#writers actors and the most incredible fandom I've ever been in!!!

[londonspirit]

some assorted pics from yesterdays writers strike in LA - mainly from Alex's and Samba's insta

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(x)

David’s speech over on Twitter (silly Tumblr doesn’t let me upload)

[lestcat-de-lioncourt]

saw your posts of that one weird toxic page attacking you and the iwtv show fandom, I love your page just block these people not worth it, and if I'm going to be honest too, most of the hate I've seen ever since I joined this fandom is from were from book fans who hate the show so yeah

Oh yeah, aha, I just logged off and went to sleep tbh, I couldn't be bothered to reply much because their responses were just angry soup.

By the time I logged back on, they had blocked me anyway, so gladly I didn't have to read more of the rant.

I appreciate that you find my page pleasant! Cela réchauffe grandement mon cœur de mort-vivant.

I am in a couple of groups on other sites that cater to the The Vampire Chronicles, and there have to be regular posts made to curb the books and IWTV movie fans particularly, which get nasty and argumentative and insulting about the AMC version.

We've had this issue for over a decade, though with them and the behaviour around the release of the Queen of the Damned movie, over inaccuracies and how the soundtrack and the genre which Lestat developed his music style under was unconventional or uncomfortable for them to listen to, despite Lestat being a rockstar and that metal/nu-metal wasn't far fetched to do the job. The movie flopped compared to IWTV, the movie, and many people ignored its existence or only said IWTV was their favourite out of the 2.

I feel like this is more because IWTV was more of a cult classic, people's parents had been into it, they were, they were more exposed to it and it had been given A list celebrities to play the roles. There's a huge set of reasons why I could assume, but it was my personal favourite despite the inaccuracies anyway.

I don't like in fighting about it all. None of them promised 100% accuracy. No movie or series can actually achieve that anyway. And every single one of this people are well as Anne Rice herself, has worked so incredibly hard and dealt with a lot to bring all of these to our screens, and that should still be respected even if they didn't like it. Everyone has different visions of "what's right."

I don't know, maybe I have insight due to being a director, script writer, casted actors, cameraman, makeup artist for actors, actor myself for stage and film, producer and designing posters for a theatre company, so I have experience as to what it's like actually dealing with life on set, the hours, and the sweat, tears and compromises you have to make, and these are much bigger productions than I've ever done on film and TV.

[flameraven]

i cant stop wondering how a predator like ga*man was able to write the most beautiful romantic wholesome perfect love story ever with gomens. how. (and i believe the women i just wanna make that clear)

only way i can imagine it is that it was terrys idea for the sequel theyd planned and with that it wouldve been easy for the people working on good omens to help with that. like so much of these characters and their love story is the way michael and david act these characters out and the seasons have been co-written with other writers like finnemore etc so its never been a "ga*man" story ya know ? in all the other books i read of him he never wrote an actual love story based on mutual respect and care. its only gomens. it took me a while to figure out what was so different abt it and i think its truly more terrys story than ga*mans

Not sure why you sent this, or if it was a response to a specific post, but I thought it was worth answering, especially now that we know there's a 3rd accusation against him. Mostly, if you didn't see this post that I reblogged recently, I think it's worth a read. I think it's a comforting thought to try to categorize people into Good People and Bad People, and to write off the Bad People as doing Only Bad Things so they can be safely ignored. But I think the more uncomfortable truth is that people are complicated, and sometimes the same people who make brilliant, moving art also do terrible things. Gaiman is a very skilled writer and many people have found that his work was meaningful to them and touched their lives. I am one of them-- I have been a fan of Gaiman's work for something like 20 years. Sandman and Good Omens radically changed how I thought about religion, and Sandman showed me a whole new way comics could be used to tell stories. The TV show of Good Omens has made an incredible difference to my life and I've found a lot of value and community in writing fanfic of it and connecting with the fandom. AND, it's also true that Gaiman seems to have behaved terribly towards these women. Even if the relationships had not involved assault, pursuing much younger women is a creep move. He's hardly the first male celebrity to do so, and I'm sure he won't be the last, but I did expect better from him. But then, we don't really know anything about celebrities. We only know the persona they show us. Good Omens was a collaborative effort, and I don't think it's fair to dismiss Gaiman's writing contributions because of his personal behavior. But it's also true that the TV show is more than just his efforts -- Michael and David and all the actors and producers and crew worked hard to tell the story that affected so many people. If it helps you process this situation to think of those contributions, or Terry's, rather than Gaiman's, I think that's a valid approach. People have a lot of complicated feelings about this, and everyone has to sort them out in their own way.

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

Lone Star Season 4 Thoughts: I love Season 4...mostly

With the prospect of season 5 filming beginning so soon, I've been thinking a lot about season 4 lately. I felt like rambling out some of my thoughts on here.

First, perhaps an unpopular opinion (?) but I love season 4. Sure, it has its flaws, but to me, the good far outweighs the bad. For one thing, I personally don't mind Gabriel's death. It's not what I would have chosen myself if I were writing the finale, and I think it could have benefited from a 3-5 episode arc rather than being squeezed into two already very busy episodes, but I appreciate a lot of what came with it and the potential it provides for season 5. Rafa's acting in the finale was incredible and the aftermath of Gabriel dying resulted in one of my top 10 Tarlos scenes of all time (the scene of them deciding to postpone the wedding at the beginning of 4x18) and one of my top 10 non-Tarlos scenes of all time (the Owen and Carlos scene). Season 4 also gave us the incredible soulmates scene, Lou II, lots of other excellent Tarlos scenes/episodes (4x02, 4x04, 4x08, 4x12, 4x16-18), some new love interests I really liked (Asha, Joe, and Trevor...NOT Kendra), a true showcase of Rafa's talent as an actor along with (finally!) the screen time he deserves, a Marjan storyline that wasn't perfect but had a lot of good stuff to enjoy, and a mention of the Tarlos wedding in every single episode. I enjoyed watching every episode (with the possible exception of 4x03...but even there I can find things to enjoy).

As far as the whole Iris/secret marriage storyline goes, yeah, it's not great. But I can still find a lot to appreciate within it. I love Iris, I love her friendship with Carlos (Rafa and Lyndsy sold me on their friendship with a single hospital scene in 4x03!), and I think it added fascinating elements to Carlos' backstory...like the fact that he was so lost and upset after his family's reaction to his coming out that he married a woman to try to be the man he believed they wanted and needed him to be. For the parts I don't like as much and that--let's face it, don't make much sense--I'm able to look past them or make up head canons to explain them away. (And the talented fic writers of this fandom have done a great service to help that process along...there are many great ones, but particular shout out to Where All This Love Comes From @carlos-in-glasses, which managed to make better sense of Carlos' backstory than I ever imagined possible...if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do so ASAP). I certainly don't blame anyone who can't do this...that storyline was a mess, I can't deny that! But for me, there's enough to appreciate that it doesn't mess with my enjoyment of the season.

