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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Discussion [Avatar: The Last Airbender] Who wants to go penguin sledding?

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by Lord Vivec, Aug 12, 2008.

  1. blubeast1237

    blubeast1237 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2007
    Stop reminding us!

    [:D] Citygurl.

    And I am really into the Sokka/Ty Lee myself. Their little banter was quite attractive.

    -B-
     
  2. RK_Striker_JK_5

    RK_Striker_JK_5 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 2, 2003
    Sokka/Suki, but that's because Suki's my favorite character.

    I much prefer Kataang. Zutara... for 2/3 of the series, Katara hated Zuko! He was the face of the enemy, the face of the Fire Nation that killed her mother and terrorized the world. Her threatening him when he joined wasn't 'slap slap-kiss'. It was 'slap slap-punch in the gut'.
     
  3. G__Anakin

    G__Anakin Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2006
    I've been watching Avatar since the day it came out in February when I was in 6th grade!!

    I'm a Kataang fan!
     
  4. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    So Discussion Topic:

    Who do you find is the easiest to write? The hardest?
     
  5. R_Zion

    R_Zion Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 23, 2004
    I'm carefully considering starting an Avatar fanfic myself soon. If I do, it'll be the first extended fic I've done in quite some time.

    If I recall my notes, it's set 5,052 years before the end of the 100-year War during a period known as the Great Southern Sieges. I'm considering calling it 'Avatar: The Legend of WeiSheng' and it centers around a tale told to Aang in a dream by one of his past lives, Avatar WeiSheng, as our young hero has doubts shortly after the defeat of the Phoenix King about the unification of the nations considering there's a hundred years of strife and political tension to work through.

    Depending on how the period fleshes out and is received, I might consider using it for the basis of an RP on the NSWRPF.

    Anyway, as to my thoughts on writing the characters... I imagine that Toph and Sokka would be the easiest for me since the wittier characters were what I was strong at back in my SW fanfic days. As the most difficult....that's a hard question. Perhaps Iroh, as trying to capture that genuine sense of wisdom the character possesses might not be too easy a task.
     
  6. Lord Vivec

    Lord Vivec Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2006
    I would think that Aang and Zuko would be harder because it would be difficult to grasp their internal struggles.
     
  7. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Zuko and Aang definitely are hard. Katara's up there as well.

    Sokka's actually pretty easy, though making up some of his jokes isn't.
     
  8. Idrelle_Miocovani

    Idrelle_Miocovani Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2005
    I haven't posted any of my Avatar stuff yet (but believe me, the bunnies are chasing me around in circles!). So far, Iroh is the hardest for me the write. I've never been very good at the very wise characters.

    edit -- though I do really want to go penguin sledding! :p

     
  9. Lord_Riven

    Lord_Riven Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2001
    I watched Sozin's Comet two weeks ago on TV and then suddenly got the inspiration to write ATLA fanfic.

    I quickly finished a one-shot ATLA fanfic, which won't be posted here (the rules here give me a headache) :D. It's post-Sozin's-Comet and answers the lingering question as of the end of ATLA.

    And then the idea just developed into a multi-chapter Avatar the Last Airbender story, and it will have a whole lot of surprises, the ideas actually have been coming quite easily.

    I actually find it easy to write Ozai, Ursa and less developed characters. Partly because they are almost a clean slate to work with, and quite one dimensional on which I can add layers. I think characters that are well developed, like Zuko are hard to write, because they don't give you a lot of room to move in terms of having to pay lots of attention to the series and getting all the nuances of the characterisation (which would mean getting the whole series and constantly watching it which I don't have time for)...
     
  10. bad_feeling_haver

    bad_feeling_haver Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 5, 2008
    ^ I agree. I like to write all-OC things or use characters that are really far into the periphery for that reason. I wrote a story about Sozin (before 306 aired) and Aang's friend Kuzon. It was a lot of fun. The hook was that they were brothers, and you can't do stuff like that with the main cast (well, not seriously...)

    Other than that, I like to write the villains, like Ozai and Sozin. I find them to be a lot of fun to write because you have to try and figure out what makes them evil, and then you sort of get "sucked in" to this mental journey to understand the character...I don't really know how to put it. I heard actors always like to play villains for that reason. When I wrote Sozin I had him growing up just after a civil war in the Fire Nation, so his mother really pushed him to be a strong ruler so the Nation couldn't split into factional fighting again, which of course backfired. Now I'm working on this multi-chapter about the 6th Avatar prior to Aang, but it involves this fictional organized crime group, like the Triads of the Avatar world, and writing the character of the top crime boss is a lot of fun. He's very intelligent, he likes to tell jokes, and he's a health nut, but he's also totally evil.

    I think the hardest characters to write are any characters that have been explored a lot in the series. If you're just writing about a character's feelings, then I guess the main cast is easier, but they've been developed so much that you can't get much out of putting them into new situations, although that may just be because the series is over by now. It's like real people: if you have a good sense of self then you are better able to guide yourself when responding to a new or stressful situation. Like, for practically any situation you put Katara in, you know how she'll respond: she'll do the morally correct thing. Unless I can come up with some situation to throw the character's usual responses off to begin with, (like Katara meeting her mother's killer, to use an example from the show), writing for the main cast usually doesn't hold my interest enough to write anything interesting for them to do. Zuko might be an exception, because he still has some unresolved issues, and maybe Aang too, but you kind of have to dig for it.
     
