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picnokinesis · 4 months

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thirteenth doctor and spymaster fic recs

all clear by wreckageofstars (8k, 1 chapter, thoschei/gen) summary: London’s on fire, the Doctor’s trapped in her own head, and only her worst enemy can save her. //I know I literally always rec this author in these lists, I know, but like if you've read these fics, you'll know I'm justified because they are all just brilliant. This one is no exception. The doctor and the master are so wonderfully on point, with this antagonistic push and pull between them both, whilst they both desperately try and avoid the fact that they actually still care deeply for one another - but they also hate each other's guts at the same time! And the master is there to cause problems on purpose whilst the doctor is an absolute mess post-Orphan 55 and making everything worse. An absolute joy of a fic.

the gardener by riptheh (6k, 1 chapter, thoschei/gen) summary: The Master kills because it's all he has left. Until it's not. //I had a reaaaally hard time picking fics for this post, because there are so many fics with thirteen and spymaster that I absolutely adore - but I knew from the get go that this one had to be on here, come what may. It's much more of a character study focused on the master than anything else, but of course anything about the master is also about the doctor - and it's such a beautiful exploration of the master and his relationship with death (and then, life). Just absolutely gorgeous - and surprisingly uplifting by the end? Anyway. This fic got me good, so definitely make sure you check it out.

the art of dying by lupescx (10k, 4 chapters, thoschei) summary: The Master resurfaces into the Doctor's life only to die—one burst of regeneration energy and he's back on his feet. And then he dies again. And again. She can't keep doing this. //The title might have clued you in, but this one is angsty. Extremely angsty. But, wow, it's absolutely brilliant! What a fantastic exploration of the doctor and the master pushed to their absolute limits and unable to escape from an awful, inevitable cycle. It is pretty dark in places (actually a lot of these fics are, so always heed the tags!) but if that's your jive then this story is just such a treat. Highly recommend!

The Frayed by luchia (90k, 16 chapters, thoschei, wip) summary: The TARDIS recruits a rescue team for the Doctor after the Judoon take her away, and the Master really shouldn't go. Particularly if it includes having to hang around a freakish temporal monstrosity like Jack Harkness. Then again, what does he have to lose? He could die, sure, but that means nothing when he always (always always always) comes back, whether he wants to or not. //Okay so, in my humble opinion, this fic is some of the best spymaster characterisation that I've ever seen across the entire fandom. It's exceptional - the prose is just so full of character, brilliantly unreliable and just so SO fascinating and painful in equal measure (can you tell that I like angst? I love angst so much). And also just the imaginativeness of the story itself is absolutely incredible? There's some fantastic things in there about gallifreyan as a language and Time Lord culture and TARDISes - and, of course, the doctor and the master are completely awful in the best kind of way. And if the word count looks too much for you - consider just reading chapter 16. Yep. Just that one. Like, that rewrote my brain. I read it three times the day that it posted, and I've lost count of how many times I've read it since then. So, like, please. But also you should really really read the entire thing because it's brilliant

Ust-Kut by yonderdarling (1k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: Unfortunately, the Master survived. Unfortunately, he finds her TARDIS. Unfortunately, he wants to talk. //Okay. So, this fic? Is possibly one of my favourite spydoc fics ever. And you might be thinking "but, taka, it's only 1k, how can it be?" - well, trust me, it just can. Short but sweet but an absolute gut-punch at the same time. Such a fascinating look at the relationship between these two, the push and pull and the knife edge that they're both on all the time - and it's so tactile? I think that's what gets me about it, if I'm honest. Anyway, absolutely beautiful writing - succinct, but boy, does every word count. It's just so so good, guys.

and without you (is how i disappear) by empty_of_dust (4k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: “It’s simple,” she says, impassive, like she’s not holding their very history at knife-point. “Start talking, or I start cutting.” //So, funny story, this author only started posting spydoc fic about a year ago, but oh my word, my guys, they are insanely good. They just get these two in a way that drives me absolutely feral, and their writing style is such a joy to read. I was extremely torn on which fic of theirs to rec, but I settled on this one in the end. The sheer concept of it is absolutely brilliant and gut-wrenching in the most spydoc way ever: a mid-s12 doctor uses the history between her and the master as a bargaining tool to get him to tell her what he discovered in the matrix, blood and biting including. But, yknow. just do yourself a favour and read this author's entire body of work because it is extremely worth it. You won't regret it, I'm sure.

