Workshop: "Writing AUs" by Bradygirl_12
Alternate universes give writers and readers a chance to see their favorite characters in different settings. In years past, DC called these stories ‘Imaginary Stories’, casting their well-known characters in unusual settings (‘What If Superman And Lois Were Married?’, ‘What If Lois Was Blind?’, What If Krypton Had Never Exploded?’), and now they call them ‘Elseworlds’, and they’ve actually married Lois and Clark off in canon! :)
Some people do not like AUs because they say their favorite characters are unrecognizable. In some cases that may be true. It’s the old Nature vs. Nurture debate: is a person’s character formed through innate nature or their environment? I’d say it is both: there are probably innate characteristics that would stay with a person no matter what universe they lived in, and yet they would adapt to their surroundings in ways that would be very different from ‘our’ characters in ‘our’ universe.
AUs can be universes the writer comes up with as so totally different you have to build the entire universe from scratch, or might deal with a ‘What If?’ moment such as those mentioned above. You can also write an AU in which there are still many of the same touchstones of place and character that you know, but is altered to a degree that puts it somewhere in between.
In jen_in_japan’s Earth & Sky series, she takes the Absolute Power universe shown in canon and adds a slash element to it that gives us Clark and Bruce as lovers while they ruthlessly suppress any opposition to their tyrannical rule. Their familiar characteristics come across to us: Clark’s sweetness and Bruce’s intelligence, for instance, and their need for each other as friends and lovers. All of this is set against a chilling backdrop that shows them brainwashed by Saturn Queen into believing their absolute rule is good for humanity, and they commit acts that would definitely not be what they would do in ‘our’ universe.
In my own Rainbow’s Freedom (Sanctuary Arc), Bruce Wayne acquires a pleasure slave in a universe that is Earth set in the 23rd century with slavery as a social foundation. The slave is Clark, and explores the ramifications of that relationship of Master/slave dynamics while also allowing the boys to be recognizable to us.
How to set the stage for your AU? An example from Rainbow’s Freedom (Sanctuary Arc)’s opening scene:
Bruce Wayne strode through the open-air market, enjoying the crispness of a glorious autumn day. He squinted up at the sky, its deep, startling blue as lovely as any artist’s rendering.
He passed stalls that showcased crafts, artwork, and colorful clothing. His mouth watered at the smell of apples and cinnamon and freshly-baked bread. His long, black coat flapped in the wind, his dark hair ruffled. He was wearing complete black, his outfit the epitome of understated elegance.
He passed into the next section of stalls. Vendors recognized the look of Old Money and hawked their wares, trying to entice him to look, ultimately to buy. His gaze flicked over a beautiful young woman, her dark eyes limned with kohl, her long, black hair spilling over her naked breasts. Chains rattled as she was turned around to display other assets.
The next stall held a well-muscled man, his broad face bearded. Upon closer inspection, Bruce noted the plethora of scars criss-crossing the massive chest and thighs. The vendor shouted out a low price. A laborer, then, with a bad disciplinary history.
Bruce continued passing the stalls, his thoughts turning to dinner. Alfred had promised a favorite of his: beef stroganoff and the last of the fresh garden vegetables, and, knowing Alfred, there would be an exquisite creation for dessert.
This opening scene sets the flavor of the AU: we recognize Bruce Wayne, and he is still Old Money and walks with confidence that projects his ease as a wielder of wealth and power, and others recognize it, too. He walks through stalls that showcase the usual crafts, artwork, and clothing that we would find at any fair, then walks into the second set of stalls which features slaves for sale, and takes note of the assets of each, then turns his thoughts to what Alfred is cooking for dinner!
So we now know that this AU is familiar to us in some ways while totally alien in the matter of slavery, which is just matter-of-fact here. Bruce is showing that he simply accepts what is. Far from outraged at the selling of human beings, he turns his thoughts to the mundane matter of dinner. His journey from that point to one who might entertain abolitionism is the heart of the series, and of course comes through contact with Clark.
AUs are popular with some writers because it allows the writer to take beloved characters and truly make them their own by building a whole new world for them. It’s also up to the author to decide how they would react to very different surroundings, and what facets of their personalities should be emphasized.
In sasha_anu‘s Oreo Verse, she creates the premise of a Martian invasion of Earth and how the conquered human race struggles to live under the new regime. We see Bruce Wayne in very different circumstances from what we are familiar with and notice how far he will go to keep his family safe. This is a delightful blend of twisted crack and serious undertones.
On the practical side, I would suggest taking copious notes. While many writers do that for stories that are not AU, it is really helpful to do so as you’re dealing with different details and you might have a range of original characters as well. Notes will help keep this new world organized in your head (and on your computer or in your notebook). Perhaps you’ve got an organization of clans you need to keep straight, or there are exotic foods you’ve mentioned in one chapter that you might like to use again. Then there might be the political structure of your universe, or a different history. All of these details would be easier to access if you keep notes.
AUs might explore themes that don’t come up in the regular universe your characters dwell in. Moral dilemmas that wouldn’t show up in ‘our’ universe might be the basis of survival in yours. Also, your characters might surprise you with their choices in an AU. What might be unthinkable in ‘our’ universe might be something they would consider the norm in theirs.
You might want to do a little anthropological research as you build your world. It doesn’t have to be on the order of a thesis or anything, but skimming through research on other societies might give you ideas for exotic differences in your AU. We already have a wonderful example of that through Wonder Woman’s female-dominated world, and you might want to use elements of societies from ancient times or simply ones different from your own in the present day.
