#murtagh would love essays so so much i just know it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sofiaguardalatempesta · 4 years

Text

Soooo Cursed is my current obsession and I'm really bored (not really I'm just procastinating) and I had this words floating in my head for some days

so I had to free them

this is just my opinion, I don't want to attack or to roast anyone, everyone is free to think and to ship what they want I'm not judging. You are expressing your opinion, I am expressing my opinion and two different points of view can be valid at the same time.

I see people who ship Nimulot complain all the time because someone is apparently shaming them but when I look for the actual incriminated posts I find:

So since everyone is talking about this ship I also wanted to write my opinion (my university books are judging me, I can feel it)(btw my English sucks so ignore the mistakes).

Look I'm not trying to spit poison on the people who ship them but personally when I watch the show I see Nimue as a 17/18 teenager and I think that Lancelot is probably in his 20s (maybe 25) he is definitely a man not a teenager, let's not go to "at the time bigger age gaps were the norm" because Cursed is a fantasy and they already said fuck historical accuracy in at least five languages.

To be honest when it comes to Nimue I would really like to see her character being explored more (Lady of the Lake, that's some poweful shit), she is the protagonist but I feel like she doesn't really have a connection with the audience, I don't want to criticize Katherine Langford but her acting still feels a bit cold. Nimue is a teenager and tecnically she still has a lot to learn and I feel like she is just at the beginning of her "becoming the lady of the lake" trip. I know that some people ship her with Morgana, I would love to see bi or pan Nimue and I think that they actually have the best chemistry.

I can't understand why everyone has so many issues with the relationship between Nimue and Arthur, I don't think that chemistry is a problem, they are actually cute together. I think that Arthur and Nimue are nearly the same age, maybe he is one or two years older but they are both still teenagers and they both make stupid mistakes, I really liked how Arthur changed during the season and I can't wait to see how they will continue his storyline in the next one.

Lancelot is more adult than them and he still has a long road in front of him. Redemption is not something that can happen in the last five minutes of the last episode, that was only the beginning of something. Let's be real, he lost a huge part of his life and he needs to learn how to live in a normal society, I'm really curious about his journey of redemption and self discovery (if they don't mess this up). And yes he wears dark clothes like Kylo Ren but I don't think that they are actually that similar, he is more similar to Sebastian Morgenstern and to Murtagh from Eragon (I can write an essay on how similar they are but I'm too lazy).

I can't imagine Lancelot having a love interest in the second season (yes I know that y'all are already picturing him and Nimue play husband and wife in a Medieval cottagecore world). I actually don't think that the similarities he has with Nimue are relevant. What? They are both outcasts and they have scars on their backs? Sorry but this time Edward and Bella are winning, this is not a love story better than Twilight (and no you can't just know that they have the best chemistry, that's not how it works, we haven't seen them together on screen yet). In the Arthurian legends they have a mother and son relationship so they could easily have an older brother/younger sister situation (after his LONG journey of redemption). Of all the characters that we already met I can see him having romantic feelings for Gawain (I hope he is still alive). Gawain is the one that made the Monk start to think on his own and they are going to be important for each other (they are the KNIGHTS and they will both have a crucial role in Percival's life).

Another character I can totally see with Lancelot is Red Spear if she is Guinevere (that would be EPIC). Red Spear looks older and more mature than Nimue and Arthur, she and Lancelot are two warriors and they will probably fight on the same side, they would be diffident at the beginning but slowly they can develop mutual respect for each other and after some seasons that feelings can become something more? That would be an interesting interpretation of the whole Guinevere/Lancelot story.

It's just one season, the possibilities are ENDLESS (I didn't want to write that much but I couldn't contain myself). I know that Cursed is more an entertainment show but I really hope that they will take the necessary time to explore all the characters, they can play with the story because it's a fantasy and they really have infinite possibilities to explore. I think that a well made story, a story that puts quality at the first place, can make everyone agree with each other and how do you achieve quality? With time. (But we should bully Netflix until they announce the second season)

#cursed netflix #cursed nimue #weeping monk #the weeping monk #lancelot x gawain

23 notes · View notes

basketcase1880 · 5 years

Text

THANK YOU!!!

Oh my word, I CANNOT believe the response to the first two chapters of Near and Dear. I am now at 201 followers and as a thank you, I thought I would post the next chapter.

CHAPTER 3

Four hours later, and Claire pulled the car to a stop in front of a large family farmhouse on the outskirts of the village of Beauly. It looked just like Jenny described it, only it was covered in Christmas lights too.

“My da loves Christmas,” Jenny explained. “Prefers New Year’s, mind ye. But between him and Murtagh, the house is always decked out like this.”

“Murtagh?” Claire questioned as Jenny hadn’t mentioned him before.

“Da’s cousin, Jamie’s Godfather.”

Claire nodded in acknowledgement, this family just seemed to get bigger and bigger, so she hoped she wouldn’t get everyone mixed up. “Is there anymore family members who’ll appear out of the woodwork this festive period?”

“Probably my uncles Colum and Dougal,” Jenny replied as they got out the car. “They’re mam’s big brothers. My aunt Jocasta lives in America, so I doubt she’ll be here. But, ye never know…”

“Jenny!” a young boy exclaimed as he came running out of the house. “I’ve missed ye. An’ ye must be Claire. Mam’s told us we’ve all to be on our best behaviour this holiday.”

“Claire, this terror is young Rabbie,” Jenny introduced. “He doesnae know when to shut his mouth. An’ why, I must ask, are ye no at school?”

“Dentist,” was Rabbie’s simple reply with a shrug of his shoulders.

“It’s nice to meet you, Rabbie,” Claire smiled, and the young boy surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist. “Jenny’s told me all about you.”

“It’s good to have another sister,” Rabbie said in return as he let go of Claire. “Sisters are much better than brothers.”

“Rabbie!” a tall elegant woman with long red hair called from the doorway into the house. “Will ye let the lassies in wi’ their bags before ye begin pesterin’ them. I’m sae sorry about ‘im. Ye must be Claire? I’m Ellen Fraser, Jenny’s mam.”

“Thank you for your invite Mrs Fraser,” Claire smiled as she followed the two ladies into the house. “I have to say it’s a much more appealing Christmas than I originally planned.”

“It’s Ellen tae ye, nane o’ this Mrs Fraser,” Ellen dismissed. “The same goes wi’ Brian. Ye can call ‘im Brian, no Mr Fraser. Noo, I’ll let ye twa get settled in, dinner will be served at 5pm, so if ye want to take a nap or a wee walk about the village, feel free to do so.”

Both girls gave Ellen a brief hug and headed on up to Jenny’s room where a fold-out bed had been set up for Claire. Jenny and Claire decided to take the time to unpack and talk about their Christmas celebrations growing up.