i only speak in silences by daring_elm (2k, 1 chapter, gen) summary: The Doctor can't just leave the Master behind, so she sends him a hologram. //do you ever get a fic that you forget exists, and then you find it again and go OHHHH THIS ONE??? That was me with this fic (and, honestly, this author, who has a ton of great stuff that you should all check out). We all know that the doctor and the master are awful at communicating, but this fic is such a wonderful exploration of it - of the ways that they refuse to be vulnerable with each other, the ways that they are so angry with each other, but also can't help but be drawn back to each other all at the same time. An absolute cracker!

awake and unafraid (asleep or dead) by SleepyMaddy (5k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: The Doctor has trouble sleeping. The Master, in typical fashion, makes it worse. //There are so many fics by this author that I could recommend on a post like this, but a spydoc rec post has got to have at least one fic on there that plays with O/13, because it's just such brilliant, painful angst in the softest way. And there are a great many fics that explore it, but this one just takes the cake. Impeccable s12 angst wrapped up in o/13 softness, complete with thirteen making terrible decisions for literally the entire thing. Absolutely astounding writing, beautifully in character and just so painful in the best kind of way. This one killed me, guys. It killed me.

chaos theory by BlueLillyBlue (61k, 11 chapters, gen, wip) summary: The TARDIS has crash-landed in England, 2019, and the Doctor is acting cagey. Also, spacetime might be collapsing. So... Yaz's week isn't off to a great start. //Ohhhh man ok ok. This fic. Is a goldmine. This author is just absolutely SPOT ON with how they write thirteen, and their plots are just an absolute delight and tick soooo many boxes for me. They always make the world they're writing in feel so rich and real, whether that's a starving community on a frozen moon or a hotel in Cornwall. But this one is just so up my street because the master is in it, and oh my GOODNESS guys, it's just - it's just so, so good. If you haven't been following this one along already, then get going on that, stat!

together, we average out to dry land by hawkeishest (1k, 1 chapter, thoschei) summary: If she thought about it, really, this was all Ryan’s fault. He was the one who’d touched the statue. Though, to be fair to him, she should have known the temple would have some kind of psychic defence system. And now her head felt like it was cracking open. //I feel like most people have read this one because it's such a classic, but for anyone who missed it or is new to the fandom - this one is a must read. Absolutely fantastic exploration of the doctor and the master's psychic abilities and the connection between them, written with the most gorgeous descriptions. Just brilliant. Go check it out!

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ala-baguette · 1 year

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Hello ala baguette! For starters, can I just say how much I LOVE your work. I started with Left Behind and then just gave Knowing Where to Look a try. I was a little unsure at first cause I wasn't sure I was going to like POV. But I'm so glad I gave it a shot, because I was completely in love with Gawain within just a few chapters and DEVOURED the whole book in a weekend :)

I'm always impressed by how you turn a tiny side character into someone who is realistic and likable. Your Florian Fortescue is now canon to me, and Gawain Robards/ Mary McDonalds is the rare-pair I never knew I needed. They're so real and flawed and perfect together some how! I write fic a bit and want to write an original novel, but I am intimidated by the idea of creating my own characters. HOW DO YOU DO IT? Where do you get your ideas for character? How do you make them believable and avoid the "Mary-Sue"/ "Gary-Stu"? I come to learn at your feet!

Can't wait for the next chapter of Knowing or whichever new little Left Behind pearls you might have in store for us in the future! No pressure, but...okay maybe a little pressure?

Excuse me for a minute. It's really hard to type when I'm blushing this hard. ... ... ... Okay, I'm better. First off. Thank you so much for reading and for saying such lovely things. You're too sweet! I can probably talk too much about characterisation. Character work is my jam! World-building? So hard. Developing a plot? Terrifying. Character work? BRING IT! But believe me when I say I am very much still learning and not at all an expert! So if you come to learn at my feet, stand yourself up and lets just chat face-to-face, because I'm figuring this stuff out as I go! Besides... my feet probably have chipped toenail polish and might be dirty from running outside barefoot to yell at the dog who was barking at the neighbour again.

