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Jan. 17th, 2026 01:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_nightSnowflake Challenge #9
Talk about your favorite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)
This list is a jumble of tropes and themes.
- Found Family, in both media and transformative works.
- AUs that play with how the changed context changes the characters and/or setting(s) in turn.
- Likewise, Body Swaps - both fic and in the media - that really show how the swapped characters learn about each other.
- I don't know what the term for this trope or motif is, but basically a HUGE number of fics that explore a major canon event, whether something only alluded to in backstory, or an extension of a canon event. It's basically a trope exclusive TO that fandom, since it's that specific canon event or backstory people keep writing about.
Two forms this can take are AUs (as previously mentioned) and fix-its (which I also love).
- I don't think there's a trope name for this, but I appreciate storylines where conflict isn't about miscommunications, but instead the simple fact that one conversation can't resolve the issue. I enjoy the complexity.
- Don't think there's a name for this either, but I've appreciated the rise in supportive female exes and former love interests (sometimes one-sided) in M/M fiction. Thinking specifically of Our Flag Means Death, Schitt's Creek, Heartstopper and Heated Rivalry.
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Jan. 15th, 2026 08:16 amauthor_by_nightSnowflake Challenge #8: Talk about your creative process.
I don't know that I have a set process, but here are the things that help me:
- Music. I actually can't listen to music while writing, though I sometimes listen to it when doing other creative tasks. But I get a lot of inspiration from music.
- Stress. Yes. You read that right. I think it's that creative projects help me unwind and recalibrate, so it's easy to be creative when I actually have zero time to be creative, because I need that brief outlet.
Though sometimes I really am just too busy, and there's nothing to be done.
- When it comes to writing specifically, I would say that I ask myself questions. I also try allowing the story to tell itself. I have set out to write funny stories, ended up with tearjerkers that left me sobbing. I think in both cases, on the surface the ideas were fun, but as I really delved into what those situations could potentially look like, I uncovered darker and sadder things.
I don't know that I have a set process, but here are the things that help me:
- Music. I actually can't listen to music while writing, though I sometimes listen to it when doing other creative tasks. But I get a lot of inspiration from music.
- Stress. Yes. You read that right. I think it's that creative projects help me unwind and recalibrate, so it's easy to be creative when I actually have zero time to be creative, because I need that brief outlet.
Though sometimes I really am just too busy, and there's nothing to be done.
- When it comes to writing specifically, I would say that I ask myself questions. I also try allowing the story to tell itself. I have set out to write funny stories, ended up with tearjerkers that left me sobbing. I think in both cases, on the surface the ideas were fun, but as I really delved into what those situations could potentially look like, I uncovered darker and sadder things.
More Snowflake
Jan. 11th, 2026 09:04 pmauthor_by_night Challenge #6
Top 10 Challenge. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
The category(ies) you choose are up to you. You can give top 10 Fics you read last year, the top 10 songs to create to, the to 10 guest stars on your favorite show, top 10 characters in your favorite book series, top 10... well, you get the idea.
9. I don't want to spoil anyone for Heated Rivalry, so I'll just say I love how the third episode dealt with an extremely complicated situation. Lani Diane Rich once said that a great love story is when a conversation can't fix a problem, and that episode was an example.
10. There are two scenes where Ilya opens up in different ways - again, wording this carefully so as not to spoil. I love both of them.
Also, "Canadian Wolf Bird" will forever live in my head rent free.
Top 10 Challenge. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
The category(ies) you choose are up to you. You can give top 10 Fics you read last year, the top 10 songs to create to, the to 10 guest stars on your favorite show, top 10 characters in your favorite book series, top 10... well, you get the idea.
Let's see.. how about Ten Takes?
1. From what I remember of The Hunger Games, I never understood people saying there was a "love triangle". It seemed clear to me that Katniss was never into Gale, and she only played into the concept of love triangle because of the reality TV show District 13 had them doing.
