#creator interview

[uwudonoodle]

Stella's daily schedule:

Wake up

Snuggle Rayla

Do crimes

#tdp #tdp rayla #the dragon prince #dragon prince #behind the scenes #creator interview #stella #cuddle monkey #sidekick #do crimes #rayla #devon geihl #head writer #storyboarding #shenanigans

[podcast-bookclub]

Episode 2 of our creator interview series, Coffee Shop Chats, is out now on most podcatchers featuring @ghoulpepperv! We talk about important topics such as casting audio dramas to the squonk, a Pennsylvanian mythical creature. Kat was a wonderful guest & this episode was super fun; definitely give it a listen & be sure to check out Kat's work as well!

#podcast book club #coffee shop chats #audio drama #podcast interview #kat walker shea #ghoulpepperv #fiction podcast #podcast #creator interview #Spotify #Moderator Finch

[duckprintspress]

DPP Contributor Interview: Nicola Kapron

Author Nicola Kapron has been working with Duck Prints Press for over two years, and in that time she has been one of our most prolific authors. Her work ranges from the sweet and fluffy to the dark and grotesque, with an emphasis on horror elements, trope twisting, love and the monstrous, and cross-genre queer works. We're thrilled to have Nicola as the debut author in our new Creator Interview series!

Author Biography: Nicola Kapron has previously been published by Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Rebel Mountain Press, Soteira Press, All Worlds Wayfarer, Mannison Press, and more. Nicola lives in British Columbia with a hoard of books—mostly fantasy and horror—and an extremely fluffy cat.

Links: Personal Website

Nicola works with Duck Prints Press as an author, and is also the crafter whose skilled hands are behind our adorable Dux plushies.

-

When and why did you being creating?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Most of my work was very small when I was younger because I have dysgraphia and handwriting is physically painful for me. As soon as I learned to use a keyboard, I started working on longer and longer projects. Now there’s no stopping me.

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What are your goals as a creator?

I want to write stories that linger.

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What do you consider to be your strengths as a creator?

Dialog[ue], genre-blending, worldbuilding, coming up with cool monsters, slow-burn romance (or at least obsession), crafting background lore that is impossible to tag.

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What do you consider to be your weaknesses as a creator?

Description, pacing, writing healthy characters with healthy relationships, easy-to-tag stories.

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What’s your favorite medium to work in? Why?

Fiction writing, particularly fantasy. I enjoy coming up with the most bizarre situations and then thinking about how people might react to them. After all, mountains may crumble, oceans may rise, but people will stay fundamentally people.

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Are you a pantser, a planner, or a planster? What’s your process look like?

A planster. I spend a lot of time coming up with detailed story outlines and summarizing character arcs. Then I start writing and 80% of that goes out the window. I like to say that my first drafts are dedicated to figuring out what the story isn’t about. Unless I’m writing a short story, in which case draft 1 may well be the final draft. I don’t control the process.

I typically write in chronological order from beginning to end, but for a short project I may pause and write the middle bits ahead of time as they drift into my head. This isn’t viable for a longer project because the pacing always begins to confuse me.

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What do the phrases “writer’s block” or “art block” mean to you?

Writer’s block comes in two kinds to me. The first kind is the most common: I’m not actually blocked so much as I am swamped. I have too many ideas and too much stuff to do. As a result, I can’t focus on anything and writing words is like pulling teeth. This kind just has to be muscled through until I hit another vein of inspiration. The second kind is the kind where I genuinely run out of writing energy completely, leaving me feeling drained and empty. I only hit this state once. It lasted for about a week. Worst week of my life. The second kind can’t be worked through, only waited out like a sprain. I recommend going outside and finding something else to focus on until your writing muscles recover.

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Tell us about a creator who is an inspiration to you. When did you first encounter them? How have they influenced your work?