Aside from the secret marriage thing, I think the worst storyline of the season was the Owen/FBI storyline. The sad thing is that this one could have been ok had it been executed better. The biggest issues here were (1) too much Owen off on his own time, which is never good--Owen is at his best when he's in storylines with the other main characters--and (2) they completely failed to stick the landing. BADLY. If you're going to do a white supremacist storyline, you need to commit! Instead, they tried to throw in so many twists that they ended up trying to make us feel sympathy for and see the white supremacist gang members as victims. Yeah, not going to work for me when, in a previous episode, you told us they were literal Nazis! But ultimately I don't really care all that much about a solo Owen storyline to begin with, so it didn't affect my enjoyment of the season as a whole.

All of that said, the thing that irritated me the most about season 4 was the 8 week deadline for the wedding. The ridiculous Lone Star timeline has always been a bit of a thorn in my side, but it really got out of hand in season 4. What bothers me most is the fact that the whole 8 weeks thing is both so completely ridiculous and so completely unnecessary! It is clearly there only to slightly raise the stakes for the first few episodes of the season. It's "Oh no, they have to get married in 8 weeks, which means Carlos has to hurry up and get divorced from Iris to make the deadline, only now Iris has gone missing and she hasn't signed the divorce papers yet so they won't be able to get married!" The exact same thing could have been accomplished with an even slightly more realistic deadline--say 4 months. A 4 month deadline would have still been an incredibly short amount of time to plan a wedding and it would have still required urgency in the divorce process. And yeah, 4 months would have still been a bit unbelievable, but it would have been the ordinary tv show timeline kind of unbelievable, and it would have fit far better with the other markers of time in season 4, like the fact that it's explicitly stated that it's January in the beginning of the season and May at the end.

To make matters worse, the urgency for Iris to sign the papers--once again, the whole reason for the 8 week deadline-- isn't really even addressed after 4x02 because once Iris goes missing, her safety is the main concern. Then, once they wrap that storyline up, it is literally never mentioned again. I spent the entire season waiting for it to become an issue, but it never does. The writers essentially forget about it and spend the entire rest of the season providing dates and stating that amounts of time have passed that add up to way more than 8 weeks. It's just so RIDICULOUS and it means NOTHING!

Ok, whew, got that out. Probably no one is still reading at this point, but if you are, thank you for reading my essay and I love you 💜

[dyradoodles]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤

ONLY FIVE oh no LMAO To be honest I really love rereading my own stuff (it’s tailored to all my hyper-specific interests, after all! 🤣), so just picking 5 is hard, but I’ll try.

Redux Hero (FF7, Zack & Sephiroth, M) for sure! It’s a rewrite of the first fic I ever published online, and this time I finished it lmao FF7 has been such a big part of my life, so getting to be super indulgent with my headcanons in a big adventure story with my all-time favorite characters was such a joy to write. Plus I ended up with absolutely wonderful people hyping me up while I was working on it! And it helped me with processing some of my own personal shit. I could write a whole other book about how happy writing this one made me lol

Poster Boy (FF7, Zack/Seph or Zack & Seph, G) - This was my first Seph & Zack fic where I really felt like they matched my headcanon versions of them, to the point that if I’m having a bit of trouble with new fics, I like to reread this one to kinda get back into the right mindset. Like a voice actor having a key phrase to get into character, I guess lol Plus it’s just short and cute, so it’s a nice, quick, pick me up if I’m having a rough time writing.

What Lies Beyond the Lily of the Valley (FF7, Zack & Seph, T) - this one is close to my heart, since it acts as somewhat of an homage to the old FF7 fics I used to read as a kid Namely, “Lily Valley” by LuckyLadybug. That fic (and a lot of her other fics tbh!) really inspired a huge, huge love of Sephiroth and Zack just going on missions together. No big catastrophic, world-ending threat; just the job. Being friends. Uncovering horrible secrets and organizations that aren't Shinra. Or, as is the case with my fic, the two of them uncovering a whole undiscovered realm that, by the end of, they want absolutely nothing to do with LOL I had so much fun with the fae shenanigans. 

FFS, I Believe in You (Breath of the Wild, Sidlink, T) - MY FIRST FINISHED FANFIC LOL and also just the goofiest thing from start to finish (minus the Angst, there is definitely also Angst). I feel like this one really helped me learn how to make notes and actually construct a whole multichapter. It also forced me to learn how to write in iambic pentameter, which. Is that useful? Idk. Is it funny to me personally? Extremely so, yes. I didn’t really participate much in fandom before this fic, so it also ended up being an amazing opportunity to meet some incredible people, and coaxed me out of my lurker shell a bit lol (Also I don’t think I’ll ever beat this one in kudos, with any other story, which is just gonna make me laugh forever because SHAKESPEAREAN LIZALFOS??? THAT’S the most popular one I’ve written?? Understandable, I wouldn’t have it any other way LMAO)

Out of My Head (Venom (Marvel Comics), SymbiOT3, M) - I really let loose with this one and ended up using a lot of writing techniques that I still use in my writing today. Most especially, not feeling guilty about shorter chapters lol It’s at the top of my list for revisiting if I can ever get my brain to fixate on Venom again, because dammit I had two other arcs planned aaaaaaaaAAAAA— hopefully someday. RH did get a rewrite after uh, 9 years, after all;;;;;;;

This was fun, thank you Holly!! 

(also meant to add: my favorite thing about All the fics I've written to date is all the awesome friends I've made through them 💖 it's so cool to me how writing silly stories about my blorbos has helped me meet some of my favorite people ever)

[thebroccolination]

It's 2:30am and I can't sleep AND I'm bored. So I'm goin around asking some of my fave blogs/writers to play a game of either/or........ready?

(Please don't hate me, this is just for fun 😁)

Reading Fanfic or Writing Fanfic

Boun or Krist

Romance or Sci-Fi Fantasy

UWMA or BUTS

SOTUS or BMF

Reaper Storyline or Time Loop Storyline

WinTeam or KawiPi

Watch the Movie/Series or Read the Book

You don't have to answer if you don't want to but if you do, you can't cheat! You can only choose one or the other NOT both! Okay? GO!

P.S. I love your writing, Key! Thank you for all your lovely fics ❤️❤️❤️

Awwww, first of all: thank you so much. :') This is a really sweet thing to wake up to. :'''')

Also incredibly evil.

-- Reading Fanfic or Writing Fanfic --

Honestly—and this surprises me—writing! I tried to imagine not being able to do one ever again and I'd be more upset if I could never write fic again.

-- Boun or Krist --

:/

Before this year, I would've said Boun, but right now, it's Krist.