2. Given everything that was supposed to happen to Inara, I'm actually kind of relieved there was only one season of Firefly. Kind of. There's a good chance the network never would've allowed half of it anyway.
3. I'm kind of surprised there don't seem to be many former Firefly fans in the Our Flag Means Death fandom, from what I can tell. I think they're actually quite similar. (Even the second season of OFMD being darker mirrored Serenity being darker than the original show. Funny how that worked.)
4. Buffy: I wish that Willow's descent had actually focused more on her going to drastic extremes to fight the good fight, as well as her trauma, rather than "magic as a drug metaphor". The fact that Willow originally became a witch to honor Jenny Calendar is huge, and that's what I think they could've worked with.
5. I don't like either Spike or Angel for Buffy. Sorry! I kind of wish she'd ended up with Faith. I saw chemistry between them when I watched S3 for the first time, without any exposure to Fuffy whatsoever. (Which is interesting, because I was spoiled for practically everything except Faith.)
6. I have a headcanon - which I may eventually turn into a fic - that Cordy, Fred and Tara banded together and are kicking ass in an alternate dimension. Maybe a parallel version of Willow is also there.
7. I think Kevin Can Fuck Himself is woefully underrated, and if it had received half the recognition it deserved, it would've sparked a lot of interesting conversation.
8. I think David and Patrick from Schitt's Creek are one of the best couples on television. No pun intended re: "the best". Also, I see a bit of myself in David (I just told a friend I'm David Rose in a Ted Mullens costume), so I appreciate seeing him finding love and friendship, even if he is basically the inside of a roasted marshmallow.
9. But as much as I love David and Patrick, I think Alexis deserves more love in the fandom. She changes so much over the course of the show.
1. From what I remember of The Hunger Games, I never understood people saying there was a "love triangle". It seemed clear to me that Katniss was never into Gale, and she only played into the concept of love triangle because of the reality TV show District 13 had them doing.
2. Given everything that was supposed to happen to Inara, I'm actually kind of relieved there was only one season of Firefly. Kind of. There's a good chance the network never would've allowed half of it anyway.
3. I'm kind of surprised there don't seem to be many former Firefly fans in the Our Flag Means Death fandom, from what I can tell. I think they're actually quite similar. (Even the second season of OFMD being darker mirrored Serenity being darker than the original show. Funny how that worked.)
4. Buffy: I wish that Willow's descent had actually focused more on her going to drastic extremes to fight the good fight, as well as her trauma, rather than "magic as a drug metaphor". The fact that Willow originally became a witch to honor Jenny Calendar is huge, and that's what I think they could've worked with.
5. I don't like either Spike or Angel for Buffy. Sorry! I kind of wish she'd ended up with Faith. I saw chemistry between them when I watched S3 for the first time, without any exposure to Fuffy whatsoever. (Which is interesting, because I was spoiled for practically everything except Faith.)
6. I have a headcanon - which I may eventually turn into a fic - that Cordy, Fred and Tara banded together and are kicking ass in an alternate dimension. Maybe a parallel version of Willow is also there.
7. I think Kevin Can Fuck Himself is woefully underrated, and if it had received half the recognition it deserved, it would've sparked a lot of interesting conversation.
8. I think David and Patrick from Schitt's Creek are one of the best couples on television. No pun intended re: "the best". Also, I see a bit of myself in David (I just told a friend I'm David Rose in a Ted Mullens costume), so I appreciate seeing him finding love and friendship, even if he is basically the inside of a roasted marshmallow.
9. But as much as I love David and Patrick, I think Alexis deserves more love in the fandom. She changes so much over the course of the show.
9. I don't want to spoil anyone for Heated Rivalry, so I'll just say I love how the third episode dealt with an extremely complicated situation. Lani Diane Rich once said that a great love story is when a conversation can't fix a problem, and that episode was an example.
10. There are two scenes where Ilya opens up in different ways - again, wording this carefully so as not to spoil. I love both of them.
Also, "Canadian Wolf Bird" will forever live in my head rent free.