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worldbuildingex)
I adore this exchange, and the chance to delve into how and why things are like that. You can find my past letters, recs, and commentary on what I wrote in this tag if they're helpful.
Types of material In-world meta or fic, please! I'm open to various kinds of format (fiction, travel guide, set of reviews, letters, etc.) but please no poetry or music lyrics unless they're a smallish part of a larger collection of materials. Art or other formats are very welcome as a treat if you happen to be inspired by something in here.
I'm here for the worldbuilding. I don't mind canonical characters showing up and doing their things, but I'm a lot more interested in the world they're in than in particular relationships, canonical plots getting expanded, etc.
On the other hand, I'm also a fan of character choices illuminating details of the world, so if that's a direction you feel called to go, go for it! Diverse kinds of relationships very welcome - platonic friendships, colleagues, competitors, etc. are all very interesting to me, as well as a wide range of ways people have sexual and romantic relationships and who they have them with.
Other likes:
I am a religious witch and polytheist - I'm open to a wide range of religions turning up in fic, but greatly appreciate thoughtful depictions (i.e. avoiding stereotypes in any direction).
Stories that make me extra happy are those that think about the implications of their magical theory as a worldbuilding element - if X, what is implied by Y? If you have the ability to do this, how does it change the world?
Please keep to canonical levels of sex-in-story, violence, explicit description, and also canonical relationships where that might be relevant. (My tastes in non-canonical things in these categories depends a lot on the setup, and that usually takes more length and complexity than it's fair to expect in an exchange!)
Please also avoid stories where all the teachers/librarians/educational staff/etc. somewhere are not competent or ignoring the well-being of students. (One or two among a number of others is fine for dramatic contrast, it's the stories where every adult in an educational role is abusive or horrible or incompetent that I can't cope with.)
Any or No Characters (The Ink Beast Parade)
Original Character(s) (The Ink Beast Parade)
Golden Yellow Bear (The Ink Beast Parade)
Magenta Ponies (The Ink Beast Parade)
Me For Queen City Ink (Bronze Red Lion) (The Ink Beast Parade)
The Only Heliotrope Cow in the World (The Ink Beast Parade)
Prevent Ink Troubles (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: City Life (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: Hierarchies and social status (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: Reasons for a Parade (The Ink Beast Parade)
I came across this piece from the Public Domain Review about the Ink Beast Parade a little too late to nominate it for this exchange in 2019 - but wow, do these images fascinate me. Want some larger images? Here you go.
Augustus Jansson was an illustrator who did a wide range of advertisements (he was based in Somerville, Massachusetts, not far from me!). The Ink Beast Parade is a set he did as advertisements for the Queen City printing ink company between 1905 and 1906.
Fundamentally, I am really curious about this city. Who are these people, what is this parade for, is this how all their parades go? I feel like this might be ripe for a tourism brochure treatment, or someone writing home about the city they're visiting, but I am (as above) open to a wide variety of formats.
There are so many unanswered questions. Do people colour-code themselves to their animals? Or the animals to their preferred colours? Are there customs and traditions about who is associated with what animal? Do the colours have heraldic implications, or are there sumptuary laws in play? (I do love me a good sumptuary law where you stare at it and go 'why did you get this specific about this thing, huh?')
How do you get the Only Heliotrope Cow In the World? (Or Magenta Ponies?). Are these all animals from nearby, are they imports from far-away places? Are these unusually well behaved and docile? And if so, why?
I'm particularly intrigued by Prevents Ink Troubles. She has a broom, and a very witchy hat, and those are moons on her skirt.Is this a magical position of status? Does she have obligations about preventing ink trouble? And what sort of trouble is ink, anyway? Does she have abilities others don't? And if so, how do they feel about that? How does she feel about it?
And while I didn't nominate all the images, I'm up for something about any of them. (What is an Ibexiaticus? Where does it come from?) And what's up with those scenes of multiple people together, with drinks and snacks. Are they watching the parade, or participating in some other way? Do people associate with others who share their colour palate? Or at least a complementary colour?
Any or No Characters (Labyrinth (1986))
Original Character(s) (Labyrinth (1986))
Sarah Williams (Labyrinth (1986))
WB: Lasting effects of the Labyrinth on humans (Labyrinth (1986))
WB: Other magical realms (Labyrinth)
WB: Effects of humans on Labyrinth and the Goblin King (1986))
Count me in among the people for whom this is a much loved film. I've long been curious about the hints we get about different kinds of interaction with the Labyrinth, and what it means later. (After all, it ends with the strong suggestion that Sarah will continue to have some interaction with the denizens...)