“… So even though Jamie and Willie have moved out, they still come home for Christmas?” Claire asked.

“Oh aye, I think Willie is even bringing someone this year,” Jenny explained. “They even stay over in their old rooms. Although they are guest rooms, mam keeps them as Jamie and Willie’s rooms.”

“That explains why we’re sharing then?” Claire questioned. “All other rooms are occupied?”

“They might be, we’ve got several rooms kept for guests,” Jenny explained. “But I jist thought wi’ this bein’ yer first time visitin’, ye might prefer to be in a room wi’ me?”

“Thank you so much, Jenny,” Claire said with a grateful smile. “I actually prefer this set-up. I won’t feel so self-conscious sharing a room with you. I would probably be scared to touch anything were I in a room on my own.”

“There’s nae need tae be scared,” Jenny reassured the girl who she saw more and more of a sister. “But that’s almost five, so we should be heading downstairs. Jist tae warn ye, should my two brothers be here, the pair o’ them are giants. But they willnae hurt a fly, so ye’ve nothin’ tae worry about.”

Dinner was a quiet affair, neither Jamie nor Willie were in attendance, but Claire was absolutely taken by Fergus’ big brown eyes and she loved chatting with him. He was still learning his English, however, Claire was fluent in French having spent time there in her youth, so the pair chatted away in French.

“I have tae thank ye, Claire,” Brian Fraser said over dinner. “Ye and young Jamie are the only two who have any idea what the lad is sayin’ maist o’ the time. Nane o’ us can speak French all that weel, so we’ve been muddlin’ through things wi’ ‘im when Jamie isn’t here.”

“If you wish, I could spend some time with Fergus while I’m here,” Claire offered. “Helping him with his English. I taught some English while I was in France some years ago.”

“I see yer takin’ the same route as Jamie too,” Ellen smiled as she started to sort a plate of food to put back in the oven. “Callin’ the lad Fergus.”

“It seems more appropriate,” Claire said absentmindedly as she handed a toy to the young boy. “When I was in Continental Europe, most people called me Clara rather than Claire. So, I am a firm believer in using whatever name is more fitting for your environment.”

“Weel, thank ye for yer offer, Claire,” Brian replied, before his wife could say another word. “I know Jamie’s been tryin’ his best, but he still has work to attend for another week.”

Just then, as if the mentioning his name summoned him, Jamie Fraser walked into the kitchen and placed a kiss to Ellen’s cheek. “Sorry ‘m late, mam, there was a muck up wi’ an order an’ I offered to sort it out.”

“That’s fine Jamie,” Ellen reassured. “I’ve just put a plate into the oven to keep warm for you.”

“Thanks mam,” Jamie said as he retrieved his plate from the oven. He then made his way back to the dining room table and took his usual place next to Fergus. That’s when his eyes fell on Claire, who was helping Fergus cut up his dinner, and a big smile came to his face. “Ye must be Jenny’s friend from school? I’m her wee brother, Jamie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jamie,” Claire smiled in return. “I’m Claire.”

“Claire,” Jamie whispered as his smile grew and he ducked his head to avoid his family’s gazes. “Sorcha.”

After dinner, Fergus immediately attached himself to Claire’s side.

“It seems ye’ve got a shadow, Claire,” Brian joked. “Come awa’, Fergus, leave the lassie alone.”

“I don’t mind, Brian,” Claire reassured as she lifted Fergus to rest on her hip. “I can work with him on his English.”

“Are ye’ sure ye don’ mind, lass?” Brian asked, and Claire smiled her reassurance. “Right, Jamie, ye can help yer mam wi’ the dinner dishes.”

Jamie nodded in agreement, but if his gaze lingered just a few minutes too long on Claire as she carried Fergus to the sitting room, he would deny it.

Later that night, once everyone else was in bed, Brian and Jamie were sitting in the sitting room listening to the news.

“What d’ye think?” Brian suddenly piped up. Jamie looked at his father in confusion and Brian elaborated. “Of Claire, saw ye starin’ efter her after dinner earlier.”

“She’s a nice lassie,” Jamie replied. “But I wisnae starin’ efter her. I was jis’ thinkin’ about how this is my first Christmas wi’ Fergus.”

“Claudel,” Brian corrected. “His mother named ‘im Claudel. Ye need tae stop confusin’ the lad.”

“He’s stayin wi’ us,” Jamie rebutted. “His mam didnae want ‘im, so I’ve decided that he should be called Fergus. Make him more comfortable in ‘is new life here. He’s gone through so much for such a young bairn.”

“Aye, he’s really settlin’ in here, son,” Brian smiled as he thought of the young boy asleep upstairs. “Ye ken, he’s been catchin’ on tae some Gàidhlig. Been callin’ yer mam an’ me seanag and sean.”

“Granny and Grampa?” Jamie questioned. “Aye, I suppose it’s appropriate wi’ yer age an’ all. Right, dad, I’m headin’ up to bed. Some of us still have work in the morning.”

“Night, Jamie,” Brian called after him.

Just as Jamie got to the top of the stairs, he bumped into Claire as she was heading back towards Jenny’s room. “I’m sorry,” she apologised. “It’s just I heard Fergus crying and went in to settle him back to sleep.”

“Dinnae fash yersel’,” Jamie reassured Claire with a warm smile. “Everyone tends to take on a parentin’ role wi’ the lad.”

“It’s those eyes,” Claire smiled. “They just pull you in and you’ll do anything for him. Anyway, I’m going to head to bed, not had much sleep with essay deadlines and everything. Goodnight, Jamie.”

“Aye, the lad has everyone wrapped roun’ his wee finger,” Jamie agreed with a small smile. “Weel, I’ll let ye head tae bed the noo, an’ I’ll see ye at some point tomorrow. G’night, Sassenach.”

#outlander secret santa 2018 #ladyviolethummingbird

87 notes · View notes

bicycles-bees-bisexuals · 5 years

Text

50 Question Book Tag For World Book Day

My darling pal @thebestoftimes tagged me in this and who am I to refuse, though i am a lame loser who hasn’t read very much since high school. I read so much in elementary and middle school that I think I read enough for a whole lifetime. Also I’m a verbose asshole so enjoy my essays on books I read 13 years ago.

Who or what sparked your love of literature?

My mom used to read to me when I was really little and my sister despised being read to so my mom stopped. It made me sad so I started reading to myself and I just kept reading and reading and reading all throughout elementary and onward.

Do you have an ‘odd’ book habit? (page sniffing/never leaving the house with a book)

If I really really really love a book I use it to press flowers, so you’ll know which book is my favorite when you open it and it’s full of flowers

Do you have a book that you think has changed your life? How?

