Criticism With A Side of Coffee

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A Long-Needed Update

Hey, everyone. first off, sorry for the long silence! Life hit pretty hard. C&C is still on our unannounced hiatus. Secondly, you may notice that I've removed the old screenshots-of-text-formatting and replaced it with a simple script. Did this for a few reasons, but primarily some friends of mine pointed out how unfriendly this was to read for lots of people, and also completely illegible for people who use screen readers, so I've just gone and fixed it. Future posts, if there are any, will be done in this new style. That's all.

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C&C Reviews: Misc One-Shots!

TSK: Howdy Hey, I'm TSK! Lemon: Halfway to Heaven, I'm Lemon! TSK: And this is Criticism With A Side of Coffee, the wormfanfic review blog! Alrighty then, Lemon. What fics have you been reading recently? LEMON: I've been reading a couple of one-shots recently. Three of them specifically. All from different authors with very different stories, but all lovely to read. The first of which I want to talk about being Blue Hair, written by BurningCrab.  TSK: Oooh, I'm unfamiliar with that exact story, but BurningCrab is an author I'm aware of. As for myself, I'm bringing two one-shots of my own today: Incipit and The Girl In the Room, by babagaia and Discreet respectively. Both of which are favorites of mine that I can't wait to discuss: but please, tell me about Blue Hair. LEMON: I don't think I've read those two but I've definitely heard of the writers. Coincidentally one of the snippets that I've been reading was written by Discreet as well! Blue Hair is one of the shorter one shots in the fandom, being around 1.8k words but all of them very pleasant. It first caught my eye by being rather different in two ways. The first of which is that it's written in second-person point of view, and it’s about Shielder. TSK: second person! one of my favorite devices in literature and oh man, Shielder. A man oft ignored or turned into a joke. LEMON: Indeed! Crab wastes no time in letting us get to know him in so few words and the second person is used marvellously. For me, I found it to ultimately be a rather cosy story about two very different people becoming friends who share one thing in common: blue hair. With the second person being used to really sell the feeling that it's not just Shielder becoming friends with Newter, but the reader as well as we see these two characters simply talk and get to know one another atop the Palanquin. The story is the definition of short and sweet, with a lot of well used dialogue. It also briefly features perhaps one of my favourite depictions of Lady Photon, even though she only appears to say a few lines over the phone with her son. Despite that, those few lines are used greatly. She comes across as a professional but we are also shown a nice moment between her and Shielder that shows us why she has the nickname Photon Mom. It really is a great story that perfectly executes everything it promises and more. I'd really recommend you and those reading to give it a go! TSK: Okay I opened it in another tab, I'll definitely check it out. Not just for the second person and rare character choices, but because we should support more light-hearted fics in this fandom. This is probably a result of the source material being so dark, but man can reading wormfic get kind of exhausting sometimes- for several reason, but overall tone is one of them. I love me some good angst like every other sad lit nerd, but sometimes, It'd be nice to see more fics focused on character bonding and such, and it sounds like this is right up that alley. Also fics that aren't focused on action! I swear to god 85% of wormfics all try to be as action-packed as Worm was, and while I respect the attempt...it doesn't work for a lot of them. It didn't work for Worm itself in some places. LEMON: Yee, it's always nice to read something that's less heavy, especially in a fandom like this for the reasons you just pointed out TSK: ...I just realized of my choices are fairly sad so that defeats my own point :V LEMON: Haha, well now I'm curious about how sad they are TSK: Okay, first I wanna talk about Incipit, by babagaia. It's a 1.2k