Charles de Lint. I had the opportunity to do a Co-Op with him in high school. He supervised me writing my first novella, an urban fantasy story about the people whose job it is to keep magic secret. Although our writing styles are rather different – he’s a pioneer of dreamlike mythic fantasy, I prefer to write about the ‘realistic’ consequences of fantastical things existing – I feel I learned a lot from his approach to worldbuilding and character-crafting. There’s nobody who writes flawed, troubled, and incandescently beautiful characters like Charles de Lint.

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What book or media franchise or other creator’s work do you always come back to? How many times have you rewatched/reread/reviewed it?

Neil Gaiman’s work has a way of bringing me back in. I don’t think I could tell you how many times I’ve read and re-read his various creations. Just know that it’s a lot.

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What’s your favorite part of the creation process?

Daydreaming about writing the story is always the best part. That and reading it after it’s done.

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What are your favorite tropes?

Cute monsters, involuntary body modification as trauma metaphor, codependent relationships, coping mechanisms that aren’t good but are at least keeping you alive.

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What are your favorite character archetypes?

My favourite character archetypes are anything that is clearly meant to evoke a classic heroic or villainous archetype, but with the alignment swapped. Luminous holy maidens plotting destruction. Ominous armoured overlords trying to bring salvation. Man-eating monsters struggling to live happy, productive lives in the shadow of cities they’ll never truly belong in. Chosen ones choosing to turn their backs on what they were meant to save. It’s the defiance of fate and expectations both.

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What motivates you to create?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear answer for this one. Just breathing motivates me to create some days. In general, though, I think that the desire to share my thoughts with others is what makes me put my fingers on the keyboard. I can’t chat about my work with people if I don’t write the work.

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Which of your own creations is your favorite? Why?

Whichever one I just re-read and got invested in as if someone else wrote it.

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Which of your own creations is your least favorite? Why?

Whichever story I just finished always causes me physical pain to think about.

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Do you like having background noise when you create? What do you listen to? Does it vary depending on the project, and if so, how?

Rain noises help me think. Music is a very hit or miss addition, because if there are words I’ll end up mentally singing along instead of thinking about writing.

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When you look at your “career” as a creator, what achievement would you most like to reach – what, if it happened or has already happened, would/did make you go “now – now I’m a success!”?

I would love to publish a full novel.

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What advice were you given as a new creator? Did it help you?

Show, don’t tell. It definitely helped me when I was younger and had a grudge against the entire concept of descriptive language. Now I keep having to remove entire paragraphs of description for word count, though, so it does have an expiration date.

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If you could give one piece of advice to a new creator who came to you for help, what would that advice be?

Worldbuilding is your friend, but sooner or later, you have to actually start writing the story.

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Short Stories and Novelettes Nicola has published with Duck Prints Press:

The Act of Salvation (science fantasy, m/m, second person pov)

Be Not Afraid (modern fantasy, m/m, omg they were roommates, the apocalypse happened and life didn’t actually change that much)

Campfire Stories (modern horror, no ship, trading campfire monster stories)

Dead Man’s Bells (fantasy, m/nb, dark romance, demonic possession)

In Good Company (modern horror, m/m, enemies to accomplices)

More Than We Deserve (dystopian sci-fi, m/m, friends to lovers)

The Ocean Went on Forever (sci-fi, m/m if you squint, very hard to summarize – see “challenge: easy-to-tag works)

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Nicola is also a contributor to our upcoming anthology Aether Beyond the Binary. We’ll be launching crowdfunding for this campaign in late December, and we’ve invited Nicola to host an Ask Me Anything session during the campaign! The time and date for the AMA aren’t set yet, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss it, join our Book Lover’s Server.

#duck prints press #creator interview #nicola kapron

[kakairu-rocks]

We are excited to introduce our next shining star for the Creator Spotlight... @animae-n-sht​!

This is an activity where we reach out to one of the talented people in our community each month to find out all about them and their kakairu creations, and then show them off to the world!

We hope you enjoy learning about Tanuki & their creations as much as we did. Please give them some love ❤️  

Pronouns: They/Them

Type of Creator: Artist & occasional writer

Where to find them:

Twitter

Tumblr

AO3

Read the exciting interview below the cut, or on the forum!

