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Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

One thing I've noticed about several franchises that pander to 90s nostalgia is that they try to recreate the originals as much as possible, without realising that the reason why they've survived for so long in the first place is because the franchise eventually moved on from its roots. I wanted to say this in the "Pokémon now and the first generation" thread, but I can't find it.
 
I miss reading.

Looking to get into a fic. Who’s got one that needs reviewing?

I prefer serial fics with more grown up themes.
 
@Legacy just gonna shamelessly plus my own fic. Serial, serious themes (I would say that personal agency, genetic engineering, transhumanism and interspecies ethics are grown up) and probably gonna go back to updating regularly from later this month.
 
:eyes emoji:

Well, I've got a fic that deals with the fears of death, never being happy and loss of control over yourself. It's currently in the process of being revised and it's called Hunter, Haunted. Link in sig.

I don't read a lot of mature fics or... fics in general myself, but I think I can still recommend namohysip's Hands of Creation as it has some pretty mature themes it deals with and also because it's just damn good man.
 
My story, PMD: Unequivocant, goes a little into religion and philosophy if that's adult for you. I don't mention anything by name persay, but the influences are definitely there.
 
I can heartily recommend Beth Pavell's The Long Walk -- It's a story that features a young and honorable man who wants to escape his dreary life to make a name for himself as a pokemon trainer, as well as a young Joy who doesn't want to get into the family business. There aren't massive amounts of tension in it and there isn't a very clearly defined antagonist, but you can feel things simmering between the two and the extended Joy family, who don't trust them when they're together. It's currently sitting on 28 chapters + 3 interludes.

I can also recommend diamondpearl876's Love and Other Nightmares -- It's a bit short at the moment, with only four chapters (and a prologue) but it's shaping up to be an interesting journey. A young woman's health issues put her in a coma and threatened to kill her, but divine intervention rescued her and brought her back. She feels that she needs to seek out that which saved her, and vows to set off in search of it. But she'll have to contend with the health issues that put her in that position in the first place, and along the way, nurture a team of pokemon who have their own problems.

Since my Land of the Roses was recommended but not detailed, allow me -- the story focuses two major characters, with additional focus currently growing on a third character in the latest chapters.

The first major character is a newly hired biologist at a prestigious research center. She's struggling to get her life back on track after spending nearly six months at rock bottom; her bank account is pretty much empty, she only has one person she considers a friend and she lacks the confidence that she needs to succeed in the world. Her main goals are to maintain her new job, earn her financial and professional independence and to discover what's she really wants out of life now that she's growing into a young adult.

The second major character is a wealthy heiress who is trying to get a career started as a pokemon coordinator, so that she can escape her parents' overbearing expectations of her and do what she wants rather than what they want. The question is, does she have what it takes, and have her experiences so far prepared her for what it's really like to be a coordinator? Her goals are similar to the first character's goals, specifically when it comes to figuring out who she is and her place in the world.

Those are the recommendations that I feel comfortable making. I've read some other stuff on and off but I'm not sure they specifically fit in with what you're looking for, and I'm not as familiar with them to detail them accurately and justly.
 
I have to second The Long Walk. It was what inspired me to give a fanfic a try on here, though my attempt is far... different.
 
Well, I’m working on a crime PMD fic, but it’s still at the very beginning and I’ve yet to tackle the first true crime.

Though, there will be plenty of heavy themes down the line, including alcoholism, Pokécides, ghost curses, genetical mutation and a conflict between the more nature-oriented “barbaric” wild Pokémon and the more steampunk-inclined “civilized” Pokémon.

I’d say to go with the other suggestions for now. I’ll step in again once I have the next three or so chapters posted here, which will be much more interesting and plot-centric.

Otherwise, another fic I’d throw to the ring is Ambyssin’s PMD Guiding Light. The beginning may seem like a deconstructed PMD fic, but later chapters delve into heavier stuff, like infected zombie-like Pokémon.
 
On another note, I'm finally starting to feel a bit better. Got my neck realigned at the chiropractor to help sort out my headaches, been eating more greens, and I've been taking some Vitamin B12 and D3 supplements to alleviate any potential deficiencies. I've also been soaking my feet in an epsom salt bath every other night or so to help bring up my magnesium levels. It's quite soothing, but I can't say if they're doing much for me yet.

But the biggest thing I'm trying to get back into is exercising. I walk every day to my classes, but as I don't ahve too many, I don't get that much in. I just tried doing some basic push ups and sit ups, and while I've never been the greatest at them, it felt particularly sad that I could barely manage ten a piece. I just felt heavier, which is probably true since the last time I did them seriously was in my freshman year of high school.. So...yeah.

Either way, I've been needing some major lifestyle changes, but it never really hit me until my creative abilities were directly affected. Hopefully within a week I'll be back to writing up a storm and actually have new material to post!
 
I miss reading.

Looking to get into a fic. Who’s got one that needs reviewing?

I prefer serial fics with more grown up themes.

If you want, I'm working on one called Pokemon: A Marvelous Journey. Feel free to read it if you wish! It's honestly not the best fic out there, but it does deal with some grown up themes (child abuse, disabilities, Pokemon cruelty, making hard decisions, the harder aspects of going on a journey), and I'd love some feedback on it!...if that's okay with you, that is.
 
I finally ran my irl RPG session I've been waiting for for months! It went really well, I'm thrilled tbh. Just my partner and two gals from our writers group who came round for the afternoon. It was cheerful, easy, and one of the most successful and fun sessions I've ever run, even with three complete beginners! They're nice people, and creative, so that helps. Also, almost zero combat, which is interesting albeit unsurprising!
 
my last exam of the year is over, and i'm pretty sure i passed it too. hooray except not quite yet as i have a lab report to finish and code project peer review to do still but still kinda hooray. i hope i can start focusing on the reading i've promised now. if only i didn't have my weird ass reading anxiety holding me back

also last night i got a brand new idea for another pokecentric short story and i'm pretty excited about that yee
 
I want to make a cover for A New Place, A New Attitude... except it's an anthology that includes a lot of characters. I've seen another anthology on that site with a cover that's an opened book next to a candle, so maybe something like that? Or maybe I could parody a shot from "Pokémon Johto", since it's named after a line from that.

I'm currently writing a Christmas special. Is anyone else writing anything Christmassy? (In this case, it's based on a fictional holiday that's nothing like Christmas besides coinciding with a superficial Christmas analogue that's actually a founding day, but still.)
 
Well, I did have plans of making a holiday oneshot called "Night of Wool", focusing on an ancient winter festival of Helixians and how wonderfully effed up it was, but I lost the passion a couple hundred words in. Now it's definitely too late for me to write anything given my writing speed. May draw something quick, though.
 
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