Siothrún

Siothrún

Has an MFA in Creative Writing Fiction, and M.Phil in ELT. Former Managing Editor for Zelda Dungeon, studying psychology/mental health, and is a freelance editor and writer.

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

    3

    The Rise of Newsletter Subscriptions, Web Novels, and the Future of Publishing

    In certain writing circles, SubStack and Ghost are popular ways of getting writers' work into a email newsletter format. These sites promise that the writer's rights remain with them, and, supposedly, revenue can be made through these sites. Ghost in particular sells itself as being a place where a writer can build up their brand. Furthermore, places like Royal Road and Wattpad are places where writers can post their work as web novels, which then might be picked up by a publisher. These places may accept donations on the writer's profile so that they can make money from their craft.

    The topic taker should research the following things for this topic:

    Does writing a web novel or posting writing on a subscription service affect the writer's process?

    Is this way of allowing writing to be placed out into the world good or bad–for example, does creating a web novel cause the writer to burn out?

    Are places like these sites using writer's aspirations for free revenue on their behalf? In other words, are these sites promising something like notoriety or a path to publishing that they cannot keep?

    Finally, does writing for sites like these mean that the publishing industry might be going through a change, or, are sites like these a new way of gatekeeping making money off of writing/getting work published?

    The topic taker can also talk about problems within traditional publishing and the toll it may take on a writer and their psychology or process of writing if they wish as well.

    Relevant links for research:

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    • Add some descriptions to the links for the writers. – Sunni Rashad 5 months ago
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    • The first link is to Royal Road, a place that posts up web novels, and typically markets lit-RPGs. Writers can take donations for their writing, but, they have to get noticed first. The second link is to Substack, a subscription based service that writers can use to build a email newsletter platform. They claim that you can make decent money off of this system. The third link is to a site debunking the Substack claim of making money from their platform on their writing. This site claims that Substack pays a certain amount of writers enough money to live on to make Substack look profitable. The fourth link is to Ghost, which claims to help writers build a base/brand for their writing, though, like Substack, you can monetize subscriptions and possibly make money from with enough of an audience willing to pay. – Siothrún 5 months ago
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    • A study of this new way of getting one's works out to the public would be very interesting indeed. Just the question on the writing process could be explored with depth. Two major shifts I can perceive, compared with traditional publishing. Firstly, the writer is self-publishing, not dependent on being accepted by a publisher. This seems to be the democratisation of publishing. Secondly, the writing process now incorporates instant feedback from readers, at each stage or instalment of the writing, unlike in the past, when authors only get to know critics and public opinions after their works have been launched by a publisher, after the time lapse from the actual writing process. Would this constant feedback from public opinion beneficial to the author? Should the author obey their own artistic vision or popular demands? – Lydia Gore-Jones 4 months ago
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    2

    2000s Anime and its Theme of Justice

    The 2000s had quite a few anime that dealt with what it means to "become" justice, in a sense. Fate Stay Night has a protagonist who tries to fight for his sense of justice. Claymore examines the topic in a more brutal way that also deals with what it means to be human, and, of course, Death Note and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion both examine what would happen if their protagonists were given a means to end the wrongs of the world in which they live, only to pay a price for it later.

    The topic taker should examine each of the anime listed, if possible, and compare and contrast how each anime dealt with the theme of justice it wanted to convey. How did each anime handle the toll it took on its protagonist? What could be gleaned from the outcomes of the individual anime surrounding what it means to be a savior figure, even if that ideology is subjective?

    Furthermore, the topic taker should delve into whether or not the sense of justice being displayed is entirely subjective to the protagonist of the anime, or if it tackles the idea of objective justice and the toll that takes on groups as opposed to the individual. The topic taker can include other anime that they feel may fit this idea, so long as it was released between 2000-2009, as there seemed to be a trend with anime around that time that shared a certain thematic work and aesthetic which is to be examined in this topic specifically. In this regard, the topic taker could also deepen the topic by looking into what was going on in Japan and/or the world in general at the time to see if current events or recent history evoked the theme of justice being culturally relevant to its viewers. The topic taker may also include, briefly, how anime from the 2000s with this theme of justice may have influenced other anime to re-examine the themes later on, such as with 2012's Psycho-Pass or more current day anime.

