Like I LOVEEEE whatever is wrong with Dam Ye-jin 😭😭 not to mention the way insomnia was portrayed? It had me SAT. I am on ep 4 rn but I am already in love with the characters, especially the fl and I am now interested in the ml's backstory cuz I feel like he had something to do with that cream? Cuz idk he worked in a lab before but suddenly stopped after "one day". Plus the way he overcompensates to Som Yi and his sister??? Or maybe he is just like that 🤷♀️ Though, I may be wrong, idk. No spoilers plss.
Okay maybe definitely, Eun Ho is a morally questionable character. She doesn't care about humans and helps bad people for money. But so whaaat 😭 I mean, we don't get such characters often okay and there are sooooo many morally gray male leads or villains people love so why hate her? 🤷♀️ Doesn't make sense. In fact, I love her PRECISELY bcs she is like that. I have never seen a Gumiho who wants to stay as a Gumiho and enjoy luxury and wealth.
And I saw some people say (comment, type of whatever) that they hate her because she basically ruined Kang Si-yeol's life (in the first few episodes) and how could someone fall for the person who ruined their life. Well mind you, because when Si-yeol had asked for Eun Ho to make Woo-seok a football league player like himself, she had told (warned) him that something like that isn't easy and it's not in her power to just change someone's life like that and that there are consequences and whatnot.
But what did our Si-yeol do? He decided to provoke her 😭😭 so of course, our fox who hates humans wouldn't just let a human walk all over her and treat her like that when she basically holds all the power especially RIGHT AFTER she helped (well not exactly cuz she was paid for it, but as Eun Ho believes, the deals humans make with her is like praying to a deity so she is already doing them a big favour in her opinion) so ofc, she decided to teach him a lesson by switching their fates.
Now, she didn't KNOW that she would end up becoming a human after that. She just wanted to "put him in his place" and teach him a lesson and she was literally going to switch everything back wasn't she? So I don't know why anyone would hate her THAT much considering there are morally worse characters out there who are loved. I am not saying that you have to love a morally grey character but it doesn't just sit right with me how she is hated so much when she is not even THAT bad like idk my opinion 🤷♀️
Anyways, she is an arrogant, selfish and greedy Gumiho and i love her for that :> she is an interesting and fun character to watch 🤷♀️ I mean, i wouldn't want to watch a Gumiho who is overly sweet and kind like that's kind of boring, but however her character is kind of new and refreshing considering all other kinds of Gumihos we have gotten in other kdramas.
I feel like your entire blog is just shitting on readers.
My take: if you were really writing for fun, you wouldn't publish it and abandon it. You can't get mad at readers for not supporting that.
I shit on rude and entitled readers who are shitting on writers, which sounds a lot like you.
your take is shit by the way, because writers can absolutely write first and foremost for fun and for themselves while still posting their works online. and by your logic, it’s writers’ fault if shitty readers are rude and/or harassing them. it’s honesty giving “if you don’t want to get catcalled in public, don’t dress like that in public” and “if you don’t want strangers to criticize the way you dress in public, don’t leave your house — if you leave your house, people are allowed to criticize and catcall you and it’s your fault” it’s victim blaming at its finest and it’s absolutely disgusting.
my other take: if you truly believe your take is right, say it off anon. don’t hide like a pathetic little chihuahua who wants to bark but don’t know how to actually bite lmao
I finally started My Royal Nemesis, I am on episode 4 (almost done with it) and loving it (≧▽≦) Shin Seo-ri is soooo adorable and hilarious and the acting is amazing srsly and Cha Se-gye is so down bad already yet in denial 😭😭 and I hate that cousin so much and the dog was cute and that annoying guy in the apartment is hilarious 😆 anyways the chemistry is amazing, plot is interesting and I am loving the drama so much!!! It's definitely the only kdrama out of the ones that came out this year (other than No Tail to Tell) that's actually piqued my interest enough for me to pick it up and watch. I like the lead actress too, her acting is amazing, even lead actor too. They are amazing 🤭 oh and Shin Seo-ri's fits are killing it 🙂↕️ I loved that red outfit the most till now
not to sound old but I actually hate how social media platforms have shifted from its main core (people sharing harmless glimpses of their lives and connecting with friends and family) to algorithm, likes, engagement, trends, going viral, drama and cancel culture. and also you literally cannot scroll down a few posts without ads. and you have to question every cute photo/video you see because there’s always a chance of it being ai-generated.