Shit I dunno man, I feel like Tolkien shaped my creativity and his characters are characters that I truly hold dear. But Pride and Prejudice really impacted me, which I know is weird, but it was my first foray into literature written by women for women and I just loved the dynamic of the characters, the spunkiness of Elizabeth Bennet, and the style of writing.

Which book have you reread most frequently?

Pride and Prejudice because I’m a huge freakin’ nerd and whenever I’m sad P&P is my comfort book. This is closely followed by the Lord of the Rings/the Hobbit

You can meet any author and ask one question. What author would you chose and what question would you ask?

Oh shit.....ummmmmm..... Ummmmmmmmmmmm.....I would ask Jane Austen her opinion on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries(after showing her the whole series)

Best book published this year so far?

(I haven’t read any books published this year I am so sorry)

Imagine you’ve started a book and don’t like it. Do you see the experience through to the bitter end?

I am a sinner of the highest caliber and I read the end to see if it’s interesting enough to warrant suffering through the rest

What book is top of your wish list/TBR pile?

Any of Holly Blacks books tbh, I hear such good things about her work and I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet and I really want to

Favourite place to read?

On the porch in my beach chair with a mug of tea and a blanket

If you buy books, do you lend them out? Ever had a bad experience?

I lend books out all the time. I recently had a person I considered my friend abscond to Russia with several of my books and I am not happy about it

What fictional character do you ship yourself with?

There are so many badass ladies that if I lived in their world I would flirt so hard with them and I can’t decide. Definitely Annabeth and Rachel for Percy Jackson, Hermione/Ginny/Luna from Harry Potter... Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises....Arwen from LOTR but also Aragorn and also Eowyn....I just love hot ladies who get in fights alright

Weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark.

A whole sock, it was the nearest object to me and I was in a hurry, but at least it was clean

Favorite quality/qualities in a protagonist and antagonist

I love a flawed character who experiences character growth in the story, be they protagonist or antagonist. Not even in a ‘bad guy becomes good guy’ way, character growth is just so sexy man I wish writers used it more

Favorite genre and favorite book from that genre.

Why must you hurt me in this way, making me decide. I must say Fantasy is my genre of choice, and my favorite is actually The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Best/worst movie adaptation in your eyes

Dragon is by far the worst movie adaptation I have ever seen, I remember being so utterly disappointed and gutted when I watched it, I love those books so much and that movie let me down so hard(the effects were really good for the time though I must give them that)

Do you prefer reading your own books, or library books?

I am poor so library books all the way

How do you choose your next book to read?

I read descriptions until something strikes my interest. Or Jess recommends something to me.

Your favorite word.

Flourish

Book that got you hooked on reading/how you got hooked.

Mrs Peregrins Home for Peculiar Children, which isn’t a book I didn’t expect to like and didn’t have much interest in but the opening line of “I had just come to accept my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen” it was an interesting enough hook to draw me in. I was not disappointed, it’s a pretty great book

Opinion on dog-earing, margin writing, ect.

I dog ear books and write all over them. I love books and I love the stories they contain but I don’t think the pages of each individual book are sacred. My books look loved because they are loved. Unless I’m borrowing them then I don’t dog ear or write in them because that’s rude

Top 5 immediate to read in no order

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Most underrated book you’ve read

Tbh I don’t think I’ve read any underrated books. They’re all pretty highly rated

What is the first book that catches your eye when you look at your bookshelf?

My collectors copy of Sherlock Holmes because it’s beautiful and fancy and those stories hold a dead place in my heart

How do you arrange your books on your shelves?

I don’t arrange them, I just place them so that they fit, though I do keep series together

You have the power to change a book’s ending. Which ending would you change and what would you make happen instead?

Why do you do this to me.....okay I would definitely change the ending of Inheretence by Christopher Paolini. Tbh I wish he hadn’t written the fourth book at all and just left it with Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr but if we accept this book then it must be changed. I would have liked to see more character growth from Murtagh especially, but also Eragon who really regressed in this book. And I think Galbatorix’ death was super anti climatic and didn’t really resolve all of the built up tension from the series, it was too easy and didn’t resolve anything at all.

And Eragon just abandons Arya and the riders and they separate themselves from each other after all they did together, several books of allusion to a relationship and all of the issues between them being resolved and he just leaves. The plot threads just weren’t resolved and honestly I would have to scrap the whole book for the most part and start over.

Favourite book cover?

The book covers for the Inheretence Cycle by Christopher Paolini hold a special place in my heart and are what drew me to that series in the first place. I bought hard covers just for the aesthetic of them

Which book from your childhood has had the most impact on you?

The Chronicles of Narnia, tbh, my first introduction to fantasy

When reading, what do you value most: writing style, characters, plot, world building, pacing, etc?

Characters are the most valuable to me, if I don’t love the characters I don’t love the book

Do you prefer buying books or borrowing them from a library/friend?

Borrowing, for sure

What books/sequels that are being published this year are you most excited for?

Unfortunately I haven’t read enough lately to know what’s coming out this year

Which fictional character would you want as a sidekick?

Samwise Gamgee all the way

How many books have you read so far this year?

Seven, all academic books

What’s been your favourite read so far this year?

The Heliand

You’re stuck on an island with a suitcase big enough to hold five books. What books are they?

Arghhhhh ummm.... the lord of the rings trilogy, Pride and Prejudice, and a book on survival tactics

If you had to go out to dinner with any character who would it be and why? What would you talk about?

Hmmmmm Bilbo Baggins because I wanna hear the hidden stories of his journeys

Is there a book you have such a hatred for that you would throw it off of the highest tower knowing that the last copy of it will be destroyed so that not another living soul can read it?

Inheretence by Christopher Paolini tbh

Do you believe books make nice decoration?

Yeah I do and one day I want to have book shelves displaying all my books

Do you listen to music when you read? Or do you need complete silence?

I do listen to music because I can’t focus on just one thing at a time because I’m ridiculous

Do you have a favorite book? If not are you in the group that believes there are too many great books out there to just choose one?

I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANTTTFTTTT

Do you sleep with books under your pillow.

No because I move too much in my sleep I would destroy the poor thing

Do you go to the library or do you have a book buying addiction or are you one of those lucky people who is able to do both?

I definitely go to the library because I am poooorrrrr

Own any book inspired clothing?

I have a pride and prejudice book scarf and several Jane Austen necklaces

Have you ever read a book in another language?

Yep I read books in Latin all the time and I used to read books in Spanish because I used to be smart, what the fuck happened to that who knows

Strangest book you’ve ever read?

The Heliand

Favourite type of non-fiction?

Historical Drama, in which they tell real events but in the most dramatic way possible. The best.

Favourite non-fiction book?

