[MA] Week 1: Muse Inquiries: Canon
Muse Name: Rose Tyler
Fandom: Doctor Who
Prompt Number: Prompt Week 1
Title: Muse Inquiries 1
Warnings/Disclaimers: OOC
Word Count: N/A
1. Discuss, in some detail, the primary canon source that you draw your muse from. If your muse is a non-fandom original character, talk about the outside inspirations that you have in regards to them.
I take Rose's canon from the New Who series where she first appeared. Even when she doesn't appear in an episode, if she's mentioned and people's reaction to her name will be included in her personality and how she behaves. I also take what the actor and producers have to say about her in interviews or behind the scene dialog. For me, no one knows the character better than those that created or embody them so if Billie Piper or Russell Davies have an opinion on Rose that's included in her canon for me.
2. Are there other canon sources for your character that you have not explored? For example, are there books, other shows, etcetera, that deal with your muse’s canon? If a non-fandom OC, are there other sources that you could read/view/research that may be relevant to your character? Why have you not explored these additional sources?
There are Doctor Who books that have featured Rose that I haven't read yet. I usually don't use books that are associated with a show as canon unless it's endorsed by the creator like the comics for Buffy. I suppose it would depend on how they handle the character and whether it 'agrees' with how I view her whether I would include it in her canon or not.
The world of Doctor Who is interconnected with Torchwood and the Sarah Jane chronicles so I will include those as part of Rose's canon. It's more with aliens and their worlds rather than Rose's involvement since she's in an alternate reality. I have more of a leeway because of that detail in Rose's life. What happens in the 'true' universe I can change and manipulate it in the alternative one.
3. How well do you know your character’s entire canon? Would you call yourself an expert? If an OC, how well do you feel you “hear” this character’s history?
I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I can't recite the dialog or know something off of the top of my head but I am well versed in it. There are times when I go back and look at episodes and read transcripts to get a small detail and then notice something that I'd never seen before in the twenty or so times that I've watched or read it. That's one of the things that I love about writing a canon character. No matter how many times you've seen or read something there is always a small detail that you missed. Maybe it's how Rose tends to poke her tongue out of the side of her mouth when she's teasing the Doctor. Or a habit that you've never noticed before becomes apparent after watching a few shows in a row where the habit is displayed. I love to add the small details that bring a character to life and I love discovering those mines of treasure.
4. If someone who never knew the canon of your muse asked you the three most important things they needed to know about him/her, what would those three things be?
Rose will look for the good in people first and won't pre-judge. Even when she knew that the Daleks were the Doctor's enemy, she saw the Dalek's loneliness in being the last of his kind rather than the monster that the Doctor saw.
Rose is flawed. She's not some perfect fairy tale princess that gets swept off her feet and shown adventure and fun with the Doctor. She makes mistakes that cause even bigger problems at times. She will sometimes put her trust with someone that shouldn't have it but through all of her faults, her heart will always be in the right place.
Rose will do what needs to be done no matter how scared or intimidated she is. She once told her mum and Mickey that the Doctor taught her that it was about living your life a better way. That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand and you say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away.
5. How much do you ignore/bend/twist/manipulate your muse’s canon, to suit your needs in roleplaying? Be honest. If an OC, do you “discover” new things about your muse when it’s convenient for a roleplay purpose?
I don't. There are aspects of Rose's personality and parts of her canon that I would love to ignore but the fact is that it is a part of her canon, therefore it's a part of her. I'm all for going AU if that is what floats your boat and I have at times taken the what if road, but it's always based on canon. When you go on the path not taken, the path had to start somewhere and that's canon. It's easy to ignore something, to put your hand over your ears with a "I'm not listening lalala" attitude. The harder, and for me, the more rewarding aspect of writing is working with what canon gave you and using it to craft a tale that will still take the character where you'd like to go. To me that's what fanfic is all about.
Roleplay situations will definitely change your pup when they interact with others and have new adventures. But I always come from a base of canon and work from there.
6. Does your muse have a canon relationship that you dislike and/or pretend doesn’t exist? It can be familial, sexual, romantic or adversarial. If it is an OC, do you add on such relationships to justify roleplaying scenarios?
Not really. I'm fortunate in that I like all of Rose's relationships. There isn't much known about what Rose did in the alternate world so I have a freedom there to create relationships. She has a brother and the only thing we know about him is his name. That gives me a lot of leeway to do with that as I want.
7. If your character is set in a particular canon timeline, how do you create a possibility for them to roleplay in other timelines without breaking canon, too much?
Luckily, for Rose there is the TARDIS that I can use to create the ability to roleplay with others. I can also utilize alien technology to jump time lines or portals to other worlds. Science fiction and fantasy is very good for those types of scenarios.
8. What one thing in their canon is the most difficult to work with?
It's also the most fun to explore, but Rose's abandonment in the alternative timeline. It cuts her off from the Doctor, Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane, everyone that she knew. It also affords me a world to explore that isn't a part of the Whoniverse.
9. What canon personality traits annoy you the most?
Rose's selfishness. It's part of who she is and I think it has more to do with her age than her true personality. People sometimes forget that she started traveling with the Doctor when she was nineteen years old. She's twenty three when the events of Journey's End takes place. That's a young woman that is still trying to find herself and her place in the world. She'll stumble and fall a few times but show me someone that didn't when they were that age.
10. Do you believe that you adhere to the canon core of your muse? Be honest.
I hope I do. It's what I strive more than anything. I know that characterization is in the eye of the beholder. You might see an aspect of Rose and to you that is her core being. I'll see another and think that is who she is. No one, pups included, are one dimensional. If they were we wouldn't hate or love them. There are some traits that are undeniable no matter what and those are what I strive to keep constant.
