Seeking help from the best healers but it didn’t work, then the spirits intervened and solved the problem.
After a long time, here’s another Korra’s fanart. Hope you like it.
This is really cool! The other Korra-vs.-Koh fanarts I’ve seen show Korra from behind, for whatever reason; I like this piece because the artist has not only attempted a close-up view, but has actually made it work. Korra’s attempt at a neutral expression is quite passable! ^_^
Battling cliches
Anonymous asked you:What’s wrong with prophecies in a fantasy novel? Specially with the Chosen One. I have it by accident, but it’s kind of different. I think if it’s justified and well done it can work, what do you think? Any advice on writing it and being original? P.S.: I CAN’T delete it, it is really important. Thank you so much!Taken from TVTropes.org on the archetype “The Chosen One”:
“The ultimate victim (or beneficiary) of Because Destiny Says So. The oldest and most common Super Hero Origin. The easiest way to turn an Ordinary High School Student into the only thing preventing The End of the World as We Know It. Take it for granted that they are the Only One.”
The examples listed above are all tropes in The Chosen One archetype that have been done so many times that their classic definition is a widely recognized cliché. That’s what you want to avoid when it comes to using The Chosen One as a plot device.
When people say not to use the “prophecy” in a fantasy novel, it’s usually because it’s been done to death, and also because it’s used as an unquestionable catalyst to put the story in motion. Oftentimes, instead of components coming together synergistically to create the story, The Prophecy can be used as a cop-out, a “greater power” that cannot be questioned, which propels the story just because.
So, if the answer to the big question of, “Why this character?” is simply, “Because,” that can frustrate readers.
However, this doesn’t mean you need to avoid The Prophecy and The Chosen One at all costs. Classic tropes can be used, there’s nothing wrong with that. Even the dystopia subgenre, only a fairly recently recognized subgenre (although it’s existed for much longer), already has its common set of tropes and clichés.
The trick is to take the trope and do something other than the cliché. If you’ve read widely enough, you know how authors tend to utilize the aforementioned, and you can discern what worked for the story and what didn’t. Take what you know and apply it to your story, do something that you haven’t read yet with The Chosen One, something that hasn’t been done.
Make it fresh, original, twist it, do something different and unexpected.
Sometimes this’ll take a lot of thought and planning. Sometimes you’ll have to pull components from other stories, other genres even (crossing genres is always an awesome way to break out of the typical clichés). Combine different elements and then ask yourself if the story is weighing too much on the cliché.
A trick I use is to write up a summary that would go on the back cover (or the query), and then I can more objectively see what this story might look like to someone else so I can ask myself:
- Does this read like too many other back covers?
- What makes this story unique?
- What stands out?
- If it’s lacking pizzazz, how can I change things up?
- If there are clichés, what can I do to drop-kick some originality into them?
The most important thing in the end is that you write the story that you want to write, because that’s what will keep you writing. Don’t write what people want you to write about, and don’t let people tell you what you shouldn’t write, because plenty of writing advice tells you just that. You’re in charge of your own story, so if your story hinges on The Prophecy and The Chosen One, then work the heck out of it.Reblogging for ye gods, am I sick of “The Chosen One” narratives. I understand that there are very few ways to get Ordinary Teenager into action-adventure, but The Chosen One has got to be the laziest. Even Star Wars, the monomythiest of modern monomyths doesn’t feature a Chosen One (prequels, yes. Original, nope; Luke’s got a famous dad and some natural talent, but no prophecy). Even the first Transformers movie, which features the laziest, most contrived of all possible MacGuffins, didn’t go with The Chosen One. If you absolutely must have you some Chosen One in your protagonist, well, go for it I guess, but to me it is among the hardest not to make come across as utterly cliché.
So of course in our Cthulhu-Twilight knockoff, our Lego Brick protagonist is (you guessed it) the Chosen One of Prophecy.
steampunk-honey replied to your post:LOL that chat had a lot of my conversational “tics” in them. Also, I remembered you trying to explain this very strangely construed children’s show to me. (I still find this a very strange concept for children’s television.)
I do not understand how somebody pitched this idea and a television exec said “yeah! sounds like a great idea for a children’s show!”And that’s not even getting into the murder-suicide!My guess is they just came up with creative ways of referring to stuff.
“Amon and Tarrlok turned evil because their father taught them bloodbending” sounds reasonably child-friendly (especially if the execs were thinking AtLA-style puppeteering instead of LoK’s submission hold torture),
That is, incidentally, an interesting choice - because the contrast definitely makes it look like it was a choice to reframe bloodbending that way. Not like it wasn’t creepy in ATLA, but I never got the indication that Aang and Sokka were in physical pain, for instance. That’s not only quite clear in LOK, it’s made explicit in the dialogue just so that there’s no way to get away from it. (I’ve heard a few murmurs of ‘it’s not that big a deal’ but not many, and I suspect it was one of those points they wanted to hammer in.)
even if the execution is decidedly not. Likewise, “Tarrlok blows up the boat he and Amon are on to save the city from Amon” doesn’t sound that bad if you leave out the parts about Tarrlok suffering from depression and obvious self-loathing to the point of being actively suicidal (rather than willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good).
Yeah. I mean, I’m sure the latter was a motivation in his head, but Tarrlok has clearly hit rock bottom and then started tunnelling under well before that point. Even so, I can see why even they were surprised that the network let it fly. It kind of makes you wonder what they couldn’t get away with.
(forever loling over the ‘this is a kids’ show, we’d never have someone subtextually considering suicide!’ Meanwhile, actual fratricidal suicide is 100% okay because villains don’t count :P)
Korra’s Firebending, Part 3: On Equalist Ground (2)
“Firebending is notable for its intensive attacking style and general lack of adequate defensive moves…”
—Article on “Firebending” in the Avatar Wiki (avatar.wikia.com)
(All screenshots from Avatarspirit.net.)