None the less, here goes:

A Poorly Organised and Questionably Helpful Collection of My Not-at-All-Pro Tips about Characterisation

Tip 1: Pay attention to the people around you. Your friends, your family, your coworkers, the random dude on the bus. People-watch, eavesdrop. Be a creep but for innocent reasons. I think the key to my character work is that people fascinate me. I find myself studying them in real life. I love how you can put different people in the same situation and they will all react a little differently. What makes that person's reaction separate from another person's? Tip 2: Ask questions. Most of my characters, at least in fanfiction, started as a question. Some small little nugget in canon that made me wonder about who they were. And then that lead to another question. Then another.

Why would Voldemort/the DEs target an ice cream shop owner? What threat could he possibly pose?

Why do we only ever hear about James's friends and not Lily's? People love to complain about Remus's absence from Harry's childhood, but surely he wasn't their only surviving friend? So where did they all go?

We know Susan Bones's aunt and uncle both were murdered by DEs. But she must have a father. Why do we never hear about this third sibling in what was clearly a family who repeatedly fought on the side of the good guys?

What the hell were all the Aurors doing throughout DH? I mean, surely they couldn't have been oblivious to the DE take-over of the Ministry. They can't be that dumb. And to have become Aurors, they must have, at one point, been idealistic and wanted to fight against the people who later became their employers. So what changed?

Tip 3: Assume the best in people. Yes, the proverbial 'walk a mile in his shoes' thing. Even people we don't like probably have a reason they are the way they are. They were not born bad people. Most of the time, in a conflict, people aren't trying to be jerks. They probably have a reason to act the way they do. It still may not be right, but what inspired them to think or act the way they did?

As a fun exercise, try telling yourself a story from the perspective of the antagonist. Cinderella becomes a very different story when you think about it from the point of view of a woman with two daughters whose husband has died. She's struggling to support herself and her daughters in a time when women had minimal rights, minimal skills. And so she marries again only to have her second husband die as well. But now, he's also left his daughter behind for her to have yet another mouth to feed. She wants to maintain the life-style that she and her daughters have grown accustomed to and provide for her daughters' futures, and she is focused on that far more than this new girl she barely knows. Of course she does terrible things, but I think we can find her situation pitiable as well.

Everyone loves to hate Edward Bones in KwtL, but I find him incredibly pitiable. He saw his brother fight the good fight and it got him murdered along with his whole family in the First War. Then he saw his sister do the same thing in the start of the Second War, and guess what she got murdered too. So he decides he wants nothing to do with any of it, only to have Harry come in and (from Bones's perspective) drag his daughter into the fray. His irrational anger as a response to fear and grief is inspired by real people I would see professionally. A client's beloved pet dies from something unavoidable and they often look for absolutely anyone to blame-- the veterinarian who prescribed a medication to try to save them, the front desk staff who couldn't get them an appointment soon enough, the pet food company or flea prevention they've insisted caused the problem in the first place even though it clearly didn't. Normal, deep-down goodhearted people have come into my clinic screaming over these things. And while I do not condone this behaviour, it's real and I can sympathise with it. Mostly. Sort of.

Tip 4: But don't forget that people are flawed. You mentioned 'Mary Sues', and we hear people talk about this all the time. I would define a Mary Sue as a wish-fulfillment character. One who never does or says anything wrong, who is good at everything. And of course this is a reminder that character flaws are so so important. People are not perfect, and you should rejoice in that. That's what makes them interesting. Know your character's flaws and be consistent with them through out the work. They can have growth and improve in them, but they should have a natural progression that helps them on that goal.

