[modpost] MixPotions: Genre Themes
These are the THEMES specific for each GENRE. Choose only ONE from each of your 1 to 3 chosen genres.
PLEASE NOTE! The Genre is for the STORY/FIC you'll be writing, *not* for the fandom.
Action/Adventure
For this category, we've chosen a classic adventure to inspire the themes: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Each theme is a title of a chapter from either work. Interpret as you wish; you CANNOT, however, make a parody of the original stories.
01. Down the Rabbit Hole
02. The Pool of Tears
03. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
04. Advice from a Caterpillar
05. A Mad Tea-Party
06. The Queen's Croquet-Ground
07. The Lobster Quadrille
08. Who Stole the Tarts?
09. Looking-Glass House
10. The Garden of Live Flowers
11. Tweedledum and Tweedledee
12. Wool and Water
13. Humpty Dumpty
14. The Lion and the Unicorn
15. Which Dreamed It?
Angst
The theory of the Yin and Yang teaches about the balancing forces in the world, existing in everything in relationship to each other. For the themes, incorporate the main relationships of Yin and Yang, along with the representations.
Distinct Relationship of Yin & Yang (from this webpage)
Opposition - in relation or relative to each other.
Interdependent - you cannot have one without the other.
Mutual Consumption - control and balance one another.
Inter-transformation - one transforms into the other at its Zenith* (not included)
01. Opposition: dark and light
02. Interdependent: dark and light
03. Mutual Consumption: dark and light
04. Opposition: hidden/mysterious and evident
05. Interdependent: hidden/mysterious and evident
06. Mutual Consumption: hidden/mysterious and evident
07. Opposition: passive and active
08. Interdependent: passive and active
09. Mutual Consumption: passive and active
10. Opposition: yielding and controlling
11. Interdependent: yielding and controlling
12. Mutual Consumption: yielding and controlling
13. Opposition: cold and heat
14. Interdependent: cold and heat
15. Mutual Consumption: cold and heat
Alternate Universe
The idea for the these AUs came to me rather serendipitously while reading an old Humanities paper: it was for Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams". And then I realized, how wonderfully perfect for this category, indeed.
01. Suppose time is a circle, bending back on itself. The world repeats itself, precisely, endlessly... How could they know that nothing is temporary, that all will happen again?
02. Such people are content to live in contradictory worlds, so long as they know the reasons for each.
03. Consider a world in which cause and effect are erratic. Sometimes the first precedes the second, sometimes the second the first.
04. Suppose that time is not a quantity but a quality... time exists, but it cannot be measured.
05. There is a place where time stands still... From this place, time travels outward in concentric circles--at rest at the center, slowly picking up speed at greater diameters.
06. Imagine a world in which there is no time. Only images.
07. Because in this world time passes more slowly for people in motion, thus everyone travels at high velocity, to gain time.
08. In this world, time flows backward.
09. Imagine a world in which people live just one day... In this world, no one lives to witness the change of seasons.
10. In this world, time is discontinuous. Time is a stretch of nerve fibers: seemingly continuous from a distance but disjointed close up.
11. In this world, time is a visible dimension... So one may look out in another direction and see births, marriages, deaths that are signposts in time, stretching off dimly into the far future.
12. In this world, time flows at different speeds in different locations.
13. In this world, time is like a flow of water, occasionally displaced by a bit of debris, a passing breeze.
14. These three chains of events all indeed happen simultaneously. For in this world, time has three dimensions, like space... In time, there are an infinity of worlds.
15. In this world, time is a line that terminates at the present, both in reality and in the mind.
Crossover
We don't have an excuse for this set of themes, we blame it for our own dorkiness. A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'.
01. friction ; when rubbed together
02. inertia ; in constant motion
03. equilibrium ; balancing act
04. momentum ; impetus of a moving object
05. bouyancy ; sink or float?
06. covalent ; bond by sharing
07. matter ; to change or not to change
08. fission ; breaking down
09. fusion ; merging to a unified whole
10. alchemy ; fair exchange
11. constellation ; connect the dots
12. eclipse ; what is hidden, what is real
13. black hole ; nothing can escape
14. aurora borealis ; glowing in brilliant colors
15. light-year ; the distance between us
Drama
Wasn't it somebody wise and dead, who once said, "Only the wise can dance the rhythm of life"?
Post Script: I just saw "Chicago" (the movie) again and well, maybe it influenced me on these themes... precognition?
01. Waltz
02. Viennese Waltz
03. Quickstep
04. Slow Foxtrot
05. Tango
06. Cha-cha
07. Polka
08. Swing
09. Ballet
10. Salsa
11. Paso Doble
12. Hustle
13. Jazz
14. Flamenco
15. Bossa Nova
Hurt/Comfort
There's a pretty good reason why we stayed fans of L'Arc~en~Ciel all these years: their music is just too beautiful, even without understanding at first, you hear the song and it fills you. And the lyrics--the lyrics have this subtle, beautiful poetry in them, especially when Hyde writes them.