I've always thought of BounPrem and KristSingto as the "main pairs" I follow, and even though Krist and Singto aren't officially a branded pair anymore, I still follow them separately. So I'm kind of a, uh, BounPrem, Krist, Singto fan now asdfghkj

When Between Us ended and BounPrem said they wouldn't have another series together for a while, I moved my focus to Krist because he had Be My Favorite coming up, and I'd been excited for BMF since 2021. And now, since I've followed Krist so closely this year, since I've gone back and familiarized myself more with his past work, and since I was fortunate enough to meet him in person last month and see for myself how kind and sincere and good he is, I'm very invested in seeing him happy and succeed the way he deserves. (Like, it's very clear why he's so beloved when you look into who he actually is, so it's been surreal to see how desperately interfans want to hate him. I was in his restaurant with other fans when GMMTV finally released a statement in his defense, and it was such a relief, I teared up. Some interfans are trying the "he used to be a bad person but he's better now" take at the moment, so I'm just waiting for them to take the next step and admit that he was never a monster in the first place and that hundreds of interfans have gleefully tortured him and trashed his reputation for years based on misinformation.)

Like I keep saying: the loudest anti-Krist voices are interfans. If he actually was what they claim, wouldn't his most ardent antis be from his own country? I've spoken to Thai fans of different actors: this is an interfan bandwagon that got blown out of proportion.

Now, of course, Krist and Boun have always been pretty closely tied in my heart, so if you talk to me once the BounPrem vampire series airs, I'll be focused on BounPrem again. I'm not one of those "you have to follow everything someone does or else you're a fake fan" people, so I only watch what I like. BounPrem have been doing a lot of fanmeetings and separate work this year that I wasn't interested in following, so I've just been patiently waiting for the vampire series to air. Even though I don't even like vampires. I just love BounPrem that much. :')

-- Romance or Sci-Fi/Fantasy --

Sci-Fi/Fantasy! I'm writing a fantasy novel right now, and most of my favorite stories are in the sci-fi/fantasy/speculative genres. :D

-- Until We Meet Again or Between Us the Series --

UWMA!

It was my first Thai BL series, and it launched my whole fandom life here. It still has such a strong presence in my memories, and I think it was a true labor of love from every angle.

I think BounPrem were incredible in Between Us, but I don't think Between Us was the series they deserved. In the months since it ended, I've gotten more critical of how Between Us was handled and it's dropped quite a few spaces on my list. I think if they had stuck closer to the novel, removed BeePrince completely, used fewer flashbacks, fewer UWMA clips, and not tried to cram six musical tracks into some scenes to guide viewers' emotions, it would have been a stronger series. I honestly get the impression New did it for BounPrem rather than out of a genuine love for the characters, and that might be why it didn't have the spark UWMA does. I think it was a labor of love for BounPrem, and I think New loves BounPrem, but I don't think he loved WinTeam's story as much as he loved DeanPharm's. Not his fault, but a different director might've been a better choice for the project.

-- SOTUS or Be My Favorite --

Be My Favorite!

From 2020-2022 my top three were 1) UWMA, 2) SOTUS, and 3) DBK, but then I did an honest reevaluation and realized that over time, SOTUS has had just a tiny bit more of an emotional impact on me than UWMA, so it took the top spot. And of course Triage came along and blasted up to take DBK's spot.

As soon as I saw the teaser in 2021, I knew I'd love Be My Favorite, I just never expected it to…Be My Favorite. \:D/

It's time travel, it's Krist, it's Gawin, it's queer as fuck, and it's the closest to perfect I've seen yet. Ever since it ended, I've just been in this bubble of bliss. I can't believe it exists, that we got such a perfect casting, that Gawin and Krist became so close, that they see each other as family now, that that chemistry is so clear in the series. It's just one of those significant series that rearranges your brain chemistry, like SOTUS, UWMA, and DBK before it were for me. <3

-- Reaper Storyline or Time Loop Storyline --

Okay, so with the understanding that most subject material can be great in the hands of a great storyteller, just from a, "Hey, Key, this series/book/TV show has a __ storyline," basis, I'll go with Time Loop. Time shenanigans is one of the fastest way to hook me (Be My Favorite, Triage, I Feel You Linger, etc.).

-- WinTeam or KawiPi --

WinTeam. Always, always WinTeam. :')

They're just the ultimate OTP for me. Of any series, movie, book, anything. I think it'll always be WinTeam for me.

-- Watch the Movie/Series or Read the Book --

Hmm. For Thai BL: series. In general: book. From what I understand, a lot of the novels Thai BL series are based on tend to be very rough. Like, written and uploaded by the author without an editing process or even a beta reader in the middle. LazySheep (Red Thread/UWMA, Hemp Rope/BU) is an indie author, though. She's with Hermit Books, and she's mentioned her editor on Twitter, and I think the extra steps she takes in the process of publishing her novels show in how polished her stories are compared to the average Thai BL novel.

[altruistic-meme]

twenty questions for fic writers

i got tagged by @irregularcollapse thank you!

How many works do you have on AO3?

currently, I'm at 33 on my main account and another 3 that are under a pseud :)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

166,992 in total!

What fandoms do you write for?

as of right now, i'd say i write for All For The Game, Captive Prince, and Young Royals. i have kind of written a little for Good Omens, but i'm not really counting it bc i'm not sure i'll ever finish it or post it. and i used to write for Yuri!!! On Ice and Hetalia as well, but i don't anymore (and likely never will again).

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

oh man, i was actually kind of surprised about the last two!

the beginnings just another end (Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Yuri!!! On Ice) Victor Nikiforov has friends. He's four time world champion, figure skating god, beloved by most. He's won more medals than he knows what to do with, has more fans than anyone could count, and more money than he could ever possibly spend all of. Only one problem; Victor Nikiforov has no friends. So, he searches for some. And he finds them in a group chat room titled "crazy people talk about figure skating".

(why is there) joy in this poison (Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, All For the Game) Because for as much as Kevin would talk to Andrew about the Ravens, whine about Riko, warn him about Tetsuji, explain to him why he trusted Jean… he had never really mentioned Nathaniel. In a story, once or twice. In passing, perhaps a few times. And Andrew found that he trusted Nathaniel less each and every time he heard the name. Andrew is propositioned at a summer exy banquet, and a deal is proposed.

The Bet (Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, All For the Game) Andrew decides it's finally time to introduce his partner Neil to the Foxes on a summer weekend vacation, but Nicky has a better plan.

running from my heart (Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Yuri!!! On Ice) When Victor arrives the night before the men's short programs at the Grand Prix Final, he's not expecting to run into another skater. Or run into him again. Or again.