If you would like a chance to be in the spotlight too, the only thing you have to do is be a member of the kakairu rocks forum or follow us, and be a kakairu creator; and we will contact you, ourselves!

1. How long have you been creating KakaIru fanworks?

I have been creating KakaIru fanworks since December of 2021.

2. What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on a piece for pride month, I haven’t figured out all of the details yet.

3. What is your favorite trope to create for?

My favorite trope to create for would probably have to be Rivals to Lovers/misunderstanding. I always find myself doodling Iruka and Kakashi being a bit fractious towards each other. I made up an entire B-plot for my magical girl AU just for this trope. It’s kind of a slow burn, Kakashi and Iruka horribly misunderstanding each other and then can’t stand each other as a result. It slowly clears up and they fall in love with each other in the end.

4. Which of your creations is your favorite, and why?

My favorite creation is this one I made about Mermaid Iruka and human Kakashi.

This is older art for a February prompt in the KakaIru discord server, I was thinking about that scene in The Little Mermaid where Ariel saves Prince Eric from drowning. I remember being really proud of it when I finished it.

5. Do you have any WIPs you’re excited about?

There is this one fic that I have been working on for a while, it needs some reworking and an ending but I am really confident about it.

6. Do you have any original characters? If so, tell us about them!

Haha I have way too many, a handful of them I have made just to ship them with my favorite characters. My most recent one is Yoshi Amamiya, she is 27 and a Jounin sensei who specializes in transformation jutsu (more specifically animal transformation) with water nature Chakra. Her birthday is July 19th, she has short red hair (heavily inspired by young Chariot Du Nord from Little Witch Academia), yellow irises, she is tall, 5’9 or 175.26 cm, yet slender with a more rectangular body type. She has a prosthetic arm and leg on the left side due to an ambush involving excessive paper bombs.

Yoshi is a sensei to a team of 2 girls, Suzu and Mai, and 1 boy, Akio. She is very close to her team but she has the tendency to mother them instead of being a teacher to them. Her favorite meal is Tamago Kake Gohan (a bowl of rice with raw egg). Her favorite thing to do when she isn’t on missions or busy training with her team is going for walks in the forest and finding a nice soft area of grass to rest in. She also knits occasionally.

7. What was your hardest piece to create, and why?

The hardest piece I have created was my Secret Santa gift, everything had to be just right, or at least close to it. The lights, the snow, the height differences, I wanted this to look good for the person receiving my gift and it took a long time to finish because of that. They loved it though and that’s what matters.

8. Do you have any favorite scenes from something you’ve created?

Yes, there is this one scene in my fic “Squeeze You” where Kakashi is messing with Iruka and mocking the Hallmark movies she is currently watching. It’s so sweet and I love it.

9. Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration for my more moodier pieces comes from my personal experiences, songs that really speak to me on a more emotionally raw level, and anime with a deep meaning and emotional maturity. Houseki No Kuni and Violet Evergarden are a few examples.

The others I create are inspired by scenery, pieces of fiction, and upbeat anime. Ghibli films are a big inspiration, I hope to one day be able to portray whimsical or comforting scenes, wonderful scenery, and also tell an enjoyable story like the creators in this company does.

10. Which of your creations is the most meaningful to you, and why?

This was my first collaboration with someone for the KakaIru Reverse Bang, I pulled the mood in the piece from times where I felt lonely and inadequate even when I had someone I hold dear near me. Projection through my art is part of my process so I was in a solemn mood the entire time I was making this piece. The event was fun and my partner, Badger, was so nice and did wonderful on the fic that they wrote for it.

#Creator Spotlight #kakairu.rocks #creator interview #talented creator #kakairu fanart #kakairu fanfic #kakairu #kkir #kakashi x iruka #hatake kakashi #umino iruka

[honmyoseagull]

Akihiro-related part of Steve Orlando’s ITV on AIPT (source here).

AIPT: I view the work you did with Akihiro similar to what Tini Howard did with Rachel — a new codename and breathing new life and purpose into a beloved character who’s been through a lot. What made you turn to the Fang identity and costume?

