A couple years after my parents divorced, we went on a camping holiday in Brittany. My oldest cousin and I are both big readers and she'd brought the Hunger Games books with her. On a rainy day, she leant the first book to me ; I was hooked. Everyone else was very irritated with me for finishing the first two books within about a week, spending a lot of time in a tent by myself and refusing to play with them. It was in my very early teens, and one of my sisters especially won't let me forget how I abandonned them. This also means that I initially read the trilogy in Dutch. I then had to wait for Mockingjay to come out, and as everyone who experienced it knows, waiting with that last line "Katniss, there is no District Twelve" was heartwrenching.
What are your favorite things about the series?
As a young teen, I think I started out loving the critiques I perceived the series made about the world we live in, especially propaganda and media, though of course my analysis has evolved a lot with age. As I've grown older, I think Panem as a country is what interests me most. Questionning how these societies within the different districts, District Thirteen, and the Capitol coexist with very limited information about one another and very different systems in place is fascinating to me. How they are all part of this one country where the Hunger Games are central to society in the way they determine the yearly calendar and impact every single citizen in some way is something I enjoy reflecting on a lot.
What’s something about the series that’s stayed with you or become more meaningful to you over time?
Something that I found interesting from the beginning but has grown even more meaningful to me is related to my profound and very personal interest in political violence. Questioning how individuals come to use violence against others and justify it, but also how Panem deals with war, conflict, inequalities, social injustice, and especially how they rebuild afterwards as a country, which does not mean all these structural issues magically disappear, is something that's become even more important to me.
What's something you want the fandom to know about you?
I read all the books but can't say the same for watching the movies. I saw the first movie when it came out, but haven't seen Catching Fire, or either Mockingjay movie in its entirety. Of course, I've seen some scenes on YouTube and stuff, but just never got around to watching them. I am kind of ashamed of having gone to the movies last year by myself to watch TBOSAS and did enjoy it somewhat...
When did you begin creating? What inspired you to begin?
I was a lurker in fandoms for a long time. I started out reading fanfiction somewhere in 2011 or 2012 on fanfiction.net. I first found the site through a YouTube video depicting an alternate POV for New Moon (yes, I guess I was that teenager, gosh, this is kind of embarrassing) and then spent a lot of time reading Harry Potter fics. I was kind of reluctant to read Hunger Games fics initially but found some really good ones with time, but it wasn't really my main fandom. I started reading again during Covid as I had more time to do so and that's when I went back to the series. I always had a lot of ideas that I'd love to write but never really felt I had the time, language skills or writing ability to do so. I only started this year, initially as a writing exercise to get over blank page anxiety as I was writing a thesis after some years away from grad school. A lot of great fics inspired me. But, in the end, the idea that if you can't find what you want to read as a fanfic reader, sometimes the best answer is to write it yourself is what gave me the push to actually start posting.
What’s your personal favorite of your works?
I think my favorite work is Minutes to Midnight. It's written as Finnick's memoirs in an AU where he survived the war. I really enjoy the very reflective style this allows and how much thought and room it gives for him developing his thoughts on the war, society, and his experiences as a Victor. Furthermore, I felt that it was an opportunity to explore the nuclear aspects of the war between the Capitol and District Thirteen that are hinted at in Mockingjay by Boggs and the existence of Nuclear History lessons for the refugees from Twelve... So I made Finnick a spy! Also, the fact this is him reflecting on the past and choosing how to present himself to Panem after a decade of silence allows for some of his more manipulative side to shine through without ever being obvious and I love playing with that. It's a WIP and one I'm having a hard time with when it comes to Chapter 4 right now, but it's a story I deeply love. The first chapter is my favorite piece of writing that I've posted so far.
Tell us about your favorite relationship (of any kind) in the series. Why is it your favorite?
I can't pick just one! Obviously, Odesta is a must, but I love Finnick's relationship with Mags. I think there is a lot of complexity to be explored there, a lot of love, but also some very heavy topics... Also, I think that Finnick's friendship with Johanna is very interesting but I haven't explored it much yet myself, there are definitely some fics out there that I've loved though! Finally, and leaving Finnick behind a bit, I'm really intrigued by Gale and Katniss' friendship, and feel there is a lot that could have been done with it and I do feel SC did us dirty when it comes to them by turning that into a potential romance...
Anyone you would like to shout out in the fandom?
