Hi there! How are you doing? I hope you're well. ^^
Well, I have a few questions and observations regarding your works (at least the ones I've read). I was left wondering about a few things—mainly how you write Amy, Sonic, and Shadow.
I recall you mentioning that you didn't really like writing Amy or didn't know how to go about it. At times, I found myself thinking, "Why write about a character you don't like or struggle with?" But after some reflection, I realized we never grow as writers unless we put in the work. In your case, you'll never improve at writing her if you avoid it simply because you dislike the character or find her difficult to write. Of course, we have every right not to write about things we don't enjoy—we aren't obligated to—but it’s all about trial and error, you know? It’s a process. I don't know; I felt a bit odd reading the dynamic between Sonic and Amy in your stories—especially the recent birthday one, where Amy gets annoyed at Sonic for acting like himself in his own home(?) and gives up on trying to change him(?), at least in that specific story.
I agree that Amy used to be extremely clingy and annoying; I didn't like her back then either, though she’s one of my favorite characters now. I think the way she was portrayed, especially during the *Adventure* and *Heroes* era, is what fueled the growing hatred toward her. I believe things are better these days—even though there are attempts to downplay her love for Sonic, which is a defining trait of hers. Let's not forget she has her own choices and goals; while she loves Sonic, she’s capable of setting that love aside to focus on her own affairs or matters requiring more attention. I think *Frontiers* is a great example of this. Plus, she loves Sonic just the way he is; she knows he won't change, and she doesn't want to change him herself. Which brings me to another point in your writing that made me wonder: does Sonic see her as a sister? There’s nothing wrong with viewing it that way in your work, but I’ve read other stories where the two have that sibling-like dynamic and it feels much more natural—I think it’s because Amy knows he sees her that way, or she simply doesn't love him romantically anymore in those stories. In yours, however, she doesn't know and Sonic never actually says anything, so to me, the relationship ends up feeling a bit... odd?
Sobre Sonic e Shadow: às vezes, tenho a impressão de que Shadow demonstra desprezo por Sonic, embora não seja bem o caso. Parece que ele não suporta ouvir o nome de Sonic, nunca quer estar perto dele ou ajudá-lo, faz cara feia assim que Sonic aparece e o ignora (como no início de "Help Me... Please!" — embora eu tenha gostado dessa história, pois teve uma reviravolta enorme e surpreendente ^^). Na realidade, eles se respeitam mutuamente; a única diferença é que seus princípios conflitantes frequentemente levam a desentendimentos. Até mesmo a forma como o personagem é escrito no cânone às vezes me incomoda um pouco. Mas essa era a minha pergunta: como Sonic vê Shadow e a dinâmica entre eles? O mesmo vale para a perspectiva de Shadow.
I used a translator and noticed that it seems to have improved or been updated (?)—I'm not sure, but it sounds much more natural now. Still, I apologize if there are any errors or if I didn't quite get my point across.
I also don't want you to think I'm mocking or badmouthing your work—far from it; I truly love it. I just wanted to offer an observation or some constructive criticism—at least, I hope that's what it was.I'm sorry if I caused any offense in this comment (and sorry for the wall of text). Anyway, that's all; I hope you're doing well, and I can't wait for an update on another story!
Hey! I’m fine, thank you! Hope you are also alright!
It’s not so much that I don’t like writing her, more that I don’t really know how to write her to do her character justice. She’s definitely off in Happy Birthday Rodent, I fully acknowledge that. I didn’t mean for her to come across as judgy and mean, I just though that maybe she’d get slightly annoyed at his habits sometimes – boys and all that. But Sonic thinks she’s just given up on reprimanding him for it while in reality she’s accepted that it’s not a big deal. I know that doesn’t really come across because we don’t see her perspective but it’s what I thought at the time.
For a good while, I didn’t hate her but I didn’t really like Amy because of the way she’s often portrayed. But I do agree more recent depictions of her show her as more mature. Not having moved on from Sonic exactly but more focused on other things, on helping rather than just chasing him. She’s more of her own character in that regard. I like her now but she’s still far from my favourite – at no fault of her own. I think there was a version of her in one of the comics where she had a crossbow or something? Loved her design in that and I thought the portrayal of her then was pretty cool.
Most of the time, I feel Sonic views her as more of a sister. He’s got a found family thing going on with Tails, Knuckles and, to a slightly lesser extent, Amy. And I like that. In my stories, Sonic’s usually gay or ace to be honest, so he’s not really interested in her in that way. And the ace ones are sometimes put off by how open she is. But he still loves her, just not the way she wants.
And I get that it comes across as odd. I’m not really sure how to fix it at this point. I want to get them to that point in I Don’t Mind Seeing Where This Goes but maybe it’ll still feel wrong. I’m just not very good at writing her character in general, which probably doesn’t help the dynamic much.
And yeah, Shadow ‘s portrayal isn’t very great either. But if you came to me for accuracy, you’ve obviously hit the wrong place. I definitely play up his distaste for Sonic most of the time which is probably a mistake. I do like when they have a mutual respect but I’ve read so many great stories where they have that and I’ve just never really known how to replicate it – I’m not a great writer.
To me, Sonic usually has that respect and wishes him the best. But I think he just pushes too much for them to be friends that it bothers Shadow. That probably shouldn’t translate into hate but… too late, I guess. I don’t think Shadow hates him in The Mystery of the Mobian Royals exactly, he’s just put off by Sonic’s eagerness. That’s changed quite a bit already in that one though. But most of my stories start with animosity on Shadow’s part because I don’t know how to build a proper, natural relationship between characters that don’t already have that established. So I think that’s where it comes from. Maybe one day I’ll be able to write a story where that’s not the case.
Don’t apologise for the wall of text, I like answering questions and reading people’s thoughts on my work. I am very glad you like my stories despite everything. And without constructive criticism, I can’t improve, right?
Thank you for your questions!