I would also, however, caution against being too up-front about your character's flaws. Remember that we, as humans, are not always aware of our flaws. In building Gawain as the POV character, I've been having a lot of fun exploring something rather new for me. I've been looking at his flaws in terms of different levels of consciousness:

He has flaws that he is aware of. For example, Gawain is socially awkward and struggles to find the right thing to say. He is so aware of this flaw that, when put to the test, he spends more time berating himself for it than he does actually trying to think of what to say. (Gawain is me, me is Gawain).

He has flaws that he is aware of but maybe doesn't see as flaws and excuses himself for. Yes, he knows he is a workaholic and he should put more effort into spending time with his family. But why doesn't his wife understand that what he does for a living is important? Surely catching a Death Eater and ensuring the world is safer is more important that being home in time to read his daughter a bedtime story?

And finally, he has flaws he is totally unaware of. This one has been so fun to write. It's like my own little secret as I put them out there, wondering if my readers are catching them. Gawain doesn't know they're there and, as Gawain is the narrator, they will never told to the reader flat out. But they add so much more believably and depth to the character just by existing in my head. I'm genuinely curious if anyone has caught one in particular of Gawain's secret flaws. I've actually been waiting for someone to point it out, but no one ever does, possibly because it is not obvious or possibly because my readers fear upsetting me. But honestly it makes me want to smack the boy upside the head even as I've been writing him this way. Has anyone out there realised that Gawain is actually rather sexist? (To his credit, Gawain doesn't know this about himself and indeed, I think he would be horrified if anyone pointed it out and genuinely try to change).

Tip 5: Be willing to put yourself on the page, and no not just the good parts. There is no one on the planet you know and understand as well as you know and understand yourself. Use your own character as inspiration. People talk about "self-inserts" like they're a bad thing, but every character you write is going to have a bit of yourself in them, and that's a GOOD THING! Adding yourself can bring a lot of realism. But it is incredibly intimate and baring, and it does take courage to put your bad sides out there.

In KwtL, Mary Macdonald's character is definitely quite inspired by myself. Especially her flaws. When I wrote her introduction to the story, it was... hard. She isn't presented in a good light at first. We meet her after she's had a rough day, and one of Mary's great flaws is that she's snippy and unpleasant when she's stressed. (Guess who does that in real life?) Even though I wrote her, knowing that she was not going to seem immediately likable when shown from the perspective of a somewhat estranged husband, it still hurt when I immediately got comments from readers springing to Gawain's defence in their arguments. I had to constantly remind myself that the reader doesn't understand Mary yet (because Gawain really doesn't understand his own wife, lets be real). That they can't see that her negative traits stem from insecurity. That when they get to know her better and when her relationship with the POV character gets better, they will grow to love her (I hope). Her arguments with Gawain are often inspired by real squabbles with my husband. And perhaps my own version of an apology and a way of acknowledging that I am not always in the right in them.

In short, do not fear, the self-insert. The self-insert can be your friend. But be prepared to be honest with yourself. And be prepared for a little side of soul-baring pain to come with it.

Okay, I think I have proved that I can definitely talk too much about characterisation. I have no idea if any of this is helpful to you or to anyone else. I clearly spend too much time thinking about these things, so I hope you enjoy the fruits of my over-active brain. I'm excited for you to see how Gawain's character grows. The character we see at the end of KwtL is very different from the one we met at the beginning! And the next character I'm going to convince you to sympathise with (possibly against your will) in Left Behind is Viktor Krum. Get ready.

#harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfic #characterization #writing tips #character building

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gravityfissure · 4 years

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[meta] What, if any, games, movies, books, tv shows, etc. have you drawn influence from for your character?

Okay so round 2, much in the same vein for Arthur there are... A lot. Possibly even more things that influence and inspire where Otto’s muse and views comes from. That said in writing this there are also a LOT of similarities between the characters I can pick out certain attributes and to be honest there’s a lot of crossover with the traits and characterisations highlighted.

Namely: playful and proactive, self-serving yet loyal to those that meet his criteria as to who is deserving of it. A grifter by nature that will approach almost any situation if he feels he’ll get something out of it while equally hoping that one day someone might actually bother to ask him (and maybe give him a true reason) to stay.