Steve (ORLANDO): Well, it helped that we were going into space with the Shi’ar for sure. Again, a lot of what Akihiro is about is tradition, right? History tends to rhyme and yes, Fang is obscure, but also arguably — and I know I’m going to light up the comment section here — arguably the best Wolverine costume that the brown and tan was based off of. I mean, he even wore the Fang costume during an early interaction with the Imperial Guard. So it kind of felt weird for me, as someone who looked at Akihiro and saw exactly as he says in Marauders, he’s had a name that people use to put him down. He’s had a name that his parents gave him, but he has never really had a codename other than “Dark Wolverine,” which is derivative. And I don’t know if his name was literally Dark Wolverine. Probably just “Wolverine.”

So he wanted to earn something. And as a character who, since Leah Williams had been working with him before, has sort of been trying to figure out how to rectify all that he’s been through, all these toxic emotions, having a name that is really his, felt like the right moment. So it’s a confluence as always of history and story, but also it’s what felt right for the character. He doesn’t want to be Wolverine’s kid anymore. He doesn’t want to be Wolverine’s arch enemy. He needs something that is his own and making this an honorific within the Lupak culture just felt right. Specifically calling it honorific is something we did that was additive, but it’s already been established that when someone in the Imperial Guard is killed, they get replaced by someone who suspiciously looks almost just like them. So what we did was build off what was there to give Akihiro something that was truly his own.

+ first look at Marauders #8 — illustrated by Eleonora Carlini

#daken #daken akihiro #fang #marauders #creator interview #current canon

[omniversecomicsguide]

Creator Interview with Fred Kennedy writer of Dead Romans is live on Omniverse Comics Guide! Head over to Omniverse Comics Guide for the full episode in video or podcast form. Or head over to YouTube or fave Podcast streamer. 

As always for the latest podcasts, videos reading orders, reviews & news head over to Omniverse Comics Guide!

Or catch the guys over on Twitch for their live weekly chat about all things comics, or catch up later on YouTube.

Support the Omniverse by SUBSCRIBING to the Omniverse Comics Guide and get all the latest sent direct to you, as well as bonus features across the site! Head over to the website & SIGN UP now!

#image comics #omniversec comics guide #omniversecomicspodcast #fred kennedy #dead romans #creator interview

[kuro-morale-events]

May 11: Interview with @mochi-mochirsart

Meet @mochi-mochirsart !

@mochi-mochirsart is an artist and writer.

Q1. What type of content do you create?

A1. Fan art mainly and sometimes fan fiction. (If the distractions don't bother me,lol).

Q2. Do you have an ao3, Twitter, or account specifically for your works?

A2. On tumblr I have a side account called @deepestkurodesires, and I have 2 social accounts at the moment.

Ao3: my_Lost_Memory

Twitter: Cutebutsinner

(All are 18+)

Q3. What work are you most proud of, why?

A3. Last Angel Of Earth fan fiction. Because it is the one which I put a lot of my fave dynamics and tropes. I'm pretty surprised the fic has 3 years old and I've already made like 10 chapters or even more and some fanarts. (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤ [Also in Spanish]

Q4. When did you get into Kuro?

A2. 2018

Q5. What ships do you have, if any?

A5. Sebaciel is my otp in kuroshitsuji, but I am interested in other ships (which I haven't created content yet, lol) like Including one which a certain couple of people tried to turn me onto XD

Q6. What are your favorite tropes?

A6. Human x Monster, Angel x Demon, Enemies to lovers, hero x villian, hero x hero.

Q7. Do you have a routine for your creative process? (Getting snacks, music, etc)

A7. Yes, I have. The music is my blessing and my curse (because sometimes I get sucked into my imagination, haha) and during breaks, I drink water and eat sweet things like mini cakes.🍰

Q8. What gives you inspiration?

A8. Internet artists like Jinko, Sakimichan, Naokichi, Errslance, . With material inspo are Amvs (animated music videos), mangas and music.

Q9. Is there anything you're working on right now?

