My life is complete.

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20 Q's for Fic Writers

Another tag from @assorted-candy, thank you!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 

193 as of now! Wow that's more than I thought I'd have.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

1,537,974! That's about what I expected actually xD

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Well I got dragged into the Danny Phantom fandom recently as I'm sure you all can tell. The show was actually a really big part of my childhood, but this is the first time I've been actively in the fandom, go figure! Of course I'm still in the Sanders Sides fandom, and I'm back once again in the Phineas and Ferb fandom, still chipping away at that long fic I've been working on for a while.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

These aren't too surprising to me, as they're also my fics with the most hits.

5. You Just Didn't Notice with 349 kudos (dear god please don't go find that one it's from so long ago I can't bear to look at it).

4. Warm with 356 kudos! I think this is the touch starved light sides au I wrote! Yeah I'm still fond of that one

3. By Any Other Name has 365 kudos! Still think fondly of my time writing that one, it was so fun.

2. Consequences with 420 kudos! Honestly I'm a little surprised this one is in my top 5 I guess a lot of people just really liked it.

Protector! Yeah, no surprises here. This one seriously blew up on me, it's got more hits than any other work I've ever posted on AO3. 504 kudos!

5. Do you respond to comments?

Sure do! I make an effort to respond to every single one I get if I can, unless I just cannot for the life of me think of anything to say. And I do read all of them, rest assured that even if all you get is a "Thank you!" that I loved and appreciated your comment, and that I mean those "Thank you"s every time.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Honestly, I'm not sure, most of my fics tend towards happier endings, even if the time before that sucks ass for everyone involved. I could pick any number of one shots from series, but I'm not sure those count as complete stories, since most of one shot series do actually tell a story. Oh you know what, I'm looking through my stuff and it's "Denied Reconciliation" for Roleslaying With Roman. Yeah nothing's getting better in that one.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This might sound weird for anyone who's read the fic, but in my mind I think it might be Protector? I listen to "Carry On" by Fun whenever I think about the ending for that fic because it fits the vibe so well, and because that's what the ending is about. Everyone is going to move on and live their lives to the fullest. Not everything's going to be sunshine and rainbows, but the characters don't want that anyway. They get to work to fix things and they have a chance for a really good and full and fulfilling life coming for them. What's happier than that?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really, actually, I'm very fortunate in that everyone seems to get that I'm just trying to share stories I love writing for fandoms and characters that I love. Thanks to all my readers, y'all are the best!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope! Not necessarily because I'm completely opposed to the idea, I have technically written a couple makeout fics, but when it comes to smut I feel like I'm too ace to know what I'm doing xD

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't, mostly just cause they don't scratch my brain in the way that inspires writing for me. I've read some really amazing ones and I definietly come up with some in my head from time to time, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually write one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Thankfully no, or at least not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yep! I'm currently writing and co-posting Defense Mechanisms with VorpalGirl on AO3, and I brainstorm enough with her and with my QPP @mishiitake-mushrooms that I end up putting them in the author's notes with credit quite a bit, and in my mind, that counts!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Honestly I don't ship nearly as much as I used to. This may be a bit of a cop-out answer, but I find myself getting way more invested in sibling dynamics lately. I'm loving writing about Phineas and Ferb and Candace in my long fic, and Danny and Jazz in my new AU. Even in Sanders Sides, I'm tending more towards Roman and Remus lately, and of course brotherly dukexiety will have my heart until the end of everything. If I had to pick one, it would probably honestly be Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? Kind of an out of left field answer, but I love how much both of them change in the book and I love how their romance is handled. Jane Austen is good at romance, I know, hot take.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Light Side Virgil AU where Virgil was a light side from the start that I still absolutely love, but I'm not sure I'll finish at this point. I still want to, I've just got so much going on that it's going to be a while if I ever get to it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and plot! Sometimes I write what I jokingly refer to as my "stick two characters in a room together" fics where I do exactly that and just let them talk to each other. It's some of my favorite writing to do, actually. And I absolutely adore getting to plan and figure out plots and watch everything as it comes together as I write. Story epiphanies are the best.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle a bit with action scenes, since character and dialogue are my strong suit writing characters just doing a whole bunch of stuff is difficult (especially if it's a fight scene, woof.)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I am definitely not strong enough in any languages other than maybe French to pull it off, but I think it's really cool when people do it!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I was 12 no you can't see them.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I'm not sure I have one, honestly? I have this thing that happens where I put all of my excitement and energy into whatever fic I'm currently writing xD

I do definitely have a couple that are very close to my heart for various reasons, though. Protector was my first fic that went over 100,000 words, and for that as well as numerous other reasons I'm very proud of it! Hope With Me turned out almost exactly how I pictured it in my head which is, like, crazy to me. I did a shit ton of math I'm really proud of for Three Minutes Less. I did coding for Seeking Advice. I wrote a bit about how I think aplatonicism would work in Friendship is Magic in Same Conclusion, which is the one MLP fic from me you get to see.

I don't know, I don't really want to name a favorite fic I've ever written, that takes away the possibility that I could still write it in the future! And yeah, I get the question is really asking "favorite fic so far," but... I don't know, I like too many of my fics for different reasons. I hope that's not too much of a cop-out answer.

Tagging @anxious-mess19, @sometimes-love-is-enough, and @prince-rowan-of-the-forest again, still no pressure!

1, 10, 26, 36, 42

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

My two long multi-chapters have taken most of my writing time (and I love them), but I actually really love the first series I ever wrote, *Sense* You Know Me So Well. The second chapter of this series and the second chapter of its sequel are the two that I am most proud of. They just feel very authentic and have deep feelings.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50020150

10. How do you decide what to write?

Excellent question. I started writing because I had dreams or daydreams of 'what if's that turned into stories in my mind. I honestly never thought that I would ever write creatively. It's a brand-new endeavor for me, but it's been so fulfilling for me and has given me an escape from real life.

I still haven't felt confident enough in my writing to tackle the very first story idea that I had. It's all outlined with some parts written out, but there's a lot of heartbreak and angst in the beginning of the story, and I haven't written much of that into my stories to date. Perhaps one day when I finish my long multi-chapters I'll get back to that.

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

I feel like I'm more of a dialogue writer. I think that matches my personality. I'm a doer; I don't sit and do nothing or sit and think for long periods of time. Not to say that's bad. I just like to stay busy, and I feel like a dialogue only fic matches that.

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

100%!! I have to see it all play out in my mind before I can write it. I feel like that helps me keep the characters in my stories in character. I read like that, too, so I've never been a very fast reader. But it's what makes fanfiction so enjoyable. I'm already familiar with all the expressions and mannerisms of the characters, so it can play out in my head very easily.

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

Hmmmm... This fandom is very kind. Some people really take their time to write amazing comments, and they make such a big difference to me as a writer. I don't know if I would keep writing if no one was commenting. Even though I enjoy doing it, writing really sucks up a lot of my free time, so if no one else was reading and enjoying it I would probably stop.

But I think the comments that have stood out to me the most are when writers I love reading comment on my stories. My heart rate just speeds up and my breath catches to see that someone whose writing I love is enjoying my story.

Thanks for asking!

Hey there, long time! Somehow, you're the only person I still follow who loves Star Wars, and I just wanted to share an article (link below) that came out today. Do you agree/disagree with the article's premise that Star Wars, the MCU, etc. serve as an outlet for folks who are looking for meaning outside of traditional religion?

