This, that & the other

On one hand, I think it signals a deeper understanding of good character arc then a run-of-the-mill marvel writer has. Cookie cutter Marvel superheroes never fail and they usually "get the girl" and look cool in their updated costumes. So I am delighted for the show to go a bit deeper on that front.

On the other hand, I wonder if this deeper definition of being a hero has contributed to the meltdowns of a horde of Tumblr fans. Specifically, the deluded notion that Loki wasn't the lead character of his own series. I wonder whether Loki getting a tangible boon would have made his status a bit clearer for some.

This is something that I found satisfying about Thor's otherwise cringy portrayal in Endgame. The writers achieved unintentional poignancy by suggesting that Thor lacked the emotional maturity to cope with failure.

I have loved LOKI for over 10 years. I have drawn fan art, written meta, written fanfiction, made memes etc. I used to really enjoy the discourse. Because it actually used to seem like discourse. It seemed like it had a point.

It just doesn’t seem to have a point anymore. Everything I see related to the Loki show is just delusion and whining, and people invalidating one another’s ships. There seems to be a lot of really severe mental instability. Even more than in previous years. No shame there. Mentally ill people are valid and should have access to social media. But I don’t want to get sucked into their drama and toxicity.

I really wish there were some website somewhere that was all about celebrating the thing. Like, hooray for that thing. Here are some pictures of that thing. Here’s some behind the scenes info about that thing. Here are the release dates for the sequel to or next season of the thing.

Instead of this constant twisting of the thing, objectification of the thing, or ranting about why some person’s interpretation of the thing is the only valid interpretation and anyone who disagrees with them should be canceled forever.

I don’t disagree with your statements above.  I have stopped following a few people since the Loki Series debuted.  I ignore quite a few of posts I see about the series.  After going to the theater to see Infinity War I gave up on the MCU.  I’ve never been a fan of Feige.  And Ragnarok - that’s a long story I won’t go into but I’m not a Waititi fan.  But I did watch the Loki Series, with skepticism & low expectations, and was pleasantly surprised.  To put it simply, I love watching Tom at his craft.  I think he is a simply amazing actor.  I honestly believe that, in real life, he is honestly a shapeshifter based on the variety of roles he’s played and the characters he has brought to life on the screen.

Foreshadowing is a necessary part of any well-executed story. And yet, despite all its prevalence and importance, it’s actually a concept that many authors have a hard time getting their minds around. If we sift foreshadowing down to its simplest form, we could say that it prepares readers for what will happen later in the story.

At first glance, this may seem counter-intuitive. Why would we want readers to know what’s going to happen later in the story? If they know how the book turns out, they’ll have no reason to read on.

True enough. So let me reiterate. The point of foreshadowing is to prepare readers for what happens later in the story. Not tell them,just prepare them.

Foreshadowing’s great strength lies in its ability to create a cohesive and plausible story. If readers understand that it’s possible that someone in your story may be murdered, they won’t be completely shocked when the sidekick gets axed down the road. If, however, you failed to properly foreshadow this unhappy event,readers would be jarred. They would feel you had cheated them out of the story they thought they were reading. They would think you had, in essence, lied to them so you could trick them with this big shocker.

Readers don’t like to be cheated, lied to, or tricked. And that’s where foreshadowing comes into play.

Foreshadowing, Part 1: The Plant

We can break foreshadowing down into two parts. The first is the plant. This is the part where you hint to readers that something surprising and/or important is going to happen later in the book. If the bad guy is going to kidnap the good guy’s son, your plant might be the moment when your hero notices a creepy dude hanging around the playground. If your heroine is going to be left standing at the altar, your plant might be her fiancé’s ambivalence toward the wedding preparations.

Depending on what you’re foreshadowing, the plant can be blatant or subtle. Subtle is almost always better, since you don’t want to giveaway your plot twists. But, at the same time, your hints have to be obvious enough that readers will remember them later on.

Usually, the earlier you can foreshadow an event, the stronger and more cohesive an effect you will create. The bigger the event, the more important it is to foreshadow it early. As editor Jeff Gerke puts it in The First 50 Pages:

Basically, you need to let us in on the rules. If the climax of your book is going to consist of getting into a time machine and jumping away to safety, we had better have known in the first fifty pages that time travel is possible in the world of your story.

Foreshadowing, Part 2: The Payoff

Once you’ve got your plant in place, all that’s left is to bringthe payoff on stage. If you planted hints about kidnapping, jilting, or time travelling, this is the part where you now get to let these important scenes play out.

As long as you’ve done your job right with the plant, you probably won’t even need to reference your hints from earlier. In fact, you’re likely to create a more solid effect by letting readers put the pieces together themselves.

But you’ll also find moments, usually of smaller events that were given less obvious plants, that will benefit from a quick reference to the original hint (e.g., “George,you big meanie! Now I understand why you wouldn’t choose between the scarlet and the crimson for the bridesmaids’ dresses!”)The most important thing to remember about the payoff is that it always needs to happen. If you plant hints, pay them off. Just as readers will be confused by an unforeshadowed plot twist, they’ll also be frustrated by foreshadowing that excites them and then leads nowhere.

Foreshadowing vs. Telegraphing

The trick to good foreshadowing is preparing your readers on a subconscious level for what’s coming without allowing them to guess the ins and outs of the plot twist. You don’t want your hints to be so obvious that they remove all suspense. In her October 2012 Writer’s Digest article “Making the Ordinary Menacing: 5 Ways,” Hallie Ephron calls this “telegraphing”:

When you insert a hint of what’s to come, look at it critically and decide whether it’s something the reader will glide right by but remember later with an Aha!That’s foreshadowing. If instead the reader groans and guesses what’s coming, you’v etelegraphed.

Some clever readers will undoubtedly be able to interpret your hints, no matter how cagey you are. But if you can fool most of the readers most of the time, you can’t ask for more than that.

Foreshadowing vs. Foreboding

Foreboding—that skin-prickling feeling that somethinghorrible is going to happen—can be a useful facet of foreshadowing. By itself, foreboding isn’t specific enough tobe foreshadowing. Unlike the plants used for foreshadowing, foreboding is just an ambiguous aura of suspense. Jordan E. Rosenfeld describes it in Make a Scene:

[F]oreshadowing … hints at actual plot events to come, [but]foreboding is purely about mood-setting. It heightens the feeling of tension in a scene but doesn’t necessarily indicate that something bad really will happen.

Foreboding is useful in setting readers’ emotions on edge without giving them any blatant hints. But when it comes time to foreshadow important events, always back up your foreboding by planting some specific clues.Most authors have so intrinsic an understanding of foreshadowing that they plant it and pay it off without even fully realizing that’s what they’re doing. But the better you understand the technique, the better you can wield it. Using this basic approach to foreshadowing, you can strengthen your story and your readers’ experience of it.

Physical Appearance

Arms

Athletic Build

Back

Butts

Cheeks

Chest

Chins

Curvy Build

Ears

Eyebrows

Eyes

Faces

Facial Hair

Feet

Fingernails

Fingers

Hair

Hands

Head

Hips

Jaws

Knees

Legs

Lips

Muscular Build

Neck

Noses

Shoulders

Slender Build

Sickly Build

Skin

Stocky Build

Stomach

Teeth

Toenails

Toes

Underweight Build

Character Traits

Affectionate

Ambitious

Bossy

Brave

Calm

Cautious

Charismatic

Clever

Conceited

Courageous

Creative

Critical

Curious

Determined

Diplomatic

Dishonest

Disorganized

Eccentric

Excitable

Friendly

Funny

Generous

Glamorous

Guarded

Honest

Impulsive

Independent

Intelligent

Just

Kind

Loyal

Manipulative

Mature

Modest

Mysterious

Naïve

Optimistic

Prejudiced

Persistent

Proper

Responsible

Sensitive

Sentimental

Serious

Shy

Reckless

Stingy

Stubborn

Talented

Thoughtful

Thrifty

Visionary

Wise

Witty

Worry Wart

Wounded

Talents & Skills

A Knack for Languages

A Knack for Making Money

A Way with Animals

Archery

Astral Projection

Astrological Divination

Baking

Basic First Aid

Blending In

Carpentry

Charm

ESP (Clairvoyance)

Empathy

Enhanced Hearing

Enhanced Sense of Smell

Enhanced Taste Buds

Farming

Fishing

Foraging

Gaining the Trust of Others

Gaming

Gardening

Good Listening Skills

Haggling

Herbalism

Hospitality

Hot-Wiring a Car

High Pain Tolerance

Knife Throwing

Knowledge of Explosives

Lip-Reading

Lying

Making People Laugh

Mechanically Inclined

Mentalism

Mimicking

Multitasking

Musicality

Organization

Parkour

Photographic Memory

Predicting the Weather

Promotion

Psychokinesis

Reading People

Regeneration

Repurposing

Sculpting

Self-Defense

Sewing

Sharpshooting

Sleight-of-Hand

Strategic Thinking

Strong Breath Control

Super Strength

Survival Skills

Swift-footedness

Talking With The Dead

Throwing One’s Voice

Whittling

Wilderness Navigation

Wrestling

Elemental Abilities

Miscellaneous

Voices

Voice Types

Speech Patterns

Speech Impediment

List of Character Flaws

List of Archetypes

Hairstyles

Describing Body Types & How They Move Around

Secrets To Give Your Character

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This post includes interview videos/audio/articles specifically with Tom.

