Fanfiction is Fun

Now I know lots of people consider those who write/read fanfiction as nerdy freaks (which yeah, that's kind of true), but let me explain. Like most things in the world, fanfiction is stereotyped. You usually only hear about it in movies from the completely obsessed weirdo "Ooh! I'm going to go write a fanfiction about Spock and Captain Kirk's lovechild" and you're just like "...what?". And although there is a LOAD of stuff like that (there probably is at least one story about Spock and Captain Kirk's lovechild out there somewhere), there's also some really interesting and creative stuff too.

Fanfiction is what people do when they think "Hmm, I wonder what happened in between those two scenes in that movie" or "What would happen if these characters never met? How differently would the story play out?" or "What would these character's kids be like?" or "How would this character react in this situation?" or "What was this character thinking in this scene?" or "What if this took place in modern times?" or "How did this character get to be the way they are? What's their story?" or something! And they take those questions/musings into their own hands and write it down.

Some terminology:
Fluff: cuteness
One-shot: one chapter
Crossover: mixes one or more fandoms into one story
AU: alternate universe
Smut: porn/dirty stuff
Filler: not very important plot-wise
Drabble: not plot-heavy
OOC- out of character
OC- own character
Slash- pairing of siblings (I know right? :/)
POV- point of view

Sometimes it's just little drabbles like if we really liked a certain couple in a movie, we want to see more of that couple being all cute and couple-y, you know? So there's not really any plot, it's just them being cutesy. That's called fluff, when it's just cuteness.

Sometimes if something takes place in a different time period, someone will want to put them into modern times and see how the characters cope in modern times. This is called a modern AU.

There's all sorts of AU's. Just putting the characters and/or plot in different time periods, settings, etc. But the most popular one is the modern AU. College AU's are especially popular as a sub-category in the modern setting.

Fanfiction isn't just stories, although that's what it predominately is. Sometimes you'll find poems, song lyrics, and essays. (Although those aren't really as popular, people mostly come for the stories).

Yes, I read fanfiction. It all started back when Tangled came out. (You know Tangled got me into a lot of things. It also got me into Tumblr.) I don't read it like a maniac. Mostly I read it if something is recommended and it sounds interesting. Also, there's a search you can do. I might be bored and decide that I want to find a specific type of fic. Like a modern AU of Pride and Prejudice for example. I just punch in the information and it pulls up all the fics in that category. I don't read the really weird or graphic stuff. The website has a rating system like movies, so I can properly avoid any smut (that's pornographic, dirty, rated R-type stuff). And there's always a short summary, so I can see if something is going to be really weird or not. I haven't branched out very far. I've mostly stuck to a few choice Disney films, Doctor Who, Sherlock, and even Pride and Prejudice, but I mostly stick to Disney. Those authors for those are the best.

Yes, I have actually written some of my own fanfiction. Hey, it expands my creative aura and helps me practice my skill as a writer. Besides, it's kind of fun. I've written a total of ten stories so far (actually, I kind of abandoned one of them, but it wasn't that popular anyway).

A couple of my favorite fanfictions are:

ALL THAT REALLY MATTERED- A Tangled fanfic
It's really, really long, but oh my is it worth the read. Rapunzel is in an arranged marriage that she can't get out of with this complete jerk-wad. "Jerk-wad" doesn't even begin to describe it. Like holy cow, you just want him to BURN!!! (Reading the reviews from other people about how they would eliminate the fiancee just make it even better).

CHASING DAYDREAMS- A Tangled fanfic
Also kind of long. It's Tangled told from Flynn/Eugene's point of view. Oh my gosh, this author captures his character like so spot on, it is hilarious! And it adds in some missing scenes and a little extra backstory and stuff. (There's also a companion piece from Rapunzel's point of view, but I don't like it as much. It get referenced to in this story though sometimes)

CONTRACTIONS AND SPLIT INFINITIVES- A Tangled fanfic
This is probably one of my favorite fanfics of all time. A one-shot that shows Rapunzel struggling with her duties as a princess. It is the funniest, wittiest, cutest thing I have ever read. This author is one of my favorites!

LOCKED IN WITH SHERLOCK- A Sherlock fanfic
A funny little drabble where Sherlock and John get locked in their flat on a rainy night and Sherlock is bored... which is never a good thing.

PLAYING FLYNN RIDER- A Tangled fanfic
The same author as 'Contractions and Split Infinitives'. This one is just as hilariously brilliant as that one, as newly-wed Eugene tries to figure out how to be alone with Rapunzel.

SONGS OF ICE AND SNOW- A Frozen fanfic
It's not even finished yet, but holy cow has it sucked me in! It's pretty long so far (and like I said, it's not even finished, but it seems like it's pretty close. I think it's nearing the climax). It has one of the most brilliantly written OCs I have ever seen in a fanfic (and normally, I am not a huge fan of OCs, but this one is so adorable). Actually he's the reason I started reading it in the first place. Someone made fanart of him on Tumblr and I thought it was so good, I had to look up the story connected to it. Basically it's just continuing the Frozen story: developing Anna and Kristoff's relationship, what happened to Hans, there was actually another Southern Isles brother who was supposed to accompany Hans to the coronation but got lost and arrives late, Elsa adjusting to normal life once more, etc. But it gets pretty intense as all these things start tying together.

THE CARRIAGE RIDE- A Tangled fanfic
Also the same author as 'Contractions and Split Infinitives' and 'Playing Flynn Rider'. Super adorably funny one-shot where Eugene is trying to figure out why Rapunzel is mad at him.

THE STUDY- A Pride and Prejudice fanfic
Now if you are a fan of Mr. Bennet, you'll love this. I haven't read a whole lot of P&P fanfics, there's just some fanfic categories that are just... no. But this one's little twist there at the end had me in stitches.


Alright, I suppose you're wondering about the ones that I have written, right? Well, I'd say that most of them are average on the popular scale with readers. It also kind of depends on the category. I know that if you write a story for Frozen right now, you'll get a boat-load of readers, even if your story's not very good. Now, getting readers and then getting favorited, followers, and reviews are entirely different things. That's how I rate popularity. If you've got a lot of followers, a lot of favorites, and a lot of reviews on a story, I say your story is very popular (and if a lot of people are following you as an author then good on that too).

So, a couple of my stories:

A STRANGE PHENOMENON- A Tangled fanfic
This is the first fanfic I ever wrote, just a couple chapters long. Please ignore all the stupid author's notes, because I cannot even stand myself. Authors who ask for reviews just turn me off. I have since learned my lesson. The story itself, I think is actually kind of cute (if I do say so myself). It's about Eugene's beard.

THE PARANORMAL- A Tangled fanfic
One of my most popular ones. An AU where Rapunzel didn't cry on Eugene at the end, but he comes back as a sort of ghost. It's not quite as weird as it sounds (only a little bit). It actually got recommended on the official Tangled Fics Tumblr.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SHIRLEY HOLMES AND JEN WATSON- A Sherlock fanfic
A gender-bend of Sherlock. It's just a one-shot exploring what would life be like if Sherlock and John were girls.

THEY SEEK HIM THERE- A Scarlet Pimpernel fanfic
This one took forever to finish. I had a load of writer's block while writing it. It's a modern college AU.

WORTH MINING- A Frozen fanfic
My most popular one. And all it is, is Frozen from Kristoff's point of view.

FACE DOWN- A Frozen fanfic
My most recent one. It's actually not even completely done, I still have like two more chapters to go. It's a modern AU about an abusive relationship based on a song of the same name by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It's very PG-13ish in the later chapters just as a warning.
EDIT: Now, it's finished. Whoo!

(Yes, I actually made all those icons on the stories.)

Think what you will. Fanfiction is a fun way to pass the time.

My Prince Charming(s)

Once a long time ago I made a post (like two years ago I think), dedicated to the lovely princes of Disney. It's been too long! They need their share of love and appreciation.  I have a surplus of posts about the princesses because PRINCESSES!!! :D But now, I want to take a step back and talk about the other end of the rope: our lovely men that complete those princesses's lives, because who doesn't love those Disney dudes? *grins*

I'll just list them in order, shall I? Oldest to newest? Appreciate them one at a time? OK, good.

THE PRINCE from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves voiced by Harry Stockwell
-"One heart, tenderly beating, ever intriguing, constant and true." 

SONG

He doesn't have a name (you'll sometimes hear that his name is Ferdinand, but never has that been confirmed by Disney), nor does he have a gigantic role in the movie, but he's our number one dude. The one that started it all. Plus, without him, we wouldn't have the infamous "Someday My Prince Will Come". And I must point out that he is the only prince to serenade his lady while she is up on a balcony. Oh yes! Classic romantic!


PRINCE CHARMING from Cinderella voiced by Mike Douglas
-"I'm all a glow, and now I know, the key to all heaven is mine." 

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He has an even smaller role than the last. I mean, he's not even present for the climax! He's just like the reward for the heroine after all her trials and tribulations. But still, for what little you do see of him he's actually got a bit more character than the last. I mean, if you watch him during the beginning of the ball, you'll notice Mr. Sass coming out. He's just like "I'm only up here meeting this endless line of girls because my dad's making me *yawn*". His face when the ugly stepsisters come up to him "oh good grief, as if this night could not get any worse!" XD


PHILIP from Sleeping Beauty voiced by Bill Shirley
-"Now father, you're living in the past. This is the 14th century!"