  11. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    I actually find it easy to write Ozai, Ursa and less developed characters. Partly because they are almost a clean slate to work with, and quite one dimensional on which I can add layers. I think characters that are well developed, like Zuko are hard to write, because they don't give you a lot of room to move in terms of having to pay lots of attention to the series and getting all the nuances of the characterisation (which would mean getting the whole series and constantly watching it which I don't have time for)...

    I really like this, and agree.
     
  12. Lord_Riven

    Lord_Riven Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2001
    I'm looking for some help with my ATLA fanfic 'The Spiritbender War' (a continuation of my one-shot Ozai's Choice).

    I need some ideas/suggestions about what Ursa did in the years since she killed Azulon? I assume that she was exiled and given some money to start over, but I wonder what she did after the money ran out? I wonder if she as a firebender?

    Ideas are welcome. Thanks.

    LOL. I realised that Azulon was 58 when Ozai was born. Ewww....
     
  13. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Aww man, I really don't want to give up my Aang icon. :(
     
  14. SithGirl132

    SithGirl132 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2005
    I fell in love with Avatar when I went to college and my friends introduced me to the show- and only recently did I finish watching it. Right now, I'm fending off plot bunnies with a stick, but the bunnies are starting to win...

    I love Zutara. I think that was the way it was meant to be... Mei is so dull that I really can't do much with her character. And Sokka/Suki is so cute.

    Lord_Riven, I think you're right- it's easier to write the less-developed characters. They just open up so many possibilities for stories and how they think and act. I would have loved to see more of Ozai and Ursa in the series.

    Oh no... the plot bunnies are coming for me...
     
  15. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Since this has been on my mind (with a plot bunny, no less)... what's everyone's favorite crack!ship? Like the pairings that really aren't possible at all, but just would be so freaking cute?


    No lies, right now I'm hardcore shipping Hakoda/Ursa. NO WAY it would work, but oh man, it would be cute. [face_blush]
     
  16. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    I just finished watching the whole series a couple weeks ago, and MAN is it AWESOME :D I especially liked the third season (particularly Zuko :D ).

    And now I'm desperate to read some good Avatar fics and catch up on the ones here I haven't read yet :D I hope we can get some more soon!!
     
  17. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Wang Fire approves of this post.
     
  18. Lady_Jade

    Lady_Jade Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 22, 2004
    So.....who has seen the movie?? Thoughts?
     
  19. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    I saw it. And cried. At the horribleness :(
     
  20. Idrelle_Miocovani

    Idrelle_Miocovani Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2005
    I saw it against my better judgement.

    It fails as an adaption, and it doesn't even bother to work as a film. It's like a clipshow and Katara's voice over was a weak ploy to be able to cover as much action as possible without showing it (... er, Sokka/Yue anyone? Thanks for the info, Katara!). Everything was exposition and none of the characters had - er - character. The actors were all terrible (I can't think of a decent performance), although part of that has to do with the failure of a script they had to work with. It's almost impossible to adapt a full season of a show into a film, but yet you make the film, what, an hour and a half long? Gah! :oops:

    In other words: this.

    I will make myself feel better by watching awesome TV episodes.
     
  21. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    [face_laugh] I saw the last part of that clip somewhere else, too. That's awesome. (And I went and re-watched that episode. Favorite part: the ambiguity about Jet's death [face_laugh] ).

    But yeah, you summed up my feelings exactly. And they pronounced half the characters' names incorrectly.
     
  22. Idrelle_Miocovani

    Idrelle_Miocovani Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2005
    I saw a drawing with all the characters lined up in the movie theatre with 3D glasses on (except Toph, who had her glasses on her head). I have it saved to my computer, but I don't know where the original link went and I forget where I found it... anyway, it goes like this:

    Toph: lolol, so glad I was not in this movie
    Sokka: They took out my meat and sarcasm and replaced it with PONYTAIL. So much PONYTAIL.
    Katara: Aang, you took my over-emotional speech about hope! That's like all I had! Now I'm just there!
    Aang: Why does it take five minutes of dance moves for me to bend anything?
    Zuko: I WANTED TO SEE TOY STORY.

    [face_laugh]

    I don't understand the reasoning for changing the pronunciation of the names. I heard Shyamalan fought to get them changed because his versions were "correct". That's ridiculous to me. It's a FANTASY show, even though it's inspired by Asian mythology and legends, you can have whatever pronunciations you want because it's not real Asian mythology/legend. It's made up. 21st century fantasy fiction. Go with the established names, for goodness sake, it's what everyone recognizes and it sounds silly. *sigh*

    I think the film franchise should die. Now. The TV show was brilliant. No point on having too much of a good thing. Just because the story fits TV as a medium doesn't mean it will fit live-action film. If they are dead-set on a live-action adaption, let's wait ten years and come back to it - with a different director, cast and script. Especially the script (bad) and the cast (terribly miscast). I was cringing through the entire thing.
     
  23. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    [face_laugh] [face_laugh] I especially love Zuko's line :D


    I agree on all of that. And as hard as it is to make a book into a movie, I'd say it's harder to make a TV show into a movie. It has to be done with care. And this wasn't.
     
  24. Idrelle_Miocovani

    Idrelle_Miocovani Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2005
    The thing is that Shyamalan always sounds in interviews that he's passionate about this film and the story/characters/everything. But the end result certainly doesn't seem like it... agh. Passion about your work doesn't always match up with the "handle with care" sign on adapting other people's material.
     
  25. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    Fail. So much fail.