(I try not to question things and just let myself enjoy cute animal contents, because if I fully let myself suspect one thing, I’ll suspect every single thing and that’s not how I want to relax and enjoy cute animal contents. so at this point I kind of give up and just enjoy cute animal contents and I make peace with knowing chances are that I’ve already liked and shared animal contents that are ai-generated without knowing it’s ai. and I know this may sound controversial but I refuse to let myself lose my whimsy by not enjoying any cute animal contents for fear of it being ai so whatever. the same goes for witch hunt when it comes to fanfics, I’ll choose to trust that if someone uses ai to write, they’ll tag it accordingly — especially because every ai telltale is something humans actually write and thus ai was able to mimic it — and every fic that’s not tagged as ai is human-made. which I know is not the case, but I also know that, unless the author themself says so, I can never know for sure if a fic is ai and I can only guess based on vibes. and I’ll never ever condone witch hunt, speculation or harassment, the latter of which includes fics that are tagged as ai by the authors. I may not agree with their decisions to let ai write for them, but I’ll mind my own business, I’ll never harass them and I respect that they’re honest about using ai by tagging their works accordingly. but we’ve already strayed farther enough from the original point of this post so.)
While thinking about a fic idea I had, I realised that the first timeline was just so depressing. I mean, I always knew it was but... I just really thought about HOW bad exactly.
Ryu Sun-jae lived carrying the heavy guilt of Im Sol's paralysis. He blamed himself for not being able to save her. For not waking her up when he could have simply done that, and prevented the whole incident from happening in the first place. The words Im Sol said to him after accident, that he should have just "let her die" amplified his guilt even more, I think. (Which, obv I don't blame Im Sol for it, she is a human, she feels stuff.)
After that, he also reached out to her in 2009, called her in that radio show, and realised yet again just how much she was suffering. He literally heard his first love say that she didn't want to live. In his mind, it was because of him. He was the reason she couldn't leave her life fully, that she couldn't fulfill his dreams.
Even after that call, there was probably no confirmation that she had forgiven him. Because she didn't know who saved her from that accident. Even if she was his fan, to him, she didn't know that he was "reason" for her being in a wheelchair. He constantly lived with the reminder that while he was living successfully, Im Sol was living a life where she couldn't achieve her goals and dreams.
Seeing her so happy to see him, being his fan for over a decade, he might have still thought that he didn't deserve it. That he wasn't worthy of being loved by someone who he couldn't protect, and someone whose life he "ruined".
Then there's Baek In-Hyuk. Baek In-Hyuk who probably saw his out-going, happy friend go from his usual self into a closed off, isolated mess he became after the accident. He might have lived with frustration, that he couldn't help Sun-jae and that Sun-jae wouldn't tell him why he was suddenly like that.
Baek In-Hyuk, whose last conversation with his childhood best friend, who k*lled himself, was an argument. He might have hated himself for not being able to be there for him. That he was always around, but never could truly support him. He saw his friend become miserable, but couldn't help, and now, his friend was gone. And the last memory they shared was an argument.
For Im Geum, he had to give up on his dreams, and work hard, often overtime, to support for his family. While Sol tried to earn herself by starting her freelance editing business, she was still barely getting any customers, and he was still the one with responsibility to prove for the family. He didn't get married, because he simply didn't have the time or energy to start a relationship, since he was always exhausted. His sister's accident must have obviously affected him mentally too.
Lee Hyun-joo, about Hyun-joo, I absolutely love that even in the first timeline, she did not abandon Sol. Instead, she was always there, quietly supporting and even bought a bigger car to help drive Sol to places. A beautiful friendship, that didn't weaken at all during any time. Though, she might not have suffered as much as others, she still wasn't married and didn't have her beautiful children.
Park Bok-soon, she was so strong. She was hurting inside, seeing her daughter in so much pain, but she never showed it. She always made sure to be the strong one so her daughter could rely on her and feel safe. And, I am pretty sure she also knew who exactly saved her back then. She knew it was Ryu Sun-jae, but she didn't tell Sol because she thought that Sol would hate herself if she realised that she said all that things to Ryu Sun-jae.
And Ryu Sun-jae's dad too, he must have not seen his son smile, really smile throughout these fifteen years. And then, his son took his own life, leaving him miserable, helpless and completely and utterly alone.
And Kim Taesung, in the original timeline, there was no one to guide him to the right path. He wasted away his youth, ended up in a big gang fight and dropped out of high-school. He probably never got the disclosure he did in the fourth time line. There was no one who told him, assured him, that his parents do card for him, even if this might not have been able to show it at times. He probably didn't live a very successful or fulfilling life in the original timeline.