01. the flow of time is too fast
02. the season coming to an end
03. picture of a broken fantasy
04. truth that heals the pain
05. the die is cast
06. entangled with the dry wind
07. i'm a wandering satellite
08. sceneries being blown away
09. the differently colored memories
10. your pale and fleeting beauty
11. will the heavens dance?
12. a poet speaks with blood
13. radiance fills the sky without fading
14. each sigh, blurred white
15. put out the quietly burning flame
General
We ever wonder how these famous writers and playwrights got their inspiration to write clever lines. But for now, let *their* words inspire you.
01. All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. (Shakespeare)
02. Paradoxes are the only truths. (George Bernard Shaw)
03. The heart is forever inexperienced. (Henry David Thoreau)
04. Vague memories, nothing but memories. (W.B. Yeats)
05. Where does one go from a world of insanity? (T.S. Elliot)
06. A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it. (Oscar Wilde)
07. If I can stop one heart from breaking I shall not live in vain: (Emily Dickinson)
08. A trifle afterward. (Emily Dickinson)
09. I can resist everything except temptation. (Oscar Wilde)
10. One can never read all the books in the world, nor travel all its roads. (Anon.)
11. The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. (T.S. Elliot)
12. A lifetime of cleverness can be interrupted by moments of stupidity. (Anon.)
13. This world is but canvas to our imaginations. (Henry David Thoreau)
14. Nothing is worth doing unless the consequences may be serious. (George Bernard Shaw)
15. Parting is such sweet sorrow. (Shakespeare)
Horror/Supernatural
01. one dark, stormy night
02. doppelganger
03. vanquishing potion
04. secret ritual
05. the curse of...
06. a gust of cold breeze
07. the Devil's Thrill
08. the grim
09. astral projection
10. apparition
11. telepathy
12. a flash of lighting and the roar of thunder
13. an unexpected visitor
14. "I see dead people."
15. Oestre
Humor/Comedy
Calvinism - noun; a slight obssesion to the witty humor of a particular six-year-old and his stuffed tiger. Don't be put off by these words! Believe it or not, these came from Calvin himself.
01. veritable - adjective; being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary
02. perpetrate - verb; to bring about or carry out, to commit
03. provocation - noun; the act of provoking, act of inciting
04. novelty - noun; something new or unusual
05. altruistic - adjective; from "altruism" which means, an unselfish regard for the welfare of others
06. quandary - noun; a state of perplexity or doubt
07. harbinger - noun; one that foreshadows what is to come
08. trajectory - noun; a path or progression
09. surmise - verb; to infer on slight grounds
10. ludicrous - adjective; amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration or eccentricity
11. oblique - adjective; not straightforward; obscure, underhanded
12. aspersion - noun; a calumnious expression
13. sordid - adjective; marked by grossness; meanly avaricious
14. atrophy - noun; a wasting away or progressive decline; arrested development
15. ontological - adjective; relating to or based upon being or existence
Introspection/Character Study
The inspiration for this genre came from the "profound epiphanies" of a kid--a rather infamous adorable kid to be exact, with an equally adorable stuffed tiger for a best friend: Calvin and Hobbes (copyright to Bill Watterson). These quotes actually came from the comicstrips.
01. I suppose the secret to happiness is learning to appreciate the moment.
02. Being with you is one epiphany after another.
03. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes. That's the one thing we know for sure in this world. But I'm still going to gripe about it.
04. How can something seem so plausible at the time and so idiotic in retrospect?
05. Life is full of precluded possibilities.
06. But suppose there is no meaning! Suppose life is fundamentally absurd! Suppose there is no reason, or truth, or rightness in anything!
07. I pragmatically turn my whims into principles.
08. The world isn't so bad if you can just get out in it.
09. Nothing lasts. Fall is just the last fling before things gets worse.
10. If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?
11. Even when you look for it, you're never prepared for it.
12. The problem with new experiences is that they're so rarely the ones you choose.
13. It's comforting to know that there are certainties in life.
14. Well if you can't change it, what's the point in griping about it?
15. As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance.
Lemon/Lime
Inspired by LiveJournal's 'Mood' option; some of which I borrowed from there, a few we've added. A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'. Remember the difference of this category with 'Smut/PWP'! If unsure, consult the Genre Meanings Page.