I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE I CANT CHOOSE (does hidden figures by Margot Lee Shetterly count? If not then I can’t decide)

Favourite subject to read about?

History, always, especially history involving regular people losing their shot

Favourite book you’ve read in school?

No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle Freedman

Favourite work of Shakespeare?

Tbh I don’t like Shakespeare but Midsummer Nights Dream is most entertaining to me. Though I love merchant of Venice for all the jokes I get out of it on Bards Dispense Profanity

Character you’d love as a mom or dad or guardian?

All of them would be terrible parents and it would be so delightful but tbh I’d love to have Han Solo and Leia as my parents so I can beat the shit out of my bro Kyle Ron every time he tried to glorify space hitler

#books #i do miss reading #thank you jess for making me think about non academic books again

3 notes · View notes

acertaincritic · 6 years

Text

Writer’s Rambling - Foreshadowing

Ha! You did not expect that I’d write another one of these so out of the blue, did you? Well, that’s because I gave no indication that I would, and obviously you cannot see the future. The same thing can happen in a book - the plot seems to be going in a certain direction, but then a totally unannounced event changes everything. Worse even, perhaps there’s a mystery to solve, and the final culprit turns to be the one character that never betrayed any clues that it might be them.

This means that there was no foreshadowing, and while it doesn’t matter when you write a personal blog, it does matter when you’re writing a book. So today we’re going to take a closer look at what foreshadowing is, and how to do it well.

Spoilers for “The Exiled Queen” by Cinda Chima Williams and “The Rithmatist” by Brandon Sanderson.

Foreshadowing is, simply put, letting the reader know that something will happen. Thanks to it the sudden changes of the plot’s direction don’t come across as willy-nilly, and the clever reveals seem actually clever. It makes the story appear planned and orderly... That is, if it’s done right. If it’s done wrong, it can make your plot predictable and boring, and your characters stupid for not figuring out what the reader had many chapters ago.

Then should I even foreshadow?

Yes.

OK, long answer. Yes. Foreshadowing comes with a risk, but a total lack of it makes the plot contrived and chaotic. It leaves the reader unsatisfied with the conclusion, because it never had the proper build-up.

This isn’t to say that every plot point has to be foreshadowed. Particularly in the first half of the book, readers tend to be more forgiving of unexpected plot twists. For instance, if the protagonist is attacked by bandits and then saved by a stranger who traveled the same road, it doesn’t require any foreshadowing. The reader will understand that the scene was the stranger’s introduction and will accept it. Problems would arise only if the stranger later vanished with no explanation, and never reappeared in the same book. However, if the skirmish with bandits happened near the end of the story, and was considered a serious obstacle, an unknown character coming to the hero’s aid feels like a cheap way out.

There are also stories that simply don’t require much foreshadowing. Perhaps there aren’t many unexpected reveals, no mystery or plot twists. While it might sound like too simplistic a plot, I cannot exclude that such books exist, or even that they may be entertaining (the same as books with failed foreshadowing can be entertaining too).

Now that we decided that foreshadowing is generally desired, let’s take a look on how to foreshadow, shall we?

Overt foreshadowing

This is the first type of foreshadowing, one that most writers can do by instinct. It’s simply telling the reader that something will happen. Rather than trying to hide it, we pound them with it in the head. This is useful near the beginning, when we want to let the reader know what plot points they should look forward to or promise an interesting conflict when there isn’t one yet.

A simple sentence like, The monsters crept up the perimeter of the village, but so far, none was able to cross the barrier can foreshadow a) that the monsters are going to eventually break the magical protection and attack the village, or b) that the hero will have to face the monsters once they leave their home, whether they are banished or decide to travel on their own accord.

Mind you, this wasn’t a super overt foreshadowing. Foreshadowing can be overt, covert, and the many shades in between. Some readers will notice more than most, and some won’t notice even the most blatant hints; you should measure it so it works for the majority, not for every single person.

A more overt case of foreshadowing would be something like, Liza didn’t know yet that her life would completely change after she borrowed her uncle’s ancient-looking book. It leaves no room for doubt, and clearly sets what the reader should expect from the plot. While ‘change’ in itself is vague, the fact that Liza will take her uncle’s book and that the said book is somehow special is obvious long before it happens in the plot proper.

Now, while this type of foreshadowing is generally easy, there are two pitfalls to be mindful of:

1. It’s too vague.

This is especially important if we rely on the said foreshadowing to pull the reader through the slow beginning. I’d first advise not to write slow beginnings at all, but if you decide you need the long paragraphs of exposition for some reason, a solid promise of interesting plot can serve as a patch. However, just saying that John didn’t know how his life was going to take a turn for the worse is simply too vague to hold the reader’s attention for long.

This takes me back to “The Shamer’s Daughter” by Lene Kaaberbøl, which opens with the main character saying, Strictly speaking, it wasn’t really Cilla’s fault that I was bitten by a dragon. This promises us that she will be beaten by a dragon, an adventure much more interesting than watching Diana’s normal life which we get at the beginning. Of course, that the said normal life is written well, filled with conflict, and doesn’t linger for too long, is a huge help too.

2. The book doesn’t deliver/delivers too late.

What would you think if the main character constantly had bad feelings about the future, some ominous fear creeping up her spine, yet until the end of the book nothing happens? At the very least it would be a letdown. And while I don’t see such a thing often - most writers feel that they should deliver what they had promised, weather straight or subverted - I do see it sometimes.

An example can be found in Cinda Chima William’s “The Exiled Queen”. Throughout the book, there are mentions of a big ball near the end of the academic year, one that the heroine, Raisa, claims she won’t go to. Of course, then she falls in love with a guy (Han), and eventually is maneuvered by her friends to go to the ball with him.

Except, the ball never happens. Or rather, before it happens, she gets kidnapped by Micah. Han also leaves the school to search for her, and that’s how the book ends. Bah, the kidnapping itself is a case for too vague foreshadowing and too late delivery. The fact that Micah Bayar is a danger to Raisa was brought up very early in the story. As it was never touched upon again throughout the book, the reader already wrote this danger off from their ‘foreshadowed plot points’ list long before the kidnapping actually happened. Then, shortly before the deed, Raisa has a feeling that something bad is going on - but it’s too vague, and so the reader still feels like this ending came completely out of nowhere, and even worse, trampling over the ball, which they were looking forward to.

What particularly irks me about this case is that it was so easy to add a little more foreshadowing - enough to justify the kidnapping without making it obvious. See, Micah was a constant character in Han’s POV. All the author had to do was have Han notice, shortly before the kidnapping, that his rival is strangely agitated, or nervous, or perhaps the opposite - too quiet and distracted as he sits through his classes.