Then, there's obviously Im Sol. Im Sol whose life was suddenly turned upside down because of an "accident" she didn't remember. All her dreams were suddenly far too away from her reach. She was helpless, even though she had people supporting her, she felt helpless and alone. Because she was scared of how she would live like this. It must have been scary to just realised that you can't walk anymore. She wanted to end her life, because she saw no meaning in living anymore. But then, Ryu Sun-jae reached out to her, said those meaningful words and gave her hope and something to hold on to. Then, Sol became stronger, emotionally and mentally. She stopped being negative and finally started to look at the brighter side. She was optimistic. But then, after 14 years of being Sun-jae's fan, the man who gave her a will to live, suddenly takes his own life. Then what should she live for, when the person who told her to live gave up himself?
But our sweet angel Im Sol not only went ahead and saved her "saviour" but also made everyone's life better. She didn't just save her idol, no, she saved herself, and the people around her, ultimately making everyone much happier. She carried the last timeline on her back 😤 She practically saved everyone from doom. She helped her best friend and brother get together (however, unintentionally it may be). She showed Kim Taesung the right path, and then he ended up becoming a cop, in good terms with his father and also ended up making real, sincere connections with Ryu Sun-jae and Baek In-Hyuk, a friendship that lasted forever. Sun-jae's father gets to see his son finally being truly happy. Her mother is happy, she has grandchildren, a loving daughter-in-law, a great to-be son-in-law and her son is finally starring in a drama 😂 everyone is happy basically all thanks to our Solie!! She really turned around the doomed timeline and made everyone happier.
Ok so about these two... Where do I even begin 😭 their relationship is so wholesome and refreshing. You don't get to see a lot of female-male friendships in dramas right? For me atleast, I haven't seen a lot. The bond they share is so pure. The whole series, Dohwa is always asking "Are you okay?" Whether it be after Baek Kyung was mean to her, or when he read the comic and realised Dan-oh is about to get a serious surgery.
He is that friend who is always looking out for her and supporting her.
Not to mention, they are an absolute chaotic pair, I totally love their energy. It's so wholesome! The way he tried to stop her from cursing out in front of everyone during the trip was so hilarious. He even felt bad after what happened on the stage with Baek Kyung and even picked up the keychain and gave it to Baek Kyung, telling him not to be too harsh on her. That's how caring and thoughtful he is.
There's also one scene where he brings her a bottle of strawberry milk after getting to know about her heart condition worsening. Which was such a cute detail imo, considering Eun Dan-oh seems to love strawberry milk a lot. So, it really shows he notices every little thing about her. It melts my heart 😔🫶
Eun Dan-oh too, takes time out of her constant fight against the narrative, and to be her own life's protagonist, to plan and help Lee Dohwa change the stage, confess to Yeo Ju-da, and help him be his own story's main character. They are always scheming to help each other in their respective struggles. It's a heart-warming connection they have. It's two people, two soulmates— whether one thinks of them as platonic, or romantic— who always look out for each other and support each other. They are absolutely adorable together either way. 😁
When Dan-oh loses her Ego, Lee Dohwa is one of the most desperate to get her real self back. Because he cannot stand seeing his best friend act and live as something she would never want to. He wants her to be truly happy. Even if being "aware" brings more pain than joy, he knows that Eun Dan-oh would rather live with the pain of being aware, and having to constantly fight her fate, rather than living ignorantly as a shell of herself, controlled completely by the writer.
Extraordinary You has a lot of complex characters, with equally complex relationships. But this bond is one really special to me. And I really love these two a lot <3
I read this as a reblog and, I don't want to start a big thing with the OP so I've just copied the text - my thoughts are below the cut. Since this landed in my orbit I haven't been able to write a damn word on any of the three WiPs that are open. Hopefully, getting this written will free RAM and let me get on with what I want to be getting on with.
I did not write this:
I think fanfic as your primary writing and reading background really sets you up to fail because there’s so many inherent crutches to fanfic. You don’t have to make characters enjoyable because the work’s already been done, you don’t have to describe appearances or locations or motivations because the work’s already been done, conflicts come pre-established and relationship dynamics have already been laid out. And none of this is a knock on fanfic, I am not saying fanfic is bad. But if that’s all you’ve written and largely all you’ve read then I think it’s gonna be a rough transition to original fiction, and I think you need to take some time first to familiarize yourself original works again.
My thoughts below:
This bothered me on a lot of different levels so, I'm not sure how coherent this is going to be ... hang on ... this got long and was a bit of a bumpy ride.
First: Define "fail".
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:
To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent persons
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And to endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch
Or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know that even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.
If you enjoy both reading and writing fanfic and that's what you want to do - how are you setting yourself up to "fail"? Fail what? Traditional publishing? Original works? Are you failing if you aren't able to monetize your writing but you're actually *enjoying* it? Original works are great but they're not the only "acceptable" works. I write, not to make money, but because my soul demands that I do so. I POST my writings in the event that someone else might find it enjoyable or comforting or get *something* from what I've written.
Second: I've read A LOT of fanfics. And a lot of them could easily become original works by simply CHANGING THE CHARACTER NAMES. I've actually written one and I'm in the middle of writing one now - change the names of the main characters and you'd never know it was fanfic because they're AUs. The world the characters exist in, isn't the one we're used to so the world has to be built/described.
Third: We don't write fanfic because of the "ease" of using the "inherent crutches". We write fanfics because we want to watch the same two idiots fall in love over and over - in any timeline, any dimension, anywhere. We like exploring the different ways our idiots meet and fall in love. We write it because we didn't like what we saw on screen and thought "I can fix this". We write because we didn't see something we wanted to and think "I can fix this".
You do have to write appearances/descriptions/motivations - especially if you're writing an AU. You do have to establish relationship dynamics. And conflicts. Unless you're writing the same exact story as was on the screen, you put your own spin on things and your own spin doesn't work if you simply lean *exclusively* on what's there. At the very least, if you're writing a canon-compliant fic, you have to expand on what's established if you want the reader to engage - otherwise, they might as well just watch the media it started out as.
Fourth: As I've said - I've read a lot of fanfic. I've also read a lot of different original works. My tastes run toward mystery and fantasy but I've also read Harlequins and pulp magazines. I will read just about anything that strikes my fancy. I have never been drawn to wordy/overly-descriptive works. Joyce Carol Oates is considered one of the best writers of our age - and I cannot stand her works. I HATED Nicholas Nickleby (Charles Dickens) - I remember exactly ONE thing from that story - Crumpet Wars. It was the entire second chapter and was never (in my memory) mentioned again. That kind of thing frustrates me as a reader.
As a writer, I don't put a lot of descriptions in my works. I give bare bones and leave it to the reader to fill in whatever they want. "He was a tall, thin man with graying hair cropped close, wearing an expensive navy suit" <- not really descriptive but that's what I write. Is he white? Black? Asian? What color are his eyes? His tie? His shirt? You fill in the blanks. I see one man, you see another and, honestly, it ultimately doesn't matter to the story. I *as a reader* don't want to get bogged down in descriptions that go on for three or four paragraphs. I have found it tedious to read the SAME description in five different paragraphs. "The house smelled of burnt toast and regret" ... "the smell of burnt toast hung in the air, punctuating the deep regret" ... I've put aside more than one book (and fic) for that reason.
The character descriptions could fit a million different people. There are *millions* of people who fit the descriptions. Physical and character traits.
The above person said "I'm not saying fanfic is bad" ... yeah, you are. Maybe not in those words but, you are. (and I saw a reblog or a comment that said "I am saying fanfic is bad")
I've read published novels that are awful. 50 Shades of Gray is (IMO) a terrible series of books. It misrepresents BDSM in so many ways, it's insulting (a friend read the first three chapters and warned me off them). Those books started out as fanfics of Twilight (also horrible stories IMO - I couldn't get past the first five chapters of the first book).
I've read fanfics that are soul-crushingly beautiful. I've read fics that have a good story but the writing sucks and I've read fics with wonderful writing but the story sucks. One of the Xena fanfic writers went on to work as a writer on Xena. There's a Brittana writer who changed the names and self-published for Kindle. There's a Xena writer who changed the names and sold her stories in paperback.
I spent a lot of years being embarrassed because I'm a fic writer. I get the "why don't you write something you can get published" line all the time. I don't write to make money. I don't have the attitude/ambition for traditional publishing or the energy/marketing skills for self-publishing. Do I think I'm not good enough? Nope. I know I've written better fics than some of the published stuff out there. And I'm okay with that.
I also find it amusing - we see "film adaptations" of various books but, really? What are "film adaptations" other than a screenwriter's fanfic? A director's "take"?
I have said this and will probably say it again: The best writing advice in the world isn't any good if it doesn't work for you.
And, also - the worst fanfic you write yourself is better than the best original work written by AI.
Anyway.
All of this merely represents my thoughts/opinions - worth about what you think they are.
Go ahead, make your OC the sibling/child/friend/whatever of an important canon character. Ship your OC with a canon character. Its fandom, its posts on social media/fanfic/fan art. Go for it, have fun, make up your own headcanons.