Finally, creating an AU can be very satisfying for a writer. It will give you an opportunity to create societies, customs, mores, and many other elements that are taken for granted in regular stories.
Enjoy, and go forth and create! :)
Some people do not like AUs because they say their favorite characters are unrecognizable. In some cases that may be true. It’s the old Nature vs. Nurture debate: is a person’s character formed through innate nature or their environment? I’d say it is both: there are probably innate characteristics that would stay with a person no matter what universe they lived in, and yet they would adapt to their surroundings in ways that would be very different from ‘our’ characters in ‘our’ universe.
AUs can be universes the writer comes up with as so totally different you have to build the entire universe from scratch, or might deal with a ‘What If?’ moment such as those mentioned above. You can also write an AU in which there are still many of the same touchstones of place and character that you know, but is altered to a degree that puts it somewhere in between.
In jen_in_japan’s Earth & Sky series, she takes the Absolute Power universe shown in canon and adds a slash element to it that gives us Clark and Bruce as lovers while they ruthlessly suppress any opposition to their tyrannical rule. Their familiar characteristics come across to us: Clark’s sweetness and Bruce’s intelligence, for instance, and their need for each other as friends and lovers. All of this is set against a chilling backdrop that shows them brainwashed by Saturn Queen into believing their absolute rule is good for humanity, and they commit acts that would definitely not be what they would do in ‘our’ universe.
In my own Rainbow’s Freedom (Sanctuary Arc), Bruce Wayne acquires a pleasure slave in a universe that is Earth set in the 23rd century with slavery as a social foundation. The slave is Clark, and explores the ramifications of that relationship of Master/slave dynamics while also allowing the boys to be recognizable to us.
How to set the stage for your AU? An example from Rainbow’s Freedom (Sanctuary Arc)’s opening scene:
Bruce Wayne strode through the open-air market, enjoying the crispness of a glorious autumn day. He squinted up at the sky, its deep, startling blue as lovely as any artist’s rendering.
He passed stalls that showcased crafts, artwork, and colorful clothing. His mouth watered at the smell of apples and cinnamon and freshly-baked bread. His long, black coat flapped in the wind, his dark hair ruffled. He was wearing complete black, his outfit the epitome of understated elegance.
He passed into the next section of stalls. Vendors recognized the look of Old Money and hawked their wares, trying to entice him to look, ultimately to buy. His gaze flicked over a beautiful young woman, her dark eyes limned with kohl, her long, black hair spilling over her naked breasts. Chains rattled as she was turned around to display other assets.
The next stall held a well-muscled man, his broad face bearded. Upon closer inspection, Bruce noted the plethora of scars criss-crossing the massive chest and thighs. The vendor shouted out a low price. A laborer, then, with a bad disciplinary history.
Bruce continued passing the stalls, his thoughts turning to dinner. Alfred had promised a favorite of his: beef stroganoff and the last of the fresh garden vegetables, and, knowing Alfred, there would be an exquisite creation for dessert.
This opening scene sets the flavor of the AU: we recognize Bruce Wayne, and he is still Old Money and walks with confidence that projects his ease as a wielder of wealth and power, and others recognize it, too. He walks through stalls that showcase the usual crafts, artwork, and clothing that we would find at any fair, then walks into the second set of stalls which features slaves for sale, and takes note of the assets of each, then turns his thoughts to what Alfred is cooking for dinner!
So we now know that this AU is familiar to us in some ways while totally alien in the matter of slavery, which is just matter-of-fact here. Bruce is showing that he simply accepts what is. Far from outraged at the selling of human beings, he turns his thoughts to the mundane matter of dinner. His journey from that point to one who might entertain abolitionism is the heart of the series, and of course comes through contact with Clark.
AUs are popular with some writers because it allows the writer to take beloved characters and truly make them their own by building a whole new world for them. It’s also up to the author to decide how they would react to very different surroundings, and what facets of their personalities should be emphasized.
In sasha_anu‘s Oreo Verse, she creates the premise of a Martian invasion of Earth and how the conquered human race struggles to live under the new regime. We see Bruce Wayne in very different circumstances from what we are familiar with and notice how far he will go to keep his family safe. This is a delightful blend of twisted crack and serious undertones.
On the practical side, I would suggest taking copious notes. While many writers do that for stories that are not AU, it is really helpful to do so as you’re dealing with different details and you might have a range of original characters as well. Notes will help keep this new world organized in your head (and on your computer or in your notebook). Perhaps you’ve got an organization of clans you need to keep straight, or there are exotic foods you’ve mentioned in one chapter that you might like to use again. Then there might be the political structure of your universe, or a different history. All of these details would be easier to access if you keep notes.
AUs might explore themes that don’t come up in the regular universe your characters dwell in. Moral dilemmas that wouldn’t show up in ‘our’ universe might be the basis of survival in yours. Also, your characters might surprise you with their choices in an AU. What might be unthinkable in ‘our’ universe might be something they would consider the norm in theirs.
You might want to do a little anthropological research as you build your world. It doesn’t have to be on the order of a thesis or anything, but skimming through research on other societies might give you ideas for exotic differences in your AU. We already have a wonderful example of that through Wonder Woman’s female-dominated world, and you might want to use elements of societies from ancient times or simply ones different from your own in the present day.
Finally, creating an AU can be very satisfying for a writer. It will give you an opportunity to create societies, customs, mores, and many other elements that are taken for granted in regular stories.
Enjoy, and go forth and create! :)