Hey, Storyteller!

I just...realized that I had a lot of opinions on how I like to title stories, and people have lots of trouble with titles (including me), so I'm going to discuss what I think titles should accomplish.

Here's what should be known ahead of time:

1. I approach this from an author's perspective. I'm actually uncertain if readers even care about whether a title is good or not.
   
   
2. I'm talking about this from a functionality stance. If titles didn't have a purpose, pretty much everyone would be content with "Untitled no. 42" (And to be fair, plenty of writers and readers don't find titles to be particularly important or useful so YMMV)
   
   
3. I aim for usefulness rather than elegance. If my title is elegant, then great, but I admit so many of them could be summed up as, “This is what’s in the tin. Enjoy.”

*cracks knuckles*

( What I want titles to accomplish. )

( References in titles )

( Behind some of my own titles )

In conclusion, my stories have names. ^^;;

This is kind of a "thinky thought" post on measures that can be taken to "fail less" or "fail better" when it comes to writing about oppressed groups, especially ones in which the author does not self-identify as a member of that group. It's been stewing in my head in relation to various and sundry fails, but I've been unsure as to how to write and whether to post this. It's a rather privileged author writing a post for rather privileged people about my personal thoughts on failing better when writing about people with non-privileged identities and experiences without the safety net of a knowledgeable beta reader.

( Cut because this is both long and contains a privileged person talking about privilege )

( Tangent: How this applies when I am part of the group )

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to respond to all comments, and I reserve the right to screen comments in order to prevent blatantly -phobic or -ist comments from getting through.

Also, if you, as an individual, don't care about writing about "the other" in non-problematic ways, then don't care, but please don't use this space to tell others that they shouldn't care or put forth the effort.

Newish Fic: Five Trivial Side Effects of the Liar Game

Mission: Cheer myself up after a fairly ugly week. Also, girl power.

Tactics:

• Nao as a POV character (on one hand, it's fun. on the second hand, it's harder than one might think).
  
• Use the 5 things structure as a way of keeping things light, easy, and themed.
  
• Demonstrate five small ways her situation has changed her/strengthened her.
  
• Keep Akiyama out of focus. Two of the five scenarios imply a crush on him, but only in conjunction with other changes.
  
• More Fukunaga + Nao friendship goodness.
  
• Bits of recognition glee (the green tea she always serves the fake lawyer, statistics + school "friends", the teddy bear, a reference to a to-be-translated bit, and a 100 yen coin.)
  
• End on "punch lines," just like ficlets should.

Outcome: Very accomplished.

Mostly, the Ao3 version is still getting edited here and there as I fix typos and find small ways to improve it. I'm also wondering if I like it better as themed one-shot, or as five short chapters. I put it up whole on LJ and FFN, but chaptered on Ao3.

*

So, signed up for lgbtfest, and claimed a prompt.

No, not Liar Game. Animorphs, which lol, I was huge into the series when I was younger, and they still have a similar charm today. Plus, the prompt hits a huge sweet-spot of mine besides the nostalgia.

Cultural-implications. *wipes drool from her mouth* Anyway, I have an idea in mind and a structure for the prompt. Basically a look at the effects of the morphing technology on the transgendered community, through the perspectives of five trans individuals, including one who identifies as genderfluid. Two Andalite perspectives, three human perspectives and hopefully a connection between both species at the end.

So far I've been rereading most of the Andalite/alien centered books, as well as the finale to get a better idea of the post-Yeerk Invasion Earth/galaxy.

Wondering if any title featuring a "Blue Box" pun would be too cringe worthy. The Blue Box being the device which grants the morphing power in canon.

Also wondering if I can get it done considering thesis defense is the day before my posting date.

Note: This entry contains discussion of a specific "issue" fanfic, and the deliberate thought processes that were involved in creating it. It's sort of in response to this post by princessofgeeks. The "issue" discussed and used as an example is suicide, and thus could possibly be triggering for some.


While I think a lot of fic can really work as "issue fic" which deals with a specific Important Issue, or "meta fic" which is really about talking about the canon at a meta level, there's really one fic I really deliberately wrote to be "meta fic" and that also kind of doubles as "issue fic."

"What Is and What Should Never Be"

Basic summary: After the death of her father, and a poorly-timed round of the Liar Game, Nao attempts suicide, and Akiyama has to prevent history from repeating itself.

( Behind the Fanfiction )

So, I don't think it was really that clear-cut when I was actually writing it, but within the process of writing it (as well as deliberately keeping the style very stark) those were all issues/concerns/decisions that came up in choosing what direction the story would go into. I'm still sorting out if/how this is really any different from how I approach more 'trivial' fic, besides the extra time and thought that went into its conception.