listen I don’t “like” things, I either read a book/watch a show and forget 0.2 secs later or change my entire lifestyle based on what it was until I find something new

Can we talk yet about how endings are actually extremely important. About how sometimes “giving the fans what they want” is actually “resolving the story in a logical and plot relevant way”. That “subverting expectations” doesn’t always mean you did a good thing - sometimes it means you fucked it up, royally.

There are plenty of extremely good stories that don’t end happily, and yet remain retold and loved and cherished. There are plenty that have ambiguous endings or sudden turns - but manage to stick the landing through careful setup.

There is an odd tension between writers and fans that has become popular - that the writers somehow know something deeper or have a better sense of plot or are somehow more cunning. That fans are stupid and foolish and don’t matter. This dichotomy would be buckwild in any other field. There’s this sort of weird feeling that… The writing staff is allowed to hate and mock and deride people who have the nerve to… Like the product? Can you imagine any other brand that would survive off of “gotcha” marketing? Sure, it’s funny for them… And kinda only for them. I know all the ironic assholes in the world love this shit - “haha! You liked something honestly! I know better because I’m smart so I never like things!” - but the world is really fucking boring & annoying & unfun when it is run by people who think like that.

But even taking fans OUT of the equation, as a writer, it’s frustrating for me to watch other writers not value their OWN MATERIAL. Like, they don’t rely on the narrative as interesting enough, as challenging enough - they think they need to end it in a “surprising” or “sudden” way in order for it to be groundbreaking. They think they need to “push boundaries” without recognizing that they are fundamentally altering and destroying the map that they have spent all this time painting.

I’m not saying I have to LIKE how something ends, or that all of my favorite characters have to live or whatever. But I AM saying that an ending is drawing a thesis line through your entire work. And recently the thesis for many, many shows/movies/etc has been - “you were a fool for caring about these characters”.

Anyway art survives its creators when it tells a story that feels honest and human in the audience it is talking to - not when it is only a monument to the artist’s ego. And the ending tells us - how heavy is the story we are carrying? And how much was this story a farce? And where will we let go?

Post-battle ‘OMG we’re alive, I can’t believe it, let’s bang’ is a fun trope and all, but do you know what I wanna see more of in my threads?

Post-battle: -Lacing their bloodstained fingers together and giving a reassuring squeeze to let the other know they’re alright -forehead touches accompanied by relieved chuckles and shared breath -’OMG we’re alive, I can’t believe it’ bear hugs that nearly crush the life out of each other, but ‘holy shit we’re alive so I don’t care if it feels like you’re about to break my back just don’t let go!’ -Bloodied fingertips reaching up to clean away dirt from the other’s features, only to smear it across their nose or cheek, causing them both to laugh and stare at each other adoringly -Anxiously checking each other over before the dust even settles, thanking whatever higher power exists that neither are badly wounded -Carefully cleaning and bandaging each others wounds once they’ve made it to a safe place -Falling asleep in each other’s arms from sheer exhaustion, as the adrenaline finally wears off on the ride home -Finally finding each other on the battlefield, practically leaping at one another in relief, before backpedaling in discomfort from all the wounds they didn’t realize they had, only to chuckle about it and pull each other into a soft, affectionate kiss, smiling like idiots through it all because ‘dammit, we survived!’

Seriously, I just want more post-battle fluff that doesn’t automatically lead to sex. Because, let’s be realistic, there’s no way either one of them has the energy for that post-battle.

sex is nice but have you heard about caring about each other

give me a broken, self-loathing man who firmly believes no one could ever love him and a strong-willed woman who doesn’t take any of his shit and gradually becomes his light and hope and sun and stars and i assure you i will ship it til my dying breath

character: is rough around the edges, mysterious, antagonistic, slightly dangerous, has a great smile, cares a lot, needs a punch to the face and a hug

me: that one, I want that one

The most powerfull of all superpowers

(Day 3)

good things about tvtropes:

bad things about tvtropes:

Other bad things about tvtropes:

a world where people overreact and over analyze everything 

I’m a sucker for ships where Person A is damaged and Person B is their salvation, and when you look closer, you find that Person B is damaged, as well, just in a less obvious/volatile way, and Person A is their salvation right back.

You know what I love?  Redemptive story arcs.  I love characters who fuck up.  Who know they’ve fucked up, and it’s not because of something they couldn’t control or didn’t know - it’s because of their own choices.  And I love it when they are brave enough to stand up and say “I was wrong”, and then they spend forever trying to undo what they did.  To me that’s more important than heroes who never screw up, because I’m not perfect, so when I screw up and need the courage to admit it, I need people to look to who did the same thing.

listen I didn’t come here to ship it lightly ok I came here for it to consume my soul

Every time minorities on tv get killed off, showrunner keep trying to make excuses by telling us they died to ‘further the story’. 

What they’re really saying is “This was never your story.

You’re not the hero. 

Even if you thought you were. 

Even if you thought you could be.

It’s never going to be about your struggle, your journey, your feelings, your triumphs. 

It’s never going to be about that, because you don’t matter enough to have that. 

You’re just a tool in someone else’s life. 

You’re disposable.

We can lose you, and things will be better off for it. 

It was never your story, and it never will be.”

And, again, if you can’t understand how damaging it is for marginalized people to constantly have that be the message they get from media creators, idk what else to say, really.

say it. AGAIN.

Producers: Relationships need drama! If couples are just happy all the time the audience will get bored!

Me: I would literally watch these two idiots do laundry and make toast and be domestic and smiley for the rest of my trash life.

writing tip #1374:

instead of a love triangle try doing literally anything else

There are characters you like but then there are characters you end up thinking about in the middle of the night with a cosmic ache in your chest because they resonate with you so much