Now that I'm actually involved in fandom, I've greatly enjoyed discussing the series with @ongreenergrasses who has some really well thought out takes on the series and the aspects that interest me, also I just adore their stories. When working on my own worldbuilding for District Four, I keep coming back to stories by @the-sun-and-the-sea (mdr_24601 on AO3) whose stories and OC's I really love. More recently, I've taken great joy in reading @aliceinthinkland 's WIP, Head Above Water and also recommend her one-shot Pull no Punches (explicit), I feel she's got a great grasp on the trafficking and its impact on Finnick!
so much "masculinity" is constructed around the certainty that being gay or being a woman is inherently demeaning. and we're supposed to nod along supportively
"male loneliness crisis" ok so like.....what would happen if you started acting like a better friend to other men in your life? what's stopping you? is it the fear of being perceived as one of your inferiors?
"men aren't allowed to show emotions" ok so like…..what would happen if you started being more emotionally expressive? what's stopping you? is it the fear of being perceived as one of your inferiors?
“The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem.”
— The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love (2004), p. 66, by bell hooks
So, yeah, those tags seem to me to be reasonably related to your point.
yes, your tags would be appropriate for an entirely different person's book. not my post. well observed
the entire point of the of the post is that i'm not going to sympathize with men experiencing "rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem" when that self-esteem is built on and maintained by the foundational belief they must be inherently superior to me
if they gave up that belief, those "rituals" would have very little power. but they clearly understand that they benefit from patriarchy more than they are harmed by it, which is why they won't let it go
loved your analysis of how Finnick is Annie’s caretaker, I feel like Annie is very important to his balance as well considering his extreme reaction when she is taken, to what extend is Annie his caregiver as well?
what a beautiful question. I think there’s two levels of this, the background way their lives end up being structured that helps stabilize him and the active ways she cares for him.
in the absence of conistent medical and therapeutic care, I think Annie has almost certainly landed on the power of routine for managing her mental health. she has most likely figured out (as many of us do) that she needs to eat at least three times a day, have a consistent bedtime and wake up at a consistent time, have a structured day with several activities (could be chores), work out, and interact with people in an effort to manage her condition. now notably, Finnick does not have to do any of these things with her, but since I think we all hc that at some point they are presumably living together, he is going to get sucked into this routine at least slightly. in that sense, I think Annie has an extremely heavy hand in stabilizing him because I highly doubt he was living with anything close to this level of structure before she came along and it would help him a lot too. and we see this in a way! as soon as Annie is back, Finnick’s life has so much more structure, and he improves dramatically! I don’t think it’s just because she’s back. I think it’s because he needs that, as many of us do, and her need of routine provides that as an option for him, too.
In terms of something that she might be doing more actively and is less due to him just existing in her orbit, imo it’s clear from canon that she plays an incredibly important role in helping him self regulate. without Annie, he is completely unable to handle his emotions. now I think she’s helping him regulate in part because he thinks he has to be put together for her, and of course her presence makes him very happy so that helps as well, but I think her role is more active than that. I doubt they’re at the point where it’s recognizing and naming the emotion and letting it flow through you or whatever but I do think that Annie is able to read him very well and can, if he is not able to self regulate, either prompt him in a way he’ll listen to (to go outside and walk it off for example) or she’s able to comfort him in a way that allows him to get himself back under control.
notably, I don’t think he’s learning to manage his symptoms the way Annie does or working through his trauma in any meaningful way. he is absolutely in survival mode and I think another way Annie cares for him is that she recognizes that and meets him where he’s at instead of imposing expectations on him. his ultimate goal is not to improve, but to be in control of himself and to handle everything the best he can. as such, I think Annie’s support role for him is less about helping him alleviate symptoms and more providing consistent care through her presence and support.
Violence: A Writer’s Guide: This is not about writing technique. It is an introduction to the world of violence. To the parts that people don’t understand. The parts that books and movies get wrong. Not just the mechanics, but how people who live in a violent world think and feel about what they do and what they see done.
Hurting Your Characters: HURTING YOUR CHARACTERS discusses the immediate effect of trauma on the body, its physiologic response, including the types of nerve fibers and the sensations they convey, and how injuries feel to the character. This book also presents a simplified overview of the expected recovery times for the injuries discussed in young, otherwise healthy individuals.
