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Line 1: {{Sugar Wiki}} {{~~work~~Just for Fun}} A [[Sub-Trope\|Sub... Sugar page]] of [[Gushing About Shows You Like (Sugar Wiki)\|Gushing About Shows You Like]]. Only this focuses on the writing part. Dialog, descriptions, prose, lyrics, even titles. Just have fun telling us about writing you like. Line 6: Compare [[Gushing About Characters You Like (Sugar Wiki)\|Gushing About Characters You Like]]. ~~{{tropelist}}~~ {{examples}} == Anime and Manga == * The writing in general for the first half to two-thirds of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' made a real effort to make the main characters as three dimensional as the show could, which was really refreshing. It really surprised me, when I was expecting an overrated show (not claiming it's the best ever, though) that was full of itself and the characters did things because the plot said so. So glad to be proven wrong. Line 29: * [[Frank Miller]] really got the [[Darker and Edgier]] [[Nineties Anti-Hero\|Nineties Anti Heroes]] off the ground, and I love him for it. I'm basing several characters off of his interpretation of [[Batman]] alone, and a villain off of his Joker. I'd just like to give him a huge [[Shout-Out]] here, because he's really magnificent at what he does. * [[Neil Gaiman]]. [[The Sandman]]. Need I say more? * [[Grant Morrison]] may be... [[Broken Base\|controversial]]... when it comes to his [[X-Men]] work, but I thought his run on [[Justice League (animation)\|JLA]] was nothing short of spectacular. Fascinating plots that delved into the psyches of iconic characters, and deepened them while keeping them recognizable. I still look at that run as the best way to handle a team composed of characters that, in any other writer's hands, would quickly devolve into a [[Thirty-Sue Pileup]]. ** His run on [[Animal Man]] is nothing short of epic. Buddy and his family feel like real people, the Fourthwall gets demolished, and the last issue, {{spoiler\|where [[Comicook/Animal Man\|Animal Man]] actually meets [[Grant Morrison]]}} is perhaps the greatest single issue of any comic ever published. * You can hand [[Peter David]] [[X Factor\|any team of characters at all]], from the [[The Scrappy\|scrappiest]] to the [[Ensemble Darkhorse\|most underappreciated]], and he will come up with a way to make them work. He's just that versatile. * [[Warren Ellis]] is one of the [[Crowning Moment of Funny\|funniest]] and most [[Crazy Awesome\|imaginative]] writers today. His tried and tested approach to writing involves getting his hands on an already popular concept, [[Refuge in Audacity\|injecting it in]] [[Eye Scream\|the retinas]] with bizarre technologies, hilarious dialogue, surreal settings and then [[Up to Eleven\|turning the whole thing up to 11]] makes him a writer to definitely look out for. Case in point: [[Transmetropolitan]], [[Nextwave]] and the [[Justice League (animation)\|JLU]] episode "Dark Heart." * Jillian Tamaki, who wrote Skim, a small graphic novel about a teenage girl, is my idol. She deserves to be as well known as any of the above writers (not that they aren't also completely awesome). == ~~Fanfiction~~Fan Works == * ''[[Those Lacking Spines]]''. A well-written piece of ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' fanfiction which excellently [[Deconstruction\|deconstructs]] many aspects of bad fan writing. I am subjected to amazing [[Fridge Brilliance]] when recalling lesser events. E.g, blindly using [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness\|fancy, long strings of words]] as a humorous point in the story. * [http://mozart.livejournal.com/369063.html "Dog Will Hunt"]. Never thought I'd find myself like a Joker fanfic, but just read it. It sounds like the writer worked on the script for [[The Dark Knight Trilogy]]. Takes the best parts of every incarnation of the Joker and Harley Quinn, mixes them up, and lets it flow. * Elecktrum writes some of the best Narnia fics on the web. They remain faithful to Lewis while delving into more difficult topics. Her stories are populated by engaging original characters who manage to support the main cast without stealing the spotlight. And her writing is exquisite, well worded, but not overly flowery. * [http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1386361/ Warrior4] has written a some of the best [[Redwall]] fan