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/3986205-a-new-hope-star-wars-day-is-about-more-than-just-a-movie-franchise/

Ok well you've got me going now. Not sure if you were expecting all this but I've been wanting to write an essay and this is a great prompt for me. I honestly don't know if I even answered the question, this is all just rambling. So first off I think it is very important for me to say all of this is my own opinion and I am not a researcher. Also this article is very pro-organized religion.

The article is a very good one. I found it really interesting but not for the reason the article is talking about . The article is basically speaking on the ways in which people are leaving religion, as things like Star Wars and the MCU become more popular. Now I want to make it very clear that I in no way think that Star Wars or the MCU or anything else of the sort are a religion. The article touches on this by saying “of course most Star Wars Day observants are not true believers of the Jedi religion.” 

The article says “even though the vast majority of fans …are not consciously seeking a religious experience, the fact that people in wealthy, technologically advanced nations are turning away from traditional religion may make them more likely to turn fandom into something that resembles faith.” This is where I really start to disagree with the article. This quote is basically saying that people are thinking of fandom as a religion because they don't believe in any traditional religions. They go so far as to say “…research suggests that the growing interest in these alternative beliefs is driven by the need for meaning that traditional religious faiths have historically helped meet.” It is very, very important to point out this research article that is linked is from a journal website and it is therefore not a reliable source. This is a statement saying that religion is a vital part of the human experience and we must feel the absence of it. Now I can say personally, the absence of religion is felt in my life but in a way that is keeping me from ever joining another religion (I was previously christian, it was not the best experiance). This article is so pro-religious that I don't find anything in the article to be an unbiased analysis of the connection between religion and fandom. 

Now, with all that out of the way, here in the opinion of a 21 year old college senior. Disclaimer, I was a hard core christian for the first 13/14 years of my life and have been out of the religion completely for the last 6 years. Also I am a fine arts major, neither writing or research is my specialty, I was just asked a question and had some big thoughts on it. 

So, to segway into this and quote the article one more time with possibly the only thing I agreed with, it says, “...function of fiction suggests content like “Star Wars” isn’t mere entertainment.” Even though the article was using this quote to say Star Wars isnt just entertainment because it was made to secretly be pushed into a religion, this is still true. Stories that people get so invested in are not just entertainment, but a community. I don't think people need religion to have a fulfilled life the way the article above says, but we do need community. With things like growing mental illness, and covid, make these community connections in real life harder than ever before. One way we make a community connection is with the shows and film themselves. People get invested in shows, we become part of the story, we feel anxiety over the plot, and we mourn characters that aren't real but that grief absolutely is real. Christiane Manzella is a grief counselor at the Seleni Institute for Women, she is cited in a TIME article stating “We create meaning and then experience actual grief when that connection is broken.” We love and lose with the people we see on screen just the same as if we knew the fictional people face to face. 

This brings me to the next point; fandom. Fandom is another way that people create community. I don't think it is a religion, I don't think anyone in fandom thinks it's a religion but it is just as important to some people as religions are to others. All fandoms of all parts of media are a way for people to find deep connections with those that have like minds. We grieve together, we celebrate together and we create a sense of community surrounded by many of the same ideas. These are also things that most religions have but most people in fandom don't worship the fandom or blindly believe in the fandom with no critical thinking in regard to the bad things that inevitably occur in fandom. Now there is an increase in people, especially young people joining alternate religions but its not because of fandoms but more directed to the blind faith and support of the bad things that happen and are actively supported by religions.

@zuko-is-crazy I'm so sorry if I rambled myself right out of answering your question but this is an essay on the thoughts that sparked in my mind when I saw your ask.

Dockterman, E. (2015, April 24). 'grey's anatomy' Derek Shepherd: It's OK to mourn MCDREAMY DEATH. Time. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://time.com/3834589/grief-counselor-mourn-fictional-character-death/ 

Thank you so much for creating such a lovely space here! You and @troubleinapinksuit make beautiful gifs, and your game of I Spy was next-level hilarious, but beyond that, I appreciate that you (both of you, actually) are vocal about the fact that it's okay to be part of a fandom after your college years, and your discourse last night about how its okay to be single and that not being married after a certain age was wonderful to read. I'm 27, single, in a career that can be stressful and I've been feeling a little down this year. I told @troubleinapinksuit recently that her blog makes me feel like I'm back in college in the best way possible, but I wanted to say thank you to you too, because your blog makes me smile whenever I visit! This is honestly one of the sweetest, loveliest and most welcoming fandoms I've ever seen, and stopping by your blog is a great mood lift when I'm down (and some of your gifs most definitely act on my hormones 😅). This has turned into a super long ask, but I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and for being so sweet!

This hit me right in the feels! I'm just out here being me! Fandom life has NO age limit and anyone who tells you other wise can just go away! Fandoms should be about different ages and backgrounds coming together to enjoy the same thing they have in common! The thing that others have to realize and understand is that the things that give their life joy and fulfilment is NOT the same to someone else. They should respect other people's choices in life. It's as simple as that. Times are different and not being married, having kids, or even being in a relationship by a certain age does not make you less of a person. Or make your life less fulfilled. I'm glad that my page can put a smile on your face. With all fandoms there will be disagreements, but as long as we can have conversations and respect for one another, I think we can be just fine. Also you aren't the only one who the gifs give a certain reaction to lol. I find myself sometimes just watching ones over and over again and I made the damn things lol. Thanks you and you're welcome! It's not hard work when it's something I enjoy doing. I love seeing the reactions they get. Along with the tags....they are VERY entertaining and some can make me laugh!

how do u motivate urself to write so much! youre like incredible writing several drabbles every day... i can never make myself write like i always lack either the motivation or energy even tho i have sooooo many ideas...

Hi! Thank you for this message, it's very sweet -- and kind of ironic because I didn't write yesterday, so today my brain is screeching that I NEVER WRITE ANYMORE and I'm desperately trying to tell it, CHILL IT HAS BEEN 24 HOURS. But suffice to say: I feel that feel of it being really hard to motivate yourself to write even when you really, really want to do it.

I struggle a lot with acting on "self-motivated"/"internal" motivation alone (and I'm going to blame the ADHD for that). So even when it quote-unquote "should" be "enough" that I WANT to write, the fact that "it's just me" who wants it makes it hard to actually sit down and do it. That's part of why I'm the world's slowest writer on longfics, too! Only I care whether the story gets finished, so like... who cares? (Besides me, and who'm I? The queen??)

The best thing that I've ever done for my writing habits was to start the drabble project, because even though I rationally KNOW that no one actually cares that much whether I fill their prompt, I can CONVINCE myself that it affects someone else whether I write.

Knowing that I can make someone a little bit happy with my writing by filling their request bumps up my motivation from internal to external -- someone's putting pressure on me/counting on me/waiting for me, and I don't want to let them down. It means a lot to me to think that I can make someone even mildly smile with a contribution that I make to their day, so dangling that opportunity in front of me is enough to kick my butt into finishing my daily drabbles.

I think changing the language for myself from writing being an obligation to being an opportunity also helps -- even though my motivator is external pressure, it's still an opportunity to interact with someone through writing, not an obligation to fulfill. I miss LiveJournal's culture of interaction and discussion in fandom, and if I feel like I can recreate it a little bit by filling prompts, then good. I'm using writing to fill a hole that I have in my nostalgia-heart.

