Help for Fanfiction Idea?

[amarie24]

I posted this over at Ana Mardoll's, as well! Here's the link and I would greatly appreciate any feedback/help!

http://www.anamardoll.com/2013/09/open-thread-writer-workshop.html


Oh, Ana, thank you guys SO MUCH for this thread! I need help…D:

Is anyone familiar with Assassin’s Creed?* At least the first one? If not, it’s basically a game that takes place in the 12th century, during the Third Crusade. You have all the main players, like Salah Al Din, Richard the Lionheart and, of course, the Assassins who are neutral and take out everyone that’s raping, pillaging and ravaging the Holy Land. It is highly fictionalized, of course and I am absolutely in love with the pairing Altair (one of the greatest Master Assassins)XAdha (a canon-Mary Sue that I look forward to…cleaning up a bit).

Yes, Amarie wants to write a romance fanfiction. How lowly she has fallen, haha.

But the problem is that I’m strongly considering writing the story in a modern AU (alternate universe). The setting of the first Assassin’s Creed is already set in the Holy Land, or ‘the middle east’, as we like to call it. There are settings in Syria and Jerusalem, for example. I want to bring the Third Crusade with all its players, battles, aspects, etc. to the modern forefront. It’ll be fun and interesting to brainstorm how to translate that which was done/said ‘back then’ to that which could or would be done/said today.
So the problem that I run into is that of sensitivity and representation. The geographic area that I would be writing in…is pretty war torn. It hasn’t been that long since we heard about sarin gas in Syria, female genital mutilation, [suicide] bombings and the resulting death tolls, malnutrition, women being beaten/stoned for the crime of being raped, etc. People of different religions-Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, etc.-aren’t getting along…all the time. So yes, there is a lot of violence, chaos, intolerance, etc. in that part of the world. Or at least, we only get that kind of news when we hear about that part of the world…cue the stereotypes and labels.

My question is…how do I make a modern AU Assassin’s Creed story when I’d be doing it in a part of the world that’s very, very war-torn already? How would I do that without stooping to stereotypes, broad generalizations, [cultural/social] appropriations, make real, human pain invisible/insignificant, etc…?

Do I completely scrap and just stay in the canon time period? Do I just put the whole thing in another country? Do I re-create the Middle East as a more peaceful, developed place as part of the AU? All of the above or none of the above? I just really, really, really want to have fun writing without being a grating, insensitive asshole…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin's_Creed_(video_game)

Comments

[silveradept]

Considering Assassin's Creed is basically Shown Their Work, The Video Game, research is probably your primary friend here. Not so much that it detracts from the narrative part, but you'll probably want accurate making of the places, in their times, and a really good idea of what life is life there, so that the small details ring historically accurate.

Your better bet might be to make the stereotypes part of the story, because people living there are going to have opinions formed about others, most of them based in bad information. You're probably going to have a harder time finding someone who doesn't have a stereotypical belief somewhere.

[amarie24]

Ahh...so you think I should leave a modern AU alone and stick with the canon time period?

Oh, I know! Of course I'll have Muslims that believe in apostasy and Christians that believe pre-martial sex is a sin, for example. To balance that out, I'll have different Muslim and Christian characters that may or may not believe that. Humanizing is the key. ^ ^

And YES! Research is a writer's best friend!!!

[silveradept]

I think that the hallmark of the franchise is that they are able to blend actual history and the backstory of the Templar-Assassin war. So I think, whichever way you go, to do justice to this, the research will be key, but so will the proper extrapolation. If it blends nicely and tells a good story, it should work.

[amarie24]

*nods* Oh, absolutely! The seamless blending of the Assassins-Templar war into the Third Crusade was part of what drew me to Assassin's Creed, too (even though I don't even own a console...all my fangirling of ANY video game is done via cutscenes/gameplay videos). So, its a LOT of fun in my head to do the hard work of taking that which was past and moderating it to the present. Like, Al Mualim is in a grey, pressed suit. Altair and the other Master Assassins were hoodies. Salah Al Din is the general of the Muslims & Saracens and rides in a Humvee, instead of horseback or a caravan. Adha goes to an all-women's university in another country. Richard the Lionheart is wearing traditional British (?) camouflage and rides in a tank.

And so on and so forth. Of course, I have a lot more fleshing out to do.

But do you think any of those examples I gave you are offensive? If none of them were, could you give me an example of something that WOULD be...?

[silveradept]

They are all possible - hoodies could be seen as offensive, perhaps, but that can be waved off convincingly by explaining that the instinctive fear white people have of them is a result of Templar conditioning.

First, tell a good story. Then have someone check it over for major and minor fails, then someone else to check it for continuity and other such things. Realize you will not catch all of it, and sometimes you will have to indulge for the story's sake, and then do better next time.

[amarie24]

*gives you all the Carebear Stares and Hugs in the world* Thank you so, so, so much for all the help, Silver! Off I go to start researching! I shall start with YouTube and the History Channel online...because I can't read history for shit without falling asleep. Yep.

And as I write, you wouldn't mind being one of the people that I collaborate with for help? Because you're one of the best at constructive criticism. ^ ^

[silveradept]

I'll do what I can to help. Also, if you happen to have them nearby, public librarians and scholars can help you do the heavy lifting, and help steer you away from docu-drama, like some History Channel offerings, and into the pocket of the really good stuff that will be both accurate and helpful. We like meaty research questions.

[amarie24]

Thank you SO much for that suggestion, Silver! Actually, I have to go to the library tomorrow for actual school research. In our English class, we have to do a paper on one of the assigned authors (I'm still wishy-washy between Toni Morrison and Phyllis Wheatley) that's due towards the end of this month. ^ ^

So I'll definitely be looking for some Crusade history books...as well as Star Wars novels. *winks*

But do you think it'll be okay to at least supplement my learning with the History Channel docu-dramas?

[silveradept]

Oh, sure, so long as you keep them apart. The Assassin's Creed series takes actual history and weaves in a story with it - maybe some of those docu-dramas will give you jumping-off points on where to put the Templars and the Assassins throughout this alternate history, and where you can make divergences from the actual timeline. It's all possible.

[amarie24]

Uh, Silver? Thanks soooooooooo much, and please don't take this the wrong way. But, I just had a friend tell me that she's 'meh' about a modern AU Assassin's Creed fanfiction. Basically, she cited some problems that could arise, and I cited how those problems would make the story much more interesting (Conflicts are plot bunnies that must move, yes? Or something like that...). But she was still 'meh', though she said she feels bad about saying that.

So I just wanted to thank you, Red, and (hopefully) a few more lurkers out there for your support and enthusiasm. I want honesty, but...I need a pat on the back every now and then, too. LOL!

[silveradept]

Fair enough. Write what will make you happy.

[amarie24]

*sniffles* Thank you, Silver!

[redsixwing]

I'm not much help since I sort of chewed on this for a bit and then gave up, but that fic sounds awesome. ^^

[amarie24]

Hey, no worries! The encouragement you just gave me was more than a help! :D