Depressed

But let's face it, no one wants to here me bitch AGAIN. I've been trying very hard to keep it to a minimum.

Instead, I shall link a story that someone wrote for me, because it made me happy and even if I pretty much feel alone most days, I know I'm not.

So, pretty story based on African lore: Bori by cobecat. <3I luffs it muchly.

*sniffle*

My brother's podcast about me has made me all sniffly. I miss him.

Obnoxious

Sammikins pointed me to this post and of course we both agree it's rather pretentious. We are nothing if not opionated, for better or worse.

But I still maintain the questions are rather obnoxious. Especially when you tout that you write fantasy. Seriously. People don't think, or they try too hard not to be racist or whatever, and forget they're supposed to be writing a story first and foremost, not a lesson on morals and ethics and whatall. A good story says something by being what it is. Cramming in irrelevant Issues ruins a story; it doesn't make it stronger.

Sammie says it better (and in the morning I will link it properly, but for now her internet hates her). But let us answer the questions, just for the hell of it.

How culturally diverse are your stories?

Depends on the story, doesn't it? I mean I try to keep in mind that cultures vary, but my worlds are not the world I live in, so right there everything changes. But Sandstorm? LG? Pretty damn diverse I'd say, but that's only because it's pretty damn relevant to said stories. Sandstorm especially there is significance to the regarding of each other as 'savages' and 'heathens'. LG too has some relevance, though not in the same way.
Prisoner is another prime example of the difference in cultures mattering a metric fuckton. Kidnapped is another one.

But other stories it doesn't fucking matter. To hold most of my fairytales to the same standards, in this respect, to those mentioned above would be stupid. There is zero need for cultural diversity in, say, Deceived.


- Do you use accents for foreigners? (Are they any good?)

No. In general, I loathe despise and detest the writing out of accents. It's jarring, annoying, and seldom done well. I attempted to write an accent once, and I think I did it well, but it's not an experiment I'm likely to repeat. I remember a rule my one writing class mentioned -- if you want to convey an accent, do it for the first paragraph or three, then stop. You will have established it, the reader will 'hear' it, no need to keep torturing their eyeballs.

And anyway, what does it matter? Having said I hate them, and that I was taught not to do it, it's largely a stylistic choice isn't it? I happen to hate first person nine times out of ten, but that doesn't mean it's a bad choice. I think the same largely applies to accents.

Though having said that I really don't think it's a good idea in fantasy. Hard enough to convey the pretty images in your head without expecting people to hear your voices the way you do. That's expecting too much, I think. Stick with descriptions. Otherewise I'll do what I've done a thousand times -- throw the book back on the shelf, condemned the fantasy section to the depths of hell, and go to scope out the pr0n.

I think I'm wandering from the point. Moving on.

- Are foreigners used for comedic purposes?

What the fuck is this supposed to mean? I'm allowed to make fun of Americans but no one else? Brits are no longer allowed to mock us? Where's the fun in that? I think my favorite part of the movie Love Actually is when...Colin? goes to America. It's fracking hysterical. And again, if we're writing fantasy - this is irrelevant. Obviously not everyone writes fantasy, but still -- there's no point including 'cultural diversity' if you can't poke fun at it.

- Do you use other settings/worlds, or usually only the city/town/country you live in?

Again with the 'depends on the story'. What the hell is wrong with any of the above options?

Have I mentioned these questions are fucking asinine?


- Do most of your stories contain Caucasian people?

This questions almost offends me, except I have to laugh in the end. I really do not think of skin color, except insofar as it would be affected by the environment, society, whether or not one is descended from a god, or from which planet one hails.

Hell, Sammie said it best. This is slash -- if anyone is overused to death, it's the poor Asians. I can't count the number of psuedo-Japanese/Chinese/other pretty boys running around in Slashland.


- What religions do you incorporate into your stories? What is the one that pops up the most?

Obnoxious obnoxious obnoxious. If you're writing a fucking period/contemporary piece, then it totally fucking depends on what your'e doing. If you're writing a story about witches, well there you go - some permutation of that. If we're writing about something that takes place during the Spanish Inquisition, I doubt Mormons are involved. So this is stupid and tasteless in that respect. wholly unfair a thing by which to judge, since any story with a real world setting will be restricted by said setting.

If you're writing fantasy, then the question is void. I understand drawing upon existant religions, of course, but I tend to start largely from scratch.


In some, these things are as obnoxious as I thought. They seem more concerned with proving they're not racist or evil but in fact insightful and meaningful and what the fuck all ever.

Me, I'm not delusional, though I am melodramatic and far too opionated. What I write is not literature in any way shape or form. I would never presume. There are things I want to convey, sure, but I'd rather just know I made someone happy.

I should probably go to bed now.