ariainstars

[ariainstars]

The Big List of Fanfiction Clichés

For a start: I’m not writing about #tags here. What I mean are actual tropes.

A tag is something that you write in a fanfiction header to outline the story, and / or to warn your readers.

A cliché is a plot twist the author uses believing it to be original or funny. The problem is that many of these clichés have either been around for so long that they give a rash to their readers. Some have never been creative or innovative in the first place.

“Idiots in Love” They dislike one another / are rivals / are friends but they are not aware of being in love. How do we bring these two together? 1 Jealousy. 2 One of them gets sick or hurt.

“Idiots in Love”, II They’re roommates or childhood friends for at least a decade until it finally dawns on them that they love each other. They’re rivals for years or decades until they realize that they love each other. They’re neighbours / roommates for years… etc. They’re classmates / fellow students for years… etc.

“Idiots in Love”, III They must be brought together by their friends because they’re too stupid to realize it or to make a move on their own. Added bonus: betting pools. Wolf whistles. Innuendos. (For the record, that’s not funny, just crude. Even worse considering that these are supposed to be “friends”.)

The poor / rich person cliché Poor person can hardly get by, rich person has so much luxury that poor person is dazzled, but 1 Rich person is terribly lonely and misunderstood 2 Poor person of course loves rich person because they have a heart of gold, not because of their money. The money doesn’t hurt, of course. Bonus if the fic keeps emphasizing how wonderful expensive stuff and rich life is.

Quotations or references to Jane Austen. They’re so overdone. I roll my eyes as soon as I stumble upon them. (Alternatively: Romeo and Juliet. Argh.)

Global Coincidences A and B live 1 in the same city (for the record: a metropole) or 2 on the opposite sides of the globe and meet online, or one of them loves to read the other’s books, etc. And then - bang! - they meet. A 1 in a billion possibility but hey, It’s Fate.

Anyone Straight Here? The situation is desperate! Our gay heroes can’t be together because 1 society is against it 2 their families are against it 3 they are already married / engaged heterosexually * sprinkling of fairy dust * Lo and behold, villain is a closeted homosexual themselves. Or: the inconvenient girl comes out as lesbian. Who would have thought.

There was only one bed / hotel room / dorm room No comment. Bonus if one of them forgot their sleepshirt and needs to borrow it from the only other person in the room.

The Coffee Shop AU There must be millions of coffee shop fanfics. For the record, it doesn’t get better if it’s a bar or restaurant. (Or a laundromat.)

The Hot Dad Take A child is introduced to the story who has absolutely no agenda of its own. Its only purpose is to bring the protagonists together by being cute. At least if they would have characteristics of their own, instead of just being a commodity to drive the plot. (Most of them don’t.)

Fake It till You Make It For Some Reason they have to pretend that they’re dating or married, or their marriage is arranged. Everything turns out all right in the end.

What’s an Umbrella? Key scene: to make a declaration of love, the love interest (usually male) arrives at the other’s doorstep soaking wet. Inspired by the 2005 film version of the novel-that-must-not be named.

Maybe This Time Definition of madness: “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”. Protagonist has affairs / one-night stands galore, searching for a mate. And then after months or even years, bang!, one of them stays overnight. Nothing went differently, except that miraculously, it’s their One True Love.

Those? That? Smut ensues, and every over sentence describes “those fingers”, “that cock”, “those lips” etc. Nobody uses the word “those”. Ever. Except for smut scenes.

Love Hurts If you love someone: stalk them. Offend them. Humiliate them. Invade their personal space for no reason. Make them dependent on you. At worst, kidnap and or rape them. For the record, it’s called “trauma bonding”. It’s not romantic or erotic.

Love Conquers All One person does something mean, hurtful and uncalled for to the other. Of course, they will be forgiven. That’s from where you recognize true love, don’t you? Who needs self-esteem.