Dorian - Dragon Age: Inquisition

Uh, the heir of a famous magical dynasty? A flair of magical talent that made him the envy of his peers? Studied at one of the best colleges for the magical arts before being kicked out and privately tutored before eventually vanishing and being found by Magister Gereon Alexius who offered to take him as his apprentice eventually becoming a fully-ranked enchanter. A pariah for opposing every fault his homeland is renowned for?

It’s been years since I’ve played DA:I and Dorian always was one of my favourite characters but tbh I completely forgot his background and it’s only in revisiting it now I actually realise the similarities in the framework of their characters/development/story line. Not to mention the fact they both enjoy playful flirtation and witty banter and oppose the things they don’t fit into their view of the world. They will probably do the right thing, but that doesn’t mean they might not take their sweet ass time in actually getting into a situation.

Isabela - Dragon Age II and Inquisition

AND AGAIN. Isabela’s a great character - a pirate scourge of coastlines and nations around the world who values fun, freedom and getting ahead in life. They both value solving situations in clever and devious ways and getting ahead even if it means being somewhat selfish when they’re dealing with other people, example: Otto conning Deirdre out of $28k when she tried to cover for Regan or those plans he has to try and record a banshee scream? They’re both always down for trying to squeeze that little bit extra out of a person. If it one ups them in life and people are gullible enough to fall for it well... They really did it to themselves didn’t they?

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t depths to that hardened persona they both present. There are actual feelings and things hidden behind the wall and appearance they both present to the world. And underneath it all they’re both afraid of being left behind, but figure it’s best to push people away before they decide to leave of their own volition. At least that way they can say they have some control over the situation..

Sera - Dragon Age: Inquisition

Apparently this is a DA characters list but you know what sue me. x) So NEXT on the list is Sera, an elven archer who is incredibly impulsive and reactionary. She takes pure delight in humbling the established authority she views as arrogant and selfish. It’s less about what’s right in the grand scheme of things but more about what’s right in that very moment. She doesn’t believe in actions taken for a greater good, instead viewing it as just another excuse to hurt others undeserving of such treatment because it’s easier than making the truly hard choices in life.

Felix Dawkins - Orphan Black

Look Felix is one of the many fascinating characters on Orphan Black. Don’t get me wrong there are SO many and it’s a great show. But Felix is a character whose very existence proves that you can have a very effeminate, boisterous, loud, witty gay character and not have him be limited to the perpetuation of the sassy gay friend stereotype. Why? Because he has a whole complex personality beyond just that aspect of his life. He’s got to deal with real life issues on top of all the drama clone club brings into his life and he deals and he survives and he cOPES.

Not to mention he’s a positive representation of foster children being happy, positive representation of LGBTQ+ characters and gives positive representation of sex workers. Not to mention on top of all that representation you see how he’s smart as hell, the only person who knows Sarah well enough to keep her on track. The BEST uncle to Kira and one of the most supportive characters on the show.

Sarah - Orphan Black

Felix’s foster-sister, another character that shows the positive and complex dynamic that foster families tend to have while also demonstrating the fascinating found-family dynamic with clone club. Sarah’s interesting because she’s a natural chameleon, she’s street-smart and tough, a born outsider living on the fringes by her wits while in possession of a dark sense of humour that sees her by.

Sarah and Otto have a rather morally ambiguous compass, they’re both characters who swing between being very self-serving and selfish and acting for the greater good when they decide it’s needed. Not to mention the act as if they don’t care about other people’s issues (see clone club) when actually it transpires they both might just care a little more than they actually let on.

Garcia Flynn - Timeless

Unfortunately Garcia fits the my favourite character type: tall, dark, snarky, sassy antihero motivated fiercely by love and willing to do things of questionable morality against a greater evil, self-aware and doesn’t make excuses for his behaviour, but isn’t wringing his hands over it either. A character who so dearly loves the people in his life (see revenge for his wife and daughter) so much so he’s still fighting for them 5 years later just to be alive and not even to have anything to do with him again because he knows the things he’s done are enough the he could never go back to being that person for them. The man who loved his mum and went on a trip just to make her happy and save his brother. When he truly cares for someone he does EVERYTHING for them while somehow having none of the toxic jealous possessive business, despite his well-attested Garbage Drama in other departments, and just generally being a mature adult and an essentially good person who has gone down some really dark places and is finally rediscovering what he’s buried and lost. Look man, I’m a suuuuuuuuuuuuucker for found family, enemies to lovers, and villain becomes weird family member. And he covers all of those, so yes.

