ThunderStuckOverdrive

(T.S.O. lol)

The 'why':

I think every author, particularly one doing something strange as I have here, owes the public an explanation. Everyone has a reason for what they write; sometimes it's a good reason and sometimes it's as simple as 'I didn't know what else to say' (English majors are good at sorting this out), but there is always some motivation behind the text. On the off chance that someone cares enough about Thunder Struck to read more about it, I want to give them something more. Not that I would be egotistical enough to assume anyone cares that bad.

Mostly, I need something to do.

So, onward!

The stages

Stage 1: Larxene Childish?: Yeah, you can probably tell why the first few chapters of the story were edited to change this. Honestly, I was stilly finding my footing for the characters when I started writing, and I was busily equating bitchyness to childishness, which hey, is a good assumption nine times out of ten. But occasionally bitches are clever, and their childish ways are a cover up for something big. Considering that for my story to work, I would have to have Larxene managing three relationships with her male co-workers, I decided that hey, she war probably more clever than I was giving her credit for. The remaining remnant of this stage is the 'curling' incident in chapter whatever. That was just too much fun for me to let go. Sorry. We can chalk that up to OOC-ness and move along.

Stage 2: Zexion's a Sadist? Wha?: Fortunately for you folks, you never had to see this stage. I had this whole scene drafted where Lexaeus confronts Zexion about the dark side of Ienzo's heard and some notes on it and blah blah...it was actually a half decent scene in my opinion, but Aeirth08 being the bloody little genius that she is, proposed my idea was crap and that there were more realistic ways to make the pairing work. A little do-ray-me for either side. So I decided that Zexion could be the force that calmed Larxene down, and she could kind of bring him out of his shell a little. Complimentary-like, right? Who knows if that ever came through in my writing; if I could obliquely create those kinds of subtle character changes I would be the bloody little genius. But I can't, but at least you can take heart in the fact that I thought about it, right? Legacy of this stage: Zexion's favorite book, "Grammar in the Modern Age". Originally used in the aforementioned scene, I salvaged the title and used it somewhere else in the story. Because how much more comically boring can you get?

Stage 3: Axel really is a Meanie: Ah yes, a stage that stuck. At first, I was considering keeping blood OFF of Axel's hands. Sure he was self serving, but it wasn't completely his fault, right? But then, he was just so popular and his sins so overlooked but the fan community, I decided, "No, he's the villain in this one. And to make things more frustrated to his fanbase, we are gonna make Lexaeus the sexually frustrated good guy! Huzzah!" Yeah, my brain works in unusual ways. Stupid nervous system.

Stage 4: The Happy Ending: I knew from the beginning that there was no way that Larxene and Zexion could survive. I wanted to make the pairing as logical as possible, so I simply could not save them. Or could I? Briefly, I considered the final scene being something along the lines of Zexion 'fading out of life and into Heaven', feeling himself become filled with emotions again and 'alive' (remember, this is funny cause this would be his death scene) and then seeing Larxene at the end of that fabled bright tunnel, the end. Everybody cheers, claps, makes noise and hoopla under the lindon trees. But then I decided this ending was a little too Deus Ex Machina for me, and really belittled the sufferings in their lives. So I went with the sad lives-sad deaths route. Sorry folks. It would have been like ending Romeo and Juliet with a smile had I done that. Except without the literary classic element.

Themes 'o the Show

Ah yes. Themes themes themes. If you have taken any amount of English literature schoolin' you will know that themes are big deals. Authors like writing themes. English majors like writing ABOUT themes. I like trying (and failing) to include themes in my story.

One theme would be music. I reference a lot of songs in the story, simply because they make a lot of sense to the plot, but later on I go a step further and make music the literal representation of the heart. (And you thought you were just reading fanfiction...). I thought because music can show such a wide range of emotions and how it has 'movement' to it, It would make a proper metaphor for the heart. Essentially the music is feeling (or showing feelings) that the Nobodies can't. So maybe it wasn't a theme at all. It was an extended metaphor. Crap.

Poetry is another reoccurring thing for a similar reason; it shows a lot of emotion in a little space, and it has a flow to it. I used (or I hope I used) poetry to represent Zexion more, because poetry and be so multilayered and ambiguous, just like Zexion. Trust me. Poetry is dark mystical. It baffles me.

Lightning SHOULD have been a theme, if I had the foresight to include it throughout. It represents Larxene pretty well if you think about it; fresh, exciting, bright but be careful or you get BURNED son! Oh well. Life goes on too...

Things I Would Have Liked to Change

For one, I wish I had done Larxene better. I feel like I almost wrote her right, but didn't quite get her on the money, so to speak. Boo creepy foot doctor, hurray beer.

I also wish that I had thought about themes to include throughout the ENTIRE story, not just the end. Themes should go through the entire thing.

I wish I was better at character development

I wish I didn't get bogged down in justification and logistics, to try and make the story believable.

What's Next?

Well naturally, I plan on continuing 'Stranger Than Fiction', which was briefly shelved while I concentrated on finishing up this series.

The next new series, well, I guess that is up to you. I have in my dirty little hands:

Axel x OC, set in the real world. Catch: OC is a regular human, and poor. And a college student.

Genre: Romance/Comedy

Riku in the real world (a 'lil x OC, but not much): Riku accidently connects Darkness to the 'real world', where he battles desperately to close the gate, with the help of a jaded, world weary teen. Angst! Drama! Comedy! Keyblades! Genre: Action/Comedy

And completely UN KH related

Pride and Pern: As the title alludes, a Dragonriders of Pern retelling of Pride and Prejudice I am sure that anyone who knows me is dropping dead from surprise here; I HATE P&P focusing on a female green rider who has a love/hate relationship with an arrogant bronze rider. Lo and behold romantic misunderstandings ensue! And dragons.

Well folks, I hope you enjoyed this little extra inning. Happy writing!