Ehh, I could write a whole essay on Cinda Chima Williams. She’s an author who balances at the edge of ‘average’ and ‘good’, and never takes the one step up to reach excellency. How little she’s lacking seriously drives me nuts when I read her books. But, let’s not dwell on that.

Covert foreshadowing

The second type of foreshadowing. This is foreshadowing that we want the reader to notice only after the foreshadowed plot point comes to fruition. The reader should facepalm, thinking, How could I have not seen it! after the big reveal or plot twist.

This is, naturally, the difficult type of foreshadowing. Anybody who’s book savvy will immediately recognize some obvious tropes that many less experienced writers may think will be a surprise. For instance, when a character is presumed dead, but they never found the body... Unless it’s A Song of Ice and Fire, you can be pretty certain that the ‘dead’ character is very much alive and will come to save the day later (or try to spoil the day, if it was a villain). The first example from the top of my head is Murtagh’s ‘death’ in the sequel to “Eragon” - though picking on “Eragon” feels like picking on a toddler, so maybe let’s leave it that.

Even when the trope is not an obvious one, most readers will still see the obvious clues. So, what can we do to hide our foreshadowing?

1. Redirect.

Simply put, we want the reader to believe that the piece of foreshadowing we’re giving is about something else than it really is about. Let’s look at what I proposed above about “The Exiled Queen” and the foreshadowing for the kidnapping. If Han only notices that Micah is readying for something, the reader may link it to Raisa’s bad feelings and guess the plot twist. However, if Han also worries that Micah is planning an attack on him again, we may just successfully divert the reader’s attention away from Raisa. They will look out for Han and any sign of danger in his POV, so when Micah comes to kidnap Raisa instead, they’ll still be surprised - but not irritated that the author pulled it out of nowhere.

2. Dress it up as something else.

One of the reason I love Sanderson is that he is a master of covert foreshadowing, and non obvious resolution of his plot. “The Rithmatist” is a great example - it has a big detective plot line. There’s a series of kidnappings of children, and at one point the inspector leading investigation complains how the culprits are bold, that they kidnap from the area just when the police moves into it. He seems like a detective truly determined to catch the kidnappers, frustrated that they keep eluding him.

Then it turns out it was actually him who kidnapped the children. Brilliant.

To be fair, it wasn’t the only thing Sanderson did. He also diverted the reader’s attention by pointing to two other possible culprits. And he failed at foreshadowing another major plot point - that the inspector was being possessed, and so he himself didn’t know he was responsible. I feel like the reveal would’ve been more satisfying if the man was doing it of his own volition, but nevertheless, I loved the book.

3. Give information backward.

This is a little trick I learned, and I was actually surprised that it worked. It turns out that if you give pieces of information backward, the reader is less likely to link them together. For instance, if you first have your hero learn about powerful artifacts that look like jewelry, and then describe a particular pendant on another character’s neck... Well, most readers will realize that the pendant is a magical artifact. However, if you first introduce the character with the pendant, and then have the hero learn about magical artifacts, chances are that most people won’t notice.

Now, I advise caution. This technique works best with minor plot points rather than big reveals. It won’t work with something too tropical and big, and it requires a good instinct when it comes to timing. Put the two pieces too close, and the reader will see through your ruse; put them too far away, and they’ll never see the connection even looking back. Overall, it’s a supplementary technique rather than the main one.

4. Use the readers’ expectations against them.

Last but not least, you can use tropes that readers will project onto your book. For instance, you know how there’s this idea that the king’s brother is always power-thirsty, and murders the ruler to take his place? Well, if your book has a king’s assassination as an important plot line, and you put a seemingly fishy brother on the scene, the reader is less likely to notice the servant in the background who maybe had a grudge against the murdered ruler.

The trick here is not to overdo it. If you make the royal brother appear straight-out evil, the reader will realize that it’s too obvious and probably not the real culprit. On the contrary, you should make it appear as if you’re trying to hide that the brother is the real killer - show him displaying remorse, perhaps give money to charity or otherwise do good deeds. Again, balance is needed; if he’s a saint, it may completely throw the reader off and they’ll look for other culprits - and spot the real one.

When it’s done right, once the big reveals comes, the reader should realize that all the little things they thought were you trying to hide the brother’s evil nature, were actually signs that he is indeed innocent. Basically, they should realize that they had played themselves.

If you’re interested to see how it can be done in practice, I recommend Brandon Sanderson. I always recommend Brandon Sanderson

That’s all for today. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to storm my ask box. Thank you for reading ‘till the end, and salty writing :)

#writer's rambling #writing advice #writing

5 notes · View notes

themusicsweetly · 7 years

Note

Can you choose just one reason why Claire and Jamie are made for each other?

Well hello there, Evil Anon. Can I call you Evil Anon? Because this question is just plain mean! Lol just kidding, but really this is so difficult!

My disclaimer is that I suck at picking “just one” for anything LOL. So I’mma give you a broad answer so I can sneakily fit in a few choices hehehe

Why are Claire and Jamie made for each other? They’re fated for each other.

We know from the books now, and to a lesser extent from the show, that going through the stones “pulls” you to a certain person. Like Claire says at the end of To Ransom a Man’s Soul,

“It’s the only way I can wrap my mind around what’s happened all these past months. It’s all been for you and me.”

The stones pulled her to 1743 at that exact moment when the MacKenzie party happened to be travelling by there. It basically ensured that she and Jamie would cross paths and end up in a position where Jamie would have to trust Claire literally immediately and Claire would be in a position to feel empathy and kindness towards someone in her captor’s party. Jamie’s soul calls for Claire, and vice versa, and I think it can really be that simple. Another one of my favorite lines, from the first book:

“And you, my Sassenach? What were you born for? To be lady of a manor, or to sleep in the fields like a gypsy? To be a healer, or a don’s wife, or an outlaw’s lady?”

“I was born for you,” I said simply, and held out my arms to him.

And being fated for each other, they’re like puzzles pieces. Two different, but complementary halves that are strong enough to not easily fold under the influence of the other. Being fated for each other, they’re well suited.

Murtagh was right, Jamie needed a woman, not a lass. His emotional intelligence and social understanding and empathy go far beyond that of a typical 18th Century Highlander and he was not likely to find a woman who could stand up to that in his time. While on the surface Jamie may at times want a submissive do-as-I-say wife, he really is looking for an equal: someone who can keep him immersed in intelligent conversation while also holding her own physical, emotional, and opinionated ground.

Claire also is not your typical 20th Century woman, who oddly enough (or maybe not) are expected to be more like 18th Century women, expected to keep house, be obedient, and quiet their opinions. Basically the opposite of Claire. She craves adventure and though, like Jamie, on the surface she may say she wanted something different and more like a steady home life and all the vases that entails, I think that’s something she’d get bored easily of. That’s why she became a surgeon – she needed more in her life, no matter how fulfilling being a mother to Bree was. And with that, she needed a husband who wouldn’t want to change her, but instead encourage her to fulfill the role she was meant to play in life.