There’s a lot of that I’m planning and drawing on for Otto, this weird currently antagonistic little self-serving shit who is out for his own ends but maybe along the way finds some semblence of a conscious and maybe has a fair few moral dilemmas and self-questioning moments along the way? Who maybe finds friends (and even love?) Who has to deal with FEELINGS and things he’s repressed for years because of the things he’s done just to survive the life he fell into? Uh, yes give me give me give me.

Jesse Custer - Preacher

Okay, so this one’s kind of another given. Jesse’s another character I’m fascinated with because before Genesis’ arrival he was a down upon his luck preacher. A man who was trying so hard to fit into his dad’s ideal and not let the life he had before affect his day to day. Except it all goes to hell in a handbasket because of course it does.

Jesse essentially gains the ability to make anyone do anything he says. And that power? It’s addictive, and we see the struggle he goes through to learn how to control and manipulate it to his own end. To begin with he tries to right wrongs, to tell people to stop doing the bad things they’re doing in their lives and fix them so they’re better people but with each act that power and god-complex grows. It goes to his head until we meet the moronic messiah Humperdoo and Jesse eventually agrees to take his place. The messiah-complex and power corruption is complete, and the repercussions of his choices are devastating especially with how they impact Cassidy or Tulip and the repercussions in Angelville.

Much like Otto’s own magic, the more its used the more enticing it is to carry on using it for more and more things. At first it was small deeds, little acts of good until Otto in kind started to realise that good deeds weren’t enough to make a change. They weren’t enough for other people around him and with each act it grew and grew - and it continues to grow. The question is to what level? And if it ever got out of control, would he ever know how to stop it?

Crowley - Good Omens

An overall non-threatening demon, who tries to be “evil” in his own way to fit into the role his society (other demons) expect of him. Crowley wants to save the world (for his own reasons) and can be rather self-serving in certain moments. There’s plenty of times he tried to convince Aziraphale to run away with him and let everything else forgive the irony but for lack of a better term “go to hell” but he always comes around in the end (typically to a Queen track) to help when it really counts for something.

Not to mention his flare for the dramatic, very rarely thinking things through, with many of his own plans backfiring on him.

Sound familiar?

Wrench - Watch Dogs 2

Part-hacker and full-fledged anarchist who wears a freaky mask with LED displays capable of bizarre emoticons. He's vulgar, crude, entertaining and an absolute adrenaline junkie who lives on the edge. He's jokingly called the wrench because he's the wrench you throw into somebody's gears to grind them to a halt.

The final one on the list, because it’s a side I haven’t yet played into so much but I’m curious to given means and opportunity to. Otto does have some inclination towards an anarchistic nature, if a system doesn’t seem to work he isn’t afraid to speak out or more likely act out against it. Whether it’s in the greater good or not isn’t so much relevant rather that he would happily take a torch and burn something to the ground if it meant starting again with something new and better in its place. It’s definitely something I want to explore more down the line.

I also find it interesting the whole concept of “hiding behind a mask” which is something wrench quite literally does. Both have built personas to defend themselves from people breaking through and seeing that what actually exists on the other side is a rather shy and awkward person who tries to “act out” and be “dramatic” in an attempt to get attention from a world in which there’s so much noise how could anyone ever feel like their voice mattered let alone be heard unless they started shouting “HEY, LOOK AT ME” at the top of his lungs?

#Anonymous #answered #wickedsanon #meta #headcanon #// this GOT SO LONG

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tenspontaneite · 3 years

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Just wanted to announce that I finally broke back into piaj yesterday and wrote 2.4k woot 🎉🎉🎉

Mind you it's not ch23, it's like. Section 9 or something. But still!!