Fandom: Doctor Who
Prompt Number: Prompt Week 1
Title: Muse Inquiries 1
Warnings/Disclaimers: OOC
Word Count: N/A
1. Discuss, in some detail, the primary canon source that you draw your muse from. If your muse is a non-fandom original character, talk about the outside inspirations that you have in regards to them.
I take Rose's canon from the New Who series where she first appeared. Even when she doesn't appear in an episode, if she's mentioned and people's reaction to her name will be included in her personality and how she behaves. I also take what the actor and producers have to say about her in interviews or behind the scene dialog. For me, no one knows the character better than those that created or embody them so if Billie Piper or Russell Davies have an opinion on Rose that's included in her canon for me.
2. Are there other canon sources for your character that you have not explored? For example, are there books, other shows, etcetera, that deal with your muse’s canon? If a non-fandom OC, are there other sources that you could read/view/research that may be relevant to your character? Why have you not explored these additional sources?
There are Doctor Who books that have featured Rose that I haven't read yet. I usually don't use books that are associated with a show as canon unless it's endorsed by the creator like the comics for Buffy. I suppose it would depend on how they handle the character and whether it 'agrees' with how I view her whether I would include it in her canon or not.
The world of Doctor Who is interconnected with Torchwood and the Sarah Jane chronicles so I will include those as part of Rose's canon. It's more with aliens and their worlds rather than Rose's involvement since she's in an alternate reality. I have more of a leeway because of that detail in Rose's life. What happens in the 'true' universe I can change and manipulate it in the alternative one.
3. How well do you know your character’s entire canon? Would you call yourself an expert? If an OC, how well do you feel you “hear” this character’s history?
I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I can't recite the dialog or know something off of the top of my head but I am well versed in it. There are times when I go back and look at episodes and read transcripts to get a small detail and then notice something that I'd never seen before in the twenty or so times that I've watched or read it. That's one of the things that I love about writing a canon character. No matter how many times you've seen or read something there is always a small detail that you missed. Maybe it's how Rose tends to poke her tongue out of the side of her mouth when she's teasing the Doctor. Or a habit that you've never noticed before becomes apparent after watching a few shows in a row where the habit is displayed. I love to add the small details that bring a character to life and I love discovering those mines of treasure.
4. If someone who never knew the canon of your muse asked you the three most important things they needed to know about him/her, what would those three things be?
Rose will look for the good in people first and won't pre-judge. Even when she knew that the Daleks were the Doctor's enemy, she saw the Dalek's loneliness in being the last of his kind rather than the monster that the Doctor saw.
Rose is flawed. She's not some perfect fairy tale princess that gets swept off her feet and shown adventure and fun with the Doctor. She makes mistakes that cause even bigger problems at times. She will sometimes put her trust with someone that shouldn't have it but through all of her faults, her heart will always be in the right place.
Rose will do what needs to be done no matter how scared or intimidated she is. She once told her mum and Mickey that the Doctor taught her that it was about living your life a better way. That you don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand and you say no. You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away.
5. How much do you ignore/bend/twist/manipulate your muse’s canon, to suit your needs in roleplaying? Be honest. If an OC, do you “discover” new things about your muse when it’s convenient for a roleplay purpose?
I don't. There are aspects of Rose's personality and parts of her canon that I would love to ignore but the fact is that it is a part of her canon, therefore it's a part of her. I'm all for going AU if that is what floats your boat and I have at times taken the what if road, but it's always based on canon. When you go on the path not taken, the path had to start somewhere and that's canon. It's easy to ignore something, to put your hand over your ears with a "I'm not listening lalala" attitude. The harder, and for me, the more rewarding aspect of writing is working with what canon gave you and using it to craft a tale that will still take the character where you'd like to go. To me that's what fanfic is all about.
Roleplay situations will definitely change your pup when they interact with others and have new adventures. But I always come from a base of canon and work from there.
6. Does your muse have a canon relationship that you dislike and/or pretend doesn’t exist? It can be familial, sexual, romantic or adversarial. If it is an OC, do you add on such relationships to justify roleplaying scenarios?
Not really. I'm fortunate in that I like all of Rose's relationships. There isn't much known about what Rose did in the alternate world so I have a freedom there to create relationships. She has a brother and the only thing we know about him is his name. That gives me a lot of leeway to do with that as I want.
7. If your character is set in a particular canon timeline, how do you create a possibility for them to roleplay in other timelines without breaking canon, too much?
Luckily, for Rose there is the TARDIS that I can use to create the ability to roleplay with others. I can also utilize alien technology to jump time lines or portals to other worlds. Science fiction and fantasy is very good for those types of scenarios.
8. What one thing in their canon is the most difficult to work with?
It's also the most fun to explore, but Rose's abandonment in the alternative timeline. It cuts her off from the Doctor, Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane, everyone that she knew. It also affords me a world to explore that isn't a part of the Whoniverse.
9. What canon personality traits annoy you the most?
Rose's selfishness. It's part of who she is and I think it has more to do with her age than her true personality. People sometimes forget that she started traveling with the Doctor when she was nineteen years old. She's twenty three when the events of Journey's End takes place. That's a young woman that is still trying to find herself and her place in the world. She'll stumble and fall a few times but show me someone that didn't when they were that age.
10. Do you believe that you adhere to the canon core of your muse? Be honest.
I hope I do. It's what I strive more than anything. I know that characterization is in the eye of the beholder. You might see an aspect of Rose and to you that is her core being. I'll see another and think that is who she is. No one, pups included, are one dimensional. If they were we wouldn't hate or love them. There are some traits that are undeniable no matter what and those are what I strive to keep constant.