I'm also going to say that IT HELPS SO MUCH NOT TO LIMIT MYSELF TO ONE FANDOM OR PAIRING. I love so many things! I want to write all the things! Sometimes I run out of ideas for my biggest OTPs, and having other options to "recharge" with has been SO helpful. Even though it all depends (for me) on who is being requested at the moment, the breadth of pairings that people gift me the chance to write is a further stretch for my creative muscles, and that helps the drabbles work really well as a "warm-up" for longer writing. That obviously wouldn't work for everyone -- a lot of people genuinely have One True Pairing that they're interested in, and that's totally fine! -- but I've always been a multishipper in my heart and being able to swan around from fandom to fandom and pairing to pairing has been so refreshing and nice.

And honestly, the last helpful advice that I have is less fun and won't sound helpful, but it's the most important part: if you want to write, you just have to do it.

EVEN IF no one cares but you, EVEN IF you're kind of out of ideas, EVEN IF the words are all coming out wrong.

You have to choose whether you want to make writing part of your day-to-day life, and then commit to it if you do. I don't write at the same time every day, but I know a lot of writers who "go to work" at the same time every day and just write whether the creativity is flowing or not.

Writing is a creative muscle, and if you don't exercise it, it will atrophy, just like actual muscles. You can only improve if you do it. Reps and gains, or whatever. If you really don't have it in you to write that day, try to read and study writing craft or outline or research or make a moodboard for your story... anything that will still help that writing muscle flex.

The longer your writing muscle goes without writing, the harder it will be for it to "pull its weight" when you do sit down with the energy and creative flow and motivation, and that's super discouraging. And eventually, you stop sitting down at all. And that's a huge shame! If you love writing, you deserve to get to do it.

That's a big part of why I picked drabbles for my "exercise." They're only 100 words each! Pfft, I can do that! I'm all about endurance, not getting swole.

I would rather write a couple of tiny fics every day and know that I wrote than beat myself up for not working on my longfic every day.

And the BEST benefit of drabbles is that they ARE a good warm-up, so I have worked way more on my longfic in the last year than I would have without drabbles. You can cross-train your writing muscle to be able to work your way up to your Magnum Opus Big Honkin' Masterwerk... you don't have to START there.

So tl;dr, I would MOST suggest finding a way to externalize that motivation. Find a buddy who you can write for, or open up your inbox to prompts. Find the kind of prompts that work best for you -- some people love detailed prompts, but I'm a "one word and a pairing" kinda gal -- and remember that people requested them because you share a love for that fandom/pairing and you both are chasing joy. Even though it's external pressure, if it's stressing you OUT, then retool it. And try to just push through and write as often as you can even without the creativity flowing. Sometimes it's just not gonna, but you can poke around at something anyway and try to get those juices going.

If you're interested in trying drabbles the way that I do them -- one-word prompts for 100-word fics -- I posted a few prompt tables on my blog here that are open for anyone to use. :)

For the writers emojis ❤ 💕 🎬 please?

Aw, thank you so much for sending me something! 😁

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

Ooo, that's a tough one, kinda like trying to choose your favorite child, right? But I have to say that one line that I know for sure that got a lot of mentions is from "Side Effects" (John/Kai, Halo) NSFW chapter 2 . It's John's response to Cortana telling him to say something complimentary to Kai during a rather, ahem, intimate moment. I don't know why, but I can just HEAR him earnestly, sincerely saying what he then says to Kai. 😳😂 I had quite a few people respond with varying degrees of AISLYNN, ZOMG, to that one, lol!

(For those who haven't read it and don't want to jump into a very graphic fic, I'll summarize by saying that he tells her she has a very lovely body part that most people don't end up getting complimented on in polite company. But he's so SINCERE about it and they're so comfortable with each other that she's not insulted or offended or anything, and that it honestly makes it feel rather sweet to me. But I'm the weirdo writing this smut stuff so I don't know if my judgment is 100% correct here or not, lol!)

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Obviously, I love all of my bbs BUT... There are a few that are just a little nearer and dearer to my heart. So I won't feel so biased towards my latest works, here are ones from the couple of fandoms I've written in: (in alphabetical order😉)

Arrow: "Five Times Oliver Held Felicity (And The One Time She Held Him)" (Olicity) - This one just... I don't know. We were still pretty earlier in the show and I had NO idea if they would ever become canon or even get a kiss at this point. This was just all a bunch of my own wish fulfillment moments put together in a fic. I also could've mentioned a line from it for the above answer (if my brain hadn't immediately gone to the Naughty Place™😳😉):

He held her like she was spun-glass fragile and infinitely breakable, but he knew the truth. Between the two of them, she was far, far stronger in all the ways that really mattered. She always had been.

Doctor Who: "Balancing Act" (Ten/Donna) NSFW - My very first multi-chaptered fic (and for many years my only one). I learned so much writing this one and I had such an amazing time with all of the wonderful friends I gained from them interacting with it! Plus, I loved getting the chance to fix Donna's unfortunate fate in a bawdy yet romantic way. 😉

Halo: "15 Minutes" (John/Reader) - I was still feeling-out writing Reader fics when I did this one (which was originally just a one-shot) and... *beckons you closer* if it feels a little more like an unnamed OC instead of a reader insert, that's because that was what it was originally going to be. 😱😁 I made the decision to go as a Reader fic very late in the thought process and ultimately, I'm happy with the choice. However, yes, that does mean that the Reader, at one time, had a name. But no, I can't tell you what it was. 🤐😉

The Flash: "By Any Other" (Eobard/Frost) - I have a LOT of Flash fics and they all mean something to me for one reason or another but, looking back, this was the first one where I really FELT my own connection to the characters. This was written in season 1, we had no idea for sure if we would be getting Caitlin as Killer Frost, so I decided to make my own version. Her powers were obviously more inspired by her comic book version, then altered further by me. What I ended up loving about this particular pairing, though, was something that wasn't planned at all: Caitlin is by far the more broken of the two of them in this series. I don't have any plans to add any more fics to Partners In Crime but, at the same time, I don't want to mark it finished. I like to think that these two are still existing out there somewhere in the far fields of my imagination, getting into trouble and loving each other a lot. ❄⚡

🎬 If a movie or show were based on your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast?

Ohhh, mannnn, the possibilities! 😂 I mean, some of my fics would have to go straight to, like, HBO Max or worse, lol! But, trying NOT to pick from my unrepentant smut-fest fics...

"The Thousandth and the First" (Eobard/Caitlin, The Flash) is definitely one I would've loved to have seen actually portrayed on screen. It's one of my most "complete" fics in many ways: it's not just all jokes and laughs but it does have humor, it's not all smexy tiems but it does have some R rated love scenes (not nearly as graphic as some of my rated E/NC17 fics, though), it has a bit of sadness, it has some hard decisions and, ultimately, it's the only "realistic" way I felt I could redeem Eobard within the constraints of this story for the evil he had done.

Secondly, because I'm ignoring the fact I was supposed to just pick ONE, lol... You might know it used to be common for shows to have, like, 24 eps in a season and have time to do things like what-ifs? I'd love to see an episode of Halo where "Trust" (Kai, Cortana) showed us how things could've played out if Kai would've been the Blessed One instead of John and thus ended up getting Cortana in his place.

