Kathryn wrote:
Don't put all the blame on fan writers. Fan readers are just as much to blame.
Agreed. I imagine the anti-Mary-Sue culture derives more from readers than writers.
And readers simply want to *read* about "no one else" but the main
characters.
And I can understand the sentiment, really I can -- because the point of
fanfic
is that one is using someone else's characters and setting, so if one
isn't going
to use them, then why is one writing it?
OCs: Because if one's interested in, say, Blake as a character, there's only a limited number of interactions one can get out of him with Avon, Jenna et al.
Setting: Well the repressive Federation setting on Earth or other Inner Worlds is far more interesting (to me) than an alien spaceship with food synthesisers, a wardrobe room and a treasury.
And yes, there is a reaction against Mary-Sues (and by extension, all
Original
Female Characters) -- but why shouldn't there be? They are*awful*. Bad writing is bad writing, and reading someone else's wish-fullfilment fantasy is going to be a bore whatever universe it's set in.
I agree I have little wish to read other people's wish-fulfilment fantasies, but dooming all original characters because occasionally people choose to publish wish-fulfilment seems a little OTT ? Maybe I've been missing out, but I've never read a non-humorous overt Mary-Sue. The closest I've seen is where I guess Cally or Blake is being used as the authorial projection, and fewer people seem to complain about this.
Tavia