Their strengths stand up to the each other, as do their weaknesses. They can show their weaknesses to each other when they can’t to literally anyone else, and know that they’re safe and understood and loved despite it. They are each other’s haven in a world that has taken so much and force so much hardship on them. And that is the most precious thing they could ask for. This is why I think they’re made for each other.

(So that was basically three things. And in essay length to boot. Sorry Anon, but hope that answers you question xD)

This was fun, thank you for sending me this!

#Anonymous #Asked #Answered #Jamie x Claire #Outlander Talk #Blood of my blood bone of my bone #You are my home now #Brevity is not my strong suit #If you hadn't noticed #xD

53 notes · View notes

gjgriff736 · 5 years

Text

Well, folks. My week back at it has been unbelievably busy. I went to New York Comic Con and attended book launches for Saeed Jones and Zadie Smith. I’m tired! This is gonna be a long one, so stick with me. Okay, let’s get to it.

NEW YORK COMIC CON

So this year, I went to New York Comic Con no longer a newbie. I went with the focus of someone who knew how things work. Was it perfect? Of course not. But did I have fun? I absolutely did.

Instead of killing myself to try and make every single panel, talk and event, I strategically chose what I would do. I mean, I have a regular job so I had to take that into consideration (Note to Self: TAKE THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE NYCC OFF!). So I skipped Thursday and Friday and just made sure to show up on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday was a day of panels, which meant I basically stayed inside the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden all day. I attended panels for The Walking Dead, where Danai Gurira (Michonne) talked about her last season with the show, and we all learned that Lauren Cohan (Maggie) would be making her return. Cailey Fleming, who plays Judith Grimes, came to her first NYCC and she handled the crowds like a pro.

I had a break until the next panel, so I made my way to Johnnie Walker’s pop-up for the brand’s Game of Thrones-inspired whiskey tasting. At one of New York City’s art galleries, I was able to taste A Song of Ice, which was smooth and tasted great in a mixed drink I tried called Queen in the North, and A Song of Fire, a spicy and stronger version. Guests sampled both whiskeys, struck a pose in the photo booth (including yours truly) and interacted with each other. It was a lot of fun.

Afterwards, I headed back to the Hulu Theatre for the Castle Rock panel. Attendees were treated to the Season 2 premiere episode and it was BANANAS!! Season 1 already had me on edge, but Season 2 is going to be absolutely crazy. The audience was not ready for what happened in the episode and neither will the rest of you. Lizzy Caplan as Annie Wilkes is a dream! Get ready for her take on an iconic character when the show airs on October 23.

Once the screening was over, the cast took to the stage for a lively discussion about the season, even though they couldn’t say too much without spoiling anything. I was fine with that because I want to be surprised. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be more than surprised when I watch.

Once the Castle Rock panel was over, it was time to prepare for Outlander, a show and book series I adore. I’ve been to three screenings/panels for the show so far (twice at NYCC) and it’s ALWAYS a great time.

One of the things that happens between panels is what I call the Seat Shuffle. Hulu Theatre is not cleared out after each panel, so attendees who stick around for the next one have the chance to move to a better seat, if they can. I already had a pretty good seat for Castle Rock, but I moved anyway. I found an even better seat closer to the stage and sat with some die-hard fans of the show. We talked, laughed and sang songs during a contest we could have easily won had we jumped on stage to participate (if you don’t know the words to the Saved By The Bell theme song, I don’t want to know you).

As always, the Outlander panel was so much fun. The cast was so funny and very gracious to the fans. David Berry, who plays fine ass Lord John Grey was especially charming and I was psyched to see Duncan Lacroix, who plays Murtagh, on the stage. One of the funniest things during the panel was hearing the cast say lines from the show in a New York accent. Caitriona Balfe won that challenge easily when she delivered her lines sounding like she grew up in the Boogie Down Bronx.

Since Season 5 was still being filmed, there was no screening of the premiere episode, but fans did get to see the new trailer for the season. As always, Claire and Jamie have to deal with some mess, but they deal with that mess together and still very much in love.

And finally, I watched the Season 10 premiere of The Walking Dead. The gang is in full-on training mode after the Whisperers massacre, Carol and King Ezekiel are still broken up (dammit), Michonne is still kicking walker ass and this season looks like we’re gonna see an Alpha/Carol showdown.

Sunday was not as busy, but I did attend a couple of cool book panels. The highlight of my day was meeting and taking a picture with author N.K. Jemisin, and folks, I was a damn geek. I am normally very cool when I meet celebrities or authors but for some reason, I geeked out when I met Nora (yes, that’s how she introduced herself to me so that’s what I get to call her now). But she was incredibly gracious and handled my spazzing like a champ. After that, I walked around so I could take pics of all the cosplayers. As always, attendees went above and beyond. See all of my pics from NYCC below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

SAEED JONES

The next evening, I had the pleasure of attending the book launch for Saeed Jones’s new memoir, How We Fight For Our Lives. The launch was held at BAM Fisher in Brooklyn. The event began with a reading by a young student named Jada Wilkinson, a senior in high school chosen to read her work. This young queen read her poem, “Removal,” which was powerful and moving. With her amazing blue hair, strong voice and beautiful smile, Ms. Wilkinson had our attention and received a rousing round of applause when she was done. I hope to feature her one day on this blog, and I made sure to meet her (and her mother) to tell her so.

After the reading, Mr. Jones came running out to give Ms. Wilkinson a giant hug and to congratulate her on the poem. He then read from the poem at the beginning of his book called “Elegy with Grown Folks’ Music” and then part of the first chapter. I loved the poem because it perfectly captures how kids feel the first time they realize that their parents were other people before they were parents.

After his reading, Mr. Jones was joined on stage by playwright extraordinaire Lynn Nottage. The two of them together made for a truly wonderful talk, both providing the audience with the kind of engagement you hope to have when you attend a book event. Mr. Jones is gregarious and witty, with a personality that makes you want to be friends with him immediately. Ms. Nottage provided the soothing but also empowering side, drawing the audience into her own experiences and how she reacted to the book. This talk was something special, and I’m always grateful to be able to attend these events. See pics below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

ZADIE SMITH

People, this was the talk I had been waiting for. I have been a fan of Zadie Smith’s since I read her debut novel, White Teeth in college. I’ve read just about all of her books and essays (I still need to read Autograph Man) and I was lucky enough to see her at BAM’s annual event “Eat, Drink & Be Literary.” But this time, I would get to see her up close and personal. She did not disappoint.

