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ljwritesWhen I become a fan of something, I tend to find fanfiction as interesting as the canon work. It's kind of like reading the comments to an article to find out what other people thought, but it's even better because much of fan fiction is better thought out than most site comments. Like all good fiction, good works of fan fiction have a creative vision and good execution, including structure, characterization, and use of language. It's the pleasure of reading good blog comments and reading good stories rolled into one, a communal and creative activity at the same time.
I've talked about some of my own fanfiction at length here and will continue to do so, but I'd like to talk about other fan stories I've enjoyed, too. These stories caught my interest, inspired me, and gave me new insights not only into Avatar but into writing and sometimes life in general.
That's why I'm starting a new series, Featured Fics, which is about Avatar: The Last Airbender fan stories that caught my eye as a reader. They won't be full analyses (which could be longer than the works themselves!), but rather a mention and a few comments to share the love. Some of these stories will be complete, some ongoing, some long, and some short (though if short, usually a series of shorts). In other words, they have almost nothing in common other than the fact that they're Avatar fan stories that have caught my interest. And oh yeah, the ones I plan to feature at this point all seem to deal with Zuko and/or the Fire Nation in some way. It's the way I roll, so be forewarned about that.
The first Featured Fic is Zuko: Crown Prince Chronicles by FairLadyZ2005, plus her other Avatar stories. A series of short stories about the characters pre- or mid- or post-series, Crown Prince Chronicles is a classic "missing moments" kind of fanfic that deals with aspects of the world and characters that the show did not explore. These include such details as Roku's hairpiece ("Hairbending"), the start of Azula's nickname for Zuko ("Zuzu"), and Iroh's post-war life ("Unexpected Visitors, Parts 1-3"). Each story is fairly short, and there are sixteen stories as of this writing. There will probably more soon since the author updates fairly regularly. Getting the Story Alert e-mails in my inbox is one of my geeky little pleasures!
I believe every story starts with curiosity. That's even truer of fan fiction, and all more of short fan fiction. Each story in Crown Prince Chronicles revolves around a clear, if implicit, central question such as: "What would Toph think about Zuko's scar?" ("Burned") Or, "How did Zuko free Appa from the dungeons under Lake Laogai?" ("Appinions") Or, "How did Mai react to her separations from Zuko?" ("Playing with Knives") Each story answers its question solidly, and such clarity and focus are always valuable qualities with fiction, particularly short fiction.
Those ideas are a big reason I enjoy Crown Prince Chronicles: I love the insights about the Avatar world and characters. "Kings' Crossing," for instance, reflected on the parallels between Zuko and the Earth King's stories. I hadn't thought about it that way before, and now it's got me so intrigued I want to expand that into a short story of my own once I have the time. The whole premise and story of "The Dragoneye" absolutely beg to be stolen, and I loved the discussion of the Avatar world and culture in "Unexpected Visitors." The exploration of how Toph imagines colors and people in "Colors" was perspective and deep without having to be long. FairLady has told me that she identifies with Toph and finds it easy to write her lines, and I can believe it from the way the characters dialogue and PoV are done. (See also my interview with FairLady if you want to hear her own take on this.)
Speaking of dialogue, that is another particular strength of this author. The characters just come alive on the screen through their words and ideas, and I can hear the original voices in my head reading them. I really enjoyed moments like these, which could have come right out of the show:
I also enjoy the stories for their down-to-earth warmth and genuine, human sentiment that come across without overly complicated writing. That's something I really respect as a writer because I can't write simply, always getting weighed down with details and minutiae. (See: Every damn thing I've ever written.) Rated at K+, Crown Prince Chronicles reads very much like quality young adult literature, something that I see as very true to the original show's identity as children's animation. It's not that the author can't write more adult stuff, but rather that she has chosen to keep the series accessible to younger readers. For example, the short story A Long Night could be a part of the Crown Prince Chronicles in terms of tone and characters, but FairLady left it out because it's rated at T rather than K+. Again, I respect the author's enforcing the ratings boundary while keeping the rest of the stories accessible.
The same caveats, but especially the second, applies to my other critique of the series: Occasionally there's a bit more sentimentality than I like. (And that word, "like," should be flashing neon in your mind. It means it's my taste, not an objective standard of quality.) This goes to the easy claiming of kinship in "A Long Night" and "Sisters," or the overt tears on Mai's part in "Playing with Knives." Maybe it's because I've never thought of even my closest friends as sisters or brothers, but I'm always rather "meh" about the idea of friends being family.* But then again I've heard of it happening, and I've certainly never risked my life alongside my friends the way Zuko and his friends have. So this should come with a giant "Your Mileage May Vary" sign. Also, in general I prefer it when emotions are expressed more subtly, especially with usually deadpan characters. And you can stick that word, "prefer," as another giant neon sign next to "like" and "YMMV," all pointing the way to subjective-taste-ville.* Which is kind of ironic when you consider that I'm Korean, and we're very used to calling older friends "Big Brother" and "Big Sister." I have a bunch of school seniors I call "Big Sister," and a ton of people call me "Big Sister," too. Heck, my boyfriend whom I am in no way related to calls me "Big Sister." (Or sometimes "Big Brother" to pun on my name and annoy me, at which point I whack him.) On the other hand, maybe that's what desensitized me to the idea--because I know that it's just an expression of closeness and not actual kinship. Otherwise dating my boyfriend would be... so, so wrong.