I think they would be a formidable pair, lol! 😁

Since all of my work is based on shows, I'd just leave the casting as it is. 😉

Thanks again! 😎👍

Fanfic Writer Ask Game

Sorry if this is kind of random, but I've always struggled with finding friends in a fandom because I get too nervous about interacting even in small ways and end up keeping all of my fandom stuff secret, like most of my tumblr reblogs are private and I don't tell anyone about my ao3. But I've recently resolved to work on that, so I'm planning on starting over with a new blog and a new ao3 handle and moving all of my fav old content to it and being more interactive going forward. But...old habits die hard, and since you're so so so kind and friendly, and you're one of those ppl who's known in their (corner of a) fandom, like other writers call you by your name and anons send you prompts/theories/feels and people just!! talk to you about your fics and stuff and!!!, I was wondering if maaaaaaybe you could give some pointers on how to "join"/integrate/idk!!! in a fandom? Sorry if this is a really weird or difficult question aaaa, anything even your own experience would be nice but it's ok if you don't want to answer. Happy early halloween from a debilitatingly anxious anon 💙

Hi there, anon!! ❤️ Omg, firstly let me say that while yes this is an unexpected ask, it is also a very welcome ask!! I can't say I've ever been asked something like this before, but I can also say I've perhaps never related to an ask more before!! I 1000% also... identify as... an anxious person (I'm tip-toeing with my wording here bc - while I have always been an anxious/nervous person, especially socially - I've also not been professionally assessed or diagnosed, which is solely my own doing, but I know that can be a dividing line with this topic sooooo I'll just say that... I believe that I can understand at least a little of how you feel) & fandom can be a very intimidating & nerve-wracking place!! Prior to starting this blog, I was only ever on the outskirts or in the background of the fandoms I was interested in -- The Blacklist was the first fandom I made an effort to actively be a part of, so I know how jumping in with little to no experience can be scary!! Also... ever since I hovered on the edge of fandom - peeking in with envious eyes at active bloggers, shippers, & content-creators - I have always wanted to be someone... well, someone exactly like you so kindly described me: someone who's known in their fandom & has a nickname & is even sent asks & I honestly can't believe it happened to me. And while this is by no means the only or best way to experience fandom, it is so gratifying & heart-warming & fulfilling to be so connected amidst a fandom community, especially a relatively small one like TBL!! BUT enough of my blabbering!! I'm probably the last person qualified to be giving the kind of advice you're asking for, but I'm more than happy to share my experience with you, anon, bc I feel like we're very similar people!! So, I'll list some bullet points below (under a cut bc we all know I never use one word when twenty will do lolz) on my thoughts on how to join/integrate in a fandom... if you'll be so kind as to take it all with a sizable grain of salt LOL 🤗

OKAY SO my first tip - bc this is what I remember doing the most in my baby!blog days - is:

Start by engaging with fandom content in whatever small way you feel comfortable with!! And the best way I found to do this?? Is the tags!! Tags are your friends!! That's literally all I did for the first few seasons of TBL after making this blog!! In my mind, the tags are kind of an optional/extra credit situation; you can leave them if you want to AND people can choose to acknowledge them or not. You can use them as a filing system, a place to leave your own thoughts or feelings (me AF lmfao), OR a dropbox for direct praise for the OP, which they will see in their notes!! Therefore, I've always found that to be the perfect, least stressful way of interacting in a fandom. That way, your perspective is there for anyone who chooses to see it, but people have that choice of whether or not to respond or follow you based on what they see. Plus, finding & engaging with the content you like helps you to follow the people who are making the content you like!! And, once you have, & don't be afraid to TELL THEM you like their content!! People love compliments, especially about things they're passionate about!! And I can tell you from personal experience that some of my best fandom friends were made over a love of each other's content!! On that note -

If you feel inspired, don't be afraid to step up & make your own content!! This will ID you as a fellow active fandom member which will attract the people you want to befriend!! Sidenote: this isn't necessarily why I started writing fanfic, but it was a delightful facet of the result!! Before I was a writer in the fandom, I simply reblogged gifsets & text posts by other talented creators & hesitantly - but slowly more enthusiastically - shared my thoughts & feelings!! And by the time I started writing, my blog was Lizzington-themed & familiar to fellow shippers... And when I became something of a content creator in the form of fanfic, that's when I think I really started getting asks, which is a whole other lovely part of fandom!! Of course, it always helps to be friendly & approachable (which you already are, clearly, just based on this sweet ask!!) & to leave your ask box open & your anons on if you're comfortable with that!! So, when you feel ready, be willing to converse & engage with people in comments & replies on your content, bc people want to bond over their favorite things!! And tbh in that way?? Fandom is sort of easier than real life, bc the awkward phase of "finding common ground" is already done!! OH & ON THAT NOTE -

Try to remember that anxiety is your worst enemy, even in fandom space!! Personally, I've always found fandom a place to let go of the anxiety that plagues me more in real life, but of course it's not that simple & anxiety can still be very present in online interactions!! But try to remember that other people want to make fandom friends too!! And reaching out to someone to try & make a friend is 99% of the time NOT going to be a bother to them. If you feel unsure about reaching out (which I often do!!), just picture being on the receiving end of your kind messages & offers of friendship!! Would you ever be annoyed at someone polite or reject someone kind or shun a fellow member of your fandom?? No!! And the odds are that like-minded people won't either!! But worst case?? They just won't answer & that's okay, too, bc you've lost nothing by trying!! 😍🥰❤️

So yeah, I don't know if this is good advice for you, my dear anon, it's literally just my own experience... but I have to say that I'm so proud of you for wanting to work on your fandom shyness!! (NOT that that's a necessity btw!! I'm a firm believer that SHY /DOES NOT/ = BAD!! Shyness is not a trait that needs to be "fixed" or "worked on" & it is not inherently better or worse than being "out-going", regardless of what the rest of the world likes to tell & show us. It is simply a different, equally good way of being that brings an essential variety to the world.) But the difference here is intent. You WANT to change your fandom experience & therefore you're going out of your way to do so, even though it's tough, & that's very brave!! I'm proud of you!! 😊 Anyway, if this long-ass response hasn't scared you off, feel free to pop back any time, dear anon, whether it's for more (crappy) advice, support from a fellow anxious person, or just to chat about Lizzington or anything!! Good luck to you, my friend, and remember: you can do it!! Much love to you, always!! ❤️

What's your favourite parts of both the citadel and deception arcs? Are there any scenes you wish had gone differently?

Well, for the Deception arc, I probably liked Friends and Enemies the most. I enjoyed the more low-key character interactions between "Hardeen," Bane, and Moralo. I think we got some of the best subtle facial animation and voice acting in that episode.

My issue isn't so much a scene. I just wish they had done more with Moralo to make him...anything. He wasn't a comically inept villain, he was just a limp, cowardly weasel who got shoved aside in favor of drawing parallels between Bane and Obi-Wan. You'd think there would have to be some reason Moralo had the reputation they mentioned, but we never see it.

I put in a lot of work to give his character a shred of dignity, and to try to pull his actions together to form a coherent and defensible set of motivations. But all my meta relies on other people's willingness to believe me. From the riot scene on, Moralo is entirely willing to answer to Bane. They gave him almost nothing to do except bitch (which I do enjoy, don't get me wrong) and fail, inevitably dragging everyone else down with him. Maybe to prove the difference between an egoist and a truly dangerous professional, which in turn makes you cast that same light on Obi-Wan, the only one who can keep up with Bane. I don't know, honestly. Moralo contributed almost nothing, and I wish they had just given him more.