fiction I have ever read. [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3817978/1/A_Mask_and_a_Song A Mask and a Song] is, in short, a [[Fix Fic]] that involves reviving Martin's [[Love Interest]], Rose. However, the subject is dealt with with such tact and skill (and ''without breaking canon''), that it feels like it could have fit right into the official story. ** [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3868656/1/Winters_Flowers Winter's Flowers], the direct (and [[Even Better Sequel\|Even Better]]) sequel, involves Martin and Gonff having to rescue [[Damsel in Distress\|Rose and Columbine]] from the All Pack. The story features dozens of characters from both ''Martin The Warrior'' and ''Mossflower'' and manages to keep them all in character. There is plenty of [[Character Development]] to go around (for both canon and [[Original Character~~\|Original Characters~~]]s), and Warrior4 manages to capture some of Brian Jacques' feel with several well-written poems. * Pom Pom's Eleven is perhaps the best [[Homestar Runner]] fanfiction '''ever'''. It has that Homestar Runner charm to it, the dialogue is very funny, it perfectly imitates the characters personalities(with the exception of The Cheat), which is '''HARD''' to do, and it has a nice and cool story. It is quite simply the greatest Homestar Runner fanfic ever made....THAT IS NOT BASED ON STRONG BAD X HOMESTAR RUNNER [[Berserk Button\|YAOI FANFICTION]]!!! * In the [[Code Geass]] fanfic [[Dauntless]], the way that Lelouch OWNED the Purist Faction and Jeremiah Gottwald, making him his Knight of Honor in the process, in chapter 50 is simply professional! Line 80: ** While we're at it, Robert Jordan's run of The [[Wheel of Time]] is damn good. I didn't start reading critically until I started reading the series, and when you really get into Robert Jordan's writing, you can see a lot of clever tricks and call backs. That's not even mentioning the culture building skill Jordan has, or how well you feel you know the characters after Eleven Thousand pages. They aren't really likable, but they're realistic, and also really badass. * ''[[Watership Down]]'' has some of the most gorgeous description that the world has ever seen, and pacing like no other. The way Richard Adams fills the silences of his story with lyrical and vivid depictions of the surroundings is an inspiration. * Lawrence Miles may be a textbook [[Small Name, Big Ego]] among ''[[Doctor Who]]'' fandom, but god''damn'' can he write. All of his books are absolutely ''crammed'' full of spectcular, ''HUGE'', [[Mind Screw]]-y ideas, [[Deadpan Snarker\|snarkalicious]] [[Magnificent Bastard~~\|Magnificent Bastards~~]]s, and [[Readings Are Off the Scale\|off-the-charts]] [[HSQ]]. ** Trevor Braxendale's ''[[Doctor Who]]'' novel Prisoner of the Daleks is one of the best I have read, mostly because the Doctor manages to convince the Daleks that in order to win the war they are fighting, they have to [[Hilarity Ensues\|help him find his keys]], and when the Dalek High Inquisitor is exasperatedly trying to get him to remember where he left them, you can practically hear their vocal circuitry grinding in frustration as you read it. * If I could marry P. G. Wodehouse's writing, I would. Line 94: * He's been mentioned before, but [[Aaron Allston]] deserves special mention for his work on the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]] X-wing series. Seriously, the Wraith Squadron books are the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer\|Buffy]] of EU stories. * [[Diana Wynne Jones]] has a particular genius for making the most twisted and disparate subplots magically come together by the end of the book, and having things that you thought were random side elements turn out to be the key to a whole section of the plot. (A shining example, in my opinion, is ''[[Deep Secret]]''. You think those [[Two Lines, No Waiting\|two plots]] are unrelated? Think again.) * [[Douglas Adams]], perhaps the only person on Earth who can write [[Exposition]] that is entertaining and rambling at the same time. Forget the ~~dialogue -- which~~dialogue—which is also ~~incredible -- just~~incredible—just having him describe a character almost but not quite preform a simple action is not entirely unlike hilarity. Not to mention the way he can manage to make an entirely hilarious anecdote also subtley yet powerfully meaningful