You'll find all articles about the show and interviews with the creators and additional cast under the tag Loki Series.

VIDEOS

All videos available on Youtube are collected to this playlist. interviews available on other platforms marked with *.

Tom's Tumblr Answertime videos: @tomblr *

Playlist of interviews on Youtube Playlist includes all video interviews linked below (that are on YouTube). However, not all interviews on the playlist are listed in this post - so check the playlist first 😊

Tom on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon | 12 July 2021

Tom Hiddleston breaks down his career, from ‘The Avengers’ to 'Loki’ | Vanity Fair

“Buckle up!” Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s death, return and… signature!? | BBC Radio 1

Tom Hiddleston Talks Marvel’s ‘Loki’ | MTV News

Ashish meets Loki

Tom Hiddleston Isn’t Sure If Mephisto Will Appear In Loki | MTV Movies

Tom Hiddleston’s Oral History of Loki, the MCU’s Villainous Trickster | Rotten Tomatoes

Many sides of Loki. Marvel Studio's Loki Cast and Creators | Marvel

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tom Hiddleston on Loki Premiere, meeting Chris Hemsworth & Matt Damon stealing his part | Jimmy Kimmel Live | 8 June 2021

Tom Hiddleston talks about new Disney+ series, ‘Loki’ l Good Morning America

Tom Hiddleston is the God of Word Association | Marvel Studios’ Loki | Disney+ Hotstar Premium

Tom Hiddleston Delves Into the Character of “Loki” | E! Red Carpet & Award Shows

Tom Hiddleston was asked why he thinks people are such big fans of his #Loki. | Phase Zero *

‘Loki’: What made Tom Hiddleston laugh in this interview | Black Girl Nerds

Tom Hiddleston has not shown Owen Wilson his impression of him | ET Canada

Tom Hiddleston Reveals Loki's Final Thoughts in Avengers: Infinity War | ComicBook.com

Tom Hiddleston Talks LOKI Series, Fan Crushes and the MCU Moment He WISHES He Was In | Jake's takes

TOM HIDDLESTON on emailing Chris Hemsworth while making LOKI, Owen Wilson & ‘cameo theories’! | Tara Hitchcock

Tom Hiddleston On Why ‘Loki’ Is Always A Riddle To Solve But Fascinating To Watch | Black Film and TV

Tom Hiddleston at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Award presenting an exclusive scene from Loki Series | MTV Movie & TV Awards *

Announcement of Loki's premier date change | Marvel Studios' Loki | Marvel

AUDIO:

Episode #22: Loki 1x01 Breakdown; Tom Hiddleston, Kate Herron Interviews | Listen to on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify | Phase Zero

The Zoe Ball breakfast show - Tom Hiddleston 10 June 21

Still Watching: Loki - “Glorious Purpose” with Tom Hiddleston | Vanity Fair Podcast

ARTICLES:

‘Loki’s Tom Hiddleston Teases Marvel Series Finale, What It All Means & Is There More Of The God Of Mischief To Come? | Deadline | 13 July 2021

Loki's knives are out: Tom Hiddleston explains the trickster's affinity for daggers | Entertainment weekly | 8 July 2021

A Very Loki Affair – Our Chat With Tom Hiddleston | M2 Jul/Aug 2021 Issue | 4 July 2021 (article scans)

Loki: Tom Hiddleston on Episode 2's Surprise Character Reveal | Den of Geek | 17 June 2021

Tom Hiddleston on The Evolution of Loki: From Villain to Hero and Back | Den of Geek | 13 June 2021

We spoke to Tom Hiddleston about Loki, PowerPoint presentations and free will | Whatsnew2day | 10 June 2021

Tom Hiddleston on Loki’s “glorious purpose,” quest for power | AV Club | 9 June 2021

Tom Hiddleston on Mobius, Loki and queer identity | Vanity Fair | 9 June 2021

Is Loki genderfluid? "It's always been there," Tom Hiddleston tells Inverse | Inverse | 9 June 2021

Loki’s ‘vulnerability’ and ‘spontaneity’ make him relatable, says Tom Hiddleston | The Independent | 8 June 2021

Tom Hiddleston Teases That ‘Loki’ Will Explore the Meaning of His Iconic Horns | Murphy's Multiverse |

Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Kevin Feige & creative team talk Loki | The TVA, D.B. Cooper & the god of mischief | The Gate | 7 June 2021

Near Myth | Emmy Magazine (article scans)

‘Loki’ star Tom Hiddleston secretly watches Marvel movies as a fan in theaters | Emmy Magazine

Loki: Tom Hiddleston Reveals the MCU’s Future Is Predetermined By the TVA | The Direct | 25 May 2021

Loki: Tom Hiddleston Reveals Why Owen Wilson Is So Brilliant In His Marvel Role | The Direct | 25 May 2021

Loki takes over: Tom Hiddleston on his new TV series and a decade in the MCU | EW.com | 20 May 2021

A/N: So this started months ago as a silly little idea of Tom being taken down by a duvet cover.  I started writing it back then and just finished it yesterday because I wasn’t writing.  All I remember is the conversation was with @yespolkadotkitty​ (the spaniel in the header is NOT Bobby)

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Female Reader (more of a gen fic)

Summary: Mud and a brand new duvet cover don’t mix.

Warnings:  none

THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORIES! TAGLISTS ARE OPEN! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED. 

-

The peaceful day of morning had turned into a drizzly gray afternoon. Not unheard of in London, but disappointing just the same. Tom was looking forward to warmer weather and sunny days. Particularly to spend them with you. He headed into the bedroom to pick up the book he was currently reading when he spied paw prints. Muddy paw prints. On the brand new duvet, you purchased just that past weekend in Bicester at the White Company at a steal.

“BOBBY!” Tom’s voice boomed through the house. 

He overheard the telltale jangle of Bobby’s collar as the spaniel made his way to the master bedroom. Bobby skidded to a stop when he spied Tom’s face pinched. His butt flopped against the hardwood floor just at the entryway.

“Mud on the new duvet, Bobby? The one she is so proud of?” Tom spoke to the dog as though he would respond. Slowly, Tom’s shoulders relaxed and his breath slowed as Bobby’s brown eyes peer up at him. “Bobby, you know she will have both of our hides if she sees this. Come help.” Bobby promptly trotted off down the hall. “TRAITOR!” Tom called after him before turning his attention to the bed. 

Patreon  for early access & exclusives || Ko-Fi

Masterlist || Work In Progress || Studyblr || Studygram

–

Have A “Get Into Character” Routine

If you’re having an unusual amount of trouble keeping a character and their behaviors and thought process consistent in your writing, it might just be that you’re not used to being in their head. This is especially common with first person POV stories, and I recommend surrounding yourself with things that embody them as a person, make a playlist of songs that you know they’d enjoy and listen to it before you write (or during, if you listen to music while you draft), and do what is necessary to make their actions and thoughts create a distinct, unmistakeable person. 

Have A Short List of Details To Pay Attention To

Characters and people are both complex, and therefore it’s difficult to reduce them down to a few key things that set them apart from others. However, when you’re writing, it can help with getting their tendencies down if you focus on 4-5 things you can emphasize in their actions and (inner or outer) monologue. Be holistic in the way you summarize them by picking vastly different aspects of their personality. Focus on one of their fatal flaws, one of their most admirable traits, one of their habits and how it can be good and bad for them, their attitude (outward and inward), etc. 

Know Their Mindset

Everybody has a unique way that they think about the world that is formed by their environment, experiences, and motivations. If you’re having trouble conjuring this mindset as you develop them in your writing, it may be a sign that you just have to sit down and map it out. Pick 3-5 moments in their life that shape their very thought process. Analyze their background and speculate about the many ways this might affect their thoughts and actions in various situations that might present themselves. Randomly choose five situations that may come up in your story and really think hard about how they would want that situation to go and why. 

Know Their Values

Nobody has the same definition of right, nor wrong. This is key to the way people live their lives, and it’s imperative that you know your character’s definitions and how they were formed. It’s also important to know your character’s limits outside of these definitions. What would make them do something they see as wrong? What would it take to convince them that what they believe is wrong is okay? You’d be surprised how relevant this is in any kind of story.

Know Their Motivations

As I previously mentioned, it’s important to know what they want. However, it’s important to look deeper than simply what they’re after. What do they think they want? What to they actually want? What do they need? How does this affect the conflict and other characters day-to-day?

