On Writing

[tarion_anarore]

So, there's been some interesting discussion on "canon" lately. I don't honestly have much to say on the subject, except that those of you who know me also probably are aware that I pick and choose whatever I darn well please from canon. So yes.

Comments

[tarion_anarore]

Yