Why do I like Arcane so much? I have decided to rewatch this animated TV show on Netflix again to try and work out what exactly it was in the storytelling that I like. I’ve already watched it twice, and so I’m only allowing myself a third watch to use it as an exercise to think about writing and imagination.

I think a lot of why I’m so hooked boils down to me resonating with the main character and her relationship with her sister (well, she’s the main character for me. Main is debatable). Before you ask, no, it is really not a parallel to me and my own sister. But that’s not the point. I think good fantasy storytelling combines imaginative, immersive storytelling with realistic human relationships and emotions. Family and friendship will always be universal themes. The genre and aesthetic (“trimmings”) will always be secondary.

—

When you’re trying to sell a story, you have to be able to sum it up in a few paragraphs and be able to give a one line elevator pitch. This is something that is incredibly hard to do and takes time to formulate. I finished the first draft of Alice in Wheelchairland 6 months ago, but it’s only now that I’ve revised it at least 8 times that I really feel able to say what it is about.

I feel like being disabled gives me good opportunities to practice summing up a story succinctly. I have to know how to tell my own story, or what not to tell, as people ask me about it. Usually if people know me I will tell them. If they’re a stranger on the street (which is a rare occurrence) then they don’t deserve my story. I wish more people were aware that when you ask a visibly disabled person about what happened to them, you’re basically asking them to tell you their deep trauma. You wouldn’t ask someone you hardly know to tell you about how their husband died, or how their divorce is going. You haven’t earned their story. Often when asked, I’ll think this in my head, but judge whether I want to use their question as a chance to tell my story, because I like talking. One time I did manage to say, “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” and I was told a very dramatic and traumatic story that was very much worth it.

It’s about using your emotional intelligence to make snap judgements whether to tell your story or not. For me, I tend to think that what is the point of dramatic things happening to you if you can’t wangle a story out of them, but everyone has the right to go about their lives without having to dredge up their trauma wherever we go.

People are really curious. I get it, I am too. We all want to be told the story. But do we need to know? I think we all need to use our emotional intelligence.


—

Aside from the beautiful animation, what I also loved about Arcane when I first watched it was that I didn’t know what it would be like. Arcane is actually called ‘Arcane: League of Legends’ and is based on the video game ‘League of Legends’ (I have a lot of issues with this game and would never have even considered watching a show based on it until I read the reviews). It provides backstory for popular characters in the game with ready-made established world-building. I didn’t know this initially in Season 1 and so I got really excited about the systems of injustice I thought the show was going to explore, but then Season 2 came out to wrap up the story and it wasn’t as deep as I hoped it would be.

I’ve realised that, although I love fantasy and animation, I also love stories that address real world issues. Turns out Arcane is based on video game where you fight people with massive weapons, and wasn’t really trying to make a point about systemic injustice and capitalism which influences ecology, disability and class privilege. I’m still obsessed though. It was well written, well drawn and well voice-acted, but most of the conclusions I made happened in my own head.

Good writing kind of reminds me of writing songs. When you sum it up with just the melody, lyrics and guitar, anyone can like it. When you add all the production like other instruments, tone and performance the song becomes established in a genre. Kind of like how you might like a song if it is performed acoustically in front of you by your friend, but how you don’t like it at all when it is then performed on the Eurovision Song Contest stage.

Stripping back the song and a story to its core is how you understand the essence. This is what I’ve been thinking about as I write the cover letter to my book. Regardless of genre, stories have universal themes we can all relate to. I’ve been learning a lot in the course I’m doing and am hoping to meet more people in the children’s book industry soon. I’ve got my eye on a competition, which I’ll write more about soon. For now, I’m still in the mindset of learning, and working out what I have learned.
.
.
.
(Featured Image is a still from Arcane (2021-2024) of the location I predictably liked the most, which sadly barely featured in the show)