It makes me wonder if people who've had interactions have been more prone to noticing and/or being affected by other magic (realms or otherwise), or more susceptible to certain kinds of temptations and inducements - or alternately, more resilient to them, and more sure of their own selves and identities. I'm also intrigued by how interactions with the Labyrinth might change someone's long-term arc, how they see themselves, what they value (and seek out) and what they don't.
Obviously, that has the other side of the coin - how much do humans interfere with the Labyrinth, just by existing? Does it weaken the magic and the world? Strengthen it? Leave some sort of lasting stamp on it? Do the denizens that Sarah meet have some source in earlier encounters with humans?
On this one, I do not object to a Sarah/Jareth romance, but I'm a lot more interested in the worldbuilding or Sarah's life after the Labyrinth than I am in the romance per se.
Any or No Characters (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Original Character(s) (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Original Founders Era Student (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Ancient Witching Rites and Spells (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Folklore and Literature (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Founders Era Hogwarts (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Magical Portraits (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Like so many people, I have a complex relationship with the Potterverse, but I loved this set of tags. I am totally here for your magical theory geekery (as applied to rituals and portraits, in this case). If you choose, I'd love an explanation of how these things work, as they're both areas almost entirely glossed over in canon. There have to be a huge range of rites and spells that are no longer terribly relevant (but once were really important - what about defense in an era of siege engines?) or that speak to needs that are no longer so pressing. Tell me about ancient agricultural rites and how they worked, or how people figured out how to make them work.
Alternately, I would love some more Founders era (loosely defined, feel free to go a generation later, if that's intriguing). What was it like to be an early student, and know the founders, and then grow up into an adult, and see the world change around you? What was taught (and how?) and what assumptions about the world and what was important were encased in that?
And I am always here for folklore and literature. I am particularly fond of the trope of 'this song has an actual story behind it' (c.f. Deborah Grabien's folk song mysteries), and I would adore something like this.
Are the Child Ballads based on actual stories in the magical world? (Tam Lin and the Twa Sisters are two particular favourites, but seriously, pick any of them, I'm here for that.) Are the precautions encoded in ballads there for Solid Magical Reasons? (If you need some inspiration here, the Folksongs are your friends post from the Making Light blog has plenty, but needs to come with a warning that you may lose several hours to it.)
If you'd rather take a deep dive into the wizarding contemporaries to Shakespeare (or any other playwright or author) that's great, too. I've long argued that Aphra Behn was a witch who went to Hogwarts, got sorted Gryffindor, and settled into a long life of writing and spycraft as an adult.
Any or No Characters (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Original Character(s) (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Librarian negotiating use of magic at work (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Academic studying the field of magic (Original work - Urban Fantasy)
Witch learning her magic (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Avoiding witch hunters in modern society (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Folklore that is more life-changing than expected (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Function of Practical Magic in Public Infrastructure (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Libraries that include magical works (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Use of Magic in Special Effects and Theater (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Grouping these generally by theme:I am a librarian (previously an academic librarian) who is also a witch: navigating the two things has occasionally been tricky in my professional life, and I'm tickled by the idea of a fic exploring this.
One tension I've had is dealing with my beliefs and practices with people who are (for a variety of reasons) very uncomfortable with witchcraft or not-their-religion in general, while being in a public facing role.
How does our theoretical librarian or witch manage that? Does she have to compartmentalise? Is there the challenge of studying something that is in disfavour in academic circles? Is this a case where someone started out studying something in an academic setting, and the magic snared them and changed their lives? How does our theoretical protagonist deal with this? What would the communications with/from advisors, professors, or others they interact with look like?
I'm also really intrigued by the tags for public infrastructure and theatre here - I don't have great prompts, because I'm basically just at "Tell me how that works!" I can see a lot of possibilities from things that are there, but hidden from public knowledge, to a world where illusions are a common part of theatrical productions and performances.
Here, I'm less interested in the Big Star (whether that's performer or architect) and more interested in the people making the thing go on a daily-use level.
worldbuildingex)I adore this exchange, and the chance to delve into how and why things are like that. You can find my past letters, recs, and commentary on what I wrote in this tag if they're helpful.
General notes
Types of material In-world meta or fic, please! I'm open to various kinds of format (fiction, travel guide, set of reviews, letters, etc.) but please no poetry or music lyrics unless they're a smallish part of a larger collection of materials. Art or other formats are very welcome as a treat if you happen to be inspired by something in here.
