Superhero Muses

Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 15 May 2026 01:50:47 GMT

Posted by: mithen

How do the social, political, or cultural systems in your world shape your characters' choices and conflicts?

Part of what I love about these kinds of questions is thinking about how interesting your answers are likely to be! The historical research that Brady is doing, the possibility of the Russian cultural influence Svgurl might be digging into--it's really fascinating. For me it's mostly the urban/rural divide of the Victorian age and the tension between the "frontier" (which Kansas kind of is at the time) and the more elegant city life is really interesting, I am very eager to write Clark visiting Gotham for the first time!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:11:17 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What research rabbit hole have you fallen down for this story, and what unexpected discoveries did you make?

I think most of my research so far has been on Thunderbird myths in the different Native American tribes in the Kansas area (which has been fun!) I love that touch from the Gaslight series that Clark is connected to the Thunderbird and was in some way mentored by Black Condor (and I also learned there have been three Black Condors and the first two were white guys!) 

What research have you been doing, whether it's into illnesses, flowers, New York or Edwardian times?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 01 May 2026 10:23:43 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--How does the physical environment of your story reflect or contrast with your characters' internal landscapes?

Back to Gotham and Metropolis again! It's such a classic case of the setting being practically an outgrowth of the characters' personalities. The story I'm (hypothetically) working on is a steampunk version, so Gotham's a little more ornate and grimy (though really, the canon version of Gotham is pretty steampunk at its base!). Bruce embodies Gotham at both the high society, glittering top level and the dark underbelly full of shadows beneath it, while Clark's Metropolis is a much more evenly sunny experience--not so many dark dirty corners there (fitting for its avatar).

How is your setting reflecting, and reflected in, the characters you're writing right now?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:01:25 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What detail about your setting surprised you as you developed it, and how did it change your story?

Time to talk about setting! I feel like setting tends to be surprisingly important in superhero comics--how different cities have different characters that reflect the tone of their superheroes (I mean, obviously Gotham and Metropolis are the the most famous examples!) The version I'm looking at is a Wild West Smallville, which so far hasn't surprised me, but it's been interesting. I feel like Gaslight Metropolis is closer to this Smallville than in DC canon, just because traveling from the East Coast to Kansas feels like it must have been so much more difficult back then. Lots more train travel for Bruce, for example! 

Where is your most recent fic set, and what difference is that making in your writing?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:52:40 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--How do you balance showing character growth while keeping them recognizably themselves?

I think with fanfic this is an especially interesting question! How do you keep characters that you've lifted from canon and are giving their own, separate character arcs "recognizably themselves"? And... do you even want to? I think for a lot of people there's a joy in developing the characters off in their own direction. I like hewing fairly close to the originals most of the time, but now and then I do like just... untethering them from canon and seeing where they wander to...

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:42:09 GMT

Posted by: mithen

How do your characters' backgrounds and histories influence their present-day choices in ways they might not even realize?

That's kind of a funny question for people writing anything superhero-related, because of all the genres in the world, I think superheroes are one of the most "your background and history determine who you are." Thus the idea of an "origin story," the event that literally set the course of the character's life, you know? It's hard, for example, to think of a way that Bruce is influenced by his background that he doesn't realize--he's kind of exquisitely aware of his own issues about guns and crime and parents, and how they drive him to take in orphans, etc. And Clark always seems very conscious of how being an alien immigrant shapes his actions and his views of the world. How about the versions of characters you're writing right now, maybe they're less self-aware?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:22:03 GMT

Posted by: mithen

I've been sightseeing all March with an old LJ friend and her family, which has been fun but left me no time for anything else! But I'm back, getting ready for classes, trying to find time to write...

--Which character's voice came to you most naturally, and which one requires the most effort to capture?

Basically if I'm writing anything with Clark in it, that's always the answer for who is easiest to write! He's kind of my eternal preferred POV...

Anyone who's insane or unhinged is always the hardest for me to write, which is why I'll try to find some angle that Poison Ivy makes sense and has some level of rationality. Luckily she isn't hard to write that way! But characters like the Joker or the Creeper or any chaotic/irrational character tend to be really, really hard for me, their voices always sound incredibly forced.

Which character's POV is a pair of comfy slippers for you, and which are like a pair of tiny stilettos?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:45:13 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What does your antagonist believe they're fighting for, and how do you ensure their motivations feel genuine?

Oh dear, here we hit a snag, which is I don't know for sure who my antagonist is! The Joker is dead in this Elseworld, and both Luthor and Zod are recently-defeated. I might look into Brainiac, or find a Batman villain who fits well with a steampunk vibe (I think there are probably plenty of choices!) I can never write the Riddler well, but a Victorian Riddler might be fun. He would definitely be bored and amusing himself, fighting to prove himself the smartest in this new age, and that will always be a very genuine motivation for Eddie.

Or Poison Ivy! An anti-technology Pamela Isley who hates all this new-fangled electricity and machinery and is fighting to return humanity to an agrarian age could be really interesting, hmmnmm. That might be inspiring!