A9. Yes, but it’s a secret 🤫... And I also need to continue my fanfic, lol.

Q10. Do you prefer digital or traditional art? Why?

A10. I like both, but if I have to choose one, it would be digital one, because I love with how many brushes, layers and colors you can experiment, mix or combine. Being messy,lol. Also is easier delete or fix mistakes, it is pretty useful and you can do it from a computer or a phone!

Q11. If you could improve one thing with your art or writing this year, what would it be and why?

A11. This time, both. The first one because I want to learn some modes like realistic art and manga drawing. And the second because I want to know more about literature, so I can make more interesting my stories and Make my readers enjoy them.

Reminder, you can find them at @mochi-mochirsart , Twitter, and AO3. Go give them some love!

{Full List of May Activities}

{FAQ} {Rules}

#may 2022 #creator interview #creator feature #mochi mochirsart

[sayaberry]

being completely and utterly normal about the bombshell that just dropped

#HOW THE FUCK DOES HE KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT #anyway for those who don't know; toby fox managed to get an interview with yume nikki creator who is literally infamous not doing them #and not only interviews. kikiyama has been nearly if not totally completely radio silent FOR NEARLY 2 DECADES since yume nikki came out #toby fox wielding his immense power for good and i respect it. i also respect kikiyama's denny's order #yume nikki #undertale #deltarune

[oneshipress]

James Wayne Johnson on Comedy, Comics, and Cohorts

James Wayne Johnson is a writer and stand up comedian who lives in Lolo, MT with his wife, Michelle and their dogs, Luna and Stella and cats, Big Vin and Lil Mil. He is the writer of “Bloom Squad,” an ongoing story whose fifth chapter will appear in the Cohorts Anthology with art from Marcelo Salaza. Back “Bloom Squad” on Kickstarter! James, it has been about a year since our last interview! …

View On WordPress

#bloom squad #cohorts #creator interview #james johnson #james wayne johnson #opca 13 #opca 13: cohorts

[vroomvroomwee]

The Hazbin Hotel cast discussing Alastors aroace identity. The compassion when talking about aspec identities and the points raised are so good, the whole discussion is wonderful

#ive heard some stuff about the creator being problematic but i havent researched enough #this is just from how insightful everyone is in this interview #hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbinhotel #alastor #hazbin hotel interview #vivziepop #aro #ace #aromanticism #asexuality #aromantic #asexual #aroace #aspec #aroace alastor

[saturncodedstarlette]

[Adventures with witch!Y/N & familiar demon!Ghost]

Demon!Ghost : Are you fighting the urge to make out with me right now? 😏

Witch!Y/N, eating : Not really (big lie)

Witch!Y/N : I’m really into this pizza though, oh they burnt my fucking cookie! Assholes... 😤

#Cod #Call of duty #call of duty x reader #cod x reader #call of duty incorrect quotes #cod ghost #cod ghost x reader #cod ghost x you #Simon ghost Riley #simon ghost riley x reader #Simon ghost Riley x you #Simon Riley #Simon Riley x reader #Simon Riley x you #Demon!ghost #demon ghost #witch!reader #witch reader #cod au #Original prompt : Fan interviews Tyler The Creator #[Adventures with witch!Y/N & familiar demon!Ghost]

[bonesblubs]

Inspiration

#art tag #mu qing #xie lian #tgcf #animatic #new tag alertttt #the talking heads animatics are so much easier than music video animatics... #to the person who suggested doing old vines... there will be more of these #audio is from a tyler the creator interview/vine #testing

[magnusbae]

"...You had to be able to show too much of yourself. You had to be just a little bit more honest than you were comfortable with. And if people judged you, if they felt they knew who you were, that was just something that you were going to have to live with. And what was strange is, once I started doing that, and I was expecting to be judged, or shunned, or people’s opinions or to have to deal with things, what I discovered was, actually, their opinions were, we really like this. We love this story. That’s a good story. It felt huge. It felt personal. And I realized that’s because I was being honest about me.“ —Neil Gaiman