without breaking the mood (or a sweat). Or his ability to perfectly describe actions and feelings that you previously thought you were alone in experiencing. Line 103: ** SECONDED. * It might sound shallow, but I love any literature that has Perfect People saying ''[[Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right]]'' (or indeed, Screw The Rules, I'm Doing Whatever I Want), facing minor, impotent obstacles, and winning in a shutout. Give me Ayn Rand, give me Robert Heinlein, heck, give me ''[[Twilight (novel)\|Twilight]]''. Life is so much better when life is good. * Umberto Eco, especially ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]'', and ''especially'' the ~~ending -- one~~ending—one of the most beautiful pieces of writing ever penned ** Seconded. Also, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, which I consider to be the Pendulum's mirror image. Bodoni and Belbo are opposites, one who writes remembering a life of sadness and the other writing about a full life he forgot. Eco also proves he can handle pop culture just like he can secret conspiracies. And the ending, oh god [[Tear Jerker\|the ending]]. * I love [[Nasuverse\|Kinoko Nasu's]] writing to death. Yes, two-thirds of his works are porn with plot, but the plot is not only the focus, but a '''well done plot''' on top of that. Deep and interesting characters that all have their time in the spotlights, an easy-to-read yet well-laden writing style that mixes purple prose into near undiscernable amounts, and a [[World of Badass\|'Verse of '''badass''']] that still manages to make life interesting beyond explosions of power. The only thing wrong with the Nasuverse is arguably the [[Fan Dumb\|fandom]]. Line 119: * Dirt Music by Tim Winton. The prose is exquisite, the emotions moving but subtle. The characters feel so real and understandable. * [[Stephen King]] isn't the king of horror for nothing * [[Main/ptitlee 0 mkzzjc\|Ryk E. Spoor's]] [http://jiltanith.thefifthimperium.com/Collections/GrandCentralArenaChapters/GrandCentralArena_01.php Grand Central Arena] (careful, that's only half the book, you'll be hooked). [http://stuffyoulike.blip.tv/file/5059069/ Tropey and awesome.]{{Dead link}} It's full of random allusions, magic, science and [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]], and speeds along like an express train. Never have I read so many cliffhangers in one book. fans self Plus the protagonist, and several of the supporting characters, are completely [[Badass]]. * Roger Zelazny's writing is usually pretty weird, but he is a master of the English language. There are more references in any given book than anyone can possibly get. He will work in an entire plotline in one book just for a good one-liner two books later, and still have it make perfect sense. He can make you cry about a completely ridiculous situation in under three pages. Every time I read one of his books, I notice something clever I hadn't seen before. * I will worship [[Jane Austen]] forever. Her wit, sarcasm, and social commentary can't be matched, and she understands how love can blossom in different ways. * T.H. White's The Once and Future King is my favorite book. The characters are the main reason for that, as one can sympathize with them even as they cause the downfall of a civilization because of selfish reasons. The prose is frank yet lyrical in that mid-20th century fantasy novel sort of way. Perhaps the biggest appeal of The Once and Future King is that it deals with such heartrending themes of war, hate, oppression, and cruelty while still retaining some hope and never losing sight of its moral compass. Also, the antics of King Pellinore, Sir Palomides, and Sir Grummore never fail to make me smile. * [[Jane Eyre]] by [[Charlotte Bronte]] is written [[Purple Prose\|beautifully]] throughout: "I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed to entertain of me. The fact is, I was a trifle beside myself; or rather out of myself, as the French would say: I was conscious that a moment’s mutiny had already rendered me liable to strange penalties, and, like any other rebel slave, I felt resolved, in my desperation, to go all lengths.". == [[Live -Action TV]] == * [[Russell T. Davies]]' writing on ''[[Torchwood]] Children of Earth'' was amazingly effective. The discussion the politicians had about what to do {{spoiler\|and which children to