Pandora and Amashik are Real
Be inspired more often.
I spend a ton of time reflecting, nearly as much as I do dreaming.
As a result, I can get lost in a fictional world easier than most. Wondering what the texture of the grass feels like on bare feet, imagining how often I’d come across this or that mythical creature, or simply losing time in awe of an undiscovered world. You see, I believe that all fictional worlds exist, in some way or another, somewhere in the ether. They are just waiting to be inhabited by our hearts and minds in order to come alive.
Take Amashik as an example:
Can you in good faith tell me that the Hlavin didn’t built large cities underground with entrances hidden deep within cave systems all across the world?
What about the stories of large sea creatures who inhabit The Blue Expanse, have you heard the first hand accounts of their attacks?
The Kingdom of Edhel is as old as any still standing in Amashik today. Did you know that its history is fraught with tales of deception, cunning, betrayal, and tragedy?
Do you have the ability to disprove the laws of physics that allow for a torus shaped planet to exist somewhere out there in the depths of space and time that would render any of this impossible? No, no you do not.
My point is this: fans of fiction need to let fans of other fiction be.
I’ve already said it, but I can fall easily for a story so long as it captures my attention, tugs at my heart strings, or stimulates my intellect. Who am I kidding? Give me something that is easy to look at and I’m likely game to give it a go for a little while.
SO much of the discourse I see online, hear on YouTube, and engage in sometimes in person is steeped in what is wrong with something. Or why this or that thing didn’t work. I know that the world isn’t black and white, but does everything need to be a thesis level analysis? Can’t we just say “I loved that thing and here’s why?”
I went to see Avatar: Way of Water and I was blown away because it did all of the things I listed above and then some. I know that some 13 years ago I went to see the first Avatar in theaters and I know I loved it. But I don’t remember it resonating with me like this one did. Most likely because I’ve lived a lot of life since then and have a much deeper appreciation for everything James Cameron is trying to pull off with his magnum opus.
And so is whatever fictional world you enjoy. It’s real for you, for its creator, and for all of the fans who enjoy it. If you are a creator yourself, embrace that reality. Treat your creation with enough sense of wonder for you to actually start believing it. If you are a fan, allow yourself to enjoy what you enjoy without fear of ridicule because you can’t recite a scene word for word.
Recognize when you are inspired, as a creator or a fan, and take advantage of that. While I was sitting and watching Avatar I couldn’t help but see connections between Hlavin and Na’vi culture. Everything from the sound of the language to the worship of a Mother diety. Had you asked me before seeing the movie if its lore and history had played a role in Ennead I’d likely have said no.
Not out of denial, but because it wasn’t purposeful. The ideas put forward in the first movie engrained themselves in me so deeply that shades of them live on in Ennead. I’m proud to see that. Just like when I notice any allusions in fiction written by others. It’s fascinating to see and experience how we all process this existence through story, no matter the medium.
I’m creating Ennead from a place of love. A place of awe. Of wonder… and a desire to play with swords.
My only wish is that when you visit you visit with the same spirit.
JL
The one thing I'll state about negative reactions to fiction - it's "easier" to do because if you didn't like something, you don't hold the creator(s) in high esteem for the work, and so sending a message or tagging them or just blasting their work doesn't feel like a big action. Whereas if you adored a work, even sending the creator(s) a message of how much you loved it feels like a big reach, like you can't send them a message because they're THEM. So the negative proliferates and the positive maybe less so.
Also: when you think something doesn't work or is a bad idea, it's exceptionally hard to let that go. Like when you think someone is making a boneheaded decision at a day job - when they do something brilliant, you think or say "oh, amazing, thank you!" and then quickly move on with your day. When they do something (that you think is) dumb as rocks, it can haunt you for days, months, or even years. We're very much wired this way.
But I also have to say: I follow a lot of creators and fan appreciators, and see very little negative posting about, well, anything. But I read a LOT of write-ups/thoughts on how we need less negativity. And it's usually news to me: like, where are all these negative reactions? I've seen nearly nothing but positives (if many w/ caveats) about Avatar 2. I have no doubt there are negative postings about it out there, but is it really the epidemic we constantly make it out to be? Do I just not follow enough assholes on social media?
I think deconstruction *feels* like you're doing something, and while there's a place for it (academic criticism and... maybe that's about it) I think there's a watered down "fast food" version of it that is easy to practice online and makes you feel like you're part of the dialogue in some constructive way.
But, I agree with you here (as usual). Be about what you're about, not about what you're against.