#It was such a lovely speech. I really enjoyed hearing it and I wished to have it here as well. You can youtube it. His name and Masterclass. #Neil Gaiman #The Sandman #How many of you squinted and saw Dream. #Neil Gaiman Masterclass #Dream of the Endless #You know what I WILL tag it because and I will explain #You can really see the parts of himself that Neil put into Dream #This interview more than any truly shows you some of that #Dream is essentially a creator of stories too— One who is not good at being honest with himself— One who too has a facility of voices. #Frankly— How old were you when you saw Neil's little 'self insert' OC and went 'Ah yes. Here he is.' #Also the fact that Neil always wears black and has a messy hair. #Love it. #Quote Edit #Writing Advice #Writing Fiction #buns.edits #buns.all

[louismoncher]

📢REAL ROMANCE IS BACK ON MAY 12 🦇 — Watch season 2 of Interview with the Vampire on AMC & AMC+ or watch with VPN

#let's go sickos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #interview with the vampire #who are you rooting for btw? lemme know #amc iwtv #iwtvedit #iwtvgifs #hoooo boy this set truly humbles me as a creator #but its worth it #loustat #loumand #armanddaniel #danlou #louis de pointe du lac #lestat de lioncourt #the vampire claudia #the vampire armand #jacob anderson #jacobandersonedit #sam reid #samreidedit #assad zaman #assadzamanedit #delainey hayles #roxane duran #tvedit #romancegifs #dailytvsource #dailytvgifs #usergif #bynisa

[kakairu-rocks]

We are excited to introduce our next shining star for the Creator Spotlight... My_Private_Tsukuyomi!

This is an activity where we reach out to one of the talented people in our community each month to find out all about them and their kakairu creations, and then show them off to the world!

We hope you enjoy learning about My_Private_Tsukuyomi & her creations as much as we did. Please give her some love ❤️  

Pronouns: She/Her

Type of Creator: Writer

Where to find her:

AO3

Discord: My Private Tsukuyomi

Read the exciting interview below the cut, or on the forum!

If you would like a chance to be in the spotlight too, the only thing you have to do is be a member of the kakairu rocks forum or follow us, and be a kakairu creator; and we will contact you, ourselves!

1. How long have you been creating KakaIru fanworks?

Since January 2023

2. What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a Modern Day AU KakaIru Sugar daddy/baby fic with a twist. Iruka is the high-powered CEO type with a huge philanthropic streak but is trying to battle a hostile takeover that includes a marriage/business merger. Kakashi is a disgraced, down on his luck veteran. Kakashi needs a job and Iruka needs someone on his arm in public to stave off the marriage pressure but also someone capable of protecting him at events. But what neither expected is that the lines between the job and real feelings would get blurred so quickly!

3. What is your favourite trope to create for?

Angst with a happy ending seems to be my specialty. Kakashi and Iruka suffer a little, but that just makes the final resolution all that much sweeter.

4. Which of your creations is your favourite, and why?

Right now I’d have to say one of my latest creations, The Road of Life. It uses scrapbooking as an opportunity for Iruka to travel down memory lane to look at a life well-lived and well-loved with Kakashi. I tagged it MCD but it isn’t permanent - I could never permanently separate these two!

5. Do you have any WIPs you’re excited about?

Surprisingly enough I’ve only got the one WIP right now, which I described above. I have some half-formed ideas, but I haven’t started anything else yet. I think I’m waiting to see what the next theme will be on the kakairu discord server. I love meeting those monthly challenges!

6. Do you have any original characters? If so, tell us about them!

My first fic featured an OC female ANBU badass named Minako. I created her before I turned to writing KakaIru, realizing how perfect Kakashi and Iruka are together - they are canon, just mostly off screen. But yet they connect enough on screen to convince me that they are meant to be.

7. What was your hardest piece to create, and why?

I think I’m having the most trouble with my WIP because it’s completely different from anything else I’ve written. Plus I want it to be a bigger, multi-chapter thing with real world-building. That’s always a challenge.