It Smells of April and May They meet at a wedding. Or they broke up and meet again at a wedding. Nothing more romantic to (re)kindle feelings.

Just Kiss Already You’re sitting or standing underneath a mistletoe. What are you waiting for? Funny how branches of a parasite plant are supposed to mean good luck. Funnier how they are always conveniently at hand when They Just Have to Kiss Already. Another reference to mistletoe in a Christmas fic and I’ll riot.

I’m Not a Martyr, I’m a Victim Protagonist is convinced that “everyone they love leaves them or dies”. Lover has to convince them that they won’t ever leave them. Yes, abandonment issues are real and they can be a bitch. But this trope has been around for as long as Rapunzel’s braid. In real life: if someone says everybody leaves them, don’t take pity too quickly. There might be a reason for that. Just saying.

The Knowing Best Friend They’ve done their utmost to hide their feelings, but there is always some friend or sibling who Just Saw Right Through Them. And won’t hold back making fun of their feelings. Nice friend, really.

Their Love is Forbidden One of them is married. Engaged. In a relationship with the other’s best friend. Or both of them are. They’re on opposite sides of a war, of a business, or a class. They’re stepparent and stepchild. Adopted siblings. First cousins. One of them is underage. One of the is a priest or a nun. Even better, some of these elements are mixed together. The more desperately they cling to one another, the more you can rest assured: Their Love is True.

They Hate Each Other; it Must Be Love When two people constantly clash, it must be a proof of True Love. Or isn’t it? For the record, sometimes people genuinely dislike each other. And if someone likes the other but instead of confessing it is constantly rude to them in order to “win their attention”, it’s not a proof of love but of deep immaturity.

Parlor Games Truth or Dare. Spin the Bottle. Never Have I Ever. You name it. Nothing better to win the heart of your One True Love than by embarrassing the s*** out of them in front of everyone they know and care about. Bonus if they make fun of someone's love life. In public.

Fifty Shades of Something He’s rich and kinky, that’s all. (Or maybe he has some other terrible characteristics.) But she Loves Him, because She Sees Something in Him That Others Don’t. She’s not in it for the money of course. Neither is she incredibly naïve. It’s Love.

People Will Say We’re in Love Someone starts a rumour that A and B are a couple. Of course they aren’t. Until they are. Someone just had to give them a hint.

True Love Doesn’t Wait Protagonist has copious amounts of casual sex in order to: a) make their love interest jealous b) “exercise” for when they will be with their love interest c) “get their love interest out of their system” because they’re not reciprocated. At least, apparently not. (They just don’t know yet.) But of course: their heart always belongs only to The One.

Praise Kink They’re having sex. Like, hot sex. And one is calling the other a “good boy”. What is he, a dog?

Anything But Love They’ve been through everything together. Everything. Known one another for years. Lived together, worked together, travelled together. Talked about the most difficult topics. Been there for one another for better or worse. Had sex countless times and explored all kind of crazy kinks. But the moment one of them - or both - realize that this could actually be Love, they go into panic modus.

Conclusion I’ve read to many fanfics. Sue me. 😊

Feel free to reblog and add.

#fanfiction #ao3 #writing #clichés #tropes #writing stuff #writing is hard #reading can be even harder

[ariainstars]

Let's enjoy this, until we know how "The Bad Batch" will actually end...

everyone be quiet i'm manifesting

#reblog #fanart #the bad batch #clone force 99 #omega #hunter #wrecker #echo #tech #crosshair #idyll #pabu #sw #star wars #star wars the clone wars

[ariainstars]

I'm not sure about the AU, but the art is gorgeous. 🥰

Which AU would you create for this art?

#reblog #fanart #reylo #AU #reylo fan art #kylo x rey #ben x rey #sw #star wars #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #not my art

[ariainstars]

Brothers and sister. 😀

Omega having a day on Kamino with her brothers

#fanart #reblog #sw #star wars #the bad batch #clone force 99 #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb wrecker #tbb echo

[ariainstars]

The family is united. 😀

cat_does_the_arts

#the bad batch #star wars #sw #fanart #tbb #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb tech #tbb crosshair #sw fanart #reblog #not my art

[ariainstars]

I must say, your opinions and the way you see certain aspects of the movies you choose to review (??)

