Plot, Plot, Plot

[coalitiongirl]

 So we now have our writers and you've looked through all the technical details, and now it's time to talk plot! We've got seven days to suggest and discuss any ideas you have in the comments, and here are two things to keep in mind:

• Each chapter should ideally be a story in itself. We're each getting one opportunity to write and so we want a plot that allows for each writer to play within the 'verse without being caught up in transitional chapters or the like!
• At the same time, we also want to have one coherent ongoing plot that allows for development so it doesn't read like a series of short stories.

So this can work in several ways.

• We could rewrite a season. We have exactly as many writers as there are episodes, and we could each tackle one. (I'm wary of this option simply because there's the OUATVS and because I don't know about the rest of you, but I find episode rewrites kind of dull, especially when we have many stronger writers than the OUAT ones?)
• We can settle on a theme with stronger individual chapter plots and a weaker overall plot. I suggested tropes before- it could be something like "some kind of magical trickster has come to town and keeps casting wacky spells," and then we go from there. (I've seen people do that way back when SQW did magical mishaps.) In that, the story would be very much about individual chapters and character/relationship development, but it's tricky because the latter sometimes gets lost in the process.
• We can settle on one standard plot that we like and write to it- this is generally easy and straightforward, though you do need a more intricately organized outline from the start so you don't run out of plot along the way. 

Please drop your suggestions in the comments and discuss them! Reply to each other and talk about what you want to write and what you think might work for a story like this. This post closes on May 2, and we'll poll for your favorite option of the ones suggested from May 3-5.

Oh, and I don't think we'll do a totally alternate universe this time around because many people aren't used to writing out of the 'verse. Anything that takes place within the OUAT universe, even if it's a complete deviation from canon, is fair game.

Comments

[coalitiongirl]

Okay, okay, I'll start us off. I've always been fascinated by the idea of, when Emma saves Henry at the end of S1, all it does is save Henry, not break the curse. Then we have a town of people who still don't know, Emma wavering on whether or not she's going to accept the burden of saviorhood and returning everyone's lost memories, Regina wavering in general and someone Emma and Henry don't know whether or not to trust, Regina and Henry mending their relationship, and Gold making plans in the background (maybe even returning magic to the town). And if magic is back in town, maybe there are new magical threats who can arrive, like Cora, to an unsuspecting populace... Thoughts?

[madasaboxofcats]

I think that could be interesting. I imagine there could be some interesting Charming-family stuff in there, too -- Emma knowing that the family she always sought was within reach, but also knowing that they gave her up, and knowing that if she was going to have her Family, she'd have to give up Mary Margaret, probably the only real friend she'd had in a very long time, if not since Lily.

[coalitiongirl]

Yes!! I love the idea of Emma living in a house with an unknowing mother, kind of resenting her and kind of longing for her and never quite understanding why she'd given her up. It's honestly heartbreaking.

[bladeddarkness]

I'll take any excuse to rewatch S1 (and S2). I also agree with allaine, Mary Margaret and Belle (and Ruby & Kathryn) are going to be interesting. If Rumpel brings magic back, he'll probably try to bring Belle's memories back.

... we should probably get a consistent spelling for Gold too, unless we just call him 'Gold'. Rumpel or Rumple?

[snarkingturtle]

Along with Rumpel/Rumple, if we're doing an early story, we also need consistency on Ms. Swan vs Miss Swan (personal preference goes to Ms., but I know others might feel differently).

[bladeddarkness]

And Henry's age, since we're covering a long period of time.

[amycarey]

MS MS MS (but I am maybe a strident feminist re: titles so... This is the hill I live and die on far too often, like, it is ridiculous.)

[snarkingturtle]

IT IS A WORTHY HILL I support this cause.

[paradoxalpoised]

The full name is Rumpelstiltskin so Rumpel seems appropiate this way.

I wasn't aware that there's a difference between saying Ms and Miss, would it be ok for one of you to expand a little on this?

I usually use Miss, but only because I've always thought Ms to simply be an abbreviation.

C.

[snarkingturtle]

"Miss" is for unmarried woman (opposite of "Mrs.").

"Ms." arose as a basic "fuck you" to the Miss/Mrs. dichotomy, as a way to address women without referring to their marital status. It can be used for all women.

Along with my own feminist leanings towards Ms., I think that Regina as a character would be a Ms. user for a couple of reasons:

1. The first time she uses it on Emma, she has no idea whether or not Emma is married, so the neutral word makes more sense. (Sure, Emma's not wearing a ring, but not everyone does, so this is not a definitive sign of Not Married.)