They really should have stepped up his sadism with The Box. I'm not saying make the show more violent or edgy, but I wish they'd made it more clear that Moralo had this planned and was exerting control over the game the entire time.

That seemed to be what they were revealing in the sniper room (and with that "Let's see what happens when he's not the key to their survival" line), that he could rig the game and end anyone's life at any time if it benefited him. I feel the writers had to push that reveal out to the end for dramatic tension, but it made his character inconsistent and weak.

As for the Citadel arc, I don't have such strong opinions about it lmao. I'm here for Osi. I think my favorite part is the overall arc of his rising anxiety and desperation, and how you can read it in his facial expressions and tone. I haven't watched a ton of TCW actually, but this felt like one of the more raw and dangerous arcs for everyone. They really did sell that feeling that everyone's life was in danger, and the characters acted accordingly--moreso than some other arcs I've watched. I guess because this one had more characters they could kill.

As for what I'd want to change, I really just wanted Osi to survive. They've resurrected worse. I just wanted a hint he would come back, even if they didn't fulfill it. It's not like the show ever treated his death as traumatizing or important for Ahsoka; everything I've read on that front has been from the fandom. He died because he was a disposable, one-note villain.

This is petty but they should have let Osi slam dunk Tarkin. I know they couldn't have. But, honestly.

With the Tom Taylor stuff, they released a new Batgirl costume for Babs again (different anon then before though so hopefully same issue). People are mad because, well, it's abelist. Especially because like it feels like they've been teasing/foreshadowing her becoming Oracle again (ie. noting that she shouldn't be hopping from roofs, I mean Dick adopted a three-legged dog for Christ's sake). It really seems like the perfect time for the magic disability curing chip to die, and instead they come out with this? Disappointing. Rude. Especially rude because the new costume was announced on the first day of disability pride month, and he's responded by saying - but oh look, here's a back brace on the part of the suit behind the cape. Not a good look imo.

Idk how many people would have to agree on making Babs truly paraplegic again for it to happen? Like would something like this be up to editorial, or could Tom as the writer have enough sway to make it happen? I know the original decision was ten years ago, and Didio has (thank the lord) been fired since then, as has Harras, and I've heard there's been creative turnover as well. Since you've been in the fandom for a while, do you know who else we should be pressuring?

Its literally something that only editorial and higher will ever have decision-making control over.

I can tell you that while Gail Simone was the one who initially wrote the story where Babs returned to being Batgirl - and considering that a lot of Gail's own work was instrumental in fleshing out Babs as Oracle to the degree that she was - what I can say there is that Gail was not actually a fan of the decision to make Babs Batgirl again herself.

It was 100% a decision made by the higher-ups during the initial Reboot discussions, and I do know that a number of creatives, both writers and artists, voiced their protest to the decision at the time - though I can't speak to who exactly did so and who didn't.

Gail has however expressed that she went back and forth a lot on her decision to write Babs becoming Batgirl again, because she really was not comfortable with it at all, but that ultimately the reason she did decide to do it was because it was made clear to her by the higher-ups that they were asking her to write it out of respect to the work she'd done with Oracle previously - but whether she accepted or not, they were going to go forward with it, even if with another writer.

So ultimately, she's said she only decided to take on the story herself because she could at least try to make it as aware of Babs' time as Oracle and what she represented as Oracle as possible, whereas she had no control over if DC went to another writer whose approach to it was basically to magically handwave Babs being 'cured' and being ecstatically happy about it.

Please note, I'm not trying to speak to her choice there or argue for it or against it, I'm simply trying to repeat what I know of her stated perspective on it, as the writer who actually 'did it.'

My point just being that it wasn't a decision made at a creator level at all, and DC was more than ready to go around one of the writers most closely identified with Babs in her Oracle identity, as well as a number of others who were against it, though again I don't know how many or whom specifically.

I honestly don't see any guarantee they'd be more accommodating of any writers today trying to convince them to do it. So while I don't think voicing concerns over disabled representation to writers is ever a wasted effort, I don't see it accomplishing anything here in specific. If any movement is going to be made on this matter, its only going to be done through keeping the subject centered in the awareness of the higher-ups, so basically any editors with a social media presence.

Unfortunately, options are very limited there (I'm not really on twitter these days so I don't really know what editors are even around there, currently), but yeah, in the interest of prioritizing time and spoons, and concentrating efforts.....this is one of those situations where the writers themselves are simply the go-betweens and the only even potentially effective appeals are going to be those made at the editorial level and higher. (Higher being those at the publishing exec and board of directors level, but I wouldn't know where to even begin looking for those particular names).

Sorry I can't be more help!

(Also, just FYI in general on this matter:

For the record, I do try to be very....'light' about expressing my opinions when it comes to Babs' disability, because I do not trust myself to have the necessary objectivity. I have a physical disability that greatly impacts my way of living and has for five years, but in ways not remotely interchangeable with Babs. Additionally, mine does have a surgical treatment that would allow me to resume my original way of living without significant deviations from it, and its a treatment I still am working towards and hope to get in the near future. So I definitely have opinions on physical ableism in society and how I've even been impacted by such things myself, but I've also never viewed or even approached my own situation or disability through the lens of it being lifelong.

So I'm kinda 'thematically' somewhat in a position that has nuances relevant to the conversations at hand and the 'choices' being thrown around in-universe IF and only if such things were subject to 'real world rules' and self-autonomous choices rather than being ruled by the whims of editors with agendas and biases of their own. All of which makes me uncomfortable weighing in too heavily on this subject because I'm a naturally opinionated person, and I have a tendency to center my own experiences in online debates simply because they're the only ones I can actually speak to, particularly in non-monolithic situations like this one where even people with broadly shared marginalizations have opinions that differ in degrees both large and small.

My own disability really brought to light for me that I had a LOT of pre-existing ableism myself that I'm still unpacking five years in, and frankly I just don't trust myself to be able to tell the difference between opinions I express on this subject as a kind of unconscious wish fulfillment, ableism-still-in-need-of-further-unpacking, and even subconscious overcompensation for my own ableism based on addressing current issues I have born of impostor syndrome. Its a whole mess up here in terms of ableism discussions, so if you don't see me weighing in on the Babs matter much elsewhere, that's why.

Personally, I always write Babs as Oracle and physically disabled, even in Reboot-era stuff, and I’m fairly sure I always will - so don’t get me wrong, I have a very clear stance on that front because I'm never on board with erasing, mitigating or invalidating previous representation....that isn’t my issue here at all, its more just wading into arguments for and against undoing the chip storyline that I hesitate to do. I know my stance - I just don’t trust myself to argue it in the right ways or for the right reasons.

Just know its not because I'm oblivious to it, that I approve of DC's decisions here or how their various creatives reply to criticism of it, or because I don't have opinions myself......but my own view of things is too constantly shifting in my own life for me to be comfortable contributing any lasting voice to these discussions, at least where I'm at right now. I'm not good at speaking softly if I feel a need to speak up at all, but I don't believe in speaking loudly when I can't even be sure for myself that I can commit 100% to what I voice...and even more importantly in my mind, WHY I voice it).