You may have just convinced me to watch Roman Holiday 😆

Do that, it's a very good movie 😊 I just disliked the sob story they made of it at the end.

Have a nice day

#movie reviews #roman holiday #audrey hepburn #gregory peck #inbox

[ariainstars]

Another amazing Reylo art. 🥰

So happy with my art commission from @pandacapuccino illustrating chapter 20 of my Reylo fanfic, The Tether. Isn’t it amazing? I couldn’t be happier! 

#fanart #reblog #reylo #star wars #sw #ben solo #kylo ren #rey #rey palpatine #rey skywalker

[ariainstars]

Beauty and the Beast: You Can’t Save Someone from Themselves

The Disney version of Beauty and the Beast from 1991 is my favourite movie and I must have watched it twenty-five times, if not more.

But when you watch a piece of media so often, you naturally discover inconsistencies in the plot, or simply details that you don’t understand or don’t quite like.

For me, I was critical for a long time about how naïve Belle is: she never knows the nature of the spell the Beast’s castle is under, she never asks and no one tells her. My point about this was that she remained oblivious to the things going on around her, trying to make the best of a situation that was out of the ordinary but never quite knowing why. I found that this detail somewhat made Belle look like a fool.

Looking back now, I see things differently. The fact that Belle is not aware of the enchantresses’ spell is a major plot point and one of the most interesting and positive characteristics of the story’s heroine.

Women often believe they can or must “fix” a guy who’s in some kind of trouble, with their love, their wisdom etc. And it never works. If a person has some problem that needs to be fixed, they must do so themselves willingly; someone else can only be by their side.

We learn early on that the Beast / Prince is not actually evil, but “selfish, spoilt and unkind”. Belle is the antithesis to this, being generous, altruistic and kind. Most of all, she’s not scheming.

Belle never tries to redeem the Beast. At first, she fears and resents him; then, seeing that he’s making an effort, she gives him a second chance. The actual change comes from the Beast himself, who is well-aware that it is in his hands to break the spell, for himself and also for the people who live with him and depend on him.

For all her maturity and independence, Bell is an innocent girl. She does not imagine that the Beast is a prince, and that he might actually be the right partner for her.

That is why their relationship develops in a natural way: the Beast at first tries to control their relationship and fails, and Belle never tries to control it. She does not search for self-validation by trying to influence someone who obviously has a long way to go. Belle never feels superior to the Beast; when she resents him it’s a pure act of self-protection, untainted by any attitude of the kind “I know better than he does”.

Beauty and the Beast contains a lot of beautiful messages, and this is maybe the most important one if you’re a female watching it: don’t ever try to change a man, or anyone else for that matter. Loving someone means being ready to forgive and giving them a second chance; wanting to “fix” someone is an act of power.

Love and power are opposite to one another. If one partner controls or tries to control the relationship, it’s doomed.

That is why the story of Beauty and the Beast feels so genuine: it’s pure and untainted by the unnecessary drama that is part of so many stories which are allegedly about “love” but lack the most important essence of any healthy relationship: trust.

#disney #beauty and the beast #movies 1991 #animated movies #film analysis #relationships #love #linda woolverton #gary trousdale #kirk wise

[ariainstars]

Roman Holiday (film 1953): the Bitter Aftertaste

You know, I used to like Roman Holiday. It’s a classic old Hollywood movie that has it all - gorgeous pictures, beautiful protagonists, a princess (of an unnamed European country), a secret love story. It’s fun and romantic and simply a joy for the eyes.