2. (More important than #1, IMO.) Given the history of her own marriage, I have a really hard time seeing Regina use titles that are based on whether or not a woman is married. It just...really doesn't seem like Regina, to me. I think she would find it offensive. (The one exception I can see to this is Snow--during the curse, I can see Regina calling her "Miss Blanchard" rather than "Ms. Blanchard," because separating Snow from David was one of Regina's successes, so I think using "Miss" for Snow could serve as one of Regina's inside jokes.)

Anyways. Those are my thoughts on the matter. Others feel free to chime in!

[paradoxalpoised]

Oh, that changes things. I had no idea. And I like your thoughts. I might start making sure I write down Ms. Swan and not Miss Swan, being a feminist myself, it definitely seems more appealing now that I have the knowledge to make the difference.

I really thought it was the same thing.

Thanks, and I vote for Ms. Swan then.

C.

[bladeddarkness]

Interesting. The whole Miss/Mrs./Ms. thing was something I learned in first grade but not the whys. Is there a pronunciation difference? I always say Ms. as "Miz" in my head, but then again, my English teacher told me it was "sub-tell".

[snarkingturtle]

Ms. is indeed "Miz" (and Miss is like it looks). How subtle it is depends a little bit on what comes after it--said in front of "Swan," they basically sound alike, because it elides either way. It's easier to hear in front of names that don't start with S (or with a soft C, I suppose).

[devje]

Eh, I respectfully disagree for a number of reasons:

- Miss is a perfectly standard and accepted way to address women whose marital status is unknown.
- You can be a feminist and still use Miss. I do, and I’ll be damned if any of you are going to tell me that I’m not a feminist when I was voting while most of you were in nappies/diapers and eating mushed bananas.
- Pretty sure we’ve seen scripts with 'Miss Swan’, so if we’re going International English Rumplestiltskin (because that’s canon), then this is no different.
- The headcanon is good (and I agree that Regina prob would have put a little extra spin on the ‘Miss’ in front of Blanchard because sassy) but there’s no way in this lifetime you will convince me that LanaP is not saying ‘Miss’ every time her character refers to Emma Swan.

But, YMMV. Obvs, it already does.

ETA: insisting that Ms is used for all women removes the agency of those who made a very conscious, feminist decision NOT to marry, and who want that decision to be recognised and acknowledged.

[ariestess]

I've always felt this way about the whole Ms. vs Miss debate and how Regina uses them. Though I admit that I may have written Ms. Blanchard a time or two, especially in the beginning. But I've always been a Ms. Swan person.

[coalitiongirl]

I think that while you do bring up reasonable points, "Miss Swan" is so accepted- in fic, in gifsets, even in some of the scripts I have- that I'd honestly find it jarring to write/read a fic that swapped it over to Ms. Swan because of contradictory headcanon? So my vote is to keep it as is in this fic.

[snarkingturtle]

I think that it's Rumpelstiltskin in most fairytale anthologies, but Rumplestiltskin on the dagger in the show? Which is where some of the confusion comes in in terms of picking a spelling.

[paradoxalpoised]

Ok That too is interesting. I actually haven't checked the dagger and always used the actual anthologies name. I'm fine with whatever is canon, I suppose, is it consistent?

[damelola]

The production guys actually misspelled it on the dagger so it takes the Brit/Canadian rule of Rumplestiltskin. I think someone pulled Adam up on it and he said it was canon! Make of that what you all will! LOL

[amycarey]

I like this idea!

[allaine]

I'd forgotten how, back in S1, I believed that the curse wouldn't break until the end of S2. I'd love to see this, esp more Mary-Margaret instead of Snow.

Also, this probably goes without saying, but I think we need to see a larger role for Ruby, and the return of Kathryn. What about Belle? She'll be free but she won't remember Rumple, correct?

[alinaandalion]

i like this! especially if gold returns magic to the town before the curse breaks because imagine that. though where would henry be living? like, he can't just start living with emma, surely that would raise some sort of questions, and i don't know if he would really want to live with regina at that point because of the whole turnover thing.

[amycarey]

Is there a "Henry needs some time and they all agree Archie/Kathryn/other available adult would be a good person for him to stay with while he and Regina sort their relationship out" option maybe? Like, obviously they can't tell whoever it is about the turnover but sometimes kids stay with trusted friends/adults if things aren't going well without it being like 'Regina is an unfit mother and adoptive parents are terrible'.

That was incoherent. I'm sorry.

[snarkingturtle]

I like this too! Would end game be breaking the curse (sort of a full-season arc), or do you see it in more of an A/B format--half the story to break the curse, the other half to deal with the ramifications of doing so?