oneshot that focuses on a character who doesn't have a name within Worm itself. In fact, the short story doubles as both a character study of someone so small you don't remember them, but also as a meta-narrative about the nature of fanfic itself. This woman is aware of the nature of the medium she's in, and Gaia's flowing, beautiful prose perfectly balances long, lofty metaphorical segments punctuated with sharp conclusions, as if the character herself is getting lost inside the mass of words that is worm and the uncountable collection of fanfics. Gaia as an author in general is very aware of framing devices and knows how to use them for maximum effectiveness: another snip I wanna briefly mention of her's is Steel Owl, which also implies an unusual framing device to drive home an emotional story. It's the only PHO fic besides META I enjoy. LEMON: Oooh, that sounds like an interesting premise .I recall reading Steel Owl and it was quite good from what I remember TSK: It's fantastic- PHO interludes are something I tired of so quickly. So many wormfics have it: an interlude where PHO essentially just reacts to the last chapter, and mostly how cool Taylor is as well as some other tired fandom jokes like voidcoybow and cauldron conspiracies that were old the first five times they were written. Which really goes to show you how little of this fandom has actually read the source material since the PHO interlude in Worm itself is actually quite interesting and focuses more on what the framing device is meant to be: giving you a look at the lives of the non-powered people who live in this insane world. Steel Owl reminded me why I enjoy the epistolary-esque format. When you find an author that knows how to use the framing device, it's really something special LEMON: I can agree with you there on the PHO Interludes and how they're usually used in Wormfic. They're usually chapters that I skim at best because of how they're typically written. TSK: Yeah, like: I sound really harsh here, but I really wish people would do more PHO interlude stuff and have actually, like...be an interlude? There's so many interesting stories to tell in the world of Worm beyond Taylor, which was the entire point of those chapters! Speaking stories to tell beyond Taylor: The Girl In The Room, by Discreet. Man. What an experience. It's like no other fanfic I've read, because it's not just prose. Discreet, madlad that he is, made a twine game that plays in Ao3. If you're looking for inspiration to mess around with medium blending in fanfic, The Girl In the Room is a good place to start:  Discreet blends auditory cues with an unusually (for him) spartan prose to get you inside of the girl that the story's perspective is from. I refuse to spoil it, so all I'll say is that it's not Taylor. And it's damn compelling. Much like incipit, I think it barely hits a thousand words. Something that always makes me sad is when I see people dismiss fics that don't reach a certain length, as if that's some kind of bar you need to clear to be "a real fanfic." It's never made sense to me. Isn't a story that's more compact and well-thought out more enjoyable LEMON: Wow that now does sound different from the usual. I can't say I've heard of anyone else making a twine game in Wormfic before. Definitely something I need to give a look. And yeah, the relation between what people consider an enjoyable story and story length in fanfic is an odd one. Speaking of stories written by Discreet, I've been reading one myself that sounds quite different to what you've read, which is: I don't sell Regent body pillows because I want God to hesitate before he sends me to Hell TSK: oh my god yes. that legendary fic LEMON: It's quite funny, being a story about a Regent fan at a cape convention meeting the real one and only realizing it at the end. Outside of just being funny and light-hearted, I think the thing I can appreciate about it the most is that it doesn't overstay its welcome. Which is something I find tends to happen a lot when people focus on writing comedy. Discreet finds the perfect length to keep the reader laughing without dragging it out and manages to not lean too hard into it in a way that ends up making the humor fall flat. Ending it on the perfect note, where you can't help but feel just a little bit of sympathy for Justine as she tries and fails to convince her friend that it was the real Regent TSK: Regent was also just perfectly in-character: going to a con in the Spirit Halloween version of his costume is exactly what he would do and it's hilarious LEMON: Ye, it makes it all the more better that it really does feel like something he would do.  