      3

      Has Achieving a Platinum Trophy or Equivalent in Games Become too Time Consuming?

      Most games, since the rise of the PS3 and Xbox 360, have introduced some kind of trophy system that marks completion progress. Some trophies or achievements provide some challenge, while, depending on the age of the game and if multiplayer is involved, some trophies are nearly impossible to obtain. In more current generation consoles, particularly if a game is known to be difficult, like Dark Souls, or long, like the Persona franchise, there is usually a tedious nature to obtaining that coveted platinum trophy or other mark of completion. However, especially in older games that received a remaster or port from a time when there were no trophies or achievements to mark progress, a lot of the added in trophies can become a little ridiculous and suck the fun out of the game until you have that one flawless run.

      The topic taker should examine whether or not platinuming or otherwise achieving a maximum achievement score has become too tedious for players, given the example above. Clearly, completing any game to that level is a matter of choice, so that aspect should also be touched on. In addition, the topic taker should consider whether or not achieving such feats adds or detracts from the fun of gaming, if it may add too much bloat to the game, and, as the title suggests, if it forces a causal gamer to feel more like a let's player or streamer at the end of the day.

      For resources to start with, the topic taker should consider the list of achievements for platinuming or reaching the most achievements with a variety of games, some remasters or ports that did not have trophies or achievements when they were released, such as the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 releases, as well as more modern games, such as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla where the trophy/achievement system is innate to the product, for example, focusing particularly on any trophies or achievements that seem to not make much sense in the list, or clearly have a lot of players complaining about the difficulty to achieve the trophy or achievement–likely resulting in a low trophy or achievement percentage–that bars them from 100% completion.

      Using these starting points, the topic taker could then jump into the phenomena of completing a game and what it means at a societal, within gaming communities, and/or psychological level and then from there determine if completing games for the reward is worth the time put into it or not.

      • I like the general sentiment. Games are turning into perpetual skinner boxes. – Sunni Rashad 4 months ago
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      3

      What Makes a Good Video Game to Film Adaptation?

      From Tomb Raider (2001, Angelina Jolie) to Sonic the Movie (2020, Jim Carrey), there have been quite a few games likewise adapted into movies, though to varying degrees of failure or success. Tomb Raider was somewhat considered a flop when it first came out, and it currently has a 5.8 on Imdb: (link) a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, and a 47% by audiences: (link) and a 33% on Metacritic: (link) though some consider it underrated: (link) By contrast, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie had a 6.5 on Imdb: (link) a 63% critic rating and a 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes: (link) and a 47% on Metacritic: (link) The success of the Sonic movie garnered it not one, but two sequels.

      The topic taker should analyze the trends of adapting a video game to a movie, including the history of it, and what makes so many of the adaptations fail. The topic taker should really dive into what made good video adaptations good and see what trends their analysis reveals. The topic taker may also consider the future of video game to film adaptations and whether they think there will be more successes or failures as well.

      To help the topic taker, consider looking into the following films to start forming trends based off their reception via reviews/to start forming the history of video game to film adaptation as they see fit:

      Tomb Raider (2018) in order to compare/contrast it with the 2001 film
      Sonic the Hedgehog 2
      Detective Pikachu
      Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
      Assassin's Creed
      Doom
      Super Mario Bros. (1993)
      The Super Mario Bros. the Movie (2023) to contrast with the 1993 adaption

      • This is a really interesting topic and one that is very relevant. I've heard from a variety of different articles/sites that video games adaptations are popular in Hollywood right now. – Sean Gadus 7 months ago
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      9

      Why We Play Video Games

      I think it would be interesting to see why we play video games on an intellectual level. What do the mechanics of the gameplay influence in the player's surroundings and what influence does the setting of the game have on the story that may teach the player through the immersion process games tend to have? Sure, video games are fun, but what more do they have to teach us?

      I recommend looking up Game Theory on Youtube to see what is out there on this topic, though I'm coming at this topic from a more philosophical nature versus a scientific one.

      • I think you could focus upon games where there is emotionally-invested storylines involved, such as The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption, which make gamers think about their own morality. – Ryan Errington 10 years ago
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      • It's been suggested that essentially, the consistent popularity of video games is due to the artificial sense of accomplishment they offer. That's more of a scientific idea, but it might be interesting to explore how video games invite that sense of accomplishment on a story level. – Mariana 10 years ago
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      • To add to what Mariana said, I also think it ties in to the idea of faux freedom but covertly reliquishing control. Many people play to relax, and it is relaxing because even though you have this open map, you are not having to make the big decisions that real life asks you to - you get limited choices (3 answers to a question, 4 endings to the game, it's all been decided by someone else.) And there is no real consquence to your choices - you can reboot if you need to. It is like being a kid - it's all a game! I don't know if there is a real theory out there for this, but that is my theory. – Francesca Turauskis 10 years ago
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      • Video games can also make the player feel more confident. I know that when I beat a challenging boss or complete a level, I feel good about myself, though I don't know if that confidence translates into the real world. – S.A. Takacs 10 years ago
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      • On the point of morality and emotionally-invested storylines as mentioned above, their also all the Telltale games that not only let you choose your actions but the way in which you converse with the characters as well. Those games make people reconsider their actions on a second play through. – Tyler McPherson 10 years ago
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      • You should read "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal. She may be a good source to draw from as you research and write. – AnnieVos 10 years ago
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      • I will only play for the most part RPG games that A) have a good gameplay system and don't require me having to avoid being seen, and B) RPG games that have a beginning, middle, and end, in essence, a good story. This is probably why I tend to only play Square Enix video games. – Travis Kane 10 years ago
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      • In addition to well-paced risk/reward systems, another compelling issue is player involvement. Video games allow the "audience" to participate in the story (usually) as the main protagonist in a way that passively watching television or movies does not allow. In a world where fan involvement is increasingly an aspect of entertainment, this is a powerful but often overlooked motivator. – Monique 10 years ago
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      • This would be a good topic, that have been many studies conducted asking this very question (usually game developers doing it to see how they can hook players). – bbazemo2 10 years ago
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      • There seem to be two converging questions here: what makes us approach video games (concepts of escapism, etc); and what makes us 'stay' in the game (more towards your question of game setting, learning from games, etc.). These things are related but if you wrote about this I think you could use a different approach for each topic, or at least make clear that there is a difference between between them. – Landon 4 years ago
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      • Video games are defined based on their platform, which include arcade games, console games, and PC games. More recently, the industry has expanded onto mobile gaming through smartphones and tablet computers, virtual and augmented reality systems, and remote cloud gaming. Video games are classified into a wide range of genres based on their type of gameplay and purpose. – uphonic 4 years ago
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      • Great topic! A focus on the positive points of why video games are essential and how it could impact one's life/emotions will be interesting to read. – GabiBellairs 4 years ago
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      6

      Writing and Health Benefits

      I would like to see what writing does to people on a psychological, emotional, and mental level. I know of a study that suggests writing about an issue we are facing in life helps us heal, but I'm wondering about writing in the realm of fiction and creative nonfiction, rather than just journaling about the issues in life. I'm also wondering if other studies exist on this subject and encourage any takers to go deeper than the surface for this topic.