Vicchan's Pet Café (Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Yuri!!! On Ice) "It's alright, really. It allowed me to get a closer look at your gorgeous brown eyes." Wow. Wow Victor. Victor Nikiforov, five time Emmy Award winner, actor in countless romances, well-known playboy, just made the most ridiculous pick-up line that could have possibly come from that moment. In which Victor is an actor, Yuuri owns a café, and their dogs just want them to be together.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to, but i am incredibly bad at it :') i always want to reply, even if it's something small like just a "<3" or "thanks!" but i often forget to reply for a long time. or at all.

but i always try my absolute best to reply to comments with questions or any that really touch me in some way

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

in general, i do try not to write angsty endings (although i know i've had some ideas for some, just never written the)

however, that said, swaying as the room burned down is still the worst i've written! it does come with the knowledge that things get better, having been written as a missing scene from yr2 which ends better than the fic leaves off, but the fic itself still ends in a pretty sad place.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly? Where There is Love, There is Life. the entire fic was meant to be pure fluff and sweetness. most of my fics have happy endings (when i actually. ended them.) and i do have some other fics that were meant to just be fluff, but i think this one takes the cake.

Do you get hate on fics?

no, i haven't! i've gotten some... sort of mean-spirited comments or comments that come across that way, but i don't think they were really meant as hate so much as the tone fell flat.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i have not. yet. i have one WIP that will have smut at some point in it, but that's the only one i have planned and i haven't gotten to that point in writing it yet!

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

not really. i think i did, a very long time ago, but i can't remember it at all.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of, and also i sure hope not.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i'm really aware of, but i think it'd be cool!

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

that's tough. it's probably Andreil, though. just everything about their relationship, from beginning to end of the series, is so so good and they've always meant so much to me as characters.

What’s a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

the beginnings just another end. i really wish i could've finished it sooner. it was my first long fic, and it kept the status as my longest fic for years. i still remember how it was meant to end, too. ultimately, if i ever even write YOI again, i think i'd rather rewrite the entire story than just finish it as is. but i really don't think i'll ever complete it.

What are your writing strengths?

Cliffhangers. Dialogue. Humor, at least in my opinion. Ideas galore.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Consistency. i have terrible memory and will often write something in, planning to make use of it later in the story, and then completely forget about it.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

ouhhhh it depends. my opinion on it has changed from when i was younger. i think it can add to the story, like if it's used because the POV character doesn't know the language, but in general i'd prefer not to do it (especially since i'm monolingual rip ;;;)

First fandom you wrote for?

ahhhhhhh Hetalia

Favorite fic you’ve written?

without a doubt, (why is there) joy in this poison. it means so much to me i cannot even begin to explain it. and even aside from that, the story itself is something i LOVE rereading since it was written to my own tastes, and every time i look back in the story to fact-check myself, i end up getting lost in the story again and again. it also makes me feel so good about my writing, it's such a confidence boost and rereading it helps me realize why people actually like my writing!

i'm going to tag @daylightsimon @zee-has-commitment-issues and @spaghett-onaplate for this if you guys want to <3

[iridescentis]

REASONS WHY MAYA HART WAS A LESBIAN AND RILAYA SHOULD'VE BEEN ENDGAME

It is currently 1am and I have Rilaya brain rot and so even though the Girl Meets World fandom is hanging on by a thread and I haven’t posted in a year here we go. 

Both the Josh and Lucas 'crushes' are the most typical sign of comphet; Josh is too old for Maya and Lucas was pre-established as having a thing with Riley, meaning both unattainable.

Following on from this, Maya goes through an entire arc trying to determine how she likes Lucas and is incredibly stiff when trying to make it work. Also her 'crush' on Josh is unusually enthusiastic and she only decides she likes him when she figures out she doesn't like Lucas LITERALLY FORCING HERSELF TO LIKE ONE OF THE TWO BECAUSE SHE THINKS SHE HAS TO.

The ski lodge episode was poorly written - the whole 'she wanted to protect Riley so she felt what she felt' made no sense whatsoever, and completely erased her own character growth. The only reason the writers implemented that episode was to get both a resolution to the triangle and a throwback to Boy Meets World done in the same episode. The fact that Riley stayed up talking with Lauren's son and it resulted in nothing showed that it was just for reference purposes.

Josh completely took advantage of Maya and willingly admitted to LIKING A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD FRESHMAN GIRL AS AN EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD MAN IN COLLEGE.

Throughout the entire triangle plotline, Maya was confused. She never even SAID she had definite feelings for Lucas, Riley assumed she did and it went from there. It was the most clear sign that she was doing what she thought she was meant to - Riley was going out and liking boys like everyone else and Maya only ever 'liked' boys she couldn't have. 

"I don't know what I like anymore" The usage of 'what' and not 'if I like him'; she was definitely questioning her sexuality here why else would she be that vague. (+Riley saying "Woah" thought I'd point that out)

Maya 100% has feelings for Riley. It's not even a question. 

Unrelated but Maya and Riley are much more like Jack and Eric than Cory and Shawn, especially Riley - she is not as much of Cory and Topanga as the show forces, she is pure Eric Matthews. 

Upon seeing Riley get a crush on the new guy, Maya IMMEDIATELY resorted to making fun of him and being abundantly clear that she doesn't think of him as a threat ("[be scared] of ranger rick? sure honey you be as scared as you want") 

THE CAMPFIRE SCENE

"I just want it to stop it's bad enough I've been keeping this from her all this time"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME

That sentence is the most Denial™ line I have ever heard since "he's just my roommate"

We were robbed of a Rilaya country dancing scene

THE WAY THEY HOLD EACH OTHERS FACES

Riley is consistently uncomfortable around Lucas: It may have just been Disney's censored writing style but the fact that the two dated twice, and yet their 'romantic' advances were the most awkward things to watch. The lip peck on the train was the closest they got to being comfortable around each other, all the other hand holding and stuff was stiff and forced. Kind of a stretch because that's up to the actors, director and Disney but still, the relationship was unbelievably forced.

HOW I WOULD'VE WRITTEN A RILAYA PLOTLINE (this is in the case that GMW got more seasons)

A social studies teacher introduced, teaching a lesson on LGBTQ+ identities; this would lead to Maya doing her own research and becoming comfortable in her identity. (done in a way that avoids stereotypical coming out plotlines written by cishet people)

The whole group but more specifically Rilaya should've heard the story of Eric, Jack and Rachel. (In this plotline Jeric becomes canon and gets married because its my ideal and I make the decisions)

Maya has a long pining arc because she deserves real character development that didn't resolve itself in the span of 10 episodes.

Its already way to established that Riley works slowly and very much isn't the weekly relationships type but Maya should be. Especially during her pining arc because that is a perfect level of angst and portrays unhealthy coping mechanisms perfectly. 

RILEY TAKES A LONG TIME TO REALISE SHE LIKES GIRLS. Riley very clearly grew up privileged and blissfully ignorant, so its not going to be an immediate thing. Maya's understanding should be more fast paced than Riley's to maintain their contrast because its such an integral part of their relationship.

They get together during college. Their dorm/apartment has a bay window. They kiss in it. No important reason. It would just be very cute. 