TSK: It's just a really fun little story, and I definitely support more humor fics. Speaking of, have you noticed this weird thing where either a fanfic is 100% serious or it's crack? I see it a lot on forum discussions, where fics like the above or Tank, That Sounds Like Work, ect, are all called crack when I feel like that's...not accurate at all  LEMON: Oh yes definitely  TSK: Crack, imo, is based off that very 2008-internet style of humor where LOL SO RANDOM and 4th wall breaking were the only two jokes we had back then. It's a disservice to the mentioned fanfics because there's genuine thought put into them. I think a good way to draw a line between them is characters being...well, more or less in-character, at least how they're presented in fic. The reason why I don't sell Regent body pillows because I want God to hesitate before he sends me to Hell is funny because Regent is entirely in character, and the POV feels like a real fangirl. It builds off of the source material to create this absurd but plausible scenario, the kind of thing you'd read and the news and go "oh of course that happened, why not?” Alright I think I've exhausted everything I can rant about, haha. LEMON: Yee, I agree with you there. There's a difference between crack and humor fics that I find people either don't notice or ignore, much to their own detriment, especially when they decide to write their own fanfic. Last but not least, my most recent read was A Knight's Favour, by AParticularlyLargeBear TSK: Ohhh, I read that one too!  LEMON: It's a well-written snippet, that masterfully explores the connection between Self and Costumed Self through the lens of the trans experience. The depiction of Gallant and Glory Girl, both as individual characters and as a couple, is also very refreshing. One of the few fics I think explores how and why a cape might change how they present themselves in costume to reflect changes in their own life. In this case, Gallant, as she comes out as transgender Like Blue Hair, it's a very warm snippet, showing us how Victoria supports Therese (Gallant) and gives us little glimpses into their relationship before ending on a triumphant note as Gallant holds her head high after coming out to the public TSK: The depiction of Gallant and Victoria both was so heartwarming and refreshing. This fandom hasn't been particularly nice to either character, so seeing an author depict them as the genuinely good people they are is...so fantastic. And just all of Therese' adjustments and whole-hearted embracing of who she is, it’s like food for the soul. AParticularlyLargeBear is very good at writing comfort scenes that don't overload you with fluff but still leave you feeling content inside, I recommend her entire body of work. LEMON: Yee, she's a great writer and A Knight's Favour is just one of quite a few fics that show how good she is when it comes to writing character relationships  TSK: Character relationships, one of the cornerstones of good fiction. I'll be sure to link her as well. And on that note, I think that just about wraps things up. Aside from recommending that people give shorter fics a chance in general, I don't think I have anything more to say for this session. How about you, Lemon? LEMON: I would also recommend giving shorter fics and one-shots a chance. They're always a bit under appreciated despite requiring so little time investment in comparison to the much bigger fics that dominate. Alrighty then, that's it!  TSK: Thanks for joining me again, Lemon.  LEMON: No problem! I hope anyone reading this has enjoyed!  TSK: See you later! DISCUSSED FICS: Blue Hair, by BurningCrab Incipit, by babagaia. The Girl in the Room, by Discreet I don’t sell Regent body pillows because I want God to hesitate before he sends  me to hell, by Discreet TANK, by maroon_sweater That Sounds Like Work, by FlabbyKnight A Knight’s Favor, by AParticularlyLargeBear