Who is your antagonist right now? In general, I don't tend to focus as much on my antagonists, which I do think is a weakness in my writing...

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:37:34 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--How has writing this story changed your understanding of human nature or relationships?

Hmmm, my writing is definitely not at that stage yet. Writing in general has really pushed me to think about the different ways people approach relationships and communication within them--I guess specifically, people's reactions to my stories have sometimes expanded my worldview, you know? Sometimes there are people who are really confused about how I write conflict and communication, and it's been very eye-opening.

I know there are some really interesting stories out there about human nature and relationships and what they require, so I'm curious to know what has expanded your worldviews!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 03:33:49 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What's the most difficult conversation your characters need to have, and why are they avoiding it?

This is such a great question, especially for those of us writing romances! Though sadly I'm not sure my characters are even quite to the point of having conversations they need to have, lol. Based on where the canon has left them at, they have to sit down and have a chat about Clark's history and what he sees as his place in this world. There's a moment where he says maybe it's his destiny to take the dangerous Kryptonite into space (and, it's implied, die in the darkness of space) and I think Bruce would very much like to talk to him about this assumption he has that he doesn't belong in this world. They've touched on it, but of course canon doesn't have any time for in-depth conversations, so... it's up to the ficcers!

I already have some guesses about your answers, and I'd love to hear them! What are your characters dancing around and refusing to talk about?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:40:10 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--How do your characters' relationships reflect or challenge the themes you're exploring?

That makes a lot of sense as a question! And tends to work well for those of us who are writing romances, because of course the themes tend to come out in the relationships. Bruce is the first person besides his parents that Clark can really trust (okay, he's mentioned Black Condor in a way that hints that he was mentored by him in this world, which I also would like to explore more!), and trust and loneliness are definitely going to be themes. (Really common in my Bruce/Clark work!)

Hope all your themes (and your relationship!) are coming together nicely!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:25:16 GMT

Posted by: mithen

Well, the holiday season absolutely took it out of me, but I'm slowly starting to get back on top of things, and canon is still being kind to me as we get more glimpses of Clark in the Victorian Justice League.

--What internal contradiction or conflict drives your protagonist, and how does it manifest in their actions?

From what I can tell of this version of Clark, he's very uncertain what his place on Earth is (and if he even has one). In the final issue of A League for Justice, he faces a vision of his parents that hints at his feeling that he doesn't deserve happiness, and it brought me a great deal of joy:

That's the stuff! I would love a chance to write more of them, but for now it's got to just percolate and simmer for a while longer...
How is 2026 shaping up for you? And what conflicts are your protagonists dealing with?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:57:17 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--Which character in your story do you understand the least, and what are you doing to get to know them better?

Oh, that's a fun question because in this AU I really don't know Clark at all (very unusual!) Victorian-Era Bruce is quite similar to modern-day Bruce, but the Kryptonian legacy in the Gaslight series is totally different--Earth and I think Mars are both former colonies of theirs, so J'onn and Diana both are sworn to fight them, and this causes (understandably) some bumps when they first meet Clark. Still no sign of the Kents, though Clark does use their name, so it seems likely they're out there! I'm writing most (all, so far) of the fic from his POV hoping to understand how he's different that "our" Clark, so we'll see...

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 03:46:44 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What scene or chapter in your current WiP are you most eager to write, and what makes it so compelling to you?

Right now I'm mostly seeing where the scenario takes me and I don't have a really clear plot except to fill in missing scenes in the canon, but it'll be really fun to write Clark and Bruce talking after Bruce doesn't give away his secret identity... I just really love writing characters coming to trust each other--or in this case, who trust each other instantly but don't exactly understand why they trust each other.

What are you looking forward to writing as the year winds down?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:27:12 GMT

Posted by: mithen

It's Thanksgiving weekend! What are you feeling thankful for, either in your writing life or in general?

I'm extremely grateful for my health--this year I had a couple of little injuries to my legs that made it hard to walk for a couple of months, and ever since then I've been actively grateful whenever I walk for the fact that I'm pain-free and have good mobility. I try never to take it for granted! That and my ability to write, even if it's an ability I don't have many chances to use lately. Though I did get some words down while on the airplane, which made me very happy. Bruce and Clark even are having a conversation! That feels good.

I hope your lives are full of blessings, fannish and otherwise!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 01:18:10 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--If your current WiP were a conversation with your younger self, what would it be trying to say?

That's a really fascinating question! I'm not sure what my answer is, though, maybe because I'm just not deep enough into it. I'm not sure what the long-term themes of the work are going to be... there's a lot there about loneliness and partnership, but I don't know yet quite where it's going. The only message for sure is probably that you don't have to write anything explicit unless you feel inspired! I know I used to feel a lot of (mostly imagined) pressure to include sex scenes, but lately if I'm going to have the time to write I want to focus on the dialogue and the characters and their relationship (which can 100% be done in a sex scene, but it's not required!)

What would you say to yourself in the past through your fic?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 03:44:24 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What emotion do you most want readers to feel while reading your current WiP, and how are you crafting scenes to evoke it?