Eric is the first person to realise there's something going on between Rilaya. I need more idiot genius in my life. 

THE FRIENDSHIP RINGS BECOME PROMISE RINGS. Not engagement rings because that's a stretch but a cute awkward scene where they have to figure out what to do with the rings now that they're dating would be perfect.

And that is all. Thank you. 

[littlespoonevan]

Teen Wolf question for you (since your AO3 history shows me you used to indulge)!

So I've never seen Teen Wolf, but I do see that there's a new movie coming out in 2022 which, honestly, I expected the promo link for to be a Rick Roll.

Is this the part where I should watch the show and catch up with the fandom or is this the part where people scream at me, "NO. DON'T DO THAT TO YOURSELF," like with Pretty Little Liars?

Tl;dr Teen Wolf...

Yay

Or nay?

Thanks in advance for you opinion!

oh wow this is a complicated question akjdfhs

okay so for a bit of background and context: teen wolf was my first great fandom love. i was in the glee fandom prior but the teen wolf fandom was the first fandom i was actively involved in/wrote fic for. it remains to this day one of the most astoundingly talented fandoms i've ever been in (not to discredit the incredible creators in every other fandom i've been in but my god the amount of novel length superb teen wolf fic that exists is Something Else) and i love the characters/actors with my whole heart

however

i've never watched past s4.

season 3b ended with the death of my favourite character and i've yet to recover from the level of betrayal i felt tbh (which is why i will Never criticise 911 writers bc they will literally never be able to hurt me the way jeff davis did ok that man is my villain origin story). i watched s4 but my heart wasn't in it and when another one of my favourite characters left at the end of it that was me done.

so i feel like teen wolf fans fall into two categories: the OGs who gave up by the end of s4 and the newer fans who only started watching around 3b

so my answer as an OG fan: watch season 1-3a. the 3a season finale is a better series finale than the actual ending will ever be tbh (i did watch that on my rewatch last summer). 3b is Good and dylan o'brien is phenomenal in it because he really gets to show off his acting chops but that is the point where the show starts to take itself too seriously and goes a much darker route (aka not the campy fun werewolf show i signed up for lmao)

so yeah, that would be my advice! but even as a fan of the show myself i don't intend on seeing the movie unless it's mainly the OG cast so it really depends on how you feel once you start watching it! i have a friend who only started it long after i stopped watching and she loves the last few seasons, y'know?

but other tw fans feel free to weigh in because i also feel like i'm being incredibly biased askdjh

[94hhhjj]

Stuff where I am in that spectrum:

Canon I have never watched/read:

I used to read Supernatural fic before an '"all normal humans" Dean kidnapped Castiel and half convinced him they were soulmates due to an angelic presence via Stockholm Syndrome and some extreme duress non-con' fic made me decide the fandom was too dark for me.

I had a period of time where I was really into the Hannibal fandom, that was when I was really into the whole murderhusbands thing, and apparently so was everyone who'd actually watched the show.

When I first got into omegaverse, I read alot of Teen Wolf fanfics, because I didn't know where else to look for it and that was what popped up the most. The pairing I was into doesn't seem to popular amongst the omegaverse writers in that fandom anymore so I don't really read in that fandom when I'm wanting to read omegaverse anymore.

Had a bunch of stuff where the fanfiction has made me curious about the canon but in the end decided I wasn't interested in canon enough to keep on with it:

I read alot of HP crossovers and then read a bunch of HP fanfictio so I ended up reading the first 2 and 1/2 books of the HP series before giving up and deciding I didn't like JKR's writing because disappointingly her fans wrote better than she did. I do avoid the HP fandom now because it's gotten so toxic but it had some really talented writers.

I tried to watch Lazytown after the "We Are Number One" song and the outpouring of love for the actor who played Robbie Rotten got me curious about the show and that somehow ended with me reading fanfiction that got me fully on the Robbie Rotten is fae train, I never actually watched more than 2 episodes, possibly because I am very much not the target age group.

I have never played Final Fantasy of any version, evne though it all looks extraordinarily gorgeous but I really really enjoy the Sephiroth redemption via someone else's time travel fics. AimeeLouWrites and She_Sees_In_the_dark are particular fav authors of mine there.

I watched one episode of Miraculous Ladybug because I read some really good fics of Adrien running away or otherwise dealing with the drama of who Hawkmoth was. That was before someone named Luka and sentimonsters were introduced. Couldn't really get into the show though. [I'm pretty sure DPxML or DCxML crossovers were to blame for my interest in that fandom]

Stuff I don't exactly know where to put:

So I used to read alot of MCU fanfics, especially when the Avengers as a found family in the Avengers tower was a popular fic, and then a little bit when the Exvengers trope became popular, buuut I've only actually watched Iron Man, the first few minutes of Thor, and an Incredible Hulk movie that I'm not sure if it's the one canon to the MCU canon or not [also the X-men 1,2, and 3 but I don't really count those as being the same]. I can't remember if I watched Iron Man 2 or not. I always meant to get around to watching the MCU movies but never actually did. Now if I did, it'd probably be the Black Panther movies or the Spiderman ones[I'm honestly thinking about watching the one with all three Spiderman's in it despite having only ever watched the Tobey Maguire spiderman movies. I think it'd be an interesting way to watch it, since I only know a little about the other two.]

I read some DC fanfiction, I try to stick to the JLU/BTA/BB fics since those are the shows I've actually watched but there's so much bleed through of the canons I know I've read fic for the other canons.

pretty sure there's more but those are the ones I think of off the top of my head,

OH! I read the entire first 25{? 20 something} volumes of the New 52 Flash comics solely because nirejseki wrote this incredibly awesome fanfic of Captain Cold and the Flash becoming friends while Barry's civilian identity had been accused of murder or being dead? I forget which, that was a few years ago.

i think my next adventure will be to join a fandom without ever watching the source material. i will participate in discourse and pretend that i know what’s going on but in reality i am a fraudulent faker poser bitch. i think this is the direction my character development has to take

[fappellmoan]

for the fic asks - F G H S T !!

ahhhhh thank you!!! i'm gonna put the answers under the cut since this is kinda long lol

also guys i love talking abt myself so like feel free to send more <3

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

Paranoid that other actors in these crimes will come busting down the doors at any moment, Nancy leans over the girl and taps on her face. “Please, please don’t do this.” Tears fall in a stream from her eyes onto Robin’s face. “Robin, get up! This isn’t funny.”