I saw it first when I was a teenager and knew very little of the world. Looking back, Roman Holiday leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

After WWII, the Western world was swamped with both pieces of media and snippets of reality that wanted to show the entire world the greatness and superiority of the US culture. Unfortunately, I have just realized that this movie, in its essence, is one of those.

It’s the classic story of the star-crossed lovers which expects us to heave big sighs and think, “Poor things, they couldn’t live their love because… conventions.”

Really?

Relationships and marriages between people of different social status are as old as the world. Our “old continent” isn’t as backward as that. They are rather the exception than the rule, but they do exist.

Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria married none other than an ex prostitute. Archduchess Louise of Austria married the Italian composer Enrico Toselli. King Edward VIII of England married Wallis Simpson, a divorced socialite. Rainier III of Monaco married actress Grace Kelly. Princess Margaret of England married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden married interpreter Silvia Sommerlath.

These are a few examples from the 20th century that I can think of, but there are many more.

The US have their fair share of “royalty” too, like entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars. Most of them marry among each other.

In this movie, princess Ann just wants to be a young woman like every other and have fun on her own terms for a few days. US reporter Joe helps her explore the city, hoping for a smash article for the newspaper he’s working for. It’s summer, the city is gorgeous, they have a good time, and needless to say, they end up falling in love. But duty calls, so Ann has to go back to her obligations. In the end Joe does not want to betray her confidence, so he does not write about her; and his photographer friend offers her the pictures he made of her as a goodbye gift.

And the viewers are expected to sob about a love story that ends with renouncement.

Why?

As I said above, it’s not like relationships or marriages between people of different social classes are impossible or even forbidden by law.

Ann and Joe spend three days together, never talk about the things that actually are important to them, and most importantly, their whole relationship is based on lies. Ann pretends not to be the princess and Joe does not tell her that he’s a reporter looking for an interesting story. In the end, of course “love wins over” because even when the truth comes out, they still have feelings for one another. But they have to part, and it’s not explained why.

Unless you see the movie through the cynical lens the way I did a few days ago. Poor girl, can’t have the man she loves because she has to marry a prince someday.

Like I said: this is a very naïve idea of love. Ann is portrayed as a young ingenue who makes her first experiences with romance but does not learn to stand up for herself. Joe is at first thinking only of himself until he decides the only decent thing to do, which he should have done from the start without falling in love with her: not to use a girl’s vulnerable position for your own advantage.

We’re supposed to sigh and to think that in a better world, where old-fashioned, restrictive rules do not matter, these two could be together and happy. That’s why the young man Ann meets is of course from the US, a supposedly more progressive country where anyone can marry anyone they love.

But do they actually love one another, apart from a romantic spark?

Would a relationship between them be really impossible, if both wanted it?

No to both.

Roman Holidays is still an enjoyable movie, but with a dissatisfying ending. It’s not really tragic; it just leaves you wondering how romantic this story would have remained if it had continued. Having to find out that the person you “love” is everything but perfect and that you actually might have to fight for your love, and then learn to live together, is not seen as romantic.

That’s why they say that the best love stories are the ones that end badly.

Roman Holiday, like so many “love stories” of this kind, ends before it could actually have become interesting. Looking back, its premise is silly - a love that is framed as “forbidden” when it isn’t - its arch is beautiful, and then its end falls flat. The fun time of this movie is authentic; its drama feels unnecessary and makes me roll my eyes.

But I have never been a fan of dramatic, star-crossed couples who could have certainly been happy together “if only…”, I admit it.

#roman holidays #movies 1953 #classic movies #movie review #movie criticism #audrey hepburn #gregory peck #rome #europe #royalty #william wyler

[ariainstars]

#metoo: The Hypocritical Aspect

Time for another of my unpopular opinions. Sigh. Please bear with me.

The Scandal

As some of you are certainly aware of, a few months ago French actress Judith Godrèche spoke up about her relationship with the film director Benoît Jacquot, with whom she had an affair while they were working. She was 14, he was 39.

