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More on Mary Sue
Mar. 7th, 2005 01:58 pmWell, I typed up a reply to this thread, and find that I'm too scared of the stupid people to actually post it there.
*sighs*
So, here's a few more of my thoughts on Mary Sue, as relates to some other people's thoughts on her.
I'll readily agree that Mary Sue, the black hole of an author's concept of perfection from which not even canon heros can escape, is not everybody's cup of tea.
So what?
I see no reason whatsoever for Sue writers to stop masturbating in public, as long as they're not groping anyone else.
Considering the vaildation available to Sue writers within their own circles, there certainly isn't much motivation for them to alter styles unless they wish to enter a different section of the fanfiction community in which Sues are not welcome. To frame persistent Sue writing as some kind of arrested development assumes that everyone does, and should, wish to make that move. I hesitate to speak for a group of writers I am not part of, but it does not look to me as though this is the case. That being so, I see absolutely nothing wrong with fic writing as a means of socializing, as opposed to a self-consciously elevated artistic endeavor, which appears to be the other end of this spectrum.
Even if a writer's goal is to produce something at the marketable level, this does not automatically make the Sue an invalid stylistic choice. I do not think is is particularly reasonable to consider Sue style writing as uniformly unprofessional when one of the best selling commercial genres, serial romance, is based on much the same shape character. The quality of most fanfic Sue stories is not particularly professional, but, then, that is equally true of fanfic in other styles.
I also fail to see how the current crop of Sues can be accused of false representation, considering it's almost impossible not to recognize them from the story summaries.
And, as has been pointed out, once recognized they're easy enough to simply not read.
The attitude that Sues have no right to exist, especially in public, bewilders me. The violence with which that opinion is expressed, enforced and evangelized moderately appalls me. To brand wish fulfillment as some kind of ultimate failure because it is unrealistic seems rather to miss the point.
*sighs*
So, here's a few more of my thoughts on Mary Sue, as relates to some other people's thoughts on her.
I'll readily agree that Mary Sue, the black hole of an author's concept of perfection from which not even canon heros can escape, is not everybody's cup of tea.
So what?
I see no reason whatsoever for Sue writers to stop masturbating in public, as long as they're not groping anyone else.
Considering the vaildation available to Sue writers within their own circles, there certainly isn't much motivation for them to alter styles unless they wish to enter a different section of the fanfiction community in which Sues are not welcome. To frame persistent Sue writing as some kind of arrested development assumes that everyone does, and should, wish to make that move. I hesitate to speak for a group of writers I am not part of, but it does not look to me as though this is the case. That being so, I see absolutely nothing wrong with fic writing as a means of socializing, as opposed to a self-consciously elevated artistic endeavor, which appears to be the other end of this spectrum.
Even if a writer's goal is to produce something at the marketable level, this does not automatically make the Sue an invalid stylistic choice. I do not think is is particularly reasonable to consider Sue style writing as uniformly unprofessional when one of the best selling commercial genres, serial romance, is based on much the same shape character. The quality of most fanfic Sue stories is not particularly professional, but, then, that is equally true of fanfic in other styles.
I also fail to see how the current crop of Sues can be accused of false representation, considering it's almost impossible not to recognize them from the story summaries.
And, as has been pointed out, once recognized they're easy enough to simply not read.
The attitude that Sues have no right to exist, especially in public, bewilders me. The violence with which that opinion is expressed, enforced and evangelized moderately appalls me. To brand wish fulfillment as some kind of ultimate failure because it is unrealistic seems rather to miss the point.