Blood pools against the her neck, burying her complexion in red. Nancy tries to feel for a pulse, but all she feels is the blood on her fingers. A scream works its way from the back of her throat to her teeth. “Wake up! Wake up! Fuck.”

i dont know if this, like, super counts as dialogue, but i really loved this part of two of a crime. and the following line after nancy flips out ( Nancy stumbles back into the warehouse, leaving the door open, and collapses in the room with Robin. She tries to stop the bleeding. Holds her hands against the girl’s neck. It’s not too deep, you’ll be okay , she tries to tell her, but she can’t get the words out. We’ll be okay. We made it, kid . ). nancy is so fucking smart and capable and incredible in action and that is beautiful to see! however. thinking about how she'd lost barb and quickly grown close to robin (which i called in this fic! js. i just knew they'd bond really quickly even if they did start as annoyances), watching her lose so much blood and shit i thought would of course get an insane reaction. like. she'd maybe really snap and break down. hence the ending. i think it's probably the most angsty thing i've ever written, and even if it's not all that bad, i'm really proud of it.

Mike blanches. “I don’t think I said that.”

“Oh, you definitely did.”

“Oh,” he nods, mind spinning, “well, you know…”

Will stands to be at Mike’s level, leans forward on his knees. Mike stops breathing. “I do,” he says, “but tell me again.”

Mike swallows down a breath of courage and suggests, “I think I might like you.” His eyes flit to Will’s lips, then back to his eyes. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll allow it,” Will says, a bright smile causing lines near his eyes. Mike smacks at his arm, nervous laughter coming out with a quiet, ‘Shut up.’

as an alternative i just. i love confident will! i wanted this to be as true to the characters as i could fathom while also being. perhaps mildly corny due to the holiday feel. i was really happy with this and tying the 'crazy together' moment back into it.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

it sorta depends! i mostly write from start to finish, unless i have a specific moment/piece of dialogue that i know for sure i want later on. then it's a little easier to build around that and i sometimes find myself writing a far better build-up than there would've been otherwise, probably. i really admire writers that have plot points and stuff super planned out in advance, but i tend to just have a vague idea of what i want and feel it out as i go.

H: How would you describe your style?

god i really don't know. i'd love to hear how it's perceived lol. i am very... i tend to be comedic i think? i'm not afraid to be sarcastic/play with irony in my narration, to the point that i sometimes worry it won't come across well. i am also very dialogue-driven, which is something i want to work on. i literally like act out what the characters say sometimes to see if it feels realistic, and because of that i also probably overuse dialogue tags and little movements in between (almost like a script instead of 'prose' or whatever). i'm sort of fast-paced as well i think? idk i've very aware of pacing. like i'm rather quippy with my transitions and stuff because it just makes sense to me. i worry it's lazy sometimes but hey it works

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

waugh i don't know!! idk if i fall into tropes very often??? i've definitely like slipped in 'sharing a bed' quite a bit throughout the years, but i think that's as close as i get. honestly maybe i need to be more tropey.

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

hmm i think it goes without saying when people really change a character's personality to fall into a clean-cut dynamic (esp when it involves....... making one character way more submissive yk.) i cant think of any classic tropes that i specifically hate

[applesfallingfromblondehair]

fic writer interview

(a pic to get your attention, and to remind us all of how strong a look this was--you're welcome)

Tagged by @phoenix-ascended, thank you!!

name: C (heavensfallingaroundus on AO3)

fandoms: I wrote a lot of Madderton in 2019/2020, before I lost all hope 😂 I also wrote them as David Budd and Eggsy Unwin in a Kingsman/Bodyguard crossover that is long, wonderful and tragically still unfinished to this day--but I swear we're going to finish it one day, hopefully soon. Basically what I'm trying to say is: anything with Taron Egerton, and I'm game. I also wrote some other British Actor RPF starring the usual suspects (Colin Firth, Kit Harington, etc.) and a single Achilles x Patroclus oneshot after finishing Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles. I read mostly Taron RPF (but not het stuff because it makes me uncomfortable, soz) and Hartwin--although I must admit I've not been reading as much as I would like, lately.

two-shot: What an odd question. I don't know if it counts as a two-shot, but this pair of crackficks (#sponcon) is definitely the best sorta-two-chaptered thing I've ever written, also thanks to my wonderful co-author and my favourite human on the planet, @its-a-soft-science. I'm also partial to where we're going, because it paints a version of events where everything turned out alright.

most popular multi-chapter fic: Still to this day, it's Three. If you were around when i was writing and publishing it, in the second half of 2019, you know how much that work took out of me and how I never took a break for around 6 months. It was the proverbial wild ride of my life as a fic writer, and even if I maybe think the quality of the work is not as good as it could have been, I still really love it. If you like a long and winding story, you should definitely check out Kingsman: The Highlands Liaison, which (I would like to solemnly promise once more) @misslittlefreckles and I are definitely going to finish.

actual worst part of writing: Definitely planning. I'm someone who would jump straight into writing a scene and 'go with the flow' most of the time, letting the inspiration lead me here or there... but in most cases one definitely needs to plan, cross the t's and dot the i's to make sure that there are no plotholes, incoherences of any kind, etc. And then probably the second worst part of writing is when you can't. The ol' WB is a bee in my bonnet at the moment, and I can't wait for it to pack its bags and fuck off.

how you choose your titles: Song titles and lyrics all the way. Music is a huge part of my creative process.

do you outline: Like I said--I don't love doing it, but I recognize the benefits in doing it, so the answer's yes.

ideas you probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice: Goddamnit, I have a list in my phone notes app all about this. Let's see: a third and fourth installment of this Madderton wedding series (I had started writing a stag do part 3 but I never got anywhere with it), a fic on the wild night before Carpool Karaoke (they reportedly got blind drunk and they looked like the most fucked out + hungover pair of lovebirds ever on the day), a massive AU that I'd plotted a year and a half ago where Taron is a bit of an Eggsy character (estate kid with an abusive family history getting in serious trouble) and Richard his slightly older and incredibly competent hot daddy lawyer, several Christmas stories based on popular Christmas flicks, and finally another massive AU, which I'm not telling you anything about because it might well happen at some point in the near future.

callouts @ me: People definitely seem to have beef with me not jumping on the Richard/F**y train. To all my haters, a kind reminder to live and let live xoxo

best writing traits: I tend to use language that is a bit baroque sometimes but it also tends to go down pretty well. I've also been told I can successfully build up a lot of tension and then deliver on it quite effectively.

spicy tangential opinion: After almost 2 years of waiting for it, the Madden CK campaign is terribly underwhelming. The definition of overpromising and underdelivering.

Tagging @himbomcavoy, @taste-thewaste, @johaeryslavellan, @zebraljb

[nephilimeq]

I've never saw that Scott was looking for a male authority figure. The narcissists, yes. I called that out early on when I came into Fandom. The male authority figure is new. It's really something to think about/I need to go looking for that too. Cause I dont doubt you, i might have overlooked it. But it makes sense based on what I think about him and the show. Anyhow what I actually wanted to ask was: why do you think he never took Derek as authority figure? in the first episode its Derek who saves him from the hunters and also tells him they are brothers now. Is it because Derek put himself in the same level as Scott? Any thoughts? Sorry for my rambling, I'm very tired and it's difficult to focus on any clear thoughts right now xD

Derek wasn't really trying to be an authority figure to Scott; in my opinion, from what I can tell through the character and through Tyler's acting choices, he came across as a worried older sibling, more than anything else.