#piaj misc #honestly thank god #it's been so hard getting back since that one scene in 23 blocked me so hard it kicked me directly out of the fandom altogether #that's never happened to me before #anyway the section could be 8 or 9 or 10 depending on whether or not i merge some other sections #currently it's 9 ish #and it's SICK #very fun arc #and by fun i mean not at all fun for the kids #but it got hella development and thematics all around #it's so Nice #depending on how this shakes out i could get a very decent chunk of the chronological content of this arc written #like. fully written #no missing chunks #im enjoying it a lot #also enjoying contemplating what warning tags I'll have to put on it when the time comes #super cool OC in this arc too #he's. really something #such a fascinating study in characterisation for an antagonist #Man it's excitement for later shit like this that inspires me to finish the chronological chapters you know?#i get so excited about sharing the Good Stuff yet to come that i finish the stuff I'm less excited about to bring it closer #writing out of chronological order is so good for me

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apneae · 6 years

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comic hero

** unfortunately, i have never read comic books and i do not have a particular opinion on that cultural domain. i believe that my opinion has been tainted recently with the expansion of the marvel franchise and for me personally, it is a pure entertainment that i prior to this class did not consider socially very useful.

for the class, i decided to read the comic book Maus by Art Spiegelman in order to have the material to write about. it was a very powerful reading for me and i was surprised that such a form that has been considered rather simple and reserved solely for fun could have such a profound message, communicated with such nuance. the development of the characters and their relationships was fascinating and it was remarkable how such dynamics could be translated into a few vignettes and sentences. Spiegelman condenses the most essential elements of interaction into a single sentence — uncovering the turbulence of one’s personality and the result that it has on they interact with the world. despite following the standard format of the comic book, it is not only the topic that separates it from the others but the realism of the characters as well, painted with both their virtues and their flaws.

the characterisation of Art’s father seemed to be the most complex, and it was almost startling how his aggression and quick temper emerge despite him being a victim in the narrative. Spiegelman questions the power dynamics within the social structure on the political scale while analysing the behaviours that are exercising power on the personal level with the same intensity.

it is not the hero that enchants in this story but the power of the fluctuation within the anti-hero, the ability to have the character transformed from the position of the oppressed into the one who maltreats the others. the story clearly depicts the struggle of the second generation and the difficulty to understand the atrocity that happened to the previous generation in the past, and the strenuous attempts to reconnect and help oneself.

** creation of a comic hero:

for this task, i would like to propose a character that arises from the current political trends of intersectional feminism in combination with the social media and the possibility that this is the era of the new cultural war.

Aesma, aged 26 lives in New York and currently works in the radical bookstore, Bluestockings. She is currently enrolled int he masters programme in post-colonial and gender studies at NYU. here family is originally Turkish and they emigrated during the early 2000s when Aesma was still young. Her family is a traditional Muslim family with four children and she is the second oldest — she has one older brother and two younger sisters. Despite her parents being intellectually liberal, they care about the traditional upbringing very much and still maintain a great respect for religion and everyday conduct motivated by the compassion found in their faith.

the comic book would depict a series of everyday events, culminating in the weekly meeting that Aesma participates in the bookstore — the radical feminism comic book club where illustrators gather and through drawing depict their struggles int he contemporary society and the aggressive political climate of the US. these events are based on the current instagram trend of female art pages with the focus on women illustrators who depict the issues related to being a woman in the patriarchal society. also, it distinguishes between the so-called white feminism on one side and intersectional on the other.

apart from these gatherings where these young women share their stories in the form of images, Aesma is experiencing the everyday life of a Muslim woman in the environment that is getting increasingly antagonistic towards everything she represents.

the element of the family introduces the concept of a strong religious background that creates a tension with Aesma’s socially progressive ideals. she is on a quest to find the balance between one and another. the comic itself would try to de-stigmatise religion as inherently oppressive. it would be an investigation whether feminism and Islam can meet and create a powerful and compassionate philosophy of being.

formally, the comic would be separated into episodes, covering a day in life and talking about everyday situation such as xenophobic incidents on the public transport, not being able to conventionally socialise during Ramadan, sharing experiences about how to deal with the stigma of menstruation with her younger sisters, volunteering with the refugees and university exams.

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