8. Do you have any favorite scenes from something you’ve created?

I do! One of my favorite scenes is from my first KakaIru fic Of Romance and Holidays. Kakashi takes a candy conversation heart that says ‘be mine’ and carves a little question mark and the letter K into it before leaving it for Iruka to find.

My other favorite scene is from The Road of Life, when Iruka and Kakashi meet for the first time after the Pain attack. Iruka tries to tell Kakashi he wasn’t worth Kakashi’s sacrifice, that he’s nothing. Kakashi interrupts and tells Iruka that he is, in fact, everything.

9. Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from many places. I often dream in KakaIru, so sometimes those dreams become fics. I also draw inspiration from songs. Three of my fics are based on song lyrics. Finally, I draw inspiration from the wonderful folks on the KakaIru discord server Forbidden Scrolls of KakaIru. The prompts and challenges posted there are phenomenal.

10. Which of your creations is the most meaningful to you, and why?

I don’t think I could choose just one. All of my creations are a piece of me. It’s both delightful and terrifying to share that piece in my fics, and it is humbling that people actually read and enjoy them. Thank you to all of my readers. You, like Iruka to Kakashi, are everything.

#Creator Spotlight #kakairu.rocks #creator interview #talented creator #kakairu fanfic #kakairu #kkir #kakashi x iruka #hatake kakashi #umino iruka

[david-talks-sw]

What's 'Star Wars' about?

A while ago I got an 'Ask' that concluded with "what is Star Wars about, if not the Jedi, right?" And weirdly enough... I have to disagree.

I mean... to me? Yes. Star Wars is about the Jedi. A Jedi-less, Sith-less, lightsaber-less Star Wars movie or series will struggle to get me on board (which is why I was surprised that I loved Andor so much).

But if you read everything George Lucas said, if you think about the Jedi's place in his two trilogies... they're not front and center, right?

Sure, there's Luke Skywalker... but he's a learner, in the Original Trilogy. Same goes for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the Prequels. They're going through character arcs.

Otherwise, the Jedi are either used as mentors to the protagonist...

... or to deliver exposition...

... but they're mostly vectors Lucas uses to present his thesis.

Functionally-speaking, the Jedi are important in that they embody the Buddhist philosophies the movie's themes are based on.

But when it comes to the plot, they're secondary. That's because the the themes of these films are bigger than the Jedi themselves.

So the question becomes... what's are the themes?

The primary goal of the Star Wars films is to inspire kids to start thinking outside the box and teach them a set of values and psychological motifs that have been passed down through mythology and fairy tales.

These values can be summed up in the dichotomy between greed and compassion / selfishness and selflessness / pleasure and joy.

We all have both aspects and need to strike a balance between the two. After all, being greedy ultimately comes from fear and being afraid can happen to all of us. Problem is, unchecked fear can lead to anger, hate and a whole lot of suffering.

The more selfish you are, the more you want things and the more you're afraid that you'll lose everything you have, you'll get angry when someone tries to take it and that will hurt everyone around you.

In other words, fear is the path to the tempting/addictive Dark Side.

Thus, seeing as we'll be inevitably tempted by the Dark Side and give in at some point (because nobody's perfect), we should aim to be as selfless and compassionate as possible for our own good... but also for the greater good, because we're all connected to a life energy. You can call it Qi or God; in Star Wars it's known as the Force.

As such, we all form a symbiotic circle and working with that in mind is better than putting ourselves first and draining from everything and everyone around us.

But we also need to be careful because there will be people who give in to that selfish side and will try to control everything. When the time comes, we must stand up for what's right.

So that's Lucas' thesis.

If I had to sum them up, the six movies illustrate it as follows:

The Prequel Trilogy is about the consequences of greed, explored through Anakin on a smaller scale and the Senate on a larger one.

The Original Trilogy shows the triumph of compassion, through Luke, Leia & Han and the Rebellion's fight against the Empire.

Lucas talked about it multiple times, the Prequels are about how Anakin becomes Darth Vader and how the Republic becomes the Empire, and in both those cases, it happens because they're greedy.