01. apathetic ; cold
02. annoyed ; cranky
03. frustrated ; stressed
04. peaceful ; calm
05. broken ; crushed
06. confused ; listless
07. jealous ; envious
08. lazy ; lethargic
09. melancholy ; lonely
10. guilty ; reproachful
11. cynical ; sarcastic
12. furious ; enraged
13. nervous ; anxious
14. nostalgic ; pensive
15. nerdy ; dorky
Mystery/Suspense
A toast to the greatness that is Sherlock Holmes!
01. five orange pips
02. a low whistle
03. the band of gypsies
04. message written in code
05. to witness a violent argument
06. an anonymous letter
07. the sign of the four
08. tattoo of the concubine
09. death on the moor
10. three broken threads
11. muddy footprints
12. a momentary gleam of light
13. the bell tolls at midnight
14. pages of the lost diary
15. a perfumed sleeve
Parody/Crack
Parody of fairytales is overrated in fanfiction--but we don't care! Our little twist, however, is that we insist on the *original* versions of these fairytales: the ones written by the Brothers Grimm. We've provided a link for each fairytale (the closest versions we could possibly find); but you also have a choice to use the story or any item/s within the story listed below as a theme.
01. Pinocchio ; chunk of wood ; puppet ; lies
02. Goldilocks and the Three Bears ; bed ; porridge ; chair
03. The Princess and the Pea ; mattress ; pea ; insomia
04. Jack and the Beanstalk ; magic beans ; giant ; golden egg
05. The Llttle Mermaid ; ship ; singing ; dagger
06. Rumpelstiltskin ; straw ; spinning wheel ; name
07. Hansel and Grethel ; bread crumbs ; house made of sweets and cake ; oven
08. Rapunzel ; tower ; hair ; ladder
09. Cinderella ; invitation to a ball ; fairy ; glass slipper/shoe
10. The Frog-Prince ; golden ball ; frog ; curse
11. The Pied Piper of Hameln ; flute ; music ; water
12. The Singing, Springing Lark or Beauty and the Beast ; castle ; rose ; to forget
13. Little Red Cap or Little Red Riding Hood ; red cap/hood ; wolf ; pretend
14. Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves ; mirror ; poisoned apple ; glass coffin
15. Brier-Rose or Sleeping Beauty ; spindle ; sleep ; love's first kiss
Romance/Fluff
Romance is likened to a painting: the artist sees it quite differently than his audience and critics, but it is still the same painting; it is still romance. Like art, it can fall into specific styles, even with similar mediums. Can you paint this genre with a painter's approach? For more info about the styles of art, you can visit this site or you may inquire from other resources. Themes are the style, in parenthesis are the famous artists who followed them.
01. Abstract (Delaunay, Pollock)
02. Baroque (Caravaggio, Carracci)
03. Classicism (Delacroix)
04. Cubism (Picasso, Chagall)
05. Expressionism (Chagall, Kandinsky, Kirchner)
06. Fauvism (Matisse)
07. Futurismo (Marinetti)
08. Impressionism (Monet, Cassatt, Renoir)
09. Pointillism (Seurat, Signac)
10. Popular Art (Warhol)
11. Post-Impressionism (Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin)
12. Primitivism (Klee, Matisse)
13. Realism (Toulouse-Lautrec, Da Vinci, Courbet, Daumier)
14. Surrealism (Rousseau, Dali, Ernst)
15. Sumi-e, a Japanese brush water-and-ink-type painting
Sci-fi/Fantasy
The inspiration for this genre is "Escaflowne", since it's a good mix of sci-fi and fantasy; and so our themes are the Tarot Cards of the Major Arcana, their implications are in the parenthesis ( ). A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'.
01. The Magician (time to begin new projects, boldness, confidence) ;
Reversed Magician (no good results due to bad judgement)
02. The High Priestess (need to just be, meditate to be intuitive) ;
Reversed High Priestess (not listening to intuition)
03. The Emperor (long term success through pragmatic approach) ;
Reversed Emperor (lack of self-discipline, lack of success)
04. The Hierophant (need to take responsibility of spiritual growth, traditions) ;
Reversed Hierophant (broad-mindedness, making own path)
05. The Chariot (travel, work with a disciplined mind) ;
Reversed Chariot (building up of emotions)
06. The Hermit (reflection, self-centeredness, assistance from a guide) ;
Reversed Hermit (need to change, loneliness)
07. Wheel of Fortune (turning point, observe the change) ;
Reversed Wheel of Fortune (struggle to no avail)
08. The Justice (need to take responsibility of decisions, legalities) ;
Reversed Justice (unenjoyable harvest, unresolved issues)
09. The Hanged Man (surrender to proceedings of life) ;
Reversed Hanged Man (lack of reflection)
10. The Death (ending of a situation) ;
Reversed Death (resisting change, leading to emptiness)
11. The Devil (cannot see a choice, feeling of bondage) ;
Reversed Devil (seeking alternatives toward liberation)
12. The Tower (inevitable change, no time for action) ;
Reversed Tower (refusal to release)
13. The Judgement (duty done, clarity of mind and judgement) ;
Reversed Judgement (no proper reason or logic, disconnection)
14. The Moon (dreams, playing heed to intuitions) ;
Reversed Moon (nightmares, unresolved situations)
15. The Fool (action with light-hearted attitude and no concern for risks)
Smut/PWP
What better theme to suit this category than the Kama Sutra? Each theme contains the general position and name of the position. Due to graphic content, the research on what these positions actually entail is left to the author. Remember the difference of this category with 'Lemon/Lime'! If unsure, consult the Genre Meanings Page.
01. Medieval: Ratipasha
02. Medieval: Shankha
03. Medieval: Mukula
04. Sitting: Yugmapada
05. Sitting: Svastika
06. Sitting: Padma
07. Standing: Dvitala
08. Standing: Kirti
09. Standing: Avalambitaka
10. Rear-entry: Marjara
11. Rear-entry: Kulisha
12. Rear-entry: Ekabandha
13. Fellatio: Antaha-samdansha ; Cunnilingus: Adhara-sphuritam
14. Fellatio: Amrachushita ; Cunnilingus: Chushita
15. Fellatio: Parimrshtaka ; Cunnilingus: Uchchushita
Song/Poetry
Themes for this category are divided into two: song and poetry. The most "traditional" of poems and most "popular" of songs were chosen, so as to strike a balance and congruence for the themes. For the songs, it can be the whole song or just a part of it.
01. Genji, from The Tales of Genji
"I had not known the sudden loneliness
Of having it vanish, the moon in the sky of dawn."
02. Mibu Tadamine, Kokinshu 839
"Why did he die in autumn, of all seasons?
In autumn one grieves for those who yet remain."
03. Timothy J. Knab's edition of A Scattering of Jades, a collection of Aztec poems
"As the flowers wither, I shall go.
Will there be nothing of my glory ever?
Will there be nothing of my fame on earth?
At most songs, at most flowers."
04. Shakespeare, Sonnet 116
"If this be error, and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
05. Shakespeare, Sonnet 129
"All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell."
06. Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream
"In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted"
07. E.E. Cummings, it is at moments after i have dreamed
"it is at moments after i have dreamed
of the rare entertainment of your eyes,
when (being fool to fancy) i have deemed"
08. E.E. Cummings, i love you much(most beautiful darling)
"although winter may be everywhere
with such a silence and such a darkness
noone can quite begin to guess"
09. Nabia Abbott, A Ninth-Century Fragment of the ‘Thousand Nights’
"To love is to kiss, to touch hand or arm or to send letters whose
spells are stronger than witchcraft. Love is nothing but this."
10. Lady Murasaki, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"Lost in the dark spring night, color and passion gone, one's heart yet steeps in the fragrant blossom."
11. Saishou, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"Wizard who crosses the great skies, seek out the one whom I cannot see, even in my dreams."
12. Saishou, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"I live each day burning with missing you, and now the first snow falls--melting as soon as it touches my longing."
13. Pablo Neruda, Love
"Like a flower to its perfume,
I am bound to my vague memory of you.
I live with pain that is like a would; if you touch me
you will do irreparable harm."
14. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali
"At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in
joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable."
15. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali
"But it is love, beloved.
It's pleasure and pain are boundless, and endless its wants and wealth.
It is as near to you as your life, but you can never wholly know it."
16. In a Dream - Badland
17. She Talks to Angels - Black Crows
18. I Don't Wanna Wait In Vain for Your Love - Bob Marley
19. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
20. When we Dance - Sting
21. Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects
22. Here is Gone - Goo Goo Dolls
23. You and Me - Lifehouse
24. Since You've Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
25. The Scientist - Coldplay
26. Game of Love - Carlos Santana feat. Michelle Branch
27. Harder to Breath - Maroon 5
28. Half-life - Duncan Sheik
29. Split-Screen Sadness - John Mayer
30. Broken Sonnet - HALE
Tragedy/Dark
Lines taken from Shakespeare's MacBeth.
01. when the battle's lost and won
02. seek to hide themselves In drops of sorrow
03. Let not Light see my black and deep desires
04. make thick my blood
05. The night has been unruly
06. Double, double toil and trouble;
07. Something wicked this way comes.
08. Show his eyes and grieve his heart,
09. Our fears do make us traitors
10. Out, damned spot, out I say!
11. Here's the smell of blood still.
12. What's done cannot be undone.
13. The raven himself is hoarse
14. the owl scream and the crickets cry
15. Blunt not the heart; enrage it.
PLEASE NOTE! The Genre is for the STORY/FIC you'll be writing, *not* for the fandom.
