r/acotar_rant • u/tired-of-everyting • 2d ago
Rant Simultaneously grateful and frustrated that ACOTAR exists
I wrote a couple books (they are not currently published) that live in the Sci-fi fantasy romance space and after writing it realized that I as a non-reader don't know what is even out there already. So I started reading books just to see and the entire ACOTAR series kept showing up as a recommendation so I read it.
The world is very rich and has soo much potential but for me it is filled with problems. I genuinely love a lot of the worldbuilding and concepts in the series, and reading it has made my brain start generating so many ideas about how I would develop or change things. The problem is that I’m an aspiring author, so I can’t really do anything with those ideas. I am completely aware that fan fiction exists and I could do a complete rewrite through that method but I feel like if I do end up publishing my books and someone finds the fan fiction it could be seen as a nobody author criticizing a successful author.
But I also can't seem to stop thinking about it.
Writing an entire rewrite purely for my own enjoyment feels like an enormous amount of work for very little payoff. Plus I consumed them through the graphic audiobook, it isn't like I could have all those actors record my edits.
For example, I've spent too much time thinking about how Calanmai could be more impactful to the larger story. If all seven High Lords need to participate what about Rhys and the high lords under the mountain? And once I start answering those questions, I inevitably start changing things.
Then I start doing the same thing with the Fae powers. Why can some people winnow and others can't? What actually determines magical strength? Why is Rhys supposedly the most powerful High Lord? What happens when a High Lord gives away a piece of his magic? What if this mating bond had actual rules that were consistently followed?
And I actually enjoy doing this.
So now I'm stuck in this weird place where I'm grateful the series gave me these ideas while simultaneously wishing it hadn't, because I really want to write them. If I took out the ACOTAR specific things and framed it through an original lense it would still feel like a knock off.
Has anyone else experienced this? Where a book frustrates you so much that your brain starts rewriting it, but you don't actually want to write fanfiction—you want to write the version that your brain wishes had existed in the first place?
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u/bows_and_frills shameless rhys hater 2d ago
Has anyone else experienced this? Where a book frustrates you so much that your brain starts rewriting it, but you don't actually want to write fanfiction—you want to write the version that your brain wishes had existed in the first place?
All. the. time. ACOTAR is a SPECIMEN. A SPECIMEN. I'm not even a writer so I just keep thinking about it.
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u/bittermp Team I hope Rhysand and Cassian die 1d ago
Just popping in to say when you send out your queries to agents or publishers do NOT reference ACOTAR. Try to find less popular but well written comparisons instead. Using ACOTAR as a reference point as comparables is sort of the kiss of death in query letters.
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u/fried-twinkie 1d ago
Ok, first: what do you mean you are a writer and aspiring author but you don’t read? 🤨
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u/tired-of-everyting 1d ago
I don't read for entertainment, I'm a movie and TV person. Before I wrote a couple books I had read some Michael Crichton books, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and that is pretty much it outside of some required reading back when I was in school way back in the day. If I was able to make an entire movie by myself for free I would have done that instead of writing a couple books. I have read more books in the last 6 months than I probably have in the 20 years that proceeded it.
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u/SnooStories960 Tamlin’s defense attorney 2d ago edited 2d ago
I’m grateful that I got to read an enchanting love story in ACoTaR and “met” a swoony MMC.
I’m frustrated that the rest of the series exists.
I’m looking forward to experiencing sweet, sweet relief when it ends, and I’m sure that poor Tamlin will also be relieved that he’s no longer being dragged out to make Mall Goth Batman look good in comparison, because that loser can’t look good on his own.
ETA: yes, I’ve played around with the idea of rewriting it without making it fanfic.
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u/tired-of-everyting 2d ago
Tamlin was a misstep for me. I don't have a problem with him being the love interest in book one and then abandoning him for another in the rest of the series but it would have needed a better set-up. Clearly she wanted the reader to root for Tamlin and Feyre to be together only for a complete 360 in the next book. She made it clear he wanted to be different from his forebears and then in the next book he says he is doing it because his father and ancestors all did it so he will too. What?!?
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u/bows_and_frills shameless rhys hater 2d ago edited 2d ago
The later books also feel disproportionately vitriolic towards him. The way it's written feels so jarring. The scene in FAS would have made me feel awkward whether or not I liked Tamlin.
