I NEED to express my absolute addiction to your fanfic. It isn't just some fic I saw, liked it, and moved on. Unlike any other one i've seen, you make us immersed in the world. For most original character inserts in pieces of media, the author usually changes the whole plot and whole story to revolve around them, but you don't, and that's what makes it feel so real!! A character with their own uniqueness and own story yet still follows the canon story, a character SO well written might I add. The interactions between characters feels so authentic and in character, the way it follows the original plotline, yet STILL gives us an entire new character with her own story! It's so difficult to do that and that is why I love your fic so SO much. I dunno if anything I said makes any sense. It just feels so real and so cannon. And don't even get me started on the dynamics between characters, OH MY GOSHSHSHSHSHSSH!!!!!!!!!! Not even joking, this fic has been the only thing on my mind for weeks! Even now when I rewatch avatar I start thinking about kiyoi and have to remind myself that it's just a fic, but that's because you write it to be SO REAL. And I love how there's a whole side blog dedicated to this world!!!!! There's a fandom and memes and art and all the fandom stuff and it is just so amazing to watch and be a part of!!!! You turned from what could've been just a fanfiction into a whole fandom, and that is so awesome.
So uh...all of that to say....I love your fanfiction and am so excited to see where it goes!!!!!!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FANDOMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(newest chapter had me CRYING. the relationship between kiyoi, zuko, and iroh just makes me so comforted, it truly is a strong bond they share and their family dynamic makes me sob. Just seeing them all together and the growth the've went through since the beginning is beautiful)
(don't let sapphrie lee get you, anyway that's my whole essay!)
OMG! Thank you SO much for this incredible message! Sorry it took so long to reply, I wanted to say so much and I've been very busy lately.
Honestly, receiving feedback like this is the best part of writing, and your 'essay' has absolutely made my week! Don't worry, it all made perfect sense!
If I could put a little stamp on the 'cover' of The Element of Change with this Ask as a review, I would! Seriously, it's so nice.
I'm incredibly flattered that you call this blog a 'fandom'. It's more accurately described as, me, a weird one-woman band on a street corner with a few lovely regular readers gathered 'round being entertained by my nonsense. But I'm genuinely thrilled that you have somewhere to come and be more involved in the story after you finish each chapter. It is a fair bit of effort for me, but I love doing it, and I absolutely love knowing that you, and others, like it and enjoy the memes, polls, AU's, and shorts.
You hit on exactly what I found the most challenging, and most important, part of this whole thing: that Kiyoi feels like a character in the ATLA world and that her story adds to it, without it revolving too much around her to the point where it doesn't feel like ATLA anymore. Thank you for the compliment on Kiyoi's character and story, and on the writing of the dynamics with canon characters! I have so much respect for the show's canon (less respect for the comics... but eh, the bones are good) and felt the story of ATLA is so strong that it is better to expand on it by adding a new character with a new perspective that can reinterpret the original work rather than straight up re-write it. Deciding which scenes to add to in a meaningful way, and how to make a character like Kiyoi and her story feel like it should be canon, and that the readers get invested in her story and her relationship with Zuko was the biggest challenge. Knowing that it feels 'so real and so canon' and that the character dynamics feel right to you means I've achieved what I set out to do, so thank you for that validation!
I'm so pleased to hear the latest chapter moved you to tears. It also moved me to tears writing it, and spoiler alert writing the next chapter with Tarz's will is causing a tissue box shortage at my house. But to have this whole story about how Kiyoi and Zuko, who are alone in different ways, find a togetherness, only to then lose that and have to learn to grow independently to be together again in a new post-war world, in my head and be able to share that—is amazing. But being able to write it out and have people read it, enjoy it and be moved by it, root for Kiyoi's mission, root for Zuko to be with her, and even root for Kiyoi to let go of the way society raised her to see herself, and be invested in the individual character dynamics and the growth they've gone through; it's just a joy to write.
Thanks again for such a kind, thoughtful, and passionate message! Your support means the world, and I'm so excited for you to see what happens next!