Links
FairLadyZ2005's Fanfiction.net profile - with stories in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Transformers/Beast Wars, Blakes 7, and more.
Avatar: The Last Airbender fan fiction:
Zuko: Crown Prince Chronicles - A "missing moments" series of funny, insightful, and touching stories about Zuko and friends
A Long Night - The Avatar benders' equivalent of socks on doorknobs and falling plaster.
Call Down the Heavens - The anti-bender rebellion begins with tragic consequences, and hope amid the wreckage. Author interview Part 1 and Part 2
I've talked about some of my own fanfiction at length here and will continue to do so, but I'd like to talk about other fan stories I've enjoyed, too. These stories caught my interest, inspired me, and gave me new insights not only into Avatar but into writing and sometimes life in general.
That's why I'm starting a new series, Featured Fics, which is about Avatar: The Last Airbender fan stories that caught my eye as a reader. They won't be full analyses (which could be longer than the works themselves!), but rather a mention and a few comments to share the love. Some of these stories will be complete, some ongoing, some long, and some short (though if short, usually a series of shorts). In other words, they have almost nothing in common other than the fact that they're Avatar fan stories that have caught my interest. And oh yeah, the ones I plan to feature at this point all seem to deal with Zuko and/or the Fire Nation in some way. It's the way I roll, so be forewarned about that.
The first Featured Fic is Zuko: Crown Prince Chronicles by FairLadyZ2005, plus her other Avatar stories. A series of short stories about the characters pre- or mid- or post-series, Crown Prince Chronicles is a classic "missing moments" kind of fanfic that deals with aspects of the world and characters that the show did not explore. These include such details as Roku's hairpiece ("Hairbending"), the start of Azula's nickname for Zuko ("Zuzu"), and Iroh's post-war life ("Unexpected Visitors, Parts 1-3"). Each story is fairly short, and there are sixteen stories as of this writing. There will probably more soon since the author updates fairly regularly. Getting the Story Alert e-mails in my inbox is one of my geeky little pleasures!
I believe every story starts with curiosity. That's even truer of fan fiction, and all more of short fan fiction. Each story in Crown Prince Chronicles revolves around a clear, if implicit, central question such as: "What would Toph think about Zuko's scar?" ("Burned") Or, "How did Zuko free Appa from the dungeons under Lake Laogai?" ("Appinions") Or, "How did Mai react to her separations from Zuko?" ("Playing with Knives") Each story answers its question solidly, and such clarity and focus are always valuable qualities with fiction, particularly short fiction.
Those ideas are a big reason I enjoy Crown Prince Chronicles: I love the insights about the Avatar world and characters. "Kings' Crossing," for instance, reflected on the parallels between Zuko and the Earth King's stories. I hadn't thought about it that way before, and now it's got me so intrigued I want to expand that into a short story of my own once I have the time. The whole premise and story of "The Dragoneye" absolutely beg to be stolen, and I loved the discussion of the Avatar world and culture in "Unexpected Visitors." The exploration of how Toph imagines colors and people in "Colors" was perspective and deep without having to be long. FairLady has told me that she identifies with Toph and finds it easy to write her lines, and I can believe it from the way the characters dialogue and PoV are done. (See also my interview with FairLady if you want to hear her own take on this.)
Speaking of dialogue, that is another particular strength of this author. The characters just come alive on the screen through their words and ideas, and I can hear the original voices in my head reading them. I really enjoyed moments like these, which could have come right out of the show:
Toph downed the tea in nearly one gulp and wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
"Y'know something, Princey. You make some pretty good tea."
(From "Burned")
"WHAT! B-But that means Roku –"
"Yep."
"And you're his –"
"Yep."
Aang let out a long whistle and breathed a deep sigh that went though his entire body. "Destiny is strange."
"Tell me about it. I guess that's why there's always been this weird connection between us, even though I had no idea what that meant until recently. It's nothing to be ashamed of though, you are 112 great grandp-"
"Don't call me that!" Aang stamped a foot that caused a swirl of dust around his ankles.
(From "Hairbending")
"Y'know something, Princey. You make some pretty good tea."
(From "Burned")
"WHAT! B-But that means Roku –"
"Yep."
"And you're his –"
"Yep."
Aang let out a long whistle and breathed a deep sigh that went though his entire body. "Destiny is strange."
"Tell me about it. I guess that's why there's always been this weird connection between us, even though I had no idea what that meant until recently. It's nothing to be ashamed of though, you are 112 great grandp-"
"Don't call me that!" Aang stamped a foot that caused a swirl of dust around his ankles.