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just a quick update- i have re-uploaded the LBD-Wire review pictures, so they should flow better and be more consistently sized. Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

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i just want to state that there definitely wasn’t any problems or missed pictures when i re-uploaded it. that was completely in your imagination i’m not an idiot kthanksbye

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just a quick update- i have re-uploaded the LBD-Wire review pictures, so they should flow better and be more consistently sized. Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

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Submissions Open

Feel free to submit a wormfic! Please respect the guidelines, we’d hate to have to block you. 

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TSK: Howdy hey, I'm TSK! LEMON: Halfway to heaven, I'm Lemon! TSK: And welcome to Criticism With A Side of Coffee, the first wormfanfic review blog! okay now that the Licensed Jingle ™️ is out of the way, let's get into it. Lemon, what wormfic did you bring to the table today? LEMON: Life Bends Down, written by Cpericardium, which I think is one of my favourite Wormfics that I've read so far TSK: Oooh, a fandom...what's the word to describe LBD. I can't say classic because too many people hate the very idea of it, for...some reason. Damn it, there's a word I'm thinking of that I can't remember. Anyway, I've been reading Wire, by maroon_sweater, which is one of the few Terminator crosses I've seen. Let's start with yours: I've also read LBD, but you mentioned it first so you get to give your thoughts first, that's dem rules LEMON: Oooh I've been meaning to read Wire, can't say I'm familiar with the Terminator universe but I've heard good things about it. I definitely have a lot of thoughts about LBD so I'll try to keep it short, but I do think its one of the more unique fics in the fandom in a variety of ways. From the fact that its a no power alternate universe featuring a college age Alexandria exploring life through college after surviving cancer to its focus on the characters, their relationships with one another and the everyday as opposed to the action you typically get featuring Taylor in Brockton Bay. Despite all of that though, I think the one thing that sets it apart the most isn't its novel premise, but instead the unique writing style that very clearly sets it apart from the original source material.  TSK: Oh yes, LBD has a super distinct style! It also sets the fic apart from lots of other fics in the fandom. This isn't mean to be a disparaging remark, but I think a lot of fanfic writers tend to either copy the source material's style or other fanfics and that results in a lot of fanfic authors. reading similarly LEMON: Ye, I definitely agree there. A lot of writers I think try to emulate Wildbow's style without really understanding what the strengths and weaknesses of it are. When it worked best in Worm, when it didn't. So you get a lot of fics that end up falling into the same pitfalls of the source material whilst at the same time failing to imitate the good moments in Worm.  TSK: Yeah, it's an issue in this fandom for sure. Back to LBD, I think something that Peri balances well is having these characters from Worm be recognizable but also showing how the circumstances of the AU have changed them in a number of ways. I think the contrast from canon adds to the fic's surreal atmosphere which is something I always bring up when I rec LBD to people: it leans into surrealist humor fairly heavily at times In fact I'd go so far as to say that it's one of the few issues of the fic, because the fantastic drama sequences are sometimes...lessened, by the fact that we just had some admittedly funny but absurd things happen, so it leaves you wondering how real any of this is Given that the fic hasn't finished, that may be intentional— there's a lot of very dream-like stuff in here,  and LBD is a fic that keeps you guessing more then you'd think for the seemingly mundane no-powers au it markets itself as. LEMON: I can see that, yeah, definitely seen one or two people in the comments who were left a bit confused after reading a chapter in a way that seemed to take away from the experience. For me personally the surrealist humour and style is a big draw. Outside of just being a breath of fresh air when compared to a lot of other stories, Its one of the few I've found that's made me try to read slower to appreciate the words more instead of simply ploughing through to get to the important plot points and drama. It makes the experience of reading it all the more enjoyable when it updates. TSK: Oh, absolutely: Peri's prose is lovely to read, and she really knows how to turn a phrase. There's a level of polish there that's really fantastic to witness, you can tell she cares deeply about every word. I want to avoid spoilers, but I do wanna say that  recent plot developments in LBD have really surprised me: i think a lot of People come in expecting a mundane, "slice of life" (aka not actually slice of life but random filler bs like most "school" au's) fic, but what LBD actually is is far stranger then that. Or rather, it is a Slice-of-Life, but the slices are very irregular, to say the least. LEMON: I agree with that assessment; there's a lot of  people who have a certain idea of what Slice of Life is, expecting filler with minimal plot, so they see the lack of powers and assume the worst despite LBD being one of the best in the fandom. You can tell that every word has a purpose, often more than one, that makes it all the rewarding to read. I've never felt like I've had my time wasted when reading along. The most recent plot developments certainly seem to promise more than the usual mundanity onegets in fics that are classified as Slice-of-Life.

TSK: Yep. I'm definitely excited to see where the recent development is going. And if the readers wanna know what the hell we're talking about, go read LBD! I'll drop a link at the end.

