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[schmevil]

I've decided to go ahead and create a WIP filter, as neotama suggested. Please click below if you're interested. (That's fic work in progress filter, for you nonfic fandom people).

Poll #2514

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

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do you want to be on schmevil's WIP filter?

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YES
6 (100.0%)

Speaking of neotama, she linked to a TV Tropes segment on NPR's On The Media. Do run along and listen.


And not speaking of her, I'd just like to take a second to say how annoying I find supernatural beings in sf/f calling their inherent abilities 'powers'. Especially when they're changing from supernatural to natural (ie. Angel to human, god to human, elf to... idk deer).

Let's take Kal El. His powers are more or less natural, a result of his Kryptonian magico-biology being exposed to our yellow sun. Calling his ability to fly a 'power' makes sense though, because he was raised on Earth as a human, and his abilities seem to be 'powers' even to him.

Now let's take Thor. Thor does not have 'powers'. Thor has the natural abilities of a Norse God. Properly written, he should never refer to his immense strength as a 'power'. If he were to lose those abilities, he would say he was 'becoming mortal', even though from the perspective of other characters (and us), he seems to be losing his 'powers'.

Anyone else annoyed by all this talk of powers?

Comments

[neotoma]

I don't know, 'powers' is one of those things that works sometimes and doesn't work others. For example, I get annoyed when people use 'man' in a SPN fic to refer to an angel -- unless the viewpoint character doesn't *know* the person they're talking to is an angel, it just seems wrong to me, because the rift between humanity and the angels is so big, you know?

But defintely Thor wouldn't call anything he can do a power... maybe a 'gift' or a 'domain', but not a 'power'.

[schmevil]

My main issue with it is characterization. Is it how the character would think of their abilities? If not, don't use it, even if it's how you think of them.