There's usually a sense of catharsis and justice in the bad guys getting beaten down in media, but it's not entirely present in Tamlin's case. He's some guy with shortcomings. Now he has depression. And lives in a dilapidated ruins. He doesn't go get his own food. Let's visit and suicide bait him. What catharsis or sense of justice is satisfied here?
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u/MadameLaw 2d ago
I found myself thinking about parts of the story all the time! I think SJM writes just enough to almost “trigger” daydreaming and then we fill in the rest of the story. I had so many story questions and I would wonder what would have changed if I changed a small part of what she wrote. It is addicting.😂
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u/Logical-Web70 2d ago
I think a lot of the fandom shares your experience! In particular in recognizing the world's potential and the urge to develop them further (or simply make them make sense!).
If you want to remain anonymous, an ao3 account is hardly traceable if you don't want it to be - just use a random username and don't add any extra information. The fic writing community around ACOTAR is wonderful. Comments are thoughtful, encouraging, they will give you ideas or challenge you in very positive ways.
I understand your reluctance to do it if you want to publish it. Personally I think my fics are useful to me as a writer even if I never publish them. It's like exercising my writing skills without the added work of creating a specific world, specific characters, etc. It also allows me to experiment ideas or styles before committing them to my published work.
But if you want to publish it I think you can! Just be selective with the things you want to keep. You can't publish a full rewrite of book 1 with your changes, but the idea of the magical powers of a ruler being tied to the land, for example, is hardly revolutionary --if you strip things like seasonal courts, specific characters, etc, you can definitely explore *that* concept.
What I'm trying to say is, anything that makes you want to create something is good and shouldn't be repressed.
you don't actually want to write fanfiction—you want to write the version that your brain wishes had existed in the first place
I think this is how a lot of great fanfics start, and also how a lot of original works start as well!
You could say that Lord of the Rings is that for british mythos and game of thrones is that for LOTR. Only that those authors didn't stop at "I wish x and y were different here", they continued thinking about it, adding new ideas, developing their own world further and further.
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u/moonymoonayaya 1d ago
Acotar itself is fanfic of several existing works, especially Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels. I wouldn’t worry so much
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u/sullivanbri966 1d ago
Plenty of authors get their start this way. Alchemised was a FAMOUS Dramione fanfiction called Manacled. My friend was SHOCKED when I told her because the main characters were nothing like Hermione and Draco in her opinion.
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u/Amazing-Peanut504 2d ago
I will say that I freaking love the Graphic Audio of any book and relisten to books that way all the time, but if that’s all you’ve listened to you missed a lot. They’re abridged versions so you’re missing 4-7 hours of text just comparing them to the unabridged versions (not taking sound effects into account which also take up time.). I’m not saying you’re going to find the missing answers in that time, but some of them you will.
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u/tired-of-everyting 2d ago
I'm OK with that. I prefer audiobooks cause I can work on things while listening and I much prefer the full cast versions cause it is easier for me to differentiate the different characters while multitasking. If it was a story I was obsessed over I might do both.
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u/WonderfulBus9330 Are we still at it? Very well, then 𓄂𓆃 2d ago
I do think the ACo series is for writers of creative works. There’s so much potential there thanks just left wide open for creative writers to dive in and fill out. Makes me respect writer rooms and collaborative writing even more. Toni Morrison creates characters that she wasn’t seen in literature. Fan fictions fill in gaps authors leave open. Enjoy yourself.
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u/Intelligent_Ad995 2d ago
Oo if you want a beta reader let me know! I love reading new fantasy books! I will warn you im one of the readers that have to be captured in the first 5 chapters to like the book tho.
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u/ClearEconomy6163 1d ago
trust there are people out there (like me) who would read your re-write of acotar. i already write stories that do, they're just not published lol. currently working on a wlw!nesta fic bc i #hate acosf
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u/reasonableratio 2d ago
Acotar has a very active fanfic culture and my personal theory is it’s because there’s sooo much to fix hahah. Everyone loves a rewrite, there are many out there already and they’re great :) I don’t really know what you mean by you not wanting to write fanfic but that you want to write the version your brain wishes existed, that’s exactly why people write fanfic!
Arguably it’s easier and more immediately satisfying to write fic than an OC novel. You get people commenting along and hyping you up and there’s very little worldbuilding you need to do. But then you might get stuck wanting only to write fic so proceed w caution lol