(From "Hairbending")
I also enjoy the stories for their down-to-earth warmth and genuine, human sentiment that come across without overly complicated writing. That's something I really respect as a writer because I can't write simply, always getting weighed down with details and minutiae. (See: Every damn thing I've ever written.) Rated at K+, Crown Prince Chronicles reads very much like quality young adult literature, something that I see as very true to the original show's identity as children's animation. It's not that the author can't write more adult stuff, but rather that she has chosen to keep the series accessible to younger readers. For example, the short story A Long Night could be a part of the Crown Prince Chronicles in terms of tone and characters, but FairLady left it out because it's rated at T rather than K+. Again, I respect the author's enforcing the ratings boundary while keeping the rest of the stories accessible.
Of course, the stories in Crown Prince Chronicles aren't perfect. (No story is, obviously. If I ever see a perfect story, I will put down my pen, step away from the keyboard and spend the rest of my life in rapt contemplation of its perfection. For better or for worse that has not yet happened.) The main strengths of the series are the intelligent, original ideas and the lively dialogue, but the physical descriptions are comparatively weak. It's something that I think could be improved in the writing, and another thing I admire about this author is that she's so open to suggestions and advice, and her willingness to learn and improve. The recent "Brothers of the Blade," for instance, showed solid effort in this direction.
This comes with two caveats: First, there is no reason for the author to change her style to be more description-heavy, since every story is different. Some stories focus more on the dialogue and thoughts, some on descriptions, some have a mix. Still, it's always good to have a wide range of tools in the writing toolbox, and descriptions can be good support even in a dialogue-and-idea-centric story. The second caveat is that this may be my taste speaking, since I have preferences like everybody else. I like description and the telling of a story through images and experiences, to the extent that I sometimes confuse my readers by not explaining things enough. And my tastes should not be the arbiter for anyone but myself. That's a roundabout way of saying that I could be wrong, and you have no idea how hard it was for me to write that. :D Oh, God! The idea of me being wrong, it burns!
This comes with two caveats: First, there is no reason for the author to change her style to be more description-heavy, since every story is different. Some stories focus more on the dialogue and thoughts, some on descriptions, some have a mix. Still, it's always good to have a wide range of tools in the writing toolbox, and descriptions can be good support even in a dialogue-and-idea-centric story. The second caveat is that this may be my taste speaking, since I have preferences like everybody else. I like description and the telling of a story through images and experiences, to the extent that I sometimes confuse my readers by not explaining things enough. And my tastes should not be the arbiter for anyone but myself. That's a roundabout way of saying that I could be wrong, and you have no idea how hard it was for me to write that. :D Oh, God! The idea of me being wrong, it burns!
The same caveats, but especially the second, applies to my other critique of the series: Occasionally there's a bit more sentimentality than I like. (And that word, "like," should be flashing neon in your mind. It means it's my taste, not an objective standard of quality.) This goes to the easy claiming of kinship in "A Long Night" and "Sisters," or the overt tears on Mai's part in "Playing with Knives." Maybe it's because I've never thought of even my closest friends as sisters or brothers, but I'm always rather "meh" about the idea of friends being family.* But then again I've heard of it happening, and I've certainly never risked my life alongside my friends the way Zuko and his friends have. So this should come with a giant "Your Mileage May Vary" sign. Also, in general I prefer it when emotions are expressed more subtly, especially with usually deadpan characters. And you can stick that word, "prefer," as another giant neon sign next to "like" and "YMMV," all pointing the way to subjective-taste-ville.
I've talked mostly about Crown Prince Chronicles, but there's also another story called Call Down the Heavens which is rather different in tone from those other stories, being quite a bit darker and later in time. It's a story with strong emotions and imagery, and presents a dark view of the future of the Avatar world. It's worth a read, and FairLady herself will talk more about it in the interview post.
On the whole, Crown Prince Chronicles and FairLady's other work are original and entertaining with genuinely heartwarming moments and sparkling dialogue. They expand on the Avatar world and characters in intriguing ways. I would recommend a read-through to any Avatar fan, especially fans of Zuko and Toph, and those who appreciate good short fiction.
Also check out the author and her works in her own words, in Part 1 and Part 2 of her interview!
On the whole, Crown Prince Chronicles and FairLady's other work are original and entertaining with genuinely heartwarming moments and sparkling dialogue. They expand on the Avatar world and characters in intriguing ways. I would recommend a read-through to any Avatar fan, especially fans of Zuko and Toph, and those who appreciate good short fiction.
Also check out the author and her works in her own words, in Part 1 and Part 2 of her interview!
Links
FairLadyZ2005's Fanfiction.net profile - with stories in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Transformers/Beast Wars, Blakes 7, and more.
Avatar: The Last Airbender fan fiction:
Zuko: Crown Prince Chronicles - A "missing moments" series of funny, insightful, and touching stories about Zuko and friends
A Long Night - The Avatar benders' equivalent of socks on doorknobs and falling plaster.
Call Down the Heavens - The anti-bender rebellion begins with tragic consequences, and hope amid the wreckage. Author interview Part 1 and Part 2