Things I like
I'm here for the worldbuilding. I don't mind canonical characters showing up and doing their things, but I'm a lot more interested in the world they're in than in particular relationships, canonical plots getting expanded, etc.
On the other hand, I'm also a fan of character choices illuminating details of the world, so if that's a direction you feel called to go, go for it! Diverse kinds of relationships very welcome - platonic friendships, colleagues, competitors, etc. are all very interesting to me, as well as a wide range of ways people have sexual and romantic relationships and who they have them with.
Other likes:
- People being competent.
- People learning how to do the thing they want to be competent at.
- Changing interactions over time, especially things like teacher-student into peers and colleagues.
- Books or music or art that changes people's perceptions of the world and thus their lives.
- Worldbuilding that patches something the original canon glossed over.
- Magical theory that has a consistent internal logic.
- Historical details that expand something from our understanding of history
I am a religious witch and polytheist - I'm open to a wide range of religions turning up in fic, but greatly appreciate thoughtful depictions (i.e. avoiding stereotypes in any direction).
Stories that make me extra happy are those that think about the implications of their magical theory as a worldbuilding element - if X, what is implied by Y? If you have the ability to do this, how does it change the world?
Do not wants
Please keep to canonical levels of sex-in-story, violence, explicit description, and also canonical relationships where that might be relevant. (My tastes in non-canonical things in these categories depends a lot on the setup, and that usually takes more length and complexity than it's fair to expect in an exchange!)
Please also avoid stories where all the teachers/librarians/educational staff/etc. somewhere are not competent or ignoring the well-being of students. (One or two among a number of others is fine for dramatic contrast, it's the stories where every adult in an educational role is abusive or horrible or incompetent that I can't cope with.)
The Ink Beast Parade - Augustus Jansson
Any or No Characters (The Ink Beast Parade)
Original Character(s) (The Ink Beast Parade)
Golden Yellow Bear (The Ink Beast Parade)
Magenta Ponies (The Ink Beast Parade)
Me For Queen City Ink (Bronze Red Lion) (The Ink Beast Parade)
The Only Heliotrope Cow in the World (The Ink Beast Parade)
Prevent Ink Troubles (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: City Life (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: Hierarchies and social status (The Ink Beast Parade)
WB: Reasons for a Parade (The Ink Beast Parade)
I came across this piece from the Public Domain Review about the Ink Beast Parade a little too late to nominate it for this exchange in 2019 - but wow, do these images fascinate me. Want some larger images? Here you go.
Augustus Jansson was an illustrator who did a wide range of advertisements (he was based in Somerville, Massachusetts, not far from me!). The Ink Beast Parade is a set he did as advertisements for the Queen City printing ink company between 1905 and 1906.
Fundamentally, I am really curious about this city. Who are these people, what is this parade for, is this how all their parades go? I feel like this might be ripe for a tourism brochure treatment, or someone writing home about the city they're visiting, but I am (as above) open to a wide variety of formats.
There are so many unanswered questions. Do people colour-code themselves to their animals? Or the animals to their preferred colours? Are there customs and traditions about who is associated with what animal? Do the colours have heraldic implications, or are there sumptuary laws in play? (I do love me a good sumptuary law where you stare at it and go 'why did you get this specific about this thing, huh?')
How do you get the Only Heliotrope Cow In the World? (Or Magenta Ponies?). Are these all animals from nearby, are they imports from far-away places? Are these unusually well behaved and docile? And if so, why?
I'm particularly intrigued by Prevents Ink Troubles. She has a broom, and a very witchy hat, and those are moons on her skirt.Is this a magical position of status? Does she have obligations about preventing ink trouble? And what sort of trouble is ink, anyway? Does she have abilities others don't? And if so, how do they feel about that? How does she feel about it?
And while I didn't nominate all the images, I'm up for something about any of them. (What is an Ibexiaticus? Where does it come from?) And what's up with those scenes of multiple people together, with drinks and snacks. Are they watching the parade, or participating in some other way? Do people associate with others who share their colour palate? Or at least a complementary colour?