The funniest thing about june teasing katara and zuko about being a couple is that she just sees a pretty girl and an attractive guy, both looking almost the same age which immediately makes her go "you two must be a couple" and it just reminds me of zvtara shippers, you know what i mean? I'm convinced one of the reasons a lot of ppl ship them is bc of their looks. katara being the female protagonist and also a pretty, smart and powerful girl & zuko, despite not being the male protagonist, being the most attractive guy in the gaang. Boom, a "bomb ass ship". It is worth to recall that "people ship zutara bc they projected onto katara and had a crush on zuko". And if they say they don't ship them for that reason, then it's bc they read too much between the lines in every interaction they have. So, back to june, she didn't even care if they had chemistry or if they were friends or anything, she just straight up teased them about being a couple lmao. Because in all honesty zvtara can be an appealing ship in anyone's eyes but THAT'S IT, it doesn't go further than that. I can be testimony of that😅Before even watching the show i was like june, one day i saw a zk fanart and was like "wow aren't those zuko and katara from atla? They look so good, she's gorgeous and he's hot" i already knew kataang was endgame and that mai was zuko's love interest but seeing zuko and katara together was pleasing to my eyes. However once i watched the show for the first time (2 months ago i think) i realized there was really no romantic chemistry between them, nothing, literally nothing, i mean, i wasn't even waiting for the zvtara content in the show that made ppl ship them so much, i was actually very neutral about ships, i couldn't care less about them, but i still realized nothing was happenig between them and that it was obvious since book 1 ep 1 that kataang was endgame. Zuko and katara were two teenagers from opposite sides of a war that tried to kill each other multiple times and when zuko changed sides they developed a completely platonic relationship. As i said, people either ship them because it's an appealing and aesthetically pleasing ship (water/fire, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, the common red & blue ship) or they just love reading too much between the lines, OR BOTH, because they were so thirsty about it they ended up convincing themselves there was romantic tension between them, that they liked each other and that zvtara was scrapped when it was never planned in the first place. Not to mention the reasons why they claim zvtara should've been endgame are based only on symbolism and things they have in common that are just so ??? Random. e.g. (i saw these on a post on facebook and the comment section was hilarious, it was full of ppl being sarcastic about it & making fun of it) saying they should've been canon bc:

1. "They both lost their mothers at a young age" (?)

2. "katara was good but had rage in her heart and zuko was bad but had good in his heart so it was like yin and yang, and that was the main purpose/topic of the show" (?)

3. "they both had alter egos (painted lady and blue spirit)" (???) this one sounds like saying maiko was canon bc zuko worked in a tea shop and mai worked in a flower shop😂

4. "Zuko was the only one who supported katara in taking revenge on her mom's assassin" (?) if you ask me, that just proves zuko is not right for katara, he led her to do something she was gonna regret later (not trying to hate on zuko, i love him, and since i love him i acknowledge his flaws. I understand why he thought it was the best thing to do, he's an impulsive and resentful boy (he would've done the same if it was his mom) and he noticed how thirsty katara was for revenge, ofc he wanted to help her + he wanted her to accept him and thought it was the right thing to do in order to gain her trust, but it wasn't) unlike zuko, aang tried to make katara come to her senses and do the thing that was best for her: forgive and let go, and it was basically what she did at the end. She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.

5. and the most ridiculous one, "they both saved each other's lives in the final agni kai"(???????) and the funniest part is that it was followed by "WHAT MORE PROOFS DO YOU WANT???". Honestly wtf did ppl expect? Did they expect zuko to stand there and watch katara die? Did they expect katara to just stand there and watch zuko lay on the floor & die? And this has been said a million times and i am going to join and say it once again: zuko would've done that for ANYONE from the gaang, he would've done the same for toph, sokka, suki and aang. Because he learned to care about them. As for katara, she would've done that for anyone too wtf she healed aang once too and even brought him back to life. (I wouldn't be surprised if zk shippers used that as a parallel for romantic zvtara proof bc they're just like that💀)

There were more "reasons" but they're just so stupid and taken out of context like "they care for each other" & "katara was the one who encouraged him to talk to his uncle" like yeah that's what friends do. Basically all zvtara shippers do is REACH.

Also, i just can't see it happening. I like the enemies to lovers trope, maybe if the writers really intended to make it canon, i would have been down for the ship, it would've been interesting to see how it developed, but,, they didn't, and later i came to the realization that if it would've really happened, it would've been so... weird. Time to bring up the "colonized and colonizer ship" and how some ppl feel uncomfortable about it. Besides the fact that a relationship between zuko and katara wouldn't have worked (they're incompatible af, katara is a girl with a strong character and zuko is a guy with anger issues that takes everything personal, they'd be at each other's throats 99% of the time) it's just weird to think that katara would choose to marry a man from the fire nation, the nation that caused a big war that traumatized her, the nation that took her mother away from her. Imagine katara ruling along with zuko a nation she despised for years. Fire lady katara doesn't sit right with me, and i'm sure it doesn't sit right with a lot of ppl as well. I don't see katara doing that, and yes, i know she forgave zuko, but still, she would've never done that 🤦🏽‍♀️ i think it would've been so OOC tbh.

Another thing i laugh my ass off at is when they say "zuko should've chosen katara instead of mai" as if they were ever in a relationship for zuko to say "ok imma choose katara i wanna be with her". As if katara was EVER an option for him. They never showed interest in each other, what's not clicking?????? And zuko only had eyes for mai, not to mention that despite zuko and mai had a rough relationship, no girl would've dealed with zuko's bs better than mai. Can you imagine katara dealing with zuko blowing up over everything? Because i can't. Also people saying things like "zuko deserves someone who is always there for him and listens to him" (and ofc they're talking about katara) like, ok, you hate that katara is aang's "therapist" but you want her to be zuko's therapist. Logic? Where? And I do remember mai being a supportive gf and trying to cheer him up multiple times. Did they watch the same show as me?

Zvtarians try to play the victims about how they were "robbed" bc some voice actors shipped them and from what i've read people who worked for the show suggested to go for zk, but that's stupid, it doesn't count as "they planned it but scrapped it, we were robbed". The only word that counts are the creators' voice and they have stated they were always rooting for kataang, so no, you were not robbed.

People are just so in love with the idea of zuko and katara together they really convinced themselves it was likely to happen. Honestly zvtara it's a fine ship as fanon but ppl ruined it for me and what i hate the most is when they ship it and hate on aang and mai at the same time and make them look SO bad to invalidate kataang and maiko. Saying aang is abusive and mai is toxic is complete ✨bullshit✨ and lastly, it's ridiculous when they say the creators were cowards for not making it canon. They're cowards for not fulfilling your greatest childhood wish? Something they never planned? It is THEIR show. If you hate sm how things turned out then quit atla once and for all and go find another show that you know is gonna give you what you expect,,, it's tiring that they've been crying about it for 15 yrs , like, i joined the fandom recently but i can imagine how tired old atla fans must be of this.

OK so I have a lot of thoughts about this and firstly,,,anon I appreciate the dedication that it took for you to write  this, and I agree with many of your points. However, the attitude I have on this blog towards Avatar ships is far more neutral than what you’re saying.