sacrifice}} was painfully well observed. * [[Steven Moffat]] is the god of [[Mood Whiplash]] on ''[[Doctor Who]]''. And ''[[Nightmare Fuel\|he]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome\|makes]] [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming\|it]] [[Tear Jerker\|work]].'' Line 151 ⟶ 152: * For all it's brilliant comedians, ''[[The Daily Show]]'' wouldn't be nearly as funny or intelligent as it is now without it's writers (many of which are correspondents on the show). * ''[[Modern Family]]'' captures the trials and tribulations of family life and parenthood without being corny, trite or put upon, and it's all credit to the writers. * ''[[Star Trek: The ~~Original Series\|Star Trek the~~ Original Series]]'' there is a damn good reason we are still talking about this show forty years later and that the others ran for almost twenty concurrent years . The various shows pioneered so many ideas from [[The Worf Effect]] to the [[Story Arc]]. There is such an amazing balance of morality play and monster of the week and action adventure, they have heart and soul and character and so MUCH of it. "[[Star Trek/Recap/S3/E01 ~~E1 Spocks~~Spock's Brain\|Spock's Brain]]" and [[Creator's Pet\|Wesley]] aside the good far outweighs the bad. I have no doubt that forty years from now people will still be talking about the awesome that is Trek. * ''[[Battlestar Galactica ~~Reimagined~~(2004 TV series)\|Battlestar Galactica]]'': say what you will about the ending there is no doubt this was one of the best shows on television period. From the breath taking pace of "33" to the brutal and horrific occupation to having some of the most amazingly fraked up characters around it was an fantastic emotional roller coaster ride that regularly had us saying WTF in the best possible way. Seconded. The characters in this story are amazingly written, so that even when they did absolutely horrible things, I always was on their side. While the ending, storywise, left a lot to be desired, character-wise it was an excellent close to their respective stories. The series was brilliant and even the weaker portions still had redeeming factors to them. In my opinion, the all time great sci-fi series. * One other thing to praise is the use of [[Deus Ex Machina~~\|Deus Ex Machinas~~]]s, of which this series has MANY. The reason they generally work so well is because a heavy religious context is brought in from the very beginning and a central part of the plot. This allows the plot devices to feel less like [[Ass Pull~~\|Ass Pulls~~]]s and more like a true part of the story that was planned out and leads to both incredibly [[Crowning Moment of Awesome\|awesome moments]] as well as [[Tear Jerker\|gut-wrenchingly]] [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming\|emotional moments]]. "Crossroads, Part 2" is a personal favourite, for having the best courtroom monologue in fiction [[A Few Good Men\|in nearly 15 years]]. * At least the first season of ''[[Damages]]''. From the very first shot of the first episode to the closing shot of the season, it is a brilliantly plotted legal drama that manages to portray its characters in the most human, complex manner I've seen on TV. It turns a civil lawsuit into an epic drama with fascinating twists and turns. * ''[[Doctor Who]]'''s premiere episode for the second Doctor [[Doctor Who S 4 E 3 The Power Of The Daleks\|The Power of The Daleks]]. It's unbelievable just how well written, modern and BRUTAL the script is. All the characters are well-realized and have fully-fleshed out world views and motives. Add to this the very first ~~regeneration--a~~regeneration—a bitter pill for the Doctor's companions to ~~swallow--and~~swallow—and the scariest the Daleks have ever been as they display unbelievable cunning and ruthlessness. Then it culminates in a very understated [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] where a confused Dalek asks one of the characters why humans kill members of their own race. It's too bad this episode is lost, and we only have the reconstructions and novelization to go by. ** Sweet Zombie ''Jesus'', ''City Of Death''. Especially the inspired combination of goofiness and sophisticated deadpan snarkery that is the beginning of episode two. [[Douglas Adams]] was a ''genius.'' * ''[[Criminal Minds]]''. This show is amazing. The writers have managed to think up a new (and