      • When I write, I frequently go into my character's mind, to the point I feel like I'm in another mindset completely. This helps to understand multiple points of views and how may different types of characters might think. – SpectreWriter 9 years ago
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      • Therapeutic writing as non fiction vs fiction would be a fascinating study! I find journaling helps one work through pent up emotions but fiction can help express abstract feelings. Maybe a little section could address the difference in benefits between therapeutic writing and therapeutic art, it would be very interesting to see how effective those two modes of expression are at helping someone cope. – Slaidey 9 years ago
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      • One of the reasons I describe myself as a writer is that I've found that if I'm not writing regularly, I'm not as mentally healthy; I seem to need the outlet. The effect is very specifically fiction-centric -- academic and non-fiction writing doesn't provide the same release. I would love to read some psychologically-based research on why that's true. – Monique 9 years ago
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      • Writing can really help people deal with trauma because it allows one to communicate inner thoughts and self-reflections free of judgement. I think this would be a really cool idea and that you should pursue it. I love the idea of writing in the realm of creative nonfiction and, in a way, conducting your own case study about the psychological, emotional, and mental affects writing has on people. – Morgan Muller 9 years ago
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      • There are studies that I've seen that expressive writing helps with depression, anxiety, mood stimulation. If you look things up online you can see the studies created for that. Just taking 15 to 30 minutes out of each day is even enough to change a person's mood. I think it's important to get into your character's mindset and I think it can really change a person's mood good or bad as the situation is written out but you feel satisfaction in the end and the outcome. I believe if a person is feeling a specific way or dealing with something, writing it out and fictionalizing it can give them a way to cope and look over it and see one of the many possible outcomes written before them to put their mind to ease just a little bit.But as Slaidey said, it would be fantastic to see just how the difference is between non-fiction and fiction writing and the mood changes of the writers afterwards! – shelbysf 9 years ago
        1
      • I looked into this a bit during my degree and some studies I can suggest are... Mcardle, S. and Byrt, R. (2001) ‘Fiction, poetry and mental health: expressive and therapeutic uses of literature’, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 8: 517–524. Sexton, J.D. and Pennebaker, J.W. (2009) ‘The healing powers of expressive writing’, in S.B. Kaufman and J.C. Kaufman (eds.) The psychology of creative writing, pp. 264-274. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. If you look up therapeutic writing / therapeutic reading / narrative therapy some more relevant studies may come up (especially if the ones listed above are difficult to access, apologies if they are!) For more general stuff about narrative and therapy/psychology: Riessman, C. and Quinney, L. (2005) ‘Narrative in social work: a critical review’, Qualitative Social Work, 4 (4): 391-412. Kleinman, A. (1998) The illness narratives: suffering, healing, and the human condition. United States: Basic Books. Harre, R. (1997) ‘An outline of the main methods for social psychology’, in N. Hayes (ed.) Doing qualitative analysis in psychology, pp. 17-37. Hove: Psychology Press. Hayes, N. (1997) ‘Introduction to Part I’, in N. Hayes (ed.) Doing qualitative analysis in psychology, pp. 11-16. Hove: Psychology Press. Emerson, P. and Frosh, S. (2004) Critical Narrative Analysis in Psychology: A Guide to Practice, revised edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Hope this helps! :) – Camille Brouard 9 years ago
        1
      • When I write, even if it's not about my life, I find it very therapeutic. – kendalld 9 years ago
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      • As Kendal said, writing for me is also very therapeutic and also a creative release. – Munjeera 9 years ago
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      • What interests me above all of this, is what writing does to memory and ultimately who we are / become. (i.e. how important is writing in the formation of self?), which also plays into our mental--and maybe even physical--health. – AKulik 9 years ago
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      • I think it would also be interesting if the article explores why so many great writers struggled with mental health issues. Not that there is necessarily a connection, but the contrast has always been a bit for me: writing being therapeutic and writers struggling with life. This article from The Guardian might shed some light on the subject: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/dec/13/writers-depression-top-10-risk – faezew 9 years ago
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      0
      Web-Videos
      Write this topic

      Are web-based cartoons/shows successful?

      I would like to see an article on whether or not web-based cartoons or shows like "Bee and Puppycat" and "Video Game High School" are successful, and if they will mean anything in terms of competition for TV cartoons and shows in the future as a result of their success/fanbase, etc.

      • By web-based do you mean just you-tube or sites like Crackle, Netflix and Rooster Teeth all who provide original content in some form or another? – Tyler McPherson 9 years ago
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      • I meant YouTube. Thank you for asking and allowing me to clarify. – BethanyS 9 years ago
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      0

      LIfetime and Featured films

      Lately, Lifetime has been trending films about women and kidnapping. What I want to know is why is this a trend, and why would the network choose to focus on this genre? What is the writer's opinion of the choice to air these films? Do the films really empower women, or are they sending a degrading message to the viewers?