Labyrinth (1986)
Any or No Characters (Labyrinth (1986))
Original Character(s) (Labyrinth (1986))
Sarah Williams (Labyrinth (1986))
WB: Lasting effects of the Labyrinth on humans (Labyrinth (1986))
WB: Other magical realms (Labyrinth)
WB: Effects of humans on Labyrinth and the Goblin King (1986))
Count me in among the people for whom this is a much loved film. I've long been curious about the hints we get about different kinds of interaction with the Labyrinth, and what it means later. (After all, it ends with the strong suggestion that Sarah will continue to have some interaction with the denizens...)
It makes me wonder if people who've had interactions have been more prone to noticing and/or being affected by other magic (realms or otherwise), or more susceptible to certain kinds of temptations and inducements - or alternately, more resilient to them, and more sure of their own selves and identities. I'm also intrigued by how interactions with the Labyrinth might change someone's long-term arc, how they see themselves, what they value (and seek out) and what they don't.
Obviously, that has the other side of the coin - how much do humans interfere with the Labyrinth, just by existing? Does it weaken the magic and the world? Strengthen it? Leave some sort of lasting stamp on it? Do the denizens that Sarah meet have some source in earlier encounters with humans?
On this one, I do not object to a Sarah/Jareth romance, but I'm a lot more interested in the worldbuilding or Sarah's life after the Labyrinth than I am in the romance per se.
Harry Potter - Books 1-7
Any or No Characters (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Original Character(s) (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Original Founders Era Student (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Ancient Witching Rites and Spells (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Folklore and Literature (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Founders Era Hogwarts (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
WB: Magical Portraits (Harry Potter Books 1-7)
Like so many people, I have a complex relationship with the Potterverse, but I loved this set of tags. I am totally here for your magical theory geekery (as applied to rituals and portraits, in this case). If you choose, I'd love an explanation of how these things work, as they're both areas almost entirely glossed over in canon. There have to be a huge range of rites and spells that are no longer terribly relevant (but once were really important - what about defense in an era of siege engines?) or that speak to needs that are no longer so pressing. Tell me about ancient agricultural rites and how they worked, or how people figured out how to make them work.
Alternately, I would love some more Founders era (loosely defined, feel free to go a generation later, if that's intriguing). What was it like to be an early student, and know the founders, and then grow up into an adult, and see the world change around you? What was taught (and how?) and what assumptions about the world and what was important were encased in that?
And I am always here for folklore and literature. I am particularly fond of the trope of 'this song has an actual story behind it' (c.f. Deborah Grabien's folk song mysteries), and I would adore something like this.
Are the Child Ballads based on actual stories in the magical world? (Tam Lin and the Twa Sisters are two particular favourites, but seriously, pick any of them, I'm here for that.) Are the precautions encoded in ballads there for Solid Magical Reasons? (If you need some inspiration here, the Folksongs are your friends post from the Making Light blog has plenty, but needs to come with a warning that you may lose several hours to it.)
If you'd rather take a deep dive into the wizarding contemporaries to Shakespeare (or any other playwright or author) that's great, too. I've long argued that Aphra Behn was a witch who went to Hogwarts, got sorted Gryffindor, and settled into a long life of writing and spycraft as an adult.
Original Work - Urban Fantasy
Any or No Characters (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Original Character(s) (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Librarian negotiating use of magic at work (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Academic studying the field of magic (Original work - Urban Fantasy)
Witch learning her magic (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Avoiding witch hunters in modern society (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Folklore that is more life-changing than expected (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Function of Practical Magic in Public Infrastructure (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Libraries that include magical works (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
WB: Use of Magic in Special Effects and Theater (Original Work - Urban Fantasy)
Grouping these generally by theme:I am a librarian (previously an academic librarian) who is also a witch: navigating the two things has occasionally been tricky in my professional life, and I'm tickled by the idea of a fic exploring this.
One tension I've had is dealing with my beliefs and practices with people who are (for a variety of reasons) very uncomfortable with witchcraft or not-their-religion in general, while being in a public facing role.
How does our theoretical librarian or witch manage that? Does she have to compartmentalise? Is there the challenge of studying something that is in disfavour in academic circles? Is this a case where someone started out studying something in an academic setting, and the magic snared them and changed their lives? How does our theoretical protagonist deal with this? What would the communications with/from advisors, professors, or others they interact with look like?
I'm also really intrigued by the tags for public infrastructure and theatre here - I don't have great prompts, because I'm basically just at "Tell me how that works!" I can see a lot of possibilities from things that are there, but hidden from public knowledge, to a world where illusions are a common part of theatrical productions and performances.
Here, I'm less interested in the Big Star (whether that's performer or architect) and more interested in the people making the thing go on a daily-use level.
Tags:
