what’s a detail you always try to slip into your writing?
have you ever made a playlist for a single scene?
what’s your guilty pleasure genre to write in rp?
what’s a detail you always try to slip into your writing?
i like slipping in what a character chooses not to engage with. what they ignore, step past, or leave unanswered usually says more than what they actually say.
especially with characters like t’challa. i’ve had writing partners try to provoke him or pull a reaction out of him, and he’ll either stay composed, recognize the game being played, and let their muse sit in it. he doesn’t always give people the response they’re looking for.
but at the same time, i do enjoy moments where someone pushes far enough under the right conditions and he actually responds. it just has to feel earned. t'challa won't think it's worth it if they act like a petulant child.
have you ever made a playlist for a single scene?
i haven't made one. but i listen to certain songs while writing scenes. it depends on what it is.
what’s your guilty pleasure genre to write in rp?
power dynamics and slow-burn tension, especially when it’s tied into politics, control, or messy loyalties. with t’challa in particular, i also enjoy writing romance.
there’s a popular idea that t’challa is purely stoic, almost batman-like, but that’s not really accurate. he's not batman. he has been stoic at times, especially when circumstances forced him into that position, but that’s not the full picture of who he is.
for example, in doomwar, he had to emotionally distance himself because doom had the wakandan palace under surveillance through their food and water. he couldn’t afford to be open, even with the people he loved, while figuring out how to win without his powers.
and in christopher priest’s run, a big part of his arc is that he had lost his joy and softness. regaining that humanity is tied directly to him becoming whole again, both as a king and as a person. he spoke to a future version of himself that died of an unknown illness, and his former lovers, monica and storm, respectively.
i don’t think it’s about choosing between the strategist and the compassionate man. both exist at the same time. he can be calculating and still be someone who loves deeply. i’m just not interested in writing him as emotionally closed off all the time. i prefer leaning into his warmth, his romance, and his ability to care without it making him any less formidable.