Body Trauma: A writer’s guide to wounds and injuries. Body Trauma explains what happens to body organs and bones maimed by accident or intent and the small window of opportunity for emergency treatment. Research what happens in a hospital operating room and the personnel who initiate treatment. Use these facts to bring added realism to your stories and novels.
10 B.S. Medical Tropes that Need to Die TODAY…and What to Do Instead: Written by a paramedic and writer with a decade of experience, 10 BS Medical Tropes covers exactly that: clichéd and inaccurate tropes that not only ruin books, they have the potential to hurt real people in the real world.
Maim Your Characters: How Injuries Work in Fiction: Increase Realism. Raise the Stakes. Tell Better Stories. Maim Your Characters is the definitive guide to using wounds and injuries to their greatest effect in your story. Learn not only the six critical parts of an injury plot, but more importantly, how to make sure that the injury you’re inflicting matters.
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lowkey scared of collins making a finnick book, because im afraid she'd take the teeth out of it, much like haymitch. as far as i remember katniss describes him being pretty ruthless during his games, and he was a career so we know he probably trained, but im afraid since hes so loved like haymitch she would water him down. its weird tho cus tbosas showed she can write morally complex/grey protagonists and explore darker themes but with sotr it feels like she took a huge leap backward so i'd be wary of a finnick book, not to mention how she would handle the subject of him being trafficked
I think the difference comes down to the motive behind the writing. tbosas to me has always seemed like a passion project that’s deeply motivated by SC’s interests and things she wanted to explore about the world of Panem. in contrast, sotr is very much written to be adapted into a movie and deals with a fan favorite character and rather than exploring new elements of the worldbuilding or series, returns to what we know sells - the Games, all in the pursuit of making money.
so this is why a) I see the writing on the wall for a Finnick book, because if she wants more money he’s a fan favorite and he’s the one to go for (which. in some way I do find it all to be hideously ironic) and b) I totally agree that she’d take the teeth out of it. her new angle is trying to make her books as palatable to as many people as possible and to do that she has to flatten the protagonists. the flattening of Finnick’s complexity started in 2012 when they took D4 out as a Career district from the movies, and it’s a trajectory she would have no problem continuing.
and the thing is too that Finnick’s story is fundamentally in some ways a deeply ugly one. it is difficult and it is sad and it is nasty and I know SC can write that, because she wrote tbosas, but her priority is very clearly no longer the craft of writing. her priority is making money and if she remained true to the complexity she gave that character in the trilogy, she simply would not be able to make as much money as she wants to off him.
also, the way she handled Haymitch’s sexualization in sotr was imo one of the most distastefully handled parts of the entire book and I think with Finnick it would be much, much worse. my one hope is that she would recognize somehow that she does not have the chops to write a storyline like that and that it needs to be handled more tastefully than she can, and then step away, but I honestly don’t know if the dollar signs are more enticing at this point or what.
after the war, there is a conscious effort to reframe language around the Hunger Games - namely, not referring to people as victors who won, but survivors of the Hunger Games. they are listed on memorials with no asterisk or anything by their names that would set them apart from the other children that were reaped.
and this is all fine and good - until Haymitch absently references something from the year he 'won' and someone comes out of the woodwork to correct him that it's actually 'survived,' you know.
Because of the way the movies soften some things, people tend to downplay Katniss's ability to be ruthless. Just like when she recognizes that Gale is right about the unfairness tesserae create between the classes, when he says it's like hunting, her first thought is not for the other Tributes' humanity. Her first reaction is that it's different from hunting because they're armed and they think. Them being people comes after that, and even then, she gets over it pretty quick.
Based on your feedback, there will be an October opening of the horror collection, accompanied by a prompt list. The prompt list and updated guidelines will be posted to this blog on August 1st.
listen to me. hear me when i say this because I hate seeing this take continuously crop up:
sweetheart in the trilogy is not meant to be a term of endearment.
Sweetheart is a sarcastic, condescending, and mocking word used to undermine and tease Katniss. It is not a word of endearment:
By the end of the session, I am no one at all.
Haymitch started drinking somewhere around witty, and a nasty edge has crept into his voice.