Action/Adventure
For this category, we've chosen a classic adventure to inspire the themes: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Each theme is a title of a chapter from either work. Interpret as you wish; you CANNOT, however, make a parody of the original stories.
01. Down the Rabbit Hole
02. The Pool of Tears
03. A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale
04. Advice from a Caterpillar
05. A Mad Tea-Party
06. The Queen's Croquet-Ground
07. The Lobster Quadrille
08. Who Stole the Tarts?
09. Looking-Glass House
10. The Garden of Live Flowers
11. Tweedledum and Tweedledee
12. Wool and Water
13. Humpty Dumpty
14. The Lion and the Unicorn
15. Which Dreamed It?
Angst
The theory of the Yin and Yang teaches about the balancing forces in the world, existing in everything in relationship to each other. For the themes, incorporate the main relationships of Yin and Yang, along with the representations.
Distinct Relationship of Yin & Yang (from this webpage)
Opposition - in relation or relative to each other.
Interdependent - you cannot have one without the other.
Mutual Consumption - control and balance one another.
Inter-transformation - one transforms into the other at its Zenith* (not included)
01. Opposition: dark and light
02. Interdependent: dark and light
03. Mutual Consumption: dark and light
04. Opposition: hidden/mysterious and evident
05. Interdependent: hidden/mysterious and evident
06. Mutual Consumption: hidden/mysterious and evident
07. Opposition: passive and active
08. Interdependent: passive and active
09. Mutual Consumption: passive and active
10. Opposition: yielding and controlling
11. Interdependent: yielding and controlling
12. Mutual Consumption: yielding and controlling
13. Opposition: cold and heat
14. Interdependent: cold and heat
15. Mutual Consumption: cold and heat
Alternate Universe
The idea for the these AUs came to me rather serendipitously while reading an old Humanities paper: it was for Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams". And then I realized, how wonderfully perfect for this category, indeed.
01. Suppose time is a circle, bending back on itself. The world repeats itself, precisely, endlessly... How could they know that nothing is temporary, that all will happen again?
02. Such people are content to live in contradictory worlds, so long as they know the reasons for each.
03. Consider a world in which cause and effect are erratic. Sometimes the first precedes the second, sometimes the second the first.
04. Suppose that time is not a quantity but a quality... time exists, but it cannot be measured.
05. There is a place where time stands still... From this place, time travels outward in concentric circles--at rest at the center, slowly picking up speed at greater diameters.
06. Imagine a world in which there is no time. Only images.
07. Because in this world time passes more slowly for people in motion, thus everyone travels at high velocity, to gain time.
08. In this world, time flows backward.
09. Imagine a world in which people live just one day... In this world, no one lives to witness the change of seasons.
10. In this world, time is discontinuous. Time is a stretch of nerve fibers: seemingly continuous from a distance but disjointed close up.
11. In this world, time is a visible dimension... So one may look out in another direction and see births, marriages, deaths that are signposts in time, stretching off dimly into the far future.
12. In this world, time flows at different speeds in different locations.
13. In this world, time is like a flow of water, occasionally displaced by a bit of debris, a passing breeze.
14. These three chains of events all indeed happen simultaneously. For in this world, time has three dimensions, like space... In time, there are an infinity of worlds.
15. In this world, time is a line that terminates at the present, both in reality and in the mind.
Crossover
We don't have an excuse for this set of themes, we blame it for our own dorkiness. A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'.
01. friction ; when rubbed together
02. inertia ; in constant motion
03. equilibrium ; balancing act
04. momentum ; impetus of a moving object
05. bouyancy ; sink or float?
06. covalent ; bond by sharing
07. matter ; to change or not to change
08. fission ; breaking down
09. fusion ; merging to a unified whole
10. alchemy ; fair exchange
11. constellation ; connect the dots
12. eclipse ; what is hidden, what is real
13. black hole ; nothing can escape
14. aurora borealis ; glowing in brilliant colors
15. light-year ; the distance between us
Drama
Wasn't it somebody wise and dead, who once said, "Only the wise can dance the rhythm of life"?
Post Script: I just saw "Chicago" (the movie) again and well, maybe it influenced me on these themes... precognition?
01. Waltz
02. Viennese Waltz
03. Quickstep
04. Slow Foxtrot
05. Tango
06. Cha-cha
07. Polka
08. Swing
09. Ballet
10. Salsa
11. Paso Doble
12. Hustle
13. Jazz
14. Flamenco
15. Bossa Nova
Hurt/Comfort
There's a pretty good reason why we stayed fans of L'Arc~en~Ciel all these years: their music is just too beautiful, even without understanding at first, you hear the song and it fills you. And the lyrics--the lyrics have this subtle, beautiful poetry in them, especially when Hyde writes them.