disturbing) motivation for every serial killer for over a hundred episodes. But at the same time they've kept up a quirky, realistic cast of characters with some of the best ensemble chemistry on TV today. Plus the side characters; from the victims to the relatives and friends of the main characters are all so human and alive. ** Seconded: The writers are absolutely fantastic. Even for a show with [[Complete Monster/Criminal Minds\|a lot of Complete Monsters]], there are still those [[Criminal Minds/Funny\|very funny moments]] and [[Friendship Moment~~\|Friendship Moments~~]]s to keep everything fun. Nothing is boring in this show. * ''[[Burn Notice]]''. It's a spy drama that plays straight many of the tropes associated with spy dramas, but does so in brilliant ways that make them feel fresh and unique. The gambits concocted in each episode and over each season are very clever without being confusing or [[Xanatos Roulette\|unbelieveable]]. The characters and their interaction are well-written. And of course, I can't talk about ''[[Burn Notice]]'' without mentioning just how much the writers know about spies and subject areas of interest to spies (surveillance, rigging explosions, infil/exfiltration, interrogation, reverse interrogation, gaining a mark's trust, etc.). This show is one of the best examples of [[Shown Their Work]] that I've ever seen. In fact, it's almost hard to believe that the writers weren't spies themselves at some point. Nearly everything about the show is amazing, but the writing is without doubt the best part. == Music == * No music folder yet? Then I'll start it off by nominating Leonard Cohen, the greatest songwriter of the 20th century. He has an amazing gift for putting deep meanings into a very few words and making you look at things in a new way. * [http://www.darklyrics.com/c/circletakesthesquare.html Circle Takes the Square] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20130625015819/http://lyrics.wikia.com/Thee_Silver_Mt._Zion A Silver Mt. Zion] both have some of my favorite lyrics (and music) anywhere. They have very different styles, but they both sound like they're coming from another planet. * So much by [[Vernian Process]] but especially [https://web.archive.org/web/20100715175138/http://www.vernianprocess.com/http~~%3A~~:/~~%252Fwww~~/www.vernianprocess.com/lyrics "Her Clockwork Heart"]. * Relient K. Especially in their last 3 albums and their last EP. Their lyrics often have an incredibley poetic feel to them. Seriously, read the lyrics for [http://www.songlyrics.com/relient-k/part-of-it-lyrics/ Part Of It]. * Soundgarden. Maybe it gets lost amid the admittedly awesome rocking out, but their lyrics often have a fantastically clean and elegant structure, without sounding overly clever about it. "Mailman" is one of the greatest fuck-you poems of all time. Line 184: * The Airborne Toxic Event, full stop. Some of the most touching, haunting, and poignant lyrics and songwriting I will most likely ever hear. * It has been noted that [[The Smashing Pumpkins\|Billy Corgan]]'s lyrics are more like poetry set to music. That observation's not half bad! Case in point: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc9ZbS4KMdg&feature=related Thirty-Three] * Just about everything written by [[Loreena McKennitt\|McKennit]]. But Caravanserai should be mentioned for its great picture of a way of life. == People == Line 222: == Video Games == * I find it inspiring that a video game like ''[[~~Bioshock~~BioShock (series)]]'' can spark real-life debates about Objectivism and the like. * [[Troper/Neo Eevee\|I]] am very happy to have found a place to wax lyrical about [[Kingdom Hearts]]. It's one of the most emotional, nostalgic, heart-warming game series I've ever played. ** Seconded, particularly for the original game. Jun Akiyama, come back to us! Line 229: * The english translation (no idea about the original Japanese version) of ''[[Baten Kaitos]] Origins'' is amazingly brilliant. Not only is the dialogue very well written, the story's self-aware nature comes as a pleasant surprise. Then again, it was translated by Nintendo, who have a bit more money to spend on this sort of thing than [[Namco Bandai]] did for the first game, but still at times it's hard to believe that both games come from the same series. * The last thing one might have expected from a [[Rated "M" for Manly]] game like ''[[Gears of