Ultimately, romance is not and never was the focus of Avatar. Romantic development was always secondary or tertiary plot, and the entire show was far more focused on platonic relationship development. My attitude towards shippers on here - including Zutara shippers - is that people can ship what they want, as long as they’re respectful of each other and of the other characters that “interfere” with their ship. End of the day, shipping is irrelevant to the core of the show. 

People shipping something because they find it aesthetically appealing is honestly,,,fine. Personally, I think it’s reductionist, but I don’t care if you do because everyone has the right to enjoy media however they want to. 

That being said, we absolutely should call out racist or problematic tropes that we see, including ‘fire lady katara”. I also agree that it’s upsetting when people bash other characters in order to further their ship, as much of the bashing is also pretty racist and/or misogynistic. Calling that out, however, is separate from calling out every single person who happens to enjoy certain ships. 

“She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.”

I understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly disagree with this take. Both Aang and Zuko were approaching the situations from their own life experiences, but Katara didn’t do what either of the boys wanted. She chose her own path, by both sparing Yon Rha’s life but also refusing to forgive him. The episode is about Katara and her personal trauma and its focus should not be on her relationships with either Zuko or Aang. 

When I make posts such as this, it’s less about hating Z*tara and more about how this fandom focuses all its attention on romance and shipping, to the point where if you acknowledge a relationship’s importance it’s assumed you pair the two romantically. I don’t read Zuko and Katara’s relationship as romantic (for reasons that it would take too long to explain here), but their relationship development is extremely important, the two of them share tons of parallels and the final Agni Kai marks the culmination of both of their character arcs. Yes, Zuko would have taken the lightning for any of the characters, but it’s thematically important that it was Katara. None of this inherently means it’s romantic, but refusing to acknowledge the significance of the relationship between them is equally reductionist. 

This isn’t an attack on you, anon, and you’re 100% allowed to have negative feelings about a ship. But at the end of the day, it’s not worth getting this worked up over. If I were you I’d focus more on creating/consuming content for a ship you like than bashing ships you don’t!

So I got like all of three people interested but that's abt all the prompting I need anyway 😂

So. Yeah. Chosen Ones. The Call of Destiny, the Call to Adventure.

Pretty much every Chosen One gets it, that's how you know they're Chosen Ones (ok granted there are chosen ones who first sorta accidentally end up involved in an adventure and only later on discover it was their Destiny all along. But that's not what I'm talking about here). Usually it comes either in the form of someone really just handing them a sword and telling them they gotta do stuff. Sometimes it's a bit more complicated. In Heralds of Valdemar books it typically involves a white magic horse walking up to the main character, introdicing themself, and saying they Choose the main character. Or possibly tricking their Chosen into getting on their back and then getting them into a situation where they can't really just say no. But yeah, in general, it's very hard to say no to an intelligent magic horse that really, really wants you to do something, when an unbreakable bond of love and trust is born almost from the moment you first look into the horse's eyes.

Either way, the Chosen Ones fairly often refuse their Destiny at first. Not always, and with some heroes it might work better with them accepting it right away, but fairly often, probably more often than not but I can't say for sure, they try to refuse it at first.

Why, in-universe, do they refuse? The common reasons are all more or less selfless; fear, feeling that they're not good enough and someone else would do it better, or some conflicting obligation they wish to fulfill first. The conflicting obligation is somewhat rarer than the other two, but not unheard of; for example Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope refuses at first to go with Obi-Wan to Alderaan not because he doesn't want to, but because he feels Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru need his help around the farm and he should not leave them, no matter how much he wants to become a pilot or something instead.

Now, I admit, you could call fear or feeling of not being good enough selfish reasons, but for this I feel they're at least somewhat selfless. Because when the Thing they gotta do requires a Chosen One, it's automatically very important. The fate of the entire world may be at stake. So fear and feeling they're not good enough are reasons based on acknowledging the importance of the task they're given and how bad things would go should they fail, and not wanting to fail. On the other hand, what I mean here when I say "selfish", is indifference to the task they're given, refusal either because they don't feel like it or because it would require giving up something they don't want to give up.

But what about refusing for a completely selfish reason? That's a lot more rare. Of course the reason probably is that it may be more difficult to make the hero change their mind, and it also portrays them in a far less pretty and perfect light than the aforementioned reasons.

In fact, there's only one work of fiction I can recall right now that has the hero refuse for a reason that can only be called selfish. There are certainly more out there, no work of fiction is that unique, but that's the only one that comes to mind right now.

That work is a show called Robin of Sherwood. Now, the show doesn't have much of a fandom, so I'll give a brief summary of it here. Robin of Sherwood was a British fantasy tv show that ran for three seasons in 1984-1986. The show was based on Robin Hood, but there were fantasy elements added into it that do not exist in traditional versions of Robin Hood.

One of those fantasy elements was that Robin was Herne's Son, a Chosen One of the pagan god/forest spirit Herne the Hunter. This decision turned out to work for the show makers' favor when the original actor of Robin left the show, as it allowed them to kill of the previous Robin and have Herne choose a new Son. As a result, the show has two rather different characters both doing the part of Robin Hood, stealing from the rich, inconveniencing Prince/King John, annoying the hell out of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and fighting for the poor and oppressed people.

Now the first Robin, Robin of Loxley, being Chosen goes fairly traditionally; he's slightly hesistant about accepting the call but does so fairly quickly anyway. By the time his home is destroyed and his adoptive parents murdered, he's already accepted his Destiny and ready and willing to do Herne's bidding. I'll return to him later, but first I want to get to the point and bring up the second Robin.

The second Robin is actually called Robert of Huntingdon, and he is a nobleman of a powerful and high-ranking family; he's the son and heir of the Earl of Huntingdon, and nephew of the King of Scotland. Herne chooses him immediately after the first Robin dies, perhaps even a little sooner given how quickly he's able to go to the outlaws' rescue. When Herne chooses him, he does agree to help a little; he saves the captured outlaws who would otherwise have been executed. But that is something he can do quickly, with little risk to himself. When it comes down to it, he still refuses to truly become Herne's Son.

And there's no fear or humility or claims of not being good enough behind him not refusing. One might argue that being the heir of the Earl of Huntingdon means conflicting loyalties/obligations, but the show does not frame his choice in a way that seems to make it about that. What he says to Herne when refusing is more or less "The outlaws are safe, I've done enough, I'm not doing anything more for you." He refuses simply because he's not interested in the job, and though it's not stated aloud, possibly also because accepting that destiny would be giving up all the comfort and priviledges he has and exchanging them for a very hard and dangerous life as an outlaw.

His eventual acceptance of the Call is because of equally selfish reasons; he meets Marion at a party and decides she's hot. When she's abducted soon afterwards, he decides to go to the rescue, and as his father would not accept the attempt, he goes to get help from Herne and gathers up those Outlaws he can find to aid him in her rescue. Granted, his reasons for rescuing Marion are not solely "she hot". There's arguably also general outrage at her being abducted and forced into marrying like that, as well as guilt over having endangered her by defending her earlier in the party from the person who eventually abducted her, and I think he would feel those things even had the abducted person been someone he didn't find attractive. But I feel like him liking her and wanting to be together with her also played a major part, and it may be that without that he would not have had strong enough feelings about the matter to go to her rescue (or at least he would not have gone so quickly and rashly, but instead taken his time considering whether it was worth it or not, and planning and preparing). I think that only after accepting his destiny, Robert starts truly caring about the things he as Herne's Son fights for strongly enough to actually fight for them.

