Story Insights: Angry Glances
By Skywing Knights // March 11, 2021
Hey everyone!
It’s another Throwback Thursday moment with story insights on “Angry Glances”! This is a bit of a new, if a slightly sporadic blog series that I’ll be writing in which I go back and read old stories I’ve written. After, I dissect them a bit, talk about the writing process, and things that I believe others can learn about writing by reading them. (Nothing on original works though – see why on my About the Writer page. Nope, this is just for the fun of fan fictions! 😉 )
The first one I wrote was back in January and was on “Cherries and Cotton Candy“. If you haven’t read that one, be sure to check that one out too!
Today though, I decided to read over one of my most popular one-shots “Angry Glances”. (Goodness, this is a throwback!) Enjoy! ^_^
Story: Angry Glances
Summary: After an unfortunate set of circumstances, Robin is unconscious and needs medical attention, while Batman’s trapped in a cave, how ironic. Will Batman survive when there turns out to be another person in the cave?
Fandom: Teen Titans
(Read it on FanFiction.Net here.)
Q: Why did you write “Angry Glances”? How did the story come about?
A: I… really don’t recall. I think I just wanted to imagine a situation where Batman and Deathstroke have this really awkward interaction in which Batman is rather clueless over how much Slade’s been beating the crap out of his sidekick while Robin’s been off in Jump City. I also wanted a story in which both Slade and Batman could talk about Robin without Robin really being present. However, of course, he comes to suspect something sinister about his ward’s interactions with the villain in the process.
Q: Did “Angry Glances” have a theme in your mind?
A: Not… really. It was mostly a drabble. If I had to pinpoint something though, it would be a focus on the importance of relying on those who are close to you and the detriment of keeping secrets from them. I could also point to the debate on the extent of what parental purview there should be versus growing teenage independence.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about this story?
A: This will sound weird, but I love the irony of Batman being trapped in a flipping cave. Just… why has no one ever written a story in the DC Continuity in which his Batcave caves in on him? Just, why has that not been a thing yet? It’s kinda hysterical when you think about it. Caves can be really dangerous after all and Batman makes a lot of noise in his own! XD
I was also proud of how the characters’ personalities and behaviors turned out. I felt like it melded nicely with the feel of the show.
Q: Is there anything you’d improve?
A: Honestly… everything, haha. I really don’t know why this is one of, if not my most popular one-shot. I suspect it’s because it’s a short story in which Batman and Deathstroke interact though. But I just read over it and constantly think “I could write this so much better now.” Even at the time I wrote it, I wasn’t a big fan of it. I just wrote it because it was on my mind and I wanted to get it out. I then posted it because I felt it couldn’t hurt. But now it just makes me cringe.
I’m happy that others enjoy it, don’t get me wrong! But I think we can all be our worst critics, so I see every flaw in it. I think there’s also this lingering feeling of having a lack of creative juices in me when I wrote it. In some ways, while answering this, I’m actually more inspired to do one of those ‘redraw’ challenges, but making it a ‘rewrite’ challenge, just to show how much I’ve improved over the years and redeem myself, haha. (Not that I’ve heard it needs redeeming – I just think it does!) ^^;
Q: Anything you want readers to know?
A: Just please know, even though this isn’t my personal favorite, I’m so incredibly humbled and happy that you enjoy it. I’d love to know what you see in it and what about it speaks to you too. I think different pieces of fiction hit people in different ways, so I’m curious to know how this one was one you enjoyed. And don’t worry, if I ever do a rewrite, I’ll be sure to post it as a chapter 2. 😉
Q: Why this cover?
A: BECAUSE IT’S A CAVE AND THEY’RE STUCK IN IT. XD (In other words, I highlighted my favorite thing about the story and have no shame). Also, I knew if I didn’t make one and HikariMokuba’sGuardian noticed, then I’d be in trouble because she loves this story. #friendshipftw
Q: What do you think readers can learn from reading this story?
A: Hmmm… that’s a difficult question. I feel like the story is REALLY basic, but I do think there’s something there that clearly draws people to this story in particular. If I had to ‘label’ that something, I’d say it’s the character conflict, which drives the story. In my mind, good stories are driven by characters, not by MacGuffins or simple ‘well we’re the heroes so let’s go save the day’ types of logic.
Really, barely ANYTHING happens in this story. They’re sitting in a cave talking. That’s it. But it’s still intriguing because their characters, personalities, and goals conflict with one another. So in short, what readers can learn by reading this is that character relationships, personalities, and goals should always be a driving factor in your stories if you really want to draw an audience in.
I also think it’s a good example of a fanfiction that melds really nicely with the original show feel. I think the level of seriousness is on par with a lot of the series (minus giant arcs). It goes to show that you can write one-shot stories that are enjoyable and can indeed fit with the style of the original source material. You don’t always need a lot. Sometimes simplistic touches are all you need to do so.
And there you have it! I hope this was helpful for those of you in your writing journey. Becoming a better writer is hard and it can be really difficult to go back and read old works sometimes. But that is ultimately how we learn. And you know what? If you can get something out of it, be it enjoyment or knowledge, what you write now is still going to have value later on down the road.
If you ever have any questions regarding any stories I haven’t posted on yet, please feel free to send them to me via the Contact Us page!
And if you’re bored or are looking for a fun getaway, be sure to read “Angry Glances” if you haven’t already! Or of course, one of the numerous other stories I have online. You can find them all linked on my Literature Page. And if you want to see more of my antics and love for Teen Titans, be sure to check out my first Starfire cosplay!
Till next time!
~Skywing/Rena