The Senate is greedy in the more classical sense. They could give a shit about "symbiosis", no they're taking bribes, letting corporations dictate policy, using loopholes to keep themselves in power and halting any meaningful progress out of fear that the new status quo will conflict with their own self-serving goals.

Anakin's greed manifests in a different way. He turns to the Dark Side because of his attachment. He wants to stop Padmé from dying... but not because he wants to save her, rather he wants to save himself from feeling the pain of loss again and will do anything to not have to live without her, her own wishes and the natural cycle of life and death be damned.

In both cases, they cave under pressure orchestrated by Palpatine, but nobody puts a gun to their head. They make a deliberate choice that comes from a selfish place, and neither one takes personal responsibility for it, they blame others, the Separatists in the case of the Senate and the Jedi in Anakin's case.

The Republic becomes an Empire with thunderous applause, betraying the people it was meant to protect.

And when faced between doing something he knows is right and giving in to his selfish desires...

... Anakin elects to do the latter, thus betraying his family and leaving the Force in darkness.

These selfish choices impact the galaxy as a whole, including the only characters in the trilogy who were doing their best to be compassionate and live in symbiosis: the Jedi, Padmé and Bail.

These champions of the Light Side are stuck playing catch-up or helplessly witnessing the events unfold, throughout the trilogy. They're playing by the rules and Palpatine uses this to his advantage.

Thus, as the galaxy tears itself apart because of Palpatine's manipulations, the Jedi and Bail are ignored and gradually weakened until they're either rendered irrelevant or killed.

A new order is born, one built on blood, lies and greed: the Empire.

But a new hope remains.

While before, the Jedi and people like Bail stood alone as everything around them became willfully corrupt... now, a Rebellion inspired by their legacy has banded together to overthrow the current order. But they don't fight for power or personal glory, they fight for altruistic, compassionate reasons. There's a sense of general responsibility that moves them, they're all doing their part.

On a larger scale, we focus on the Rebels, who are tired of seeing people suffer and decided this needs to stop. They have gone from being passive, to proactive.

On a more personal scale, we see the evolution of Luke, from naive farmer to a hero, and guess what? More and more selfish people - like Han or Lando - are inspired to join the Rebellion, after seeing the exploits of Luke, Leia, or even Ben.

It all culminates in the final film, wherein:

The Rebels band together with the Ewoks - literal teddy bears whom the Empire, in their arrogance, never even considered to be a threat - to destroy the Second Death Star and free the galaxy from imperial tyranny.

At the same time, Emperor Palpatine pressures Luke, who is tempted by the Dark Side like his father was.

But instead of giving in to his selfish desire to kill Darth Vader for all the horrors he's done...

... he finds the strength to rise above it, instead showing compassion for his father, which, in turn, inspires Anakin to do the same.

He faces a choice, like he did in Palpatine's office, two decades prior...

... and this time he chooses right.

Children teach you compassion. Anakin lets go of his fear and anger, and saves his son at the cost of his own life, finally bringing balance back to the Force.

Good triumphed over evil. Its champions achieved victory by being selfless, hopeful and fighting together / helping each other.

And that's it, that's how the movies thematically tie together.

As you can see, the Jedi aren't that directly impactful on the overall plot, because it revolves around Anakin, Luke and the respective factions/institutions around them.

But what the Jedi do bring to the table is their ability to teach and inspire others, both in-universe and out. They're spiritually impactful.

The Jedi are the epitome of compassion, and it's partially through them that George Lucas teaches his values to the audience.

#to be clear: Star Wars doesn't HAVE to be about all this #This is just me trying to summarize what Lucas said in all his interviews and speeches #The post-Lucas Star Wars transmedia franchise made the Jedi more central than they were originally meant to be; especially in the Prequels #You see this in interviews from current SW creators /writers #but also small stuff like renaming the Prequel era “Fall of the Jedi” when it was originally named the “Rise of the Empire” era #meta #george lucas #star wars #jedi order #the force #anakin skywalker #luke skywalker #prequel trilogy #original trilogy