4674 replies to this topic

[Mara=^.^=]

Now, back to hammering out the next installment...

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[SweeneyxxTodd]

...I colored your new picture of DJ and Aurora.

Here 'tis.

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Saving it! I'm also saving the one Mara colors, too!

[Mara=^.^=]

LOL, thanks Mary! I was totally not expecting that!

Funny story, though...I started coloring it after I drew it, and I overlaid the same "glowing gradient" at the bottom. LIKEWHOA says I.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
P.S. Nice job on the stubble

[SweeneyxxTodd]

Thanks!

[Mara=^.^=]

Thanks!

Oh yeah, and check your PMs


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

LOL, thanks Mary! I was totally not expecting that!

Funny story, though...I started coloring it after I drew it, and I overlaid the same "glowing gradient" at the bottom. LIKEWHOA says I.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
P.S. Nice job on the stubble

I wanna see it, Mara!!

[Mara=^.^=]

It's not done yet

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

I meant when you're done, goofball! XD

[Anita]

You cannot come between the pale, homely female and her mate, am I right?

May I say that I totally LOVED this? HAHAHA

[Mara=^.^=]

May I say that I totally LOVED this? HAHAHA

I was thiiiiiiis close to deleting this line, since I wondered whether April would truly remember it after all those years. Then I figured Aurora would never have let her live down the "homely" thing, so she probably WOULD remember, LOL.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

I will love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever ^10 if you guys would do a favor for me As you know, TOSOT is the last fic I will ever write; after this, I'll be transitioning into original fiction. As part of my ongoing quest to improve my writing, I've made a survey to help pinpoint my strengths/weaknesses. I'm posting it now, rather than after I've finished TOSOT, to give people as much time as possible to fill it out. You can complete it now, or you can wait to see what happens in the final update and do it then.

To sweeten the deal, everyone who fills out the survey will be automatically entered into a raffle. Come November-ish, I will input all the names into this virtual pick-a-name-from-a-hat site and randomly choose one survey answerer to receive A FREE FULLCOLOR COMMISSION like this one [link]. This is to incentivize all you busy/lazy people to fill it out . Do you have an OC you want brought to life? Have a scene from your fave show that you want to see illustrated...all for free? Now's your chance!

Anyway, here's the survey whenever you're ready:

Faves!
1) What part of the story did you most enjoy?
2) What’s your favorite line/quote from the story?
3) What, in your opinion, is Mara's greatest strength as a writer (characterization, sensory descriptions, etc.)? What could she improve on? (and no, "omg you're perfect don't change anything" doesn't count as an answer)

Characters
1) Who is your favorite male character, and why? (If you absolutely can’t pick one, name your top two)
2) How about your favorite female character (same goes for this one)?
3) Who is your least favorite character, and what made you dislike him/her?
4) In your view, what character in the story grew the most/had the most challenges to overcome? Who had it the easiest?

Character Relationships
1) What was your favorite pairing (canon or otherwise)?
2) How about your least favorite?
3) Fave crack pairing?
4) What was your favorite shipping moment?
5) Were there any pairings that you wanted to see happen that didn’t?
6) Which friendship did you like best? (ex: Aurora/FL, Aurora/April, etc.)
7) Is there anything that sticks out in your mind about the way TOSOT portrays women vs. men?

JN Universe
1) In your opinion, which future character seemed to be the most realistic version of their younger counterpart? Who was more of a stretch?
2) Which character from the JN gang was best portrayed? Worst portrayed?
3) Who do you think changed the most as a result of the adventure?
4) What plot point was the best “tie-in” with the TV show?

“Stuff You’d See on Your English Test”
1) What are some of the major themes you see at work in this story? (Themes are broad, overarching concepts – for example: the nature of evil, redemption, etc.)
2) If you had to pick ONE word to describe what the story is “about”, what would it be?

Miscellaneous
1) Which illustration is your favorite? (post a link or describe it)
2) Look-wise, who has the best character design?
3) If you’re a fangirl/fanboy, who is the object of your affections and why? If you’re not a fangirl/boy, pretend you are anyway and answer the question.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[RocksmySocks]

*salutes* You've got it, Mara. I'll get on it.

[Lizz]

Do we put the answers here or somewhere else?

[Mara=^.^=]

Do we put the answers here or somewhere else?

Post them here...I'll start a list below of people who've filled it out, to keep track.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

[PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE THE SURVEY]

Lizz
Emily
Katia
Corinne
Crys
Mary
cc_loves_huey34
Katie

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

So, you're picking the one whose responses impress you most, or just a random generator thing??

[Mara=^.^=]

So, you're picking the one whose responses impress you most, or just a random generator thing??

