

Akela: his connection to nature. tbh being able to play as a wolf im ngl. but also a LEADER that people RESPECT AND LISTen TO. also i love how his voice is sad but not depressingly so. so it makes it really interesting to write like balancing all that emotional with his cool, level-headness. 

[erraticprojectjunkie]

2016 Book of the Year: Opening Bracket

It wouldn't be January if I didn't do my Book of the Year Bracket. I'm admitting this right out of the gate...my reading for last year was pretty pathetic. I only finished eighteen books during the entire year. That's just a wee bit shy of my goal of forty. Oops. But...tradition is tradition, so we're going to carry on, despite the reduced number of books to work with. It's an odd mix this year. In order to fit in a standard bracket, I reduced the eighteen books to sixteen by removing two books from the list: an anthology and a pregnancy book...difficult ones to use as challengers. Still...that leaves me with a very...eclectic group of books. Out of the sixteen challengers, nine are fiction and seven are non-fiction. That's a lot of non-fiction. Included are two plays, a children's book, a travel book, a religion book, and five (what?!?) autobiographies. It was a weird year of reading, you guys. Even more surprising...only four of the fiction novels are young adult fiction. That might be a record low in YA fiction percentage. This is what happens when the majority of your reads come from course assignments. I arranged the bracket using a random list generator based on when I completed each book. Once again, that totally bit me in the behind in that it (spoiler alert!) paired two of my favorites against each other in the bottom right bracket. I considered tweaking the bracket to suit my preferences, but...I kept my crap together and kept the bracket honest. Here's where we start... Now...let's meet the left side challengers... Porko von Popbutton by William Pene du Bois Genre: Children's bookRating: 4 stars I read this one as a recommendation from the boyfriend. It was his favorite childhood book. I have to say...it's a cute story, but it would totally not fly in today's PC society. One of a series of books based on the seven deadly sins, Porko von Popbutton focuses on gluttony. There is a set of moral lessons within the pages, just a somewhat questionable approach in light of today's approach to childhood obesity. But...it was published in the 60's, so I'll cut it a bit of slack.  The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Genre: Business / FictionRating: 3 stars I read The Goal as an assignment for my course in Supply Chain Management. It was better than I expected it to be, to be honest. There are a lot of good business lessons in it, along with a lot of basic economic principles demonstrated in practical ways, but it also reads like a good story. It actually took me a while to realize that it was a novel and not non-fiction. I guess that means it's fairly well-written. My biggest disappointment with this book? Rather lack luster ending. I am very picky about my endings. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler Genre: Travel memoirRating: 3 stars River Town was another course assignment, this time for my Asian history course. It follows the author's time as a Peace Corps associated teacher in China during the late nineties. I found this one interesting as my friend (and fellow blogger at In Search of the End of the Sidewalk) also spent some time under the same circumstances. I enjoyed hearing her views of the book, as she could see the narrative from a incredibly different perspective. Overall, the organization of the story was a bit rambling for me, but it gave me some decent exposure to a culture that I prior knew very little about. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling Genre: Autobiography / HumorRating: 3 stars Ah...a book I actually chose because I wanted to read it. Yes...those did exist last year. Why Not Me? was actually my final read of 2016. I read it on a plane on my way back to Idaho for Christmas. I have to say...it's a good airline read. Relaxed and entertaining, it's quippy and fun. But...ultimately, as much as I enjoy Mindy...you could tell this was a follow-up (likely obligated by some prior contract) and it just wasn't as much fun as her first book. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx Genre: Contemporary fictionRating: 4 stars This was the read for my final project in my literary analysis course. I ended up writing a huge term paper on it. Thank goodness it was an interesting book. I had never read Proulx before, but I had heard her talked up several times. With good reason. Her writing is beautiful. Her characters are odd, but still realistic. Her narrative just worked. Really well. She is a master at using literary devices and I enjoyed very much analyzing the characters, their interactions, and her subtle mastery of her craft. And now you're wondering why it wasn't rated 5 stars. Honestly? I just wasn't in love with the story. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it didn't grip me in the way I feel a 5 star read should. Ultimately...I'm just getting stingier about my ratings. This is Islam by Jamal J. Elias Genre: Religious nonfictionRating: 2 stars I'll be honest...this was likely my least favorite book of the year. It's more or less a primer for Islamic culture and the history of its religious sects. It was required reading for my Asian history course and I was highly disappointed in it. It's incredibly dense to read in the beginning and I trudged through it. Nonfiction is hard enough for me to make it through, and this approach was just too rigid. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Genre: Classic FictionRating: 3 stars (technically 3.5 stars outside of Goodreads' system)  Another book from Literary Analysis. Let's call this one an oldie, but a goodie. It definitely has fantastic literary merit. Faulkner was very good at subtlety and there is a lot hidden within the pages. Without a doubt, this one is a novel which will reveal more with each subsequent read. I don't frequently do rereads, but I have a feeling this one may come along my TBR list again in the future. If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo Genre: Young Adult FictionRating: 4 stars This was a gifted book from another book blogger, the lovely Julianne from Outlandish Lit. I had heard about it for a while and was fairly curious. I was highly impressed. It's a brave narrative, but one that is becoming more accepted as our society becomes more tolerant. For that, I am grateful. Diverse books can always be a great thing. This one is among a small handful of trans literature out there. If I Was Your Girl is amazingly written with fantastically complex characters and realistic dialogue. I read this one in a single sitting, completely fascinated by the story. It's not overly in your face, nor is it highly politicized. It is simply the story of a teenager trying to be accepted. Absolutely worth the read. Whew! Maybe it's a good thing I didn't read many books last year. This post got long really fast. That wraps up the left side of the bracket. You can probably already figure out a few of the winners and unfortunate losers that will take place in the first elimination, but undoubtedly there will still be a few unpredictables (just the way I like it). Next up? The right side challengers. There's some good competition in that side as well...including the most heated bracket of the opener. This post originally appeared on Erratic Project Junkie and is copyrighted by Elle. Find EPJ on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads