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snowflake challenge, day 3: AUs
Jan. 6th, 2022 04:17 pmHi! I actually saw the challenge for day 3 right as it came and originally wanted to post something real quick, then decided against it. I'm still not really sure how I'll do this, so take this as a warning for a somewhat confused and very much unorganised ramble ahead.
I recently started thinking about an AU of Genshin Impact, in which the characters involved are pro gamers, playing a made up competitive version of the game itself. While do not have a strong opinion on pro gamer AUs (well -- not my fav, to be exact), I think the interesting aspect is how the AU itself is shaped by canon. Since I decided to base the game off of the real thing (spiral abyss, but more competitive and multiplayer, with everyone only playing one character, more PvP focused, etc), I had a lot to take inspiration from, which I both find fun and interesting as the author, but I'd also enjoy it as reader, the fact that you can recognise things from the original piece of media, even if its changed completely so that it fits into the new, different alternative universe. The story itself actually sprang from an idea I had after thinking about the relationship between two characters, and how I would try to write it in a more normal setting (one character being created by the other, for the other).
I think the point was that the AU itself can be great or horrible, or just boring and unfitting, depending on the canon and how you choose to adapt it into the setting.
The only specific AU I could come up with is Pacific Rim, and I'm happy its becoming a classic in fanfics. It works incredibly well with exploring relationships, both romantic and platonic, and it features two of the objectively best things ever: mecha and kaiju.
Another fun kind of AU is also the unexpected ones, where you feel the author's passion for the subject shine through. For example, if it's a special interest of theirs, something they know from where they grew up, their object of study, or their profession. I think the author's own thoughts and how they worked on the AU can really make or break it.
I have one specific example I often think about! One thing that bothers me in a lot of stories is how many writers, especially westerns (and particularly US-americans), tend to forget about culture differences and assume that we all work and think the same way around the world. This often happens in university and high school AUs, and I remember once reading a fic (for the kpop-group Seventeen) about the experience of being an exchange student in the US. Because it wasn't just "these characters, but if American and set in the US", but something where the author really showed deep thought behind their choices, it was a lovely read. It was also a very personal story, showing their own experiences growing up in an Asian household in west coast USA. I would normally avoid the hell out of stories with the tags it had, but I gave it a chance anyway, and was positively surprised and enjoyed it a lot.
That's a lot of words about nothing! I think my key takeaway from thinking about it is that I do enjoy AUs! But my favourite part isn't as much what kind they are, but how they're done, and how people make it match with what they've decided to bring from canon.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I want this post locked or not, I might delete it since it doesn't really serve much of a purpose. I wrote and deleted quite a bit, and I'm still not quite feeling it. Anyway, I really wanted to try anyway, and I'm gonna curiously but carefully check out other people's entries for the challenge at some point!
Challenge #3 - In your own space, put some favorite characters into an AU, fuse some favorite canons together, talk about your favorite AU/fusion tropes, or tell us why AU/fusions aren’t your cup of tea. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
I recently started thinking about an AU of Genshin Impact, in which the characters involved are pro gamers, playing a made up competitive version of the game itself. While do not have a strong opinion on pro gamer AUs (well -- not my fav, to be exact), I think the interesting aspect is how the AU itself is shaped by canon. Since I decided to base the game off of the real thing (spiral abyss, but more competitive and multiplayer, with everyone only playing one character, more PvP focused, etc), I had a lot to take inspiration from, which I both find fun and interesting as the author, but I'd also enjoy it as reader, the fact that you can recognise things from the original piece of media, even if its changed completely so that it fits into the new, different alternative universe. The story itself actually sprang from an idea I had after thinking about the relationship between two characters, and how I would try to write it in a more normal setting (one character being created by the other, for the other).
I think the point was that the AU itself can be great or horrible, or just boring and unfitting, depending on the canon and how you choose to adapt it into the setting.
The only specific AU I could come up with is Pacific Rim, and I'm happy its becoming a classic in fanfics. It works incredibly well with exploring relationships, both romantic and platonic, and it features two of the objectively best things ever: mecha and kaiju.
Another fun kind of AU is also the unexpected ones, where you feel the author's passion for the subject shine through. For example, if it's a special interest of theirs, something they know from where they grew up, their object of study, or their profession. I think the author's own thoughts and how they worked on the AU can really make or break it.
I have one specific example I often think about! One thing that bothers me in a lot of stories is how many writers, especially westerns (and particularly US-americans), tend to forget about culture differences and assume that we all work and think the same way around the world. This often happens in university and high school AUs, and I remember once reading a fic (for the kpop-group Seventeen) about the experience of being an exchange student in the US. Because it wasn't just "these characters, but if American and set in the US", but something where the author really showed deep thought behind their choices, it was a lovely read. It was also a very personal story, showing their own experiences growing up in an Asian household in west coast USA. I would normally avoid the hell out of stories with the tags it had, but I gave it a chance anyway, and was positively surprised and enjoyed it a lot.
That's a lot of words about nothing! I think my key takeaway from thinking about it is that I do enjoy AUs! But my favourite part isn't as much what kind they are, but how they're done, and how people make it match with what they've decided to bring from canon.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I want this post locked or not, I might delete it since it doesn't really serve much of a purpose. I wrote and deleted quite a bit, and I'm still not quite feeling it. Anyway, I really wanted to try anyway, and I'm gonna curiously but carefully check out other people's entries for the challenge at some point!