01. the flow of time is too fast
02. the season coming to an end
03. picture of a broken fantasy
04. truth that heals the pain
05. the die is cast
06. entangled with the dry wind
07. i'm a wandering satellite
08. sceneries being blown away
09. the differently colored memories
10. your pale and fleeting beauty
11. will the heavens dance?
12. a poet speaks with blood
13. radiance fills the sky without fading
14. each sigh, blurred white
15. put out the quietly burning flame
General
We ever wonder how these famous writers and playwrights got their inspiration to write clever lines. But for now, let *their* words inspire you.
01. All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. (Shakespeare)
02. Paradoxes are the only truths. (George Bernard Shaw)
03. The heart is forever inexperienced. (Henry David Thoreau)
04. Vague memories, nothing but memories. (W.B. Yeats)
05. Where does one go from a world of insanity? (T.S. Elliot)
06. A truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes in it. (Oscar Wilde)
07. If I can stop one heart from breaking I shall not live in vain: (Emily Dickinson)
08. A trifle afterward. (Emily Dickinson)
09. I can resist everything except temptation. (Oscar Wilde)
10. One can never read all the books in the world, nor travel all its roads. (Anon.)
11. The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. (T.S. Elliot)
12. A lifetime of cleverness can be interrupted by moments of stupidity. (Anon.)
13. This world is but canvas to our imaginations. (Henry David Thoreau)
14. Nothing is worth doing unless the consequences may be serious. (George Bernard Shaw)
15. Parting is such sweet sorrow. (Shakespeare)
Horror/Supernatural
01. one dark, stormy night
02. doppelganger
03. vanquishing potion
04. secret ritual
05. the curse of...
06. a gust of cold breeze
07. the Devil's Thrill
08. the grim
09. astral projection
10. apparition
11. telepathy
12. a flash of lighting and the roar of thunder
13. an unexpected visitor
14. "I see dead people."
15. Oestre
Humor/Comedy
Calvinism - noun; a slight obssesion to the witty humor of a particular six-year-old and his stuffed tiger. Don't be put off by these words! Believe it or not, these came from Calvin himself.
01. veritable - adjective; being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary
02. perpetrate - verb; to bring about or carry out, to commit
03. provocation - noun; the act of provoking, act of inciting
04. novelty - noun; something new or unusual
05. altruistic - adjective; from "altruism" which means, an unselfish regard for the welfare of others
06. quandary - noun; a state of perplexity or doubt
07. harbinger - noun; one that foreshadows what is to come
08. trajectory - noun; a path or progression
09. surmise - verb; to infer on slight grounds
10. ludicrous - adjective; amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration or eccentricity
11. oblique - adjective; not straightforward; obscure, underhanded
12. aspersion - noun; a calumnious expression
13. sordid - adjective; marked by grossness; meanly avaricious
14. atrophy - noun; a wasting away or progressive decline; arrested development
15. ontological - adjective; relating to or based upon being or existence
Introspection/Character Study
The inspiration for this genre came from the "profound epiphanies" of a kid--a rather infamous adorable kid to be exact, with an equally adorable stuffed tiger for a best friend: Calvin and Hobbes (copyright to Bill Watterson). These quotes actually came from the comicstrips.
01. I suppose the secret to happiness is learning to appreciate the moment.
02. Being with you is one epiphany after another.
03. Nothing is permanent. Everything changes. That's the one thing we know for sure in this world. But I'm still going to gripe about it.
04. How can something seem so plausible at the time and so idiotic in retrospect?
05. Life is full of precluded possibilities.
06. But suppose there is no meaning! Suppose life is fundamentally absurd! Suppose there is no reason, or truth, or rightness in anything!
07. I pragmatically turn my whims into principles.
08. The world isn't so bad if you can just get out in it.
09. Nothing lasts. Fall is just the last fling before things gets worse.
10. If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?
11. Even when you look for it, you're never prepared for it.
12. The problem with new experiences is that they're so rarely the ones you choose.
13. It's comforting to know that there are certainties in life.
14. Well if you can't change it, what's the point in griping about it?
15. As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance.
Lemon/Lime
Inspired by LiveJournal's 'Mood' option; some of which I borrowed from there, a few we've added. A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'. Remember the difference of this category with 'Smut/PWP'! If unsure, consult the Genre Meanings Page.