Random generator. Everyone who does the survey has to have a more or less equal chance of winning.

Although I suppose if you go into spectacular detail in your answers, I'll enter your name into the generator twice. But remember, the point of the survey isn't to "impress me", but to be honest.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Ah, gotcha!

[Lizz]

Alright, here's my answers...

Faves!
1) What part of the story did you most enjoy?
I think I liked the emotion rooms part. I can read that part all the time and never get bored. Along with when Jimmy recites that long passcode.
2) What’s your favorite line/quote from the story?
"Yeah, say hi to Aurora for me when she's kicking your ass."
3) What, in your opinion, is Mara's greatest strength as a writer (characterization, sensory descriptions, etc.)? What could she improve on? (and no, "omg you're perfect don't change anything" doesn't count as an answer)
I think you have a great sense of story-telling and suspense as well as making all the characters around as believable and likeable as possible. As for weakness, this is my thoughts on it, but I sometimes think you go a little overboard with detail and metaphors. I know this sounds strange, but to me, I sometimes find it hard to picture descriptions and stuff like that which can get me lost and stuff like that.

Characters
1) Who is your favorite male character, and why? (If you absolutely can’t pick one, name your top two)
Nav because he just stole the story for me. For the little time he had, he made every moment he had really enjoyable, and I loved the fact that he's one of the most wanted theifs, but he has a complete heart of gold.
Another one who comes really close is Dictator Jimmy. Simply because he has what I love in a villain: he chooses to use mental torture to take down his enemies instead of brute force.
2) How about your favorite female character (same goes for this one)?
Aurora, because she's a tough badass character who makes snarky comments to people and her backstory is the thing I love most. I also have a thing for mean snarky characters with a tragic past to why they're like that.
3) Who is your least favorite character, and what made you dislike him/her?
Future Sheen because unlike all the others characters, I didn't see anything in him that made it seem like he can be a future version of Sheen. Even though I understand everything he's been through, I just couldn't find anything likeable about him and the fact that whenever he's around Future Libby, it annoys me how he acts like a sex-deprived beast.
4) In your view, what character in the story grew the most/had the most challenges to overcome? Who had it the easiest?
The character(s) that I think grew the most are Jimmy and Cindy. It's pretty obvious to see that after taking this whole journey, they started out as their usual competetive, arguing, jealous selves and after seeing their future selves at war and just what their fighting could lead to, they begin to be more sympathetic to each other and their fighting becomes less and less. I just hope it lasts...
As for who had it the easiest. It would have to be Sheen because... he's a Sheen who can turn any bad situation and make it enjoyable for himself.

Character Relationships
1) What was your favorite pairing (canon or otherwise)?
JimmyxCindy and AuroraxNav
2) How about your least favorite?
Future SheenxFuture Libby
3) Fave crack pairing?
I don't have one.
4) What was your favorite shipping moment?
The part where Jimmy is crying about Future Goddard's death and Cindy comforts him
5) Were there any pairings that you wanted to see happen that didn’t?
AuroraxNav
6) Which friendship did you like best? (ex: Aurora/FL, Aurora/April, etc.)
Aurora/April
7) Is there anything that sticks out in your mind about the way TOSOT portrays women vs. men?
The whole fact that Aurora and DJ's war stemmed from a childhood rivalry that took a turn for the worst when Cindy's jealousy went too far

JN Universe
1) In your opinion, which future character seemed to be the most realistic version of their younger counterpart? Who was more of a stretch?
I think it would be Aurora since she's still sarcastic, smart, and a martial arts expert, and Future Sheen was more of a stretch since he doesn't seem to resemble his younger self at all.
2) Which character from the JN gang was best portrayed? Worst portrayed?
I think they were all very-well portrayed- which is the thing I liked best about this fic and makes it stand out among others
3) Who do you think changed the most as a result of the adventure?
Jimmy and Cindy's relationship and the fate of the alternate universe
4) What plot point was the best “tie-in” with the TV show?
The references to Win Lose and Kaboom which April tends to mention sometimes

“Stuff You’d See on Your English Test”
1) What are some of the major themes you see at work in this story? (Themes are broad, overarching concepts – for example: the nature of evil, redemption, etc.)
The art of war, revenge, and consequences for one's actions
2) If you had to pick ONE word to describe what the story is “about”, what would it be?
Epicness

Miscellaneous
1) Which illustration is your favorite? (post a link or describe it)
The line-up one
2) Look-wise, who has the best character design?
Nav. I like metal prosthetics
3) If you’re a fangirl/fanboy, who is the object of your affections and why? If you’re not a fangirl/boy, pretend you are anyway and answer the question.
DJ, because like I said before, he's my kind of villain.