From how the affair was reported then, they were in love; they started an affair, lived together like husband and wife. The actresses’ parents were aware of the relationship and promoted it, or at least they did nothing to stop it.

Now, almost 40 years later, she reported that there was violence involved and even BDSM games, which she didn’t like at all but didn’t know how to reject. She filed a complaint against Jacquot for sexual assault, and also against Jacques Doillon, another director many years her senior with whom she worked while still in her teens.

The Discussion About the Age of Consent: it’s Futile

A teenage girl is usually mentally further developed than her male peers: not every girl of 14 - 15 will be enthusiastic at the prospect of making out (and possibly more) with a gangly, pimply guy with the brain of a 12-year-old, and that’s understandable.

An older male, who has experience and maturity, will seem much more desirable. Of course, if said guy was indeed mature he would keep his fingers off a female so much his junior, but most teenage girls who set their eyes on an older guy won’t consider that; either for want of foresight or in order to spite their parents and / or to laugh in the face of their allegedly inferior peers.

Teenage girls can be real bitches, particularly to one another. Some will boast at being groped and pursued by guys twenty years older than them (e.g. teachers) and smile down on the girls who won’t understand it. We are no longer in the Middle Ages, are we?! Females have every right to have fun, just like men. If the guy is much older and more experienced, and maybe already married with children, so what. It’s obviously the wife’s loss for not “giving him what he wants”. The pursued teenage girl feels superior. She’s so hot, so mature! She’s a real woman already, a real man is crazy for her! How good that feels! Never mind that her female body isn’t even fully developed. He must know that best since he wants her, doesn’t he? If someone is trying to warn her, shame on them! How boring they are! If they are females: how jealous! How dare they speak up against such bold acts of female liberation?!

…and so on.

Having sexual desires in your teens and being curious about them is normal. Having to follow every urge without second-guessing it is immature. It’s not like your brain is going to bust if you miss one orgasm, making out session or anything of that sort.

Now, decades later, blaming the guy alone without looking at herself and the part of responsibility that is hers alone for making her choices is an easy way out. At 14, a girl knows what she wants and what she’s doing. She may not understand all the implications, but if neither the (adult) guy nor her (adult) parents do, like in this case, why should she second-guess what’s going on?

The actresses’ parents were not in their teens. They should have known the implications or at least imagined them. Yet they did not yell for help, did not bring their daughter away, did not call the guy a predator.

Maybe they were proud of the attention and success their daughter was gaining, maybe they knew that those two would start an affair anyway so they decided to leave them alone in good faith. In any case, they should have known better.

We are speaking of a famous artist, who worked for television and cinema, which made him some kind of demi-god in the eyes of many, a genius - and whatever a genius wants must be right and you can’t deny it to him or you’re doubting his superior intellect, aren’t you? If the actress had dared to speak about how he was treating her while the relationship was ongoing, she most certainly wouldn’t been believed.

But it’s not like the actresses’ parents pushed their daughter in to a predator’s arms. It was her choice. For whatever reason, her parents relented. It is not known why.

In the case of Doillon, there was an entire crew on the sets of these movies. Why did no one say anything? Doillon was in a committed relationship with actress Jane Birkin at the time, who was working on set as an assistant and had to witness everything he was doing to his teenage co-star. She finally wrote about it in her memoirs, in 2018. Not one of these adults seemed to wonder what that middle-aged guy was thinking of, groping and kissing a young girl.

Female Dignity

Director Jacquot said repeatedly that it had all been consensual and that it had been “love” between them. But from her words, the actress had agreed to sexual practices she didn’t like at all: she hadn’t dared to say no. It’s a dilemma many females find themselves into. They agree to a relationship and then are afraid of losing the guy, of disappointing him, of being called “wrong”, silly, inhibited, boring etc. for not wanting this or that sexual act. For many guys, consent stops at the bedroom door. Once they have a female at their mercy, they believe they can expect her to behave like the insatiable whore they crave. The fantasy is as old as the world: allegedly, “men need it”. Meaning that often, female is expected to close her eyes, grit her teeth and go through with it.