Held at the Barnes & Noble Union Square location, fans listened to Ms. Smith read from her new collection of short stories, Grand Union. Her voice is made for reading and I was soon in her thrall (yes, I know that sounds dramatic). Once she was done, Ms. Smith and The New Yorker‘s Vince Cunningham engaged in a great discussion about the book and what her life is like now that she lives in New York full time. One of the things Ms. Smith says she enjoys is people watching. If you’ve never done it, people watching in New York City is a blast. You will see so many different types of people of all ages, sizes, temperaments, etc. I love people watching in NYC and often wonder what they’re thinking about as they walk by. It was nice to know that Ms. Smith enjoys doing that, as well.

After the talk, guests were given the chance to have their books signed. Before you ask, of course I got my book signed. And I got to chat with her briefly, as well. I kept my cool and spoke to her like a normal human being. She was absolutely lovely. See the pics below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And that was my week! I had such a great time and I hope the rest of the year proves to be just as full of literary goodness. Stay tuned.

My Week: Comic Con, Saeed Jones & Zadie Smith Well, folks. My week back at it has been unbelievably busy. I went to New York Comic Con and attended book launches for Saeed Jones and Zadie Smith.

#BAM #BAM Fisher #Barnes & Noble #New York Comic Con #NYCC 2019 #Saeed Jones #Zadie Smith

0 notes

saphira-approves · 4 years

Text

Don’t Compare My Boy To K*l* R*n: In This Essay I Will—

okAY I’m talking about it

So I can’t find the post right now, but a few days ago I saw a post on my dash comparing Murtagh of the Inheritance Cycle to Kylo Ren of Star Wars, citing parallels for their similarities.

Since we all know this blog is really just a poorly-disguised Murtagh stan blog, I decided I’d share my thoughts on this comparison. I’ll be discussing character backgrounds, character roles, character motives, and character actions.

Part One: Character Backgrounds

Murtagh and Kylo Ren are both descendants of the “previous generation.” Their mothers were both prominent rebels, their fathers were both considered handsome and rogueish, and both sets of parents eventually separated. But that’s about where the similarities end.

Kylo Ren’s—or rather, Ben Solo’s—parents loved each other and loved their son. They may have been flawed in the way they showed it, but then again, the only account we hear of Ben’s childhood (as I recall, anyway, and I’m not rewatching those movies just for a tumblr post) is Ben’s, after he’d been groomed and manipulated by Snoke for many, many years. Han Solo died believing he was helping his son; Leia Organa died saving her son; at the very least, they both loved him enough, even while he was serving the Dark Side, to give up their lives for him.

Murtagh’s parents, on the other hand, were a mess. From Murtagh’s account of their relationship, Morzan didn’t care much about Selena except for her usefulness as a weapon; he was happy to manipulate her and her emotions, but I highly doubt he actually loved her. He certainly didn’t give a damn about Murtagh, throwing a sword at his own three-year-old son. Selena, meanwhile, although she obviously loved Morzan at first, loved Murtagh even more, and clearly recognized that Morzan didn’t care for her the way she had once cared for him—when she recognized an opportunity to work against him, she took it.

Kylo Ren despised both of his parents, but that hatred seemed hollow, shallow—it had no real reason. They led busy lives, perhaps didn’t make enough time for him, but their actions revealed that they did, truly, love him despite his mistakes, and Kylo’s loathing reveals itself to truly be the manifestation of a spoiled child’s anger, magnified tenfold. Murtagh, conversely, had very good reasons for his complicated view of his parents: he loved his mother, but she was kept from him (and him from her), and she died—possibly in front of him, though he never says, and, unbeknownst to him until much later, having just hidden his brother in Carvahall. There was no love lost between him and Morzan, who was in the best case just an angry drunk, worst case—and more likely—an abusive father, and the only thing Murtagh ever expected to receive from him as inheritance was his sword (which is by itself another whole post in the making).

Part Two: Character Roles

Both Murtagh and Kylo Ren played the role of foil to the protagonists of their stories.

Murtagh and Eragon were very similar in many ways; I’ve mentioned before the many “subtle” hints Paolini gives to their true relationship (”a pair of matched blades” and “brothers in arms” come to mind off the top of my head). Their differences clearly highlight their different upbringings: Eragon thinks in the moment, with his heart and his compassion, while Murtagh thinks ahead, makes plans and contingencies—this difference is most clearly seen when Murtagh kills Torkenbrand and Eragon's strong moral code makes him protest, even though killing the slaver was, objectively, the best course of action they could take. Yet Murtagh is not only Eragon’s foil in action, but also his foil symbolically: they are both sons of Selena, which binds them, and yet the sons of opposing fathers, which others unwittingly use to pit them against each other (yes, this is also a whole other post in the making. like i said, poorly-disguised murtagh stan blog). Murtagh’s foilness to Eragon is deeply interwoven into their friendship and their parallels, showing up in many subtle and unsubtle moments throughout the series.

Kylo Ren’s foil status, on the other hand, is… complicated in a different way. For one thing, he’s not just a foil to Rey, he’s also a foil to Finn—in fact, I’d argue he’s more foil to Finn, and more just a complete opposite to Rey. He’s the experience to Rey’s raw talent, he shifts toward the Light while Rey shifts toward the Dark, but with Finn, their stories of pulling away from the Empire could have been fantastic foil stories. Wasted opportunity. And I’m so mad about it but this isn’t a star wars blog so—

Part Three: Character Motives

Of course, both Murtagh and Kylo Ren’s motives change over the course of their own stories, so we’ll be looking at what they are and how they change.

Kylo Ren starts his story in TFA as a ruthless, power-hungry fanboy who cherry-picked his history lessons and simply ignored the fact that his oh-so-esteemed Darth Grandvader was actually redeemed in the end because Luke refused to give up on whatever scrap of good was left in him and I hate hate hate hate hate Luke’s sequel characterization UGH and so Kylo is “emulating” a false image of what he thinks Vader was: the power, the presence, the mask and modulator aesthetic, the “I’m on the Dark Side because it’s fun, and I get to do whatever I want consequence-free.” Which… no! So, at first, what does Kylo want? Power! Sure, he’s serving Palpatine’s Smeagol puppet Snoke, but eventually he’s gonna be the most powerful person in the galaxy. …well, but then eventually starts getting a little boring, so in TLJ Kylo ups his timetable, tries to get Rey on his side after torturing her for information (OF HIS OWN VOLITION! BECAUSE HE’S A JERK! He did not CARE about even trying to convince her at first, he asked the few questions necessary to justify meeting her resistance with a Force mind-rape), and then when she doesn’t join him on the Dark Side he fights her, again and again and again until he nearly DIES, and then HIS MOTHER DIES TO SAVE HIS UNGRATEFUL ASS, so now Kylo’s priorities switch from “power” to… uh… what, again? Redemption? By… how? Sacrificing his life for Rey?