01. apathetic ; cold
02. annoyed ; cranky
03. frustrated ; stressed
04. peaceful ; calm
05. broken ; crushed
06. confused ; listless
07. jealous ; envious
08. lazy ; lethargic
09. melancholy ; lonely
10. guilty ; reproachful
11. cynical ; sarcastic
12. furious ; enraged
13. nervous ; anxious
14. nostalgic ; pensive
15. nerdy ; dorky
Mystery/Suspense
A toast to the greatness that is Sherlock Holmes!
01. five orange pips
02. a low whistle
03. the band of gypsies
04. message written in code
05. to witness a violent argument
06. an anonymous letter
07. the sign of the four
08. tattoo of the concubine
09. death on the moor
10. three broken threads
11. muddy footprints
12. a momentary gleam of light
13. the bell tolls at midnight
14. pages of the lost diary
15. a perfumed sleeve
Parody/Crack
Parody of fairytales is overrated in fanfiction--but we don't care! Our little twist, however, is that we insist on the *original* versions of these fairytales: the ones written by the Brothers Grimm. We've provided a link for each fairytale (the closest versions we could possibly find); but you also have a choice to use the story or any item/s within the story listed below as a theme.
01. Pinocchio ; chunk of wood ; puppet ; lies
02. Goldilocks and the Three Bears ; bed ; porridge ; chair
03. The Princess and the Pea ; mattress ; pea ; insomia
04. Jack and the Beanstalk ; magic beans ; giant ; golden egg
05. The Llttle Mermaid ; ship ; singing ; dagger
06. Rumpelstiltskin ; straw ; spinning wheel ; name
07. Hansel and Grethel ; bread crumbs ; house made of sweets and cake ; oven
08. Rapunzel ; tower ; hair ; ladder
09. Cinderella ; invitation to a ball ; fairy ; glass slipper/shoe
10. The Frog-Prince ; golden ball ; frog ; curse
11. The Pied Piper of Hameln ; flute ; music ; water
12. The Singing, Springing Lark or Beauty and the Beast ; castle ; rose ; to forget
13. Little Red Cap or Little Red Riding Hood ; red cap/hood ; wolf ; pretend
14. Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves ; mirror ; poisoned apple ; glass coffin
15. Brier-Rose or Sleeping Beauty ; spindle ; sleep ; love's first kiss
Romance/Fluff
Romance is likened to a painting: the artist sees it quite differently than his audience and critics, but it is still the same painting; it is still romance. Like art, it can fall into specific styles, even with similar mediums. Can you paint this genre with a painter's approach? For more info about the styles of art, you can visit this site or you may inquire from other resources. Themes are the style, in parenthesis are the famous artists who followed them.
01. Abstract (Delaunay, Pollock)
02. Baroque (Caravaggio, Carracci)
03. Classicism (Delacroix)
04. Cubism (Picasso, Chagall)
05. Expressionism (Chagall, Kandinsky, Kirchner)
06. Fauvism (Matisse)
07. Futurismo (Marinetti)
08. Impressionism (Monet, Cassatt, Renoir)
09. Pointillism (Seurat, Signac)
10. Popular Art (Warhol)
11. Post-Impressionism (Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin)
12. Primitivism (Klee, Matisse)
13. Realism (Toulouse-Lautrec, Da Vinci, Courbet, Daumier)
14. Surrealism (Rousseau, Dali, Ernst)
15. Sumi-e, a Japanese brush water-and-ink-type painting
Sci-fi/Fantasy
The inspiration for this genre is "Escaflowne", since it's a good mix of sci-fi and fantasy; and so our themes are the Tarot Cards of the Major Arcana, their implications are in the parenthesis ( ). A semi-colon ( ; ) indicates 'or'.
01. The Magician (time to begin new projects, boldness, confidence) ;
Reversed Magician (no good results due to bad judgement)
02. The High Priestess (need to just be, meditate to be intuitive) ;
Reversed High Priestess (not listening to intuition)
03. The Emperor (long term success through pragmatic approach) ;
Reversed Emperor (lack of self-discipline, lack of success)
04. The Hierophant (need to take responsibility of spiritual growth, traditions) ;
Reversed Hierophant (broad-mindedness, making own path)
05. The Chariot (travel, work with a disciplined mind) ;
Reversed Chariot (building up of emotions)
06. The Hermit (reflection, self-centeredness, assistance from a guide) ;
Reversed Hermit (need to change, loneliness)
07. Wheel of Fortune (turning point, observe the change) ;
Reversed Wheel of Fortune (struggle to no avail)
08. The Justice (need to take responsibility of decisions, legalities) ;
Reversed Justice (unenjoyable harvest, unresolved issues)
09. The Hanged Man (surrender to proceedings of life) ;
Reversed Hanged Man (lack of reflection)
10. The Death (ending of a situation) ;
Reversed Death (resisting change, leading to emptiness)
11. The Devil (cannot see a choice, feeling of bondage) ;
Reversed Devil (seeking alternatives toward liberation)
12. The Tower (inevitable change, no time for action) ;
Reversed Tower (refusal to release)
13. The Judgement (duty done, clarity of mind and judgement) ;
Reversed Judgement (no proper reason or logic, disconnection)
14. The Moon (dreams, playing heed to intuitions) ;
Reversed Moon (nightmares, unresolved situations)
15. The Fool (action with light-hearted attitude and no concern for risks)
Smut/PWP
What better theme to suit this category than the Kama Sutra? Each theme contains the general position and name of the position. Due to graphic content, the research on what these positions actually entail is left to the author. Remember the difference of this category with 'Lemon/Lime'! If unsure, consult the Genre Meanings Page.