LEMON: You should definitely give it a read, it has one of the best opening lines and paragraphs that I've seen in fanfiction that shows just how well the author can write! Speaking of recent developments, there's a somewhat newish fic on the block by maroon_sweater that you've told me you've been reading TSK: Indeed there is! Wire. I wanna note that I haven't seen any of the Terminator films, and I'm only passingly familiar with the franchise. But, reading Wire is also markedly different from Worm, but in a very different way from LBD. Roon has absolutely zero word bloat, and her pacing is remarkably efficient. There is no wasted words on anything non-essential- the fic borders on minimalist at times, which means that what is\there is nothing but heart-pounding action and some surprisingly fun beats  inbetween. If you're looking for a tightly paced action/family drama, Wire's a great choice. There's something to admire in how little Roon needs to say in order to paint a picture: She pacts a lot of information to very few words; economy of language, it's a rare thing. And also, despite the AU elements, Taylor is more in character then she is in most wormfics set in what is ostensibly canon. LEMON: I can't say I've read Wire, but you're certainly making me want to read it. A tightly paced action/family drama sounds interesting to me, and I can agree with a lot of your views on Roon's writing having read other stories by her such as Terminus (another great fic people should read). She definitely has a talent when it comes to pacing and avoiding word bloat that stands in stark contrast to a lot of other stories. Her ability to write a recognizable Taylor with all of her strengths and all of her flaws is nearly unmatched. TSK: I actually haven't read Terminus! I keep meaning to but also I'm kind of tired of canon worm at the moment, AU's and canon divergences are what my tastes are at the moment.  LEMON: From the way you've described Wire, it seems to feature a lot of the same strengths that Terminus has. I can definitely understand being tired of canon worm, typically I almost exclusively read OC Fics, but Peri and Roon are two writers skilled enough that they can make me want to read stories I normally wouldn't be interested in. TSK: Absolutely agree, the two are fantastic writers, and at this point I'd read almost anything they'd put out. And I can't overstate how nice it is to read a wormfic— actually, fanfic that doesn't waste time. Again, I'm not intending to be disparaging, but I think a lot of fanfic authors in general tend to assume that more words = good, which is very much not the case. Words, in my experience, should be chosen carefully, and with great consideration. I can't tell you how many times I've read paragraphs upon paragraphs in fic and gone: "okay but what purpose did any of that serve?" I get a lot of people write fanfic for fun, and that's great! But a side effect may be not thinking too much about endgoals and what words would service said goal, and so you end up with a lot of meandering or rambling tangents. LEMON: Oh absolutely. When it comes to fanfic there seems to be an inherent value placed in the quantity of words without much regard for the quality in such a way that it becomes actively detrimental, with shorter stories often being relegated to the bottom rung. One thing I can always appreciate in a writer is when they write in a way that respects my time and both Peri and Roon do that wonderfully. TSK: Yes! An author who respects your time, who trusts you is one of the best experiences. and Peri and Roon do both, in different ways. So, in summation: read Life Bends Down, Wire, and the rest of Peri and Roon's body of wormfic works. You won't regret it! If you want wormfics that are markedly distinct from the source material whilst retaining the best elements of them, they're for sure your first stop. Alright, I think that's everything I wanted to say. Any closing remarks, Lemon? LEMON: If you do plan on reading Peri and Roon's fics and enjoy them, be sure to leave a comment! Likes and kudos are always great, but I've found that authors especially look forward to people leaving feedback in the comments.  TSK: Oh yes, 100%. To the fanfic author, a kind comment is gold. Alrighty then, that's it! Thanks for joining me for this, Lemon. Looking forwards to doing more. LEMON: Likewise!

FICS DISCUSSED THIS EPISODE: Life Bends Down by CPericardium

Wire, by maroon_sweater

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Welcome to the Shop

Howdy hey, I’m mod TSK! Welcome to Criticism With a Side of Coffee, the premiere Worm Fanfic Discussion Blog. Here, me and my good friend Lemon are gonna be critically discussing wormfics. What we aim to do with this blog is to encourage discussion of fics in a more nuanced way- beyond simply liking or disliking, we aim to go into detail about the nitty-gritty of plot, prose, character, and creative aim.  A line we both want to make clear is that we do not endorse and will not perform bashing. Even when reviewing a fanfic we happen to dislike, we’re going to be discussing the particulars of why, rather then just listing angry expletives. The purpose of this blog is to inform and encourage readers and writers alike, not to tear people down.  Feel free to submit worm fanfics for us to read! We will take a look at them, but we also have our own schedules to keep, so no promises on when it’ll be discussed. That’s all so far. See you soon!