Considering their age, the directors were young during the sexual revolution. And while that period in history did a lot of good, it also did a lot of bad. Its worst mistake, in my opinion, is that it enthusiastically propagated the idea “women are like men.” Many females adapted to this by aping men in appearance and conduct; some do it to this day. For the men who bought into it, the result seemed to be an endless eldorado of sexual opportunities.

No more stops.

No more moralizing.

Females need sex exactly when and how the males want it, don’t they?

Great.

Then let’s do it.

Why hesitate, when both (allegedly) want exactly the same?

Many females had to learn the fault in that approach the hard way.

Female dignity doesn’t have a price tag attached to it. It’s priceless. No female ought to throw it out of the window believing she might be missing out if she doesn’t. And starting an affair as a teenager with a much older man who is also her boss, i.e. from whom she’s totally dependent, definitively means throwing herself away.

It’s not a sign of weakness, inhibition and / or cowardice when you think before you have sex with someone, in particular if it’s someone superior to you due to age, influence, power etc. It’s being responsible and having regard for your female dignity. There is much more at stake than an unwanted pregnancy or STD. If a guy has power over you, you must be damn sure that he won’t misuse it. Bad sexual experiences can be traumatizing. And it is a known fact that most rapes don’t happen in dark alleyways but in marriages, committed relationships, between relatives, neighbors, friends of the family, all kinds of people the female believed she could trust.

I’m not speaking of actual BDSM games here: there are rules about consensual acts between adults who are actually into that. However, from how the actress speaks about it now, that was assuredly not the case here. Being mauled and coerced during sexual activities is never fun, and certainly not for an inexperienced girl. It’s painful and degrading, and an abuser knows that she won’t dare to speak up but rather put a good face on the matter. After all, it was her choice, wasn’t it?

Of one thing she may be sure: he is having fun. He is enjoying the fact that a young, fresh and inexperienced girl put herself into his hands. He may do whatever he wants with her and believe that since it’s so good for him, it must be good for her, too.

Whatever the sexual revolution has tried to tell us ever since: no, female sexuality does not work like male sexuality. A female is always in a more vulnerable position, both emotionally and physically. For the male, there is almost always an orgasm implied if he has sex; for the female, it takes longer and is more complicated. And nothing is worse for any kind of sex activity than feeling coerced to do it.

Conclusion

We are speaking about a relationship that was (and by today’s standards still is) legal. Nobody knew what was going on in the bedroom until recently. And even now that it’s known, legally speaking it’s not changing anything.

Any person, a teenage girl and also a much older guy interested in guy, ought to have a moral compass. “But it’s legal”, is like saying “I’m only making sure I’m on the safe side and no one can blame me.”

Many things are technically legal but not morally right. Relying on common sense instead of hormones, or letting oneself be blinded by the grandeur that seems to surround any famous artist, might be a start.

By now, other actresses have spoken up and said that these two artists had molested them, too. Had Godrèche spoken up earlier, at least she might have protected other young girls. This is another aspect that makes her silence all the more uncomfortable. In the past, public opinion saw her as an actress, a star; now she’s additionally been made a heroine. She sees herself as a victim, never minding her own choices at that time. In any case, the spotlight is on her.

Of course, every case is different. I don’t deny that there are certainly many cases of actual victims of predation who didn’t know how to help themselves, and they did and do need help and empathy. It’s very possible that Godrèche is one of them; I’m not saying she’s lying.

But I have known girls that age who were everything but sweet innocents who didn’t know what was happening when a much older man approached them. They agreed enthusiastically, and if at the time they didn’t know what they were getting into, the reason was that they didn’t want to know, even if it wasn’t difficult to imagine.