01. Medieval: Ratipasha
02. Medieval: Shankha
03. Medieval: Mukula
04. Sitting: Yugmapada
05. Sitting: Svastika
06. Sitting: Padma
07. Standing: Dvitala
08. Standing: Kirti
09. Standing: Avalambitaka
10. Rear-entry: Marjara
11. Rear-entry: Kulisha
12. Rear-entry: Ekabandha
13. Fellatio: Antaha-samdansha ; Cunnilingus: Adhara-sphuritam
14. Fellatio: Amrachushita ; Cunnilingus: Chushita
15. Fellatio: Parimrshtaka ; Cunnilingus: Uchchushita
Song/Poetry
Themes for this category are divided into two: song and poetry. The most "traditional" of poems and most "popular" of songs were chosen, so as to strike a balance and congruence for the themes. For the songs, it can be the whole song or just a part of it.
01. Genji, from The Tales of Genji
"I had not known the sudden loneliness
Of having it vanish, the moon in the sky of dawn."
02. Mibu Tadamine, Kokinshu 839
"Why did he die in autumn, of all seasons?
In autumn one grieves for those who yet remain."
03. Timothy J. Knab's edition of A Scattering of Jades, a collection of Aztec poems
"As the flowers wither, I shall go.
Will there be nothing of my glory ever?
Will there be nothing of my fame on earth?
At most songs, at most flowers."
04. Shakespeare, Sonnet 116
"If this be error, and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."
05. Shakespeare, Sonnet 129
"All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell."
06. Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream
"In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted"
07. E.E. Cummings, it is at moments after i have dreamed
"it is at moments after i have dreamed
of the rare entertainment of your eyes,
when (being fool to fancy) i have deemed"
08. E.E. Cummings, i love you much(most beautiful darling)
"although winter may be everywhere
with such a silence and such a darkness
noone can quite begin to guess"
09. Nabia Abbott, A Ninth-Century Fragment of the ‘Thousand Nights’
"To love is to kiss, to touch hand or arm or to send letters whose
spells are stronger than witchcraft. Love is nothing but this."
10. Lady Murasaki, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"Lost in the dark spring night, color and passion gone, one's heart yet steeps in the fragrant blossom."
11. Saishou, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"Wizard who crosses the great skies, seek out the one whom I cannot see, even in my dreams."
12. Saishou, The Tales of Lady Murasaki
"I live each day burning with missing you, and now the first snow falls--melting as soon as it touches my longing."
13. Pablo Neruda, Love
"Like a flower to its perfume,
I am bound to my vague memory of you.
I live with pain that is like a would; if you touch me
you will do irreparable harm."
14. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali
"At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in
joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable."
15. Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali
"But it is love, beloved.
It's pleasure and pain are boundless, and endless its wants and wealth.
It is as near to you as your life, but you can never wholly know it."
16. In a Dream - Badland
17. She Talks to Angels - Black Crows
18. I Don't Wanna Wait In Vain for Your Love - Bob Marley
19. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
20. When we Dance - Sting
21. Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects
22. Here is Gone - Goo Goo Dolls
23. You and Me - Lifehouse
24. Since You've Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
25. The Scientist - Coldplay
26. Game of Love - Carlos Santana feat. Michelle Branch
27. Harder to Breath - Maroon 5
28. Half-life - Duncan Sheik
29. Split-Screen Sadness - John Mayer
30. Broken Sonnet - HALE
Tragedy/Dark
Lines taken from Shakespeare's MacBeth.
01. when the battle's lost and won
02. seek to hide themselves In drops of sorrow
03. Let not Light see my black and deep desires
04. make thick my blood
05. The night has been unruly
06. Double, double toil and trouble;
07. Something wicked this way comes.
08. Show his eyes and grieve his heart,
09. Our fears do make us traitors
10. Out, damned spot, out I say!
11. Here's the smell of blood still.
12. What's done cannot be undone.
13. The raven himself is hoarse
14. the owl scream and the crickets cry
15. Blunt not the heart; enrage it.