In psychological terms, “The Voice in the Night” really forms the second half of a two-parter with “The Revelation,” showing the consequences of the ego-crush Korra suffered at the hands of Nameless Equalist Mook #1 in “The Revelation.” Since it is Korra’s go-to element for projecting the power that is vital to her sense of self, firebending figures heavily in this episode as well.
This is a nice breakdown of Korra’s uses of firebending, as usual. =D
Ditto!
I think the important thing to keep in mind about Korra’s nightmare is that her subconscious is driving the whole thing, and her subconscious feels terrified and powerless. I think the ineffectiveness of her firebending there reflects that — her subconscious won’t let her land a hit, because the point is that she’s overwhelmed and incapable of fighting back successfully.
I agree, though I do think it’s interesting that even in Korra’s daytime life, firebending is thus far not working out terribly well for her. I also like the interpretation that Equalists probably specifically focus on fighting firebenders - which, though there may be multiple reasons, seems to be validated by how they go from easily taking Mako and firebender!Korra down to being considerably less ineffective (as Korra depends less on fire? + enter Asami + Bolin fighting more?). And of course they can’t fight airbenders at all, really.
That’s probably also part of the reason why Naga can’t show up, along with the one you mentioned about her not really understanding that she can depend on other people (though that’s a really good point that I hadn’t thought of!).
It might also relate to Korra’s sense of her own solitude? Naga is a wonderful companion and very dear to her, but she is not a human being. Within Korra’s own psyche, it may very well be that nobody can be depended on, and Naga doesn’t exist as a significant figure there.
I really like the point that Korra’s firebending is tied closest to her feelings of power and agency, and that’s why it’s such a big deal that it fails so often. Firebending is flashy and scary and gives her the satisfaction of intimidating her enemies, but it’s not really what she needs when dealing with Equalists.
Right - not the way she’s using it right now, anyway (as much for show as anything else).
Also, Iruka, I really enjoyed this part re: the task force -
From what we’ve seen, Korra views fire as her most powerful element, her “edge” in a fight. But now she’s in a situation where her over-reliance on it has become a weakness, throwing her back on less spectacular elements and making her, in this instance, just one of a crowd of task force waterbenders. She’s so used to being special that it can’t be an easy transition for her to make.
Tarrlok gives her a shiny co-leader badge, but I can’t imagine that goes very far with Korra. The task force is a large, homogeneous group, formed with the intention of simply drowning their enemies out (literally! but it’s heavy on numbers and well timed cooperation, and things go wrong for Korra as soon as she steps out of the coordinated flow of the group - she almost instantly has to be rescued by Tarrlok and though the overall experience seems to have given her a confidence boost, it also seems to have given her a desire to prove that she can strike out independently).
That’s the polar opposite of pro-bending, with tiny groups where each person is specialized, unique, and absolutely critical. In a way, Korra the pro-bending waterbender is much more valuable than Korra the task force waterbender. It’s not hard to see why it might do more for her.
What ship do you think I’m the child of?
#oH FUCKING YES #PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE I’M SO CURIOUS #CROSSOVERS COUNT BTW LIKE IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A STANDARD SHIP OR ANYTHING#WHICHEVER PEOPLE YOU THINK MADE ME
“assurances of attachment” - fic
A conversation from earlier today reminded me of this fic - a Pride and Prejudice genderswap fic with m!Elizabeth, f!Darcy, and everyone else per canon. It takes place towards the end of the timeline.
…
Elizabeth, still more affected, was earnest and solemn in her reply; and at length, by repeated assurances that Mr Darcy was really the object of her choice, by explaining the gradual change which her estimation of him had undergone, relating her absolute certainty that his affection was not the work of a day, but had stood the test of many months suspense, and enumerating with energy all his good qualities, she did conquer her father’s incredulity, and reconcile him to the match.
Henry had lain awake for hours, thinking of—among other things—how on earth he was to introduce the subject of his impending marriage to his father. Not, of course, that a man of five and twenty needed permission to marry any woman he chose, much less a man of five and twenty with his family’s estate entailed upon him, but he knew Mr Bennet would disapprove of the object of his choice, would be made unhappy, even. Of course that could not compare with the joy of Catherine’s acceptance, but - he was sorry that he, his father’s favourite, would likely be paining him as much as Lydia had, and could not help but wish for Mr Bennet’s blessing.
Guys, we want to show you our new work that we hope to have soon ready for sale :)
Sparkle Jimble Skirt
Georgette skirt with a beautiful jellyfish embroidery. Embelished with pearls and glass bead bubbles that are embroidered by hand. Has a second layer of glitter chiffon that gives an undersea sparkle feel ♥~~
Chicos, queremos mostrarle otro de nuestros trabajos que esperamos tener a la venta próximamente :)
Falda de georgette azul marino con un hermoso bordado de medusa. Con aplicaciones de perlas y burbujas de vidrio bordadas a mano. Tiene una segunda capa en gasa con brillos, que da la sensación de brillo del fondo marino ♥I wish this was a lighter color!
Jellyfish….Lolita * V*
SCREAMING
Look how precious this is
steampunk-honey replied to your post: LOL that chat had a lot of my conversational “tics” in them. Also, I remembered you trying to explain this very strangely construed children’s show to me. (I still find this a very strange concept for children’s television.)
I do not understand how somebody pitched this idea and a television exec said “yeah! sounds like a great idea for a children’s show!”
And that’s not even getting into the murder-suicide!