–

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FAQ //monthly writing challenges // Masterlist

They say pen is mightier than sword,

But only if your words carry some weight,

Conquerer of future you are,

Imagination is your land,

After all what be the worth of a human

Coz science has already made obsolete

For most both their hands and their head..

War would bring catastrophe,

Inequality would bring revolution,

The difference from the past would be only one,

Hero would be the person who can win the next frontier

And that would be the one who could conquer people's imagination,

The only weapon which could accomplish this feat would be your pen,

So keep penning my fellow writers,

Future is preparing to brace itself,

To witness your unfolding legacies,

Alexander could easily be a neandaerthal,

But no one could ever question Aristotle's relevancy,

Beware of yourself,

You will be your worst critic,

As your writing gets better,

You would see more and more flaws in it,

Why can't I use fancy words to ornate,

Why my metaphors sound so cliche,

What would move my readers,

Do people judge me for grammatical mistakes,

Contemplating would enable your growth,

Frowning you would concoct for yourself,

An empty cage,

Cripple your creativity you will,

If temporary, it will be called writers block,

If permanent, your pen would bid adieu,

Coz that would be all she wrote,

Mistakes are like a solution,

Dipped in them, you can refine your ego,

Inspiration opens up the curtains of your sub-conscious,

Coz Ideas start invading your conscious mind,

You can write your legacy literally,

A/N: I have started on the requests! This one was an anon request:  a Loki x needy reader where the reader asks Loki to “make love to me” to make the reader remember every inch of Loki against their skin even days after. Just the reader and Loki passionately having sex/love.

Pairing: Loki x Female Reader

Summary: Loki spends a passionate night with his queen only to wake in the morning to bad news.

Warnings:  Smut, angst, vaginal sex, fingering, one curse word, breeding if you squint, D/s dynamics if you squint, spanking, orgasm delay/denial

MY MAIN TAGLISTS ARE OPEN! (WHOLE ENCHILADA, HIDDLES and LOKI) LET ME KNOW IF YOU WISH TO BE ADDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND READING!

-

One glance at the healers and you knew. You knew even before then, but their face sealed your fate. 

“How long?” you asked , your expression flat. 

“By morning. I’m so sor—”

You held up your hand. “Please! I don’t want or need your apologies. Your pity.” You stand and tug on your tunic. “Tell no one.”

“But—”

“NO ONE!” Your voice bouncing off the stone walls of the healing chambers. “Especially the king. He does not need to worry. There are important matters to attend to. The Nine Realms need him strong.”

The healers bowed their heads. “Yes, Your Majesty.” 

One more tug on your tunic and you turned and marched out and straight to your bedchambers. Only when you heard the heavy thud of the door shutting behind you did you allow yourself to fall apart. 

After several hours, you dragged yourself to shower, clean your face and prepare for Loki’s arrival. He sent several servants throughout the day to check in on you. You pulled yourself together long enough to tell them you were fine. You lied to them. That place far away from fine was where you were. But there was nothing to be done at this point. The die had been cast. 

He doesn't even try to mask it. He lets himself feel the pang of sadness and guilt over what he's lost. He gets teary-eyed and he smiles fondly at the memories. The realisation of that life being possibly the happiest period of his life is made even stronger every time he remembers it.

This Loki's probably never had to get stuck in a place from where he couldn't get out of of his own accord. The trapped environment requiring serious survival skills makes him rethink everything.

The more he talks about his family, the more aware he is of the fact that his past anger, resentment and frustration towards his family have been alleviated. He loves his family so much that it makes his heart ache.

As the conversation progresses, he feels even softer. He knows that he'd do anything to be reunited with the people he loves more than anything else.

The way he defines love as a dagger reveals that he, too, has felt the strength, power and courage love provides. Nonetheless, it makes one bleed too if it's not handled with utmost delicacy and care. Loki is no stranger to feeling the agony and burn of love.

When the subject of love interests is brought up he doesn't know how to handle that. It's like a dam broken and Loki can't continue the charade anymore. He lets go of all the illusions. He drinks and breaks his glass just like Thor had done. He sings in Asgardian with his voice conveying thousands of unuttered emotions. He lets all inhibitions go. He talks about his deepest feelings knowing he won't be judged. His emotions are unveiled. No tricks and mischief, just his pure raw self. Just Loki.

Every single thing he does, everything he's been faced with just adds up to clear the fog around his head. He knows that he'd risk it all to save his loved ones. The unfolding events act as a beautiful catalyst to bring his strongest and most determined self to the surface.