And it works. It works, I dare say, better than any othrr reason for refusal. Robert has lived a very priviledged life, and the reasons Robin Hood fights are... not really matters that would ever have affected his life. He has little to fear from the nobility, as he is one of them. He hasn't faced oppression. He hasn't experienced poverty. He hasn't had to choose between stealing or poaching and starving. He may well have at some point noticed it happens, maybe felt somewhat bad about it, but they are not matters that would intimately concern him.

So why would he even give up all his priviledges, all the ease and comfort of his life, to fight for things that would never concern him if he stays a nobleman? A hero who cares that deeply would of course be admirable, but let's be real. Damn few people in real life would be willing to give up that much. Good people living priviledged lives might sacrifice a bit, do things that slightly inconvenience them or take a little away from what they have, but giving up absolutely everything? I don't think many people would. And honestly, taking that into account, having Robert refuse simply because he does not want that kind of life adds more depth to the character than a more traditional refusal would have had. It makes him seem less of an impossibly perfect hero, but all things considered, it does not make him seem too terribly selfish to ever be a hero, either.

In comparison, for Robin of Loxely in RoS the quick unquestioning acceptance of his new position works perfectly. He's already an outlaw when he first meets Herne; he has nothing to lose by agreeing. He's lived his entire life witnessing the immediate effects of oppression all around him, so the fight is instantly personal to him even before he starts fighting it for Herne.

So, yeah. I guess my point here, if I have any, is that different characters should respond differently to becoming the Chosen One, and if you write that kind of stories, it will be worth it to consider whether one of the stock responses works well (because it definitely might!) or whether you should think outside the most common ones for a bit.

Hi, I love your stories and writing. I have a question that is in NO WAY a criticism about you, just a question about people's writings in general. This may also be a multi part question. So I've noticed in a lot of fandoms, people complain when female characters are constantly being sexually assaulted for a story. I know it happens often in real life, but it is annoying to see almost all the time. Like that Joss Whedon comment about a female superhero who he wanted toknow what horrible thing...

Wow! What an interesting, and potentially loaded, question. Lol I can see some people not liking my answer. If I chap some asses, just remember: it’s just one answer to an ask, and, if you have other thoughts, asks are always open. …Also, grab some cookies and a drink, because this may take a few minutes.

Is it safe to say, a majority (or at least, a good chunk) of, I’ll say, this fandom’s writers are women? My perception anyway, even if tumblr-ers don’t say in their headers or posts who they are. With that in mind, some of the bread and butter tropes for female writers and readers seem to be romantic plots, quite often with some version of a damsel of some situation or “fix me” trope in there somewhere. Why? Because who wouldn’t want some handsome, Chris Evans-looking beefcake to sweep them off their feet and make everything alright? Save me from this hell, let me love again, etcetera and so on. Same goes for, what I’ll call, the unnecessarily strong female character. Who doesn’t want to see some indestructible goddess stand up for herself or get her revenge? …But why are those our only options?

Part of the reason is how deeply ingrained these plots are in what we see in available fic and societally is typical and, most importantly, successful. Here’s a formula that works and isn’t it fun to see someone get revenge, take no shit, or whatever. Another reason, I think, is the escapism of it. Looking again at tumblr, there seems to be an awful lot of users who are “younger” and are experiencing, or have, some of these situations who may find a little inspiration or hope. “If the heroine can overcome this, so can I”. “The heroine did this, so will I”. Older ones may find it cathartic to put themselves into the heroine and say, “I did this”, “I survived this”, or as their own wish fulfillment. 

Either way, don’t we all like to see someone triumph? If it’s a reader insert fic, don’t we all want to win and have our happy ending? Of course, we do! But there does seem to be a misconception that to be successful or strong that you must suffer for it. Frankly, it’s just not true and, quite possibly, it can be damaging to keep perpetuating this myth.

Everyone can look around and see someone, whether they know them personally or not, who is a “strong female character”. A coworker, a celebrity, a friend who seems to have their shit together and a good attitude. If you ever hear them talk, they don’t have a tragic backstory. They just seem to make their own luck, keep moving forward, and their efforts succeed. I’d be shocked that anyone could honestly say they don’t know of someone like this.

But that’s not interesting. Sure, they’re nice people, and lucky them if they’ve had a “good” life, but where’s the fun in that? Where’s the drama? Shouldn’t they have to earn it? What are they hiding? …because isn’t it the easy way to write a character to follow a proven, winning formula? Everyone else has an angsty backstory, so why doesn’t she? Why are we so suspicious that you can’t have one thing without the other? Frankly, because it’s harder.

How do I make you root for someone who, for all appearances, is making their way through life on their own without being victim to someone else or circumstances? Answer: make them interesting. I think writers, and readers, forget that everyday heroines exist naturally, because of the overselling of the damaged character (male or female) only being able to exist or succeed because of the bad they’re forced to face or by leaning on someone else. I, personally, think more natural heroines exist in the world than writers would ever admit. Why? Because it’s not sexy; doesn’t sell. “Normal” is boring. Readers don’t want “reality”, no matter what AU or fantasy world you put them in. …I call bullshit on that.

If we, as writers, don’t put in the effort to create characters who are strong from their convictions, the way they were raised, the people they associate with, and the cognizant decisions they make, how will readers know they can and do exist? How can readers be interested, and maybe inspired, by them, if we don’t give them to them?

It takes effort to create a genuinely strong female character; to decide who a character is and why. It takes effort to come up with an interesting plot that has action, drama, romance, or suspense and can stand on its own without falling back on the old formulas/tropes. Also, it can be discouraging to create a strong heroine, who hasn’t been dropped into one of these cliched victim stories, and then see the story not gain a large following, get notes, or kudos. But god damn if I don’t see another victim to heroine story exploding in popularity, so I’m gonna write one too, right?

I know I sound bitter or high and mighty, like I hate or haven’t read some of these fics myself. I have. I’ll admit it. But I can honestly say that I’m typically disappointed, because the idea was there but the effort wasn’t. Maybe there was a great angle in the story, but the character never came along. “I’m hard, because this is how life did me wrong. Now, I’m made of steel and nothing and no one can hurt me ever again.” Okay…but how? Why? Is that even necessary?

Maybe it’s a lack of confidence in their heroine or in the writer themselves that has so many stories falling into these same overdone and unproductive devices. Maybe the writer doesn’t have the time or want to put in the effort. You see so many overdone plots or allegedly strong heroines (but who are more caricature than actual, developed characters) go on to be huge successes (on AO3, on TV, or at the box office) that why wouldn’t any writer who wants to have that for themselves follow their just add water recipe? 

Writers, no matter how big or small their following, have an opportunity to change the perception that a heroine, or hero, can be strong only because they have suffered. That’s a “writer challenge”. Think outside the box and recognize or discover healthy, inspirational, and reasonable approaches to creating and developing a character. Take time to build their world and actually plot their plot, and try new takes on how a heroine can navigate them. Not all good stories have to involve her surviving a physical or emotional trauma or tragedy to find herself/her strengths or save the day. Shit happens and heroes rise and fall by it, yeah. But does it have to be that much over and over and over again?

This is writing. Use your imagination! Be original! Be creative! Rebel against overused plots and tropes and underdeveloped characters! 

Tl;dr Honestly, there just aren’t enough people putting in the effort to break the cycle. 

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.