30 fays of fandom meme
Sep. 16th, 2015 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsi8 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
If we define a Mary Sue as a (according to Wikipedia) “idealized character, often but not necessarily an author insert and/or wish-fulfillment”, then my original characters are not Mary Sue’s, but I do write OC occasionally. I write them when I get an idea that doesn’t fit any character in a fandom. My Dracula fics all have original female characters and I guess it could be argued that Clara may have a self insertion as the main character is a librarian. Professor Keller and Little Miss Sunbeam, both Doctor Who-fics have original characters as they take place at times when the Doctor isn’t around, so there wasn’t any good characters to pick from. Dudley’s girlfriend in Dudley’s Cousin is someone we know is around as Dudley marries and get children in Harry Potter, though we know nothing about her in person. But I must confess to have written one Mary Sue, a very deliberate choice as it is a parody fic called Captain Hook and the Mary Sue.
The first fanfic I ever read had an OC as main character and it was a very good fic, so it took me some time to realise that original characters often gets dismissed as Mary Sues. I think that is rather unfair. If a person isn’t skilled enough to write an interesting character, then s/he can’t write other people’s character’s interesting either. I have, for example, read a number of Harry Potter fics where Hermione is nothing like she is in the books. Usually she has “over summer” developed an interest in makeup, push up bras and pop singers. And, of course, a skilled writer can make any character, self invented or not, engaging.
Speaking of fanfic writing in general, I have finally managed to get my act together and started writing again. The Master and Romana.
If we define a Mary Sue as a (according to Wikipedia) “idealized character, often but not necessarily an author insert and/or wish-fulfillment”, then my original characters are not Mary Sue’s, but I do write OC occasionally. I write them when I get an idea that doesn’t fit any character in a fandom. My Dracula fics all have original female characters and I guess it could be argued that Clara may have a self insertion as the main character is a librarian. Professor Keller and Little Miss Sunbeam, both Doctor Who-fics have original characters as they take place at times when the Doctor isn’t around, so there wasn’t any good characters to pick from. Dudley’s girlfriend in Dudley’s Cousin is someone we know is around as Dudley marries and get children in Harry Potter, though we know nothing about her in person. But I must confess to have written one Mary Sue, a very deliberate choice as it is a parody fic called Captain Hook and the Mary Sue.
The first fanfic I ever read had an OC as main character and it was a very good fic, so it took me some time to realise that original characters often gets dismissed as Mary Sues. I think that is rather unfair. If a person isn’t skilled enough to write an interesting character, then s/he can’t write other people’s character’s interesting either. I have, for example, read a number of Harry Potter fics where Hermione is nothing like she is in the books. Usually she has “over summer” developed an interest in makeup, push up bras and pop singers. And, of course, a skilled writer can make any character, self invented or not, engaging.
Speaking of fanfic writing in general, I have finally managed to get my act together and started writing again. The Master and Romana.
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Date: 2015-09-19 06:44 pm (UTC)