Oh, now he remembers how his Darth Grandvader history lesson ended.

he’s still a copycat though

Murtagh’s motives, conversely, actually make sense for his situation. When we meet him, he has in the last few months run away from Urû’baen and lost his mentor and father-figure. His two priorities: keep himself and his horse alive, and see what the deal is with the new Dragon Rider he’s heard so much about. He meets Eragon and Saphira by saving their lives from the Ra’zac, and he’s there when Brom dies, and Eragon loses his own mentor. Having just recently gone through that pain himself, Murtagh gets attached, and joins Eragon on his adventure/vengeance quest against the Ra’zac. Murtagh doesn’t reveal his parentage, but he and Eragon find that they have a lot of similarities and get very close, sparring and bantering and becoming “a set of matched blades” and “brothers-in-arms” and other such friendly roles that are not-so-subtle hints at their true relationship, and even when they fight—notably when Murtagh doesn’t want to go to the Varden, because they might kill him, which would be actively violating his first priority of staying alive—Murtagh still agrees to help Eragon because he’s a nice f*cking person okay. And then, through shenanigans, Murtagh ends up getting kidnapped, assumed dead by his few new friends, and then

TORTURED AND MIND-RAPED FOR AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.

And Murtagh’s will never broke! Not until Galbatorix gave him a dragon egg, and that dragon egg hatched into Thorn, and Thorn bonded with Murtagh, and Galbatorix threatened Thorn.

Murtagh fought Galbatorix until Thorn’s well-being was put into danger.

After that, Murtagh’s priorities are skewed; he’s forcibly sworn to Galbatorix’s will, which sucks, but he’s also given fantastic power, which is great; but he and Thorn still get tortured as punishment for messing up, which also sucks. And then Nasuada, someone Murtagh actually likes, is captured and brought to Urû’baen, and Murtagh tries to hide his face behind the silver mask when Galbatorix forces him to torture Nasuada (physically, because Galbatorix never forces Murtagh to attack Nasuada’s mind) because he doesn’t want to torture his friend. In fact, he does everything in his ability to help her. And in the end, he cares about her so much that he realizes hang on a minute, I would actually put SOMEONE ELSE’S health and well-being over my own, which means something in me has fundamentally changed, WHICH MEANS I CAN DEFY GALBATORIX, and so what does he do? He gets rid of Galbatorix’s wards and lets Eragon finish him off. He gives up the Eldunarí to Eragon and Saphira, which were a huge source of his power, because in the end, he’s not a power-hungry maniac, he’s a nice person that shitty things happened to.

(And if Murtagh is a nice person that shitty things happened to, then Kylo Ren is a shitty person that nice things happened to)

Part Four: Character Actions

If you don’t believe me, then perhaps we’ll let actions speak louder than words.

Kylo Ren: In his first appearance, he orders his troops to kill an entire settlement. From there, he tortures Poe for information, obsessively pursues the protagonists who have the key to Luke’s location, becomes obsessed with Rey, who seems Force-sensitive, attempts to torture Rey the same way he tortured Poe, kills his own father even as his father apologizes and tries to help him, chases Finn and Rey (again) into a snowstorm on a planet that’s imploding in on itself because of a lightsaber; and then he’s chasing the Resistance—including his own mother—across the galaxy, killing Snoke and calling himself Supreme Leader (yeah, totally something a secret good guy would do), cornering the Resistance on Crait with the threat of DEATH. STAR. TECH. (miniaturized, but like. what’s the miniature of a planet-killer???? half a planet killer??????), and then ALLYING HIMSELF with PALPATINE (the stupid crusty meatsack didn’t even have to groom this one, he got a new apprentice for FREE), while also PLANNING TO DOUBLECROSS… PALPATINE… and continuing to chase Rey across the galaxy, trying to get her to join the Dark Side, and he only stops when his mother gives up her life to save his.

His mother… who, just recently, he THREATENED WITH DEATH STAR TECH.

All this to say, his “redemption” arc is hollow and stupid. Dying while doing “good” is not redemption, it’s a cop-out. Vader was ruthless not because he took pleasure from killing, but because it was efficient; he was redeemed because he found out he had been lied to, manipulated, used, and abused. Kylo Ren was fully aware of his situation, an abuser himself who took pleasure in his power and in killing people; and he was not redeemed by a kumbayah force-life-transfer BS or for turning on Palpatine, WHICH HE WAS PLANNING TO DO ANYWAY.

Murtagh: Helps Eragon, helps Eragon even when he could get captured or tortured or killed, helps Eragon even though he’s surrounded by people who would suffer no regret over killing him, helps Eragon even though he will get tortured for it later, helps Nasuada because he doesn’t want to torture his friend (let me repeat, he DOESN’T. WANT. to TORTURE. his FRIEND. And he even ends up sneaking into her cell, AT RISK OF PUNISHMENT WHICH WOULD INVOLVE TORTURE, to talk to her and heal at least some of her wounds, and give her a way to tell reality from illusion when Galbatorix does try to force his way into her head), helps Eragon kill Galbatorix in the final battle, helps a little girl he’s only just met and gives her an enchanted fork, because why not, and only waits to rejoin Eragon and Saphira because he recognizes his own need to heal, to take time for himself and Thorn, and later, if FWW is anything to go by, probably to redeem himself by helping people, and fighting whatever threat he’s hearing rumors about in the north. Murtagh doesn’t take pleasure in hurting people, and he goes out of his way to do good things, even at risk to himself, as much as he’d hate to admit it.

Murtagh is hardly perfect; on the one hand, I fully agree with his decision to kill Torkenbrand because what else were you gonna do with him, Eragon, but on the other, yes, he’s flawed. Notably, there’s the moment of him killing Hrothgar, which I’ve discussed, his anger issues, his potential alcohol issues, and his general tendency to put himself first (which… yes, but also, he really doesn’t). Best thing about this, though, his his enormous potential for change, because we’ve already seen him change! And it saved the whole war! One tiny thing, one small moment of self reflection and realization—he changed himself, without any outside influence except for finding someone to care about.

TL;DR Don’t insult my boy Murtagh. Come back when Kylo Ren gets some actual character development.

#started this post #had to look something up in Eragon #got sidetracked #placed a hot topic order #came back #got so fucking tired #please just. just don't compare my son to kyle #i really really hate k*l* r*n #what a dipshit. what a wasted opportunity.#everything after force awakens was a waste of brilliant character development opportunity #murtagh tornacsson #murtagh (inheritance cycle)#inheritance cycle #star wars #cw kylo ren #saph rambles #saph scribbles

82 notes · View notes