Scott looks at Derek and all he sees is some guy who's just a few years older than them, who's acting shady and delinquent, and just happens to be a werewolf just like Scott. He sees Derek as someone who's not using his abilities to his advantage, but Derek (up until that particular point in the show) has never seen being a werewolf as an advantage, he has only ever seen it as a curse because it's what got Paige and his family killed.

Stiles changes his tune very quickly once he realizes what happened to Derek's family, but all Scott can see is someone who is trying to ruin the good time that he's having with his abilities.

You have to remember, in the beginning, once Scott was turned, he was using his abilities as an advantage to gain popularity, and to make himself feel better. From what we can tell, Derek doesn't really know what he's doing with Scott, because it seems he's never dealt with a werewolf that's been turned before. From what we know from the canon, all of the werewolves in Derek's family were born werewolves, and none of them were turned, so this leaves Derek at a big disadvantage when it comes to figuring out what his relationship with Scott is, because the only way he knows werewolf relationships is through family relationships.

This is why Derek was struggling, and this is why Scott couldn't take him seriously, and why their whole relationship is rocky and off balance.

Derek is trying to take on a brotherly role, because it's the only thing that he knows, but Scott is an only child, and so he doesn't see Derek as a brother, he sees him as a hindrance and someone who is telling him what he can and cannot do. He doesn't care that Derek has the same abilities that he does, because he sees Derek in a completely different way than Derek really is.

I realize I've been talking more about Derek than about Scott, but there were a lot of dropped plot lines in the show and the fact that they created such an immensely complex character in Derek Hale and had an incredibly gifted actor portraying him and then dropped him like a hot tamale for no real reason is something that I will never get over.

Derek's trauma affects how he views himself, and how he views his relationships with others, which is why he feels so reluctant through those first few seasons.

The writers really messed up when they showed Derek finally coming to terms with himself while simultaneously paralleling Scott's storyline of practically devolving, while the writers are trying to say that Scott is the better Alpha.

Which he obviously wasn't.

One of the scenes that I hate the most in the entire show is when Derek looks at Scott and says to him, "You're going to be good at this."

Anyone around Scott over the past few years, since he was turned, would know that Scott was the last one who was ever going to be a good Alpha. I could really go on and on about how odd their relationship is, but it really comes down to two things:

1) Derek's struggle with self-acceptance as a werewolf and 2) Scott's inability to listen or pay attention to anyone other than himself

[hamliet]

Hey I love your Witcher metas/fic and I just wanted to say I've been reading some comments about the stuff they've changed on the show and one of them is that they've made Cahir too bad/unredemable which made me think how the people who haven't read the books will view Ciri since she becomes a relaly dark character and who accoring to the author was meant to be evil and monster because almost veryone made her out to be one.(pt 1)

Also having recently finished the books the hansa are definitely the highlit to me in the later books don’t get me wrong Sapkowski is a great author but I just couldn’t find myself to care for Ciri’s SL post Time of Contempt her becomign dark had a lot of potential but the whole Rats and after that verged on torture pron almost especially since she was only 13-14 Yennfier also desrved better than being a frozen statue and then tortured until she’s aved but again that’s my opinion.             

Hello! Eeeeep, thank you for reading my metas!

You bring up so many interesting topics! Do you mind if I blabber a bit about… well, all of them? :P

I’ll get to Cahir last, because I have more to say about him.

So this is purely a taste thing, but I hella loved Dark!Ciri. She wasn’t whitewashed to become likable, which makes her one of my favorite main characters ever (most main characters I find rather bland when compared to side characters, because the writers want to ensure you like them and thereby sanitize them of interesting qualities). Honestly, my three favorite characters are Yennefer, Ciri, and Cahir.

I am definitely expecting the fandom to argue that Ciri is either Still Good 100% and doesn’t need no redemption, or a Terrible Role Model for Young Girls and think of the children! The point of Ciri is that she’s not a role model but that doesn’t make her someone you can’t admire. She’s not an object for people in her world to view as a savior, and in that way I found the books very meta. That said, I also get why people did not like how Dark!Ciri is handled, and that’s completely valid too. I think Mistle in particular was… yeah.

I would agree about torture p*rn specifically when it comes to Bonhart’s behavior. (I think Ciri’s age comes across as rather contradictory, but I’m pretty sure she was 14-15-16ish in the later books?) But I had to set the book down during The Tower of Swallows because of Bonhart’s treatment of Ciri.  I’ve thought about writing a meta on what Bonhart represents in the books (or aims to represent, because I don’t think it’s entirely successful). Bonhart’s treatment of Ciri in ToS can be justified as not gratuitous depending on what’s done with him in Lady of the Lake, and imo I go back and forth debating whether it was justified or gratuitous. I do think Bonhart turned into a stereotypical cackling villain by the end and his attempted assault of Yennefer was unnecessary and was a sharp change in his characterization. (Sapkowski, in general, doesn’t write great villains–mostly because the main enemies the characters have to overcome are themselves.) That said, Ciri’s defeat of him towards the end was absolutely narratively perfect, and hence I waffle.

For Yennefer… I too wanted more of her, so I am with you there. Yet, I also think it was perfect for her to be turned into a jade statue temporarily, because Yennefer is a control freak. For Yennefer to utterly lose control of everything and wind up a prisoner at various points was a good way to narratively face her flaws and grow. But I would have liked more of her struggles in those situations, especially in Baptism of Fire and ToS.

Now, Cahir.

I disagree strongly with the sentiment that the show made him irredeemably evil. That said, I also think the show’s writing is very, very flawed–not just of Cahir, but of everyone. Many of the writers are apparently Marvel writers which… shows. And not in a good way.

A lot of that is probably my perspective from how I consumed the story, as well. I watched the show before I read the books, and I remember when Cahir appeared again in episode 5 of The Witcher. The moment I saw who they had cast and his storyline there, I told the friend I was watching it with that he was clearly a conflicted Byronic hero archetype and would likely have an arc along the lines of Loki in the MCU and Kylo Ren in Star Wars. Look, it’s not a coincidence they cast attractive actors with unusual facial structures to play these roles, nor is it a coincidence that people keep debating if they seem redeemable or if they’re fully committed to the dark side. 

(NB: I think it’s more than a little racist that all the actors for these type of Byronic characters are white, but I also don’t like the “they’re actually poor sad white boys we shouldn’t feel sympathy for” argument. These characters are written to be sympathetic and complex, and it’s not the actors’ faults (for Cahir, Eamon Farron is incredibly talented); just… cast PoC in these types of roles for the love of God.) 