It's a romance, so I think basically... satisfaction? I think one of the main goals of a genre romance is to help people suspend their disbelief long enough to enjoy the tension while never being deeply worried they won't get a happy-ever-after ending. So to take the reader on a ride that has a clear set destination (a happy clinch) but a fair amount of uncertainty on the way. It can be a difficult balance!

What emotion are you aiming to lead your readers to right now?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:52:18 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--How does your current WiP differ from your previous work, and what's pushing you in this new direction?

Answering these questions really, really makes me want to get some writing work done, but real life work takes precedence and it's been impossible to even keep up with that recently. I guess that's the goal of the questions, though... to find inspiration to write!

To be fair, almost nothing I could write for Superman/Batman is going to be entirely new--I've just written too much. But a historical AU is a little bit different, I haven't done many of those. It's been inspired by wanting to get away from current canon a little bit and play around in a new sandbox, I think. Where are you breaking new ground this week?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:03:57 GMT

Posted by: mithen

I was travelling last week, and am late this week, but nonetheless here!

--What's the biggest risk you're taking with your current WiP, either creatively or personally?

Oh gosh, at this point I feel like writing and posting anything is a risk for me. I guess tackling a historical AU that I don't have a lot of knowledge of would be up there as well (but I do love doing research!)

What risks are you taking for your current WiP?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 03:24:53 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What aspect of your current WiP's story world are you most excited to explore, and what drew you to create it this way?

I'm really curious about Clark's possible connection to Native American culture! The canon has only brushed the topic slightly so I'd like to unpack it more myself, if I can do the research to get it at least not offensively wrong. There's a new comic out in the series so I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it and seeing if there's anything more!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:38:06 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--What's the most surprising thing your main character has revealed about themselves as you've been writing?

Unfortunately I haven't gotten very far into it, but I think I've been startled to realize how lonely this version of Clark is. He's often kind of isolated, but it doesn't seem like either Lana or Pete in Victorian Smallville know anything about his secret, and the Kents are nowhere to be found so far. There are no other Kryptonians (and it seems that in this world, the Kryptonians are an evil empire, so maybe we don't want to meet them!) so as far as the comic book has shown, Bruce is the only person who knows his secret--and immediately shows that he's willing to keep it. I was very charmed by this!

I think others are much further into their current WiPs, so what's been surprising you there?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 04:28:51 GMT

Posted by: mithen

If you had to describe your story's core theme in one sentence, what would it be, and why does this theme matter to you?

I guess it would be "when you finally find someone who has your back, you can take on the world together." I love writing early Clark and Bruce because I imagine them being incredibly thrilled at realizing they're not the only people in the world with a crazy desire to fight injustice no matter what. To me that sort of shared vision is extremely romantic and I love writing them clicking for the first time.

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:32:38 GMT

Posted by: mithen

What personal experience, emotion, or question is driving you to tell this particular story right now?

Where's your head at that's moving you to work on this story right now? For me it's a sort of general dissatisfaction with where the comics versions of Clark and Bruce are--just in a shipping sense I like them much more as loners than as leaders of a flock of superheroes, though I totally understand why they accumulate a flock over time! They're pretty much totally alone in the AU timeline I'm working in, and I do like that. I know I'm not going to be able to work much on it in the coming months, but I am still enjoying thinking about it and batting it around!

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 03:17:17 GMT

Posted by: mithen

OK, I am back from my travels and ready to talk some more about what we're working on! This semester is going to be crazy and I'm still recovering from the burnout of finishing up my book, but I'm hoping to keep poking at the Gotham by Gaslight story. The most recent installation of the canon was very inspiring (Bruce is the only person to figure out Clark's secret, and Clark knows it, but also knows Bruce is choosing not to reveal it) so maybe I'll get to working on it at some point!

So let's move backwards to what inspired us to start on whatever we're currently working on.

--What sparked the initial idea for this story, and how has it evolved since you first conceived it?

I'd been looking for a space for writing some more Bruce/Clark that isn't set in comic book canon or in the Snyderverse. The new Superman movie is inspiring, but for now I'm trying to write something set in an Elseworld and hoping that sparks something. Um, it has not evolved much beyond the glimmerings of an idea, but I'd like it to! How about you, how did you get drawn to the characters and canon you're working with?

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Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 02:02:13 GMT

Posted by: mithen

--Who's been your biggest cheerleader while writing your current WiP?

Always my husband (whose birthday it is today!) Honestly, one of the things I miss because I'm writing so much less is bouncing ideas off him and doing betas with him. Which is kind of ironic because it took us years to figure out the beta process in a way that didn't lead to me getting upset at his feedback. But once we got the hang of it (mostly he needed to learn that for every three bits of constructive criticism I needed at one unqualified compliment, even if it was for a very small thing, to keep my emotional equilibrium). I hope that you've had a cheerleader as well!

I'm posting late but I know that I'll be traveling in Europe (Germany, Czechia, Poland) and then the US for most of August, so I'd better make sure to post when I can! I hope the dog days of summer are kind to you and to your writing.

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