decisions, decisions

A writerly question: If I were to write a fic that consisted entirely of a character's blog posts, should I format it appropriately and post it to AO3/DW as always? Or should I make an RP-style journal and post it like a real blog? (And if that last one, on what site?)

Also, out of curiosity: do you, r-list, like to read about OCs? I tend to go "Yes! Yes! Outsider views on and reactions to canon events!" but I also know some people who don't like using OCs even for bit parts. Which one is more common, at least among people I know?

I want people to call me something cool like 'Wizard of the Crow'

I feel like most of the manga I've been reading lately ought to be summed up as "This manga, in which ADORABLE." No, really! This may be due to the relatively high proportion of 'people making friends and raising tiny cute children' genre comics I've been reading—hi, Usagi Drop, Gakuen Babysitters, Love So Life(turned out kind of boring, but cute while it lasted)—but I think it applies equally to things like Hourou Musuko and Natsume Yuujinchou. Cute things happen! Issues are dealt with! Everyone kind of hangs out and has fun!

Things like Nurarihyon no Mago and Sleepy Residents of Birdcage Manor and Detective Conan are all very well, things with tons of plot and gripping storylines and excessive amounts of angst and/or awesome, but sometimes you just want the cute.

(This post brought to you by Gakuen Babysitters, which is about a bunch of young men raising adorable children and hanging out with (mostly) older women. SO MUCH CUTE.)


Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o (that name is missing some tildes) is my new favorite grown-up book! Like, I'm not used to reading things labeled "A sprawling allegory starring an African dictator who isn't having the best of times . . ." that do not also contain dragons and plucky teenagers. The last 'grown-up' book I read was Green Grass, Running Water, of which I found one storyline gripping (First Woman! Lone Ranger! Yaaaaay! \o/) and the rest absolutely dull.

It's also been a long time since I just picked up a book without knowing the author or having it recommended to me—the spine was so beautiful, I just picked it up off the shelf as I was walking by—and a really long time since I did that and it wasn't fail. But Wizard of the Crow is excellent! I don't want to spoil anything, especially because just picking it up from the beginning without expectations (well, without good expectations) was and is a very interesting experience for me. But it handles things like race and sexism and activism and subversion of evil governments in very smart ways (so far; I'm about a fourth of the way through) and our main characters are quite likable. There is a sort-of witch doctor and a secret anti-government activist and her ex-boyfriend and power-hungry officials who may be jerks but are still quite understandable, and a sign that says WARNING! THIS PROPERTY BELONGS TO A WIZARD WHOSE POWER BRINGS DOWN HAWKS AND CROWS FROM THE SKY. TOUCH THIS HOUSE AT YOUR PERIL. SIGD. WIZARD OF THE CROW. The translation is by the author, so no worries about a third party's competence. Even the font is pretty. So far, a very attractive book.