do you love female characters and an ENDLESS stream of thoughts about them? do you find yourself delving deep into their minds or the themes of their stories or their character development, only for it to go unnoticed? you are not alone, and you no longer have to shout into the void alone.
I STARTED THIS COMMUNITY to help curate a productive and focused space for appreciating female characters without unwanted derailment. it's still young and new, so, i was hoping to inspire a wider variety of meta and discussions because i want to engage with the way you engage with your favourite heroines.
if that sounds like your deal, PLEASE READ FURTHER AND BOOST THIS POST BY REBLOGGING IT!
EVENT: you can participate by sharing a meta discussion or post about any female character(s) of your choice, using any of the prompts below, curated by yours truly. this is meant to lean towards analysis of canon material rather than writing fanfiction.
PROMPTS:
I. “CHARACTER STUDY.” choose any character(s) of your choice and give your take on their characterisation. think of them as layers: the outer surface — their demeanour and first impression, then their motivations — intrinsic and extrinsic, their strengths and weaknesses, their personality, their behaviours in social interactions, their quirks, their fears, their psychology, their development and arcs, and so on. you can opt for a generalised overview or dive into a specific aspect of their characterisation. you can analyse them from any type of angle.
II. “VERSUS.” pick two women who have been pitted against each other for any type of conflict, and think about it. was that rivalry organic and inevitable or editorially forced and unexpected? was it beneficial or meaning for their character development? could it have been handled differently? was it interesting or tired? do you consider it reflective of our society? do you think this type of stories have any impact on the way we discuss relationships between women? does the bechdel test come to mind?
III. “MISCHARACTERISATION.” take any story, plot, comic, etc. of your choice and make your case for why this specific portrayal of the character does a disservice to them and is out of character. then tell me the implications and impact; did this mischaracterisation stem from ignorance or stereotypes? how much did this instance damage the public perception and understanding of the character?
IV. “A RETCON YOU ACTUALLY LIKED.” not all dramatic changes are bad all the time, and reboots aren't always terrible beyond belief. sometimes, they can work! i'd love to hear if there's an example you're fond of that was beneficial to your favourite character.
V. “BY DESIGN.” aesthetics aren't always surface-level, sometimes they can be reflective of who we are on the inside or carry significance that is cultural, psychological, or sentimental at times. for this prompt, i'd like for you to analyse the sartorial choices made in the design of your female character: why do they look the way they do? why these costume choices? why this colour scheme? why that hair length? why those gloves and masks? are these retcons helpful? additionally, you can also use this prompt to defend a specific character design you like.
VI. “DREAM TEAM-UP.” if you're anything like me, you have multiple favourites and you love playing dolls with them. so, use this prompt to propose a team-up, crossover, or collaboration of your choice! no limits on the number (minimum: two female characters), as long the focus is on the women of marvel and dc comics. you can analyse why these characters would work or wouldn't, draw parallels between them, think about what their dynamic would be like, propose a story idea, and so on. also, if these two did meet but you want them to meet again? i'll allow it.
VII. “PHOENIX.” pick any character who's been killed off, retconned out of existence, or simply collecting dust in limbo — and make your case for why they should be brought back to the current times. when was the last time they were mentioned? do you know what plans the editorial did have for them? do you think they can fit in now? how would you reconcile their years of absence? what would you retcon from the past story, and what new changes would you make for their new ones? what would their new debut be like?
GUIDELINES.
do you need to be a member of the community to participate? it's appreciated, but it's not mandatory! this event is open to everybody.
is there a fixed time or deadline? honestly? no. i understand people can be busy and whatnot, and frankly, co-ordinating a timed event can be a hassle. these prompts are forever and always available for use.
word count? as much or as little as you'd like. a minimum of one paragraph would be appreciated.
the questions in the prompts' description are not meant to be taken literally. they're only elaborate, the words in the quotation marks are the prompts. you can use my questions as a framework or just ignore them outright and interpret the prompt however you'd like it to be.
the focus should be on female characters. marvel and dc only. comics only.
i won't say you can't write your meta without sources, but it's strongly recommend to the cite the comics you're discussing; your citations should include comic name, year, and writer. a wiki link would be appreciated so that people don't get confused which comic you're dissecting. you can also cite other secondary sources.
these prompts aren't for storytelling, but moreso for articles or essays, as well as think-pieces and ideas for potential stories. these do not have to be unbiased or professional or following some fancy formatting or whatever, images and aesthetics not needed as long as your stuff is comprehensible. again, you can structure your meta that way.
you can be biased and whatnot, but the main thing i'm looking for is passion and enthusiasm for what you like. critiques are welcome, but in that case, i'd also recommend adding in solutions or constructive feedback too.
no ai. no plagiarism. no unpleasant arguments or disrespect or insulting.
tag appropriately and correctly!
no deliberate misinformation. no bigotry, propaganda, harmful rhetoric, and so on.
you can submit as many times as you'd like for as many of the prompts for as many female characters.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINE: tag your posts with #throughyourlens, @ me, and message/inbox me a link to your post, and i'll reblog your meta to the women of comics community. additionally, you are welcome to reblog your post directly to the community.
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