Is Cahir darker compared to what he was in the books? In some ways, yes. Did the message of what his character’s arc is meant to be translate to the audience of only show watchers? I honestly think it did, because it did to me as I watched it. I messaged the friend who got me into The Witcher “he’s a conflicted wounded bad boy” and asked if he would have a redemption, likely through a love relationship (Thor and Loki’s relationship is love, but brotherly; Kylo and Rey’s is romantic). I did not know anything about the books’ arc for Cahir then, but this is exactly what does happen. 

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

5, 15, 17, 18, 29, and 30 for a03 wrapped game! ~Pinestripe

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

As far as comments go, not really any of my stories. I'm still fairly new to A03, so I don't have a big audience yet 😅

...well actually. No, I'd have to say Restless Reveries, purely because of how much you liked it! I honestly wasn't a fan of that story when I posted it—I didn't feel satisfied with how it turned out—but after seeing you get so happy after reading, I started to think that maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought :'D

What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

I don't really have any unfinished stories on A03 (I tend to stick with one-shots) but I guess... my whumptober series? As a whole? I still have a ton of fics I haven't posted for that!

And also A Graveled Fool And A Raggedy Bird, but I don't really have any motivation for that right now. After I do DSMP for a while I'll probably return to Star Wars fanfic!

Your favorite character to write this year?

Ooooh... Wilbur or Tommy. Wilbur's my favorite character in DSMP, and Tommy is just fun to write :D

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Techno. There's a reason I haven't posted any stories with him yet; I've started several, and I'm looking forward to posting them eventually, but he's just tricky for me. I think because I'm trying to balance his sarcasm and dry, witty humor with his chaotic, "down with the government" way of thinking, along with his devotion and loyalty to the people he trusts.

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Here’s one of my favorites, from It Was Always Meant To Be (It Was Never Meant To Be)

A breeze blows against his back, followed by the sound of something heavy landing behind him. Feet walking closer.

A single black feather lands by his side.

I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY I ENDED IT BECAUSE IT’S PHIL!! PHILZA IS THERE!! AND THAT’S A GOOD THING BECAUSE HE CAN HELP!! OR MAYBE HE’LL MAKE THINGS WORSE!! YOU DON’T KNOW BECAUSE THE ENDING IS SO OPEN-ENDED!! I DON’T REALLY DO OPEN-ENDINGS ALL THAT MUCH BUT I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE!!

Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I started writing fanfic about Minecraft :'D

Which is... weird. But not necessarily surprising, because I was already writing Star Wars fanfic, so why shouldn't I get a little more nerdy, y'know?

It's been super fun, though! DSMP is by far the most fun fandom I've ever been in, and the characters are incredible and the artists are incredible and the actors are incredible and the writers are incredible and the-

[nyxelestia]

I'm assuming you're presenting it as personal opinion, but the notion of Sterek fans abandoning the show due to a throwing hissyfits for not getting romantic Sterek? That is not fact. I'm sure some did leave because they felt entitled to a canonically confirmed romance, but the majority? Not so much. Most Sterek fans I've talked to loved TW for the dynamic between Derek and Stiles/Hoechlin and O'Brien, and when the show decided to forgo this dynamic/these (platonic) interactions in favor 1/2

of exploring the boys' simultaneously occurring, rapidly blossoming relationships with Braeden and Malia, respectively, they felt no reason to continue watching. If this is a valid reason for watching, I'm leaving unsaid, but most Stereks would've been happy to see their dynamic and interactions. I know you've said Sterek was non-existent in s1/2, but many people did see it. I, a Sterek, stopped watching after 5a, when I lost all hope in tptb's ability to handle trauma, including Scott's. 2/2

First of all, anon, please don't call yourself "a" Sterek. It's demeaning, and you sound reasonable and like you're a lot better than that. Not to mention it's needlessly tribalizing and intentionally exclusive of multishippers.

Secondly, there are many reasons for why people may or may not want to watch the show. I get that. I've certainly been frustrated with this show, myself, and I've quit shows in the past - though never while still staying in the fandom.

Honestly, my frustration with Sterek fandom as a whole isn't that they stopped watching the show, but that they aren't upfront about it - i.e. including a note or a tag in fic indicating that they've never watched the show or when they stopped watching it. And I resent the implication that the idea that someone is still making Sterek content should be an indicator enough, since that leaves Sterek fans like me out in the Here Be Dragons zone.

Some authors have started to take the effort to tag their fics as "Sterek Fandom" - and you know what? That's awesome! I wish more people would do that! I wish more Sterek fans who still participate in Teen Wolf fandom made a note in their FAQs or bios or whatever that while they still participate in the fandom, they no longer watch the show. That would have saved me (and might still save me) so much time, frustration, and energy.

The other thing is, it also frustrates me that the Sterek dynamic is the only thing some fans watched it for - because throughout the show, it was only ever a tiny part of the show. There were entire episodes that had no real interaction between Stiles and Derek, and there were so many other characters and dynamics that interest me.

And that's what confounds me. It boggles my mind that someone would subject themselves to 9 hours (per season) of a show they don't care about or actively hate for 10-15 minutes of a single character dynamic.

This traces back to my snarkpost and my saltpost about how fandom bends over backwards to prioritize white men over everyone else, and often to the exclusion of everyone else.

I have a lot of issues with Teen Wolf's plot and their handling of complex topics like sexuality, abuse, trauma, etc. But one thing they were really good at is fleshing out characters, and often in a pretty short amount of time. Nuanced personalities combined with an ensemble of amazing actors brought them all such tremendous life...and fandom doesn't see most of it.

I'm only a viewer who enjoys the show, and even I lament how so much time and energy and work gets wasted because so much of the fandom just does not care and refuses to see a lot of amazing character development and much of the storytelling. I can't imagine how the actual writers and actors feel, seeing all their hard work go to waste on a fandom that doesn't care about much more than the two leading white boys from the first season and a character dynamic (re: shipping them) that was never intended and never really existed in the show.

From erasing scenes to support a fanon to claiming most of the show doesn't actually happen, a lot of people poured in a lot of work into this show, only to see it get ignored at best and gotten rid of at worst.

Most of this was, not uncoincidentally, the stories surrounded women and characters of color. Over the last several seasons, it's also become increasingly infantalizing about mental illness and trauma. As a woman and as a person of color, it is tremendously frustrating to see this happen. As someone who really identified with Stiles from the show, it's also incredibly frustrating to see him so systemically warped in fandom into something he's not.

I know it's not a personal attack. That doesn't make it less disheartening when fandom constantly takes the character I identify with the most and constantly twists him into something else, something he's not and has never been close to, before considering him to be of value to a story or to other characters. It's like saying Stiles has no value as who he is - which says something to the people who identify with him. (This isn't limited to Teen Wolf - this is a fandom-wide problem, the treatment of Stiles is just the Teen Wolf-specific manifestation of it.)