opera142

Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend about tropes we absolutely love. For me, arranged marriage always gets me to at least look at story. Then, I started thinking about other favorite tropes and how they intertwine or deflect against each other.

Generically, they all boil down to Character in a Shitty Situation and Obligated to Stick With It. And that's where a lot of stories fall down for me. Usually, the whatever or whoever causing the seemingly shitty situation is doing it for Reasons(tm) and the story goes from that.

Though I've often confessed to loving to read characters getting ground down, what I think I've really been wanting, and just now figuring out how to articulate, is I want characters who rise above. Who remain decent, good, brave people in the worst of situations. It's definitely something I struggle to do in real life-- oh I can blow my top and burn bridges-- and I long for characters to either struggle with that or trailblaze.

Ultimately, I want them out of the shitty situation but their journey is way more fun (for me) when I get to read them rebelling and out-smarting and enduring and finding ways to thrive rather than merely being lucky enough to get hooked up with someone in power whose "nice" and will tweak the situation for the ones they love, but still benefit from a situation that's shitty for a lot of characters.

I feel like that want is simultaneously too large and too little for a story. Like, if the story overthrows society then it can't be terribly personal, or at least, be told primarily in the realm of private life. And if it centers on the private life or even a small community then it can't have the level of rebellion that satisfies my desire to dismantling of shitty situations or policies or root causes.

I'm sure there's plenty of great stories out there that accomplish all I want, and I just haven't been lucky enough to find them. I'll totally take reccs.

Urg. Car got smashed during an over-night hit and run. Walked out to it one morning. Insurance, fix, whatever. except that the repairs are taking forever, and I've largely been using Moe's car, and all this togetherness is burning away at my stand-others reserve.

Grr. Then last night, I was dropped off at my writings meeting, and I could see them sitting at our table, and I was like, I need a people break. So I went a couple of shops down and had me-time/dinner. And as I was leaving the shop, members of the group were roaming the strip mall looking for me. I should appreciate their concern, "We saw you arrive, but you didn't make it in..." but urg. Alone time please.

Godspeed Superfly.

Dad Jericho just wanting QUIET for one goddamn minute is my new favorite non-ODB thing every.

Godspeed Chyna.

Pintrest just suggested boards about exterior siding.

Godspeed Dusty.

I was hoping Bray was going to drag off Dolph like so much ill-gotten booty.

Blue eyes are more than okay, now.

Carry on.

The never-gonna-be-snapped-why-God-oh-why streak of the hippy lady always sitting next to me during writing classes continues. Other highlights:

The high-as-hell chick monotoning about catharsis
The dude in teeny-tiny, itty-bitty terry cloth jogging shorts
The woman who got super defensive when the instructor said "It sounds like you have a lot of fun with alliteration."