If a girl chooses to burn her midnight oil with an older guy, I won’t be the one to feel sorry for her. You desired a much older guy (and you became rich and famous through him). You did what you wanted; at the time you said it was cool and you were having loads of fun.

There was a price? You pay it. Don’t expect my compassion.

I’m retiring to the Middle Ages now, thank you.

#metoo #me too movement #juliette godreche #jacques doillon #benoît jacquot #french film #sexual revolution

[ariainstars]

Gorgeous art... a pity we never got to see Ben Solo being a dad. 😥

BE STILL MY REYLO HEART 🥹

Credit: Kasiopea Art (X)

#reblog #fanart #reylo #ben solo #kylo ren #star wars #sw #star wars sequels #rey #family life #reylo child #kasiopea star wars

[ariainstars]

Father and son. 😊😍

Art for the @clanoftwozine

The translation of the mandoa on the left is: “I would not change my path, because it lead me to you.”

#reblog #fanart #the mandalorian #mando #grogu #baby yoda #star wars #sw #clan of two

[ariainstars]

Always had a weakness for the captain. 😀

#albator #captain harlock #arcadia #leiji matsumoto #leijiverse #Endless Odyssey #fanart #reblog

[ariainstars]

Georgeous art. 🥰

"Someone to crowd you with love Someone to force you to care" full only on patreon

#rwrb #alexander claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #red white and royal blue #casey mcquiston #fanart #stephen sondheim #being alive #company #artwork #artoftheday #drawing #rwrb fanart

[ariainstars]

Two generations of Star Wars. 😉

Natalie Portman & Pedro Pascal for Vanity Fair

#natalie portman #pedro pascal #sw #star wars #vanity fair #gifset #star wars prequels #the mandalorian

[ariainstars]

Jane Austen: Too Much of a Good Thing

Sorry I'm ranting.

Uff. I've had it. I have just decided that I'm fed up.

I'm sick of Jane Austen.

There. I've said it.

Seriously, what’s the matter? You can’t go a step without stumbling over Jane Austen and her characters.

In particular, Pride and Prejudice. It’s a good novel but these days I come across it in social media so often I can’t stand it anymore. There is just no escape. No fandom seems to be without an Austen crossover and / or reference.

For the record:

The overused dialogues between the two protagonists count up to five. Elizabeth spends more time thinking about Darcy and speaking about him than actually interacting with him.

Elisabeth was uninterested in Darcy and even annoyed at him until she saw his beautiful grounds at Pemberley. (She’s so not materialistic, oh no, she loves him purely for himself.)

The infamous scene where he turns up at her place to make an impassioned declaration of love drenched in rain is from a movie. It doesn’t appear in the novel at all.

Fitzwilliam is not exactly an exciting name. Does anyone believe he likes being called “Oh, Mr Darcy” in the bedroom?

Jane Austen is a fine novelist. I have read all of her works. That doesn’t mean she’s the only good writer when it comes to romance, not even historical romance. Whether she’s the best is up to anybody’s guess (and taste).

I have decided that I will quit reading fanfiction or meta's of any kind as soon as the name “Austen” or one of the titles of her novels or names of her characters drop.

Please. Read something else. Watch something else. Quote someone else.

There is Georgette Heyer (I love the absurd situations she sometimes depicts), the Brontë sisters, George Eliot. I loved Daphne duMaurier's Rebecca, and L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle.

Too much of the same kind of food makes one sick. Jane Austen is certainly making me feel sick by now.

Or at least, someone please explain to me where this obsession comes from, because I certainly can’t. All I know is that I’m fed up.

Seriously: if I ever quote or refer to anything from Jane Austen from now on, you’re welcome to beat me up.

Good night.

#rant #literature #jane austen #p&p #fitzwilliam darcy #elizabeth bennet #romance novels #historical novels #fanfiction #fandom

[ariainstars]

Omega from "The Bad Batch" - beautiful art 🥰

Can't cage a child meant for the stars

#sw #star wars #the bad batch #omega #reblog #fanart