That Writing Meme

[sharkflip]

Stolen from avocado_love and like everyone else.

I think it would be fun to talk about stories, but the usual memes are like, "What happens next?" "Tell me about Character A?" Which isn't so much talking about stories as it is writing more of a story. But you know how sometimes you read something and you're like, "I got ___ out of this story, I wonder if I have

Comments

[redbrunja]

I noticed that in "Enslaved" the Fire Nation doesn't appear to be as imperialistic (or successfully imperialistic) as in canon. They're not attempting to wipe out the Water Tribe, Katara doesn't have history with the Fire Nation, and there is no Avatar.

Why did you choose to leave that those pieces out? I realize it makes the Zuko/Katara romance easier but do you feel you've lost any depth or possible conflict that you regret?

[sharkflip]

Ah

[redbrunja]

Oh, I didn't mena to imply that your fic has a lack of depth (in some ways, it has more than canon).

First, no plague. No smallpox or syphilis, no influenza or cholera or typhoid or whatnot. That element of reality was so devastating that I just don't want to write about it.

Understandably! And that ties into you stepping away from the Fire Nation as The Evilest.

[sharkflip]

Oh nononono, I didn't think you were implying that! I just will, at some point, be writing more about the Fire Nation, and I'm hoping that the subtle conflict will have as much depth as OMG SAVE THE WORLD.

[redbrunja]

For me it's not OMG save the world so much as the firm, antagonistic divide between their cultures makes their fights, gradual trust, betrayal, and again trust with back to back fighting SO FUCKING SATISFYING to me. Their arc in canon just hits a ridiculous number of my narrative kinks.

[sharkflip]

Hmmmmmmm...

I think that I find the antagonistic divide less interesting than a cultural one, which is what I wrote in Enslaved. There's been a lot of takes on two lovers from opposite sides of a war, but speaking separate languages... well, THAT was a challenge. :P

Which is not to say that canon take on fire versus water wasn't interesting; I just suppose it wasn't what I wanted to write.

[beboots]

"the most important one is possibly that they eat raw fish in the Fire Nation. Europeans historically had this huuuuuge thing about raw versus cooked as a metaphor for savage versus civilized and all of those philosophical conceits. I wanted to play with what a contact would look like without those arbitrary differences." !!! I never thought about it this way! I mean, yes, I kind of superficially understood that hey, things might go differently because Zuko is more Chinese and that's kinda cool, but I love this idea. Love love love

[sharkflip]

I haven't actually read 1421, because so many people have told me it's... yeah, well.

I have read, and swear by, 1491, though. :D

And I actually keep meaning to read up on the known historic Chinese explorations, and the treasure ships fleet and such like. I need more time!

[beboots]

Well that's all right then. ;)

Zheng He's treasure ships were apparently fascinating (they're the ones that Menzies talks about and exaggerates). I really want to read more about the non-isolationist side of Chinese history as well!