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Despite the fact that the movie is called Sleeping Beauty and should therefore be about Aurora, the heroine, I think that Philip actually plays a larger role. Although, that can hardly be helped since Aurora is sleeping almost the entire time. But finally a prince with a name and some personality! He is so overlooked. Like I just watched this movie the other day, and I watched that climax and DANG! Philip is such a boss! He needs to be appreciated more. He's the only prince to slay a dragon. If that's not a cause for appreciation, I don't know what is.


ERIC from The Little Mermaid voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes
-"Believe me, when I find her I'll know. Without a doubt. It'll just BAM hit me, like lightning." 

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I have a confession... Eric was my first animated crush. I mean LOOK at him! What a cutie! I'm a sucker for dark hair and blue eyes. And he's a total sweetheart. And he has a dog. And he plays a musical instrument (a whistle to be exact). You must love him otherwise you are dead to me! Also, a little fun fact, he is the only prince to not sing in his movie (although he does sing in the broadway musical). He still kind of sticks to the traditional Disney prince of "I saw this girl once and now I'm determined to marry her (I don't even know her name, but that doesn't matter)!", but he's also the transition into the modern prince of getting to know the girl over at least a couple days (even though he didn't know it was the same girl).


THE BEAST/PRINCE from Beauty and the Beast voiced by Robbie Benson
-"But she is being so *difficult*!" 

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The first prince to be a main character with a backstory and everything. Aren't we so proud? However, despite this fact, he doesn't have a freakin' name! Lots of people claim it's Adam, but I'm pretty sure that's not been officially confirmed by Disney. He's rather interesting for a male lead since he portrays a lot of villain-like qualities, at least at first. But of course he has a soft, warm, gentle center. You know, the whole point of the movie "beauty is found within"? If you really look at it, he's actually just like a giant, hairy child. Always throwing tantrums when he doesn't get his way (violent tantrums), and he is rather naive and has a sort of child-like curiosity and sweetness. Also, he has the best eyes out of any of them. Just putting that out there. And side-note: are you aware that Robbie Benson did the voice for both the Beast and the Prince? I know, right? What a drastic difference!


ALADDIN from Aladdin voiced by Scott Weinger
-"Trouble? No way. You're only in trouble if you get caught." 

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Our "diamond in the rough". The first male lead who is not a prince from the start. He's a "street rat"/thief, but only because he has to. Everyone looks down on him because of his position in society and doesn't see him for what he truly is: kind, selfless, charming, clever, generous, and so on. Of course he's the ultimate romantic because who could ever forget "A Whole New World"? Even non-Disney fans think of that scene when thinking of romantic scenes/songs.


SHANG from Mulan voiced by BD Wong
-"Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns!"

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Like his female counterpart, he is never at any point a royal. But we'll still include him in the lineup because we love him, and Mulan is an official Disney princess, therefore making him an official Disney prince. This guy sings only the most awesome Disney song ever written! Also, hello Mr. Six-Pack! ("I'll get that arrow, pretty boy. And I'll do it with my shirt on." Lolz, just had to throw that quote in there. One of my favorites). He has a lot of honor, like he breaks the law so Mulan can live to repay his debt to her. And then the way he stumbles all over himself once he realizes Mulan is a girl when he tries complimenting her, and later when he follows her home and tries returning her helmet. Underneath that rough-tough exterior, he's just a regular guy who can't talk to girls XD


NAVEEN from The Princess and the Frog voiced by Bruno Campos
-"You must kiss me. You will enjoy, I guarantee. All women enjoy the kiss of Prince Naveen. Come, we pucker."

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At last we have an actual prince again. The first with an accent. Also, finally another prince with musical talent (a ukelele. Heck yes!). At first glance, he's Mr. suave, smooth-talker ladies-man party-boy, but underneath it all he's just a hopeless, lost little kid who "[doesn't] know how to do anything". He cares deeply about others and is actually very sensitive once you unearth it. He tries so hard once he steps out of his comfort zone to try and set up a romantic date for Tiana... and fails miserably, but still, it's adorable!


FLYNN RIDER/EUGENE FITZHERBERT from Tangled voiced by Zachary Levi
-"Alright listen, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice... Here comes the Smolder."