"I give up, sweetheart. Just answer the questions and try not to let the audience see how openly you despise them." (THG)
And if that’s not enough, what about arguably the meanest scene in the whole trilogy:
Haymitch belches, filling the air with white liquor fumes. "What is it, sweetheart? More boy trouble?" I don't know why, but this hurts me in a way Haymitch rarely can. It must show on my face, because even in his drunken state, he tries to take it back. "Okay, not funny." (Mockingjay)
It’s not Katniss being an “unreliable narrator” and not picking up on his tone. She understands Haymitch better than she understands herself. Sweetheart needs to be a nasty, condescending name to make the development of haymitch’s warmth more impactful. Over the arc of the first book, sweetheart develops from a rude name to a sweeter one. Having it start nice, always be nice, deprives Haymitch of that character change.
how do u view the scene in mj when katniss and gale are in her house and hes like 'you only kiss me when im in pain" because the common belief in the fandom is that he's being manipulative/ guilt trippy here but i just dont see it that way so idk. I feel like the fandom is so blinded by their dislike for gale they seem insistent on villianizing his every move, but I always just thought of this scene as gale being vulnerable and that line about waiting for her to choose as gale being in pain and wanting to be free/cut loose from his own feelings (also he literally almost died on that table so his emotion is understandable to me) He loves her and atp knows its not him, yet katniss still wont do it (which obviously dont blame her since a lots going on and gale is her best friend so she doesnt want to lose him) idk if i even completely agree with his conclusion about her kisses but thats just me. Maybe I am being a little too lenient to him here tho, so I would love your thoughts on this whole scene :)
Ahoy, Anon! Great question. I agree with you that it is more him being vulnerable with his feelings than intentionally manipulative. I'm not against leniency for the traumatized 19-year-old. He is communicating that he feels "like the man in the Hanging Tree. Still waiting for an answer." Her life has been a wreck the past year, and because they were so close, so has his. Not even counting the bombing. Before the 74th, he had become aware of his crush on her, was probably waiting for the right time to confess his feelings. And suddenly, she had to publically be with Peeta, and even in private, her feelings are as unclear to him as they are to herself, full of mixed signals. I don't blame him for wanting some clarity.
Context matters a lot in this scene. It is in Katniss's mansion kitchen, and he opens the conversation with, "This is where you kissed me," referring to the table where he had been lying for treatment after the whipping, zonked out on morphling. I'm not calling Gale the smoothest or most tactful person, just an honest one. Katniss did kiss him there, when he was in pain, when she thought he was unconscious and wouldn't remember. In that scene, he's about to start crying, and she explicitly does kiss him "to keep [the tears] from spilling over." He saw her kiss Peeta in the arena when he was in pain, too. The pattern he points out does exist, from his perspective. At most, the "Don't worry, Katniss. It'll pass," was a little passive aggressive.
In that kiss, he pulled away first. And that kiss can't stand alone, because I think the entire thing, especially Gale's abrasiveness, needs to be looked at in combination with their kisses in District 2. There, she's grieving Peeta and choosing Gale, kissing Gale "to make up for all the kisses I've withheld, because it doesn't matter anymore..." That part, to me, sounds like Katniss finding some freedom in kissing Gale, kissing someone and not having to worry about any strategy or performance. But then, "...and because I'm so desperately lonely I can't stand it," creates some doubt. Is kissing Gale her authentic expression of romantic freedom, or is she kissing him because he's available? It can be both ("and")! It can be complicated! But Katniss doesn't sound sure in her narration, and Gale can tell she's unsure. That's when he pulls back, stops her, and asks what's going on in her head. Because she doesn't know, he no longer wants to kiss her, doesn't want to kiss someone whose motivations are uncertain. Nothing wrong with that. I love him for that.
So, considering the full picture, the kitchen kiss was when Gale's emotions were heightened by painful memories, and he was a little passive-aggressive, but for the District 2 kisses, when he's more calm, he communicates more gently and clearly: he wants an answer, for her to be sure, and to not manipulate her. If it were his intention to manipulate her, he could have taken full advantage of her habit of kissing people in pain and her emotional confusion, but he very explicitly doesn't. How some people put him down for being slightly imperfect while doing everything to not take advantage of her is beyond me.
I’m still surprised by how little we get of Katniss’s finishing school and finding a career path when it was a factor of her oppression that she her schooling revolved around coal mining and she was excepted to go into the mines that killed her dad and had that looming over her. But then what do we hear about her discovering her dream? Her ambitions? Nothing except becoming a mom. Okay ig but what else? Peeta didn’t get the same school experience, he was on a sports team. Katniss had an after school job at 11. And I can see Peeta reopening his family’s bakery, but we can seriously only see Katniss as a mom?