War]]'' was the scene where {{spoiler\|Dom has to euthanize Maria}}. What was even more unexpected was how absolutely ''heartrending'' and beautifully tragic said scene was. * ''[[~~Earthbound~~EarthBound]]''. The whole series in fact. There are so few games out there that manage to convey so much emotions in you. You can laugh, get scared, and maybe even cry. In the end, the series is so well-written that it's impossible not to feel something. * ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]''! Sure, the exposition is a bit silly, and the dialogue a little odd. But the absolutely on-the-money [[Deconstruction]], wonderful characterisations, and deep satire running through the games is enough to cause palpitations in gamers. The [[Ho Yay]] ''alone'' is one of the best [[Ho Yay]] examples ever. ** '''TOO''' much info. Line 252: * ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'' is one of the greatest webcomic series I have ever read. * ''[[El Goonish Shive]]''. The writing, like the art, gets better. DRASTICALLY better. * ''[[Homestuck]]''. Just...everything about ''[[Homestuck]]''. The odd, occasionally dark, but ever-present sense of humour. The way [[Loads and Loads of Characters\|every single character]], no matter how small, has a clearly distinct voice and characterisation. The way [[Andrew Hussie]] manages to pack in so much information that just seems to set up the mood or a joke but then turns out to be incredibly important later on, and the way you can never tell the difference between when he [[Writing by the Seat of Your Pants\|makes shit up as he goes along]] and when he [[Crazy Prepared\|plans things years in advance]]. The way it is capable of making you [[Crowning Moment of Funny\|laugh]], [[Tear Jerker\|cry]], and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming\|d'awwww]] all at the same time. The way all the characters get to do something [[Crowning Moment of Awesome\|awesome]], rather than there being just one hero and a bunch of sidekicks. The way the ridiculous number of [[Call Back~~\|Call Backs~~]]s, [[Ironic Echo~~\|Ironic Echos~~]]s, and [[Continuity Nod~~\|Continuity Nods~~]]s all wrap together into an incredibly coherent work, making it fun both for casual readers and the more dedicated fans. Even just his writing style, which can run the gamut from over-the-top [[Purple Prose]] to the [[Beige Prose\|beigest]] of [[Buffy-Speak]] and all the while sound just so distinctly ''Homestuck''. All of ''[[Homestuck]]''. [[Running Gag\|All of it.]] Line 260: * The characters in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' just get deeper and more three-dimensional as the show goes on, and then there's the incredibly clever dialogue! Every character sounds unique, and their personalities just shine through their [[Seinfeldian Conversation]]. * Disney's ''[[Beauty and The Beast]]'' is wonderfully put together. The story's premise pretty much ''requires'' a subversion of [[Beauty Equals Goodness]], and they did a marvelous job of it. No character feels extraneous or unnecessary to the plot, and every major moment hits just the right emotional chords. One of the best creative teams ever assembled worked on that film, and it shows to this day. * The sweet little speech after the supernova sequence in [[Treasure Planet]]. I spent a near hour looking, but cannot find a single trope to describe that scene except for [[~~Heartwarming Moments (Sugar Wiki)\|~~Heartwarming Moments]]. It's backed by [[Awesome Music\|wonderful music]], great acting, and ''that hug!'' [[Intergenerational Friendship]] and [[Parental Substitute]] at it's ''freaking best.'' * [[Justice League Unlimited]] is in so many ways a perfect superhero cartoon. The characters don't just spout catchphrases like "Great Hera" or "Holy Whatever." They have clearly defined personalities. They have relationships with each other. On occasion, they're at each other's throats, but they're still [[True Companions]]. See: the episode where Flash is almost lost to the Speed Force for proof. And lesser-known, never-before-animated characters, like Hawk, Dove, Green Arrow, and Black Canary, get to shine, too. ** The first [[Justice League]]'s writing is just good. ''The first episode'' includes talks about nuclear disarmament, helping to prove a kid's show can talk about serious subjects and do it well without having to take away from the action.