      • Another interesting factor to look at might be how these films tell us to think of men: that they should not be trusted, or that one should do anything in order to attain a husband. I found a couple articles that might be interesting to look at: http://www.avclub.com/article/how-navigate-weepy-world-lifetime-movies-218180 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/29/middlebrow-lifetime_n_6555732.html – Nicole Wethington 9 years ago
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      • You might also consider the financial reason lifetime chooses their topics. – LaurenCarr 9 years ago
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      • Lifetime is a network targeted towards woman. Specific types of women. Do these lifetime dramas function as a sort of "women level" horror film? I know people of minority demographics who can't take many horror films seriously because as it is often said "No [minority] person would do that? Why are they doing that" in which cases these tropes become part of their story about the majority community. You can relate this so writings by feminist writer bell hooks who wrote an article "Representing Whiteness in the Black Imagination". You can consider the differences between traditional American horror movies and Japanese horror movies as an example. The tropes in Japanese horror movies are different the terrifying little girls for one. How different would horror movies be if they were targeted towards people who don't enjoy horror. People who were stereo typically housewives who took care of their families. I think you can make the argument that Lifetime's women and kidnapping films fill that role for these women. Or at least Lifetime would like them to. – wolfkin 9 years ago
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      Latest Comments

      Siothrún

      I think that the show might be trying to navigate its way around some of that, personally, and I’m interested to see how they do that, especially now that they’re out of the “You get one book deal. Hey, that worked, write a sequel. No, wait, we’ll actually take a trilogy.” territory of the first three books. I know I kept wondering which characters were important to the plot, and, especially by book 8, kind of had to stop until the series finished, so I could see how it ended, personally.

      The Wheel of Time: Adapting a Fantasy Epic
      Siothrún

      Thanks for the comment! I definitely had my own reservations about an adaptation, and, after doing the research for this article, a lot of the changes made between the two mediums make a lot of sense, particularly with the expectations set around a fantasy TV show. I really think the show tries, like you said, to keep the heart of the characters there, and I found that, while it may not be how I interpreted things, the show still manages to give me the feeling I had when I was reading the books. I don’t think that is easy to do, by any means, and, I think the second season was an improvement on the first season, too. With what’s been said about the third season, I’m hoping that the show finds its stride and really improves on the elements its already trying to weave together! I also want to see this series the rest of the way through as a different experience from the books, too.

      The Wheel of Time: Adapting a Fantasy Epic
      Siothrún

      The first book very much starts out in a Tolkienian way, arguably the first three books kind of have that feel, and it really isn’t until book 4 or 5 that the characters start to be better defined, with a few exceptions with Nynaeve and Egwene in books 2 and 3. That’s part of the reason why I’m curious to see what they do with season three, since it’s going to be covering the 4th book, so, there’s going to be a lot less of a slower pacing to draw from.

      The Wheel of Time: Adapting a Fantasy Epic
      Siothrún

      Yeah, I think it would take that many if they had the chance to slow down and do it more by the books. I still don’t know how they are going to do it in eight, if it even gets that far. I’m at least hoping it ends in a satisfying way, if nothing else, and, part of me is at least hoping that this doesn’t turn into another “We tried and it can’t be done” after all the other attempts to get it off the ground.

      The Wheel of Time: Adapting a Fantasy Epic
      Siothrún

      I initially viewed it that way myself, until I wrote this article. I wasn’t aware of how difficult of a balance it would be to strike to get it right, and I had my own reservations about it being adapted at all. I think the showrunner having read the series and making the cast read the series is a decent start. The truth is, we don’t know how much of this is on the showrunner and how much of it is on Amazon itself. I do know that, as mentioned in the article, COVID really did a number on season one, as did the original choice for Mat leaving, to the point that the likely more book accurate fights and training scenes had to either be cut, completely rewritten, in the case of actually showing the Great Hunt, or done in CGI. I think that, especially when things can be played straight from the books, like Egwene getting captured by the Seanchan, the show has moments of draw. That said, I know that they’re planning to be closer to the books in season 3, since it covers Shadow Rising, so I’m at least willing to see how they accomplish that.

      The Wheel of Time: Adapting a Fantasy Epic
      Siothrún

      Thanks for your thoughts! I really like that dynamic between the two of them, and I think you made great points!

      Did Boruto "kill" Naruto? The Impact of Boruto on the Narutoverse
      Siothrún

      Interesting! I’ve not really been keeping up with the manga and chose to start with the anime, personally, and, since that’s done, I’m thinking about finishing it and then starting the manga, so, I guess I had a feeling to wait to make sure I had some backlog to work through.

      Did Boruto "kill" Naruto? The Impact of Boruto on the Narutoverse
      Siothrún

      Yeah, I feel like it has addressed things in ways that were not expected, for sure. Thank you for the compliment!

      Did Boruto "kill" Naruto? The Impact of Boruto on the Narutoverse