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This guy. I could write a book on all my thoughts about him. Did you know that the creative team down at Disney pulled all the women down there together into one room while they were designing him and had pictures of all sorts of celebrities like Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, etc. (celebrities generally though of as attractive by most) and had all the women give their input on hair color, hair style, eye color, body type, nose shape, jawlines, etc? They were very particular. Yeah. And look at what we got! 8D Anyways, another thief. But this time it's not because he has to, but because he wants to. Yup, our first "bad boy". However, it's all a facade. His entire thief personality-- suave, smooth-talking, cocky, yadda-yadda-- all an act, completely made up. Even his name. But can you blame him? Because Eugene Fitzherbert just does not sound like a thief. But anyways, it's all an act to cover up his sad past as an orphan. And underneath that facade, he is like the sweetest guy in the world (seriously, I cannot handle it!). Also, as a side-note, he is the first prince to have facial hair.


KRISTOFF from Frozen voiced by Jonathan Groff
-"Whoa. Now that's ice! I might cry."

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Our newest addition to the prince lineup. Actually, as my brother pointed out in annoyance as we left the theater, we don't actually know if he did become a prince or not. But we can assume, right? I mean, it is Disney after all. (Also, he's not the first where we don't know if they got married, I mean what about Beauty and the Beast? Or Aladdin? And there wasn't even a kiss in Mulan). Anyways, our smelly mountain man. He's got a different build from the past princes, like he's a lot bigger and bulkier. Also, he's the first blonde, so good on that! He's such a grumpy loner in the beginning, but he opens up along the way and you find as the trolls say "you'll never meet a fellow who's as sensitive and sweet". He's not mean or obnoxious (even though he kind of likes to push Anna's buttons when he first meets her about her fast engagement), he's just a bit anti-social and sort of set in his own ways. He's so adorably awkward and has such a dry sense of humor (reminds me much of myself, though I'm not sure if my awkwardness is adorable). He also plays a musical instrument: a lute. Oh yes!

AU's and Genderbending

First post of the year! Whoo!

Anyways, what I'm bringing up is something that a lot of normal people might find strange. As you know, I love Disney with a deep passion. As you also know, I spend a lot of time on the internet. So, I see a lot of fanart, thesis's, fanfictions, graphics, and so on in the Disney category. These can range from any subject you can possibly imagine. The Disnerds (at least the majority of them) are not crackheads like some fandoms *cough*Sherlockians*cough* so I thoroughly enjoy most of what spawns from the fandom's creative and intellectual side. (Of course some people just have no talent whatsoever, but that doesn't stop them from trying and then posting it for all to see. Got to give them credit for having no shame).

So, of course the newer movies get a bit more attention than the older stuff. That's just how life rolls. Princess movies also tend to get more attention than the others (happily ever afters, a handsome hero, you know the whole shebang). So for a while, Tangled was the most popular one. The one I saw the most of (and of course you know that's one of my own personal favorites too).

The reason I'm talking about all of this is because there was one thing in particular during the Tangled phase that really stood out to me. And that was the modern AU's (alternate universes). For some reason, that was my favorite aspect to the Tangled fanart, fanfiction, etc. I can't really tell you why, just for some reason, I really liked how the story and/or the characters translated into the modern setting. The thing about putting Disney movies/characters into modern times is that you have to give them a modern look, modern lingo, and sometimes there's animal characters that you can decide whether or not you want to keep them as animals or not. Also if it's a fanfiction, you don't have to stick right to the story. You can have an entirely different plot with a few references thrown in. And the thing with Tangled's story, you could go in so many directions. I read one where Flynn was a homicide detective, I've read so many college fics. One of my favorites was called A Rogue and An Artist where Rapunzel was secretly attending college and working two jobs behind her mother's back with the help of bad-boy Flynn (this wasn't the best fanfic I've ever read, but it's one of the more interesting modern!fics in the Tangled category). Actually this one was interesting because her mother didn't want her to leave, claiming she needed her because she was sick and ailing, but then it turned out she was faking and moonlighting as a prostitute. It's a rare thing to find a well-written and engaging fanfic that updates regularly, but occasionally you'll find something. I don't scan the site, but sometimes something will be recommended or I'll come across something by chance. As for the art, I never did find any edits, but there were plenty of sketches and drawings.

Now, the next phase we have moved on to is Frozen. Now I'm seeing that everywhere rather than Tangled (not that I don't see Tangled anymore, just not as much as I used to). Like I did with Tangled, I feel drawn to a certain aspect of the fan-creations. However, this time it is genderbending. In case you can't figure it out or didn't know already, genderbending is when you switch the genders around of the characters. I don't know what it is with this any more than I did with the modern AU. Just the way it tickles my imagination and artistic fancy. It's harder to find fanfictions in this category, but you can find cover songs and stuff which can make you sprout rainbows out your ears (like listen to THIS). When it comes to the fanart, you really have to be good with costume design because you have to morph the original costumes into the other gender, but still make them recognizable. With Frozen, I have managed to actually find photoshopped edits that were half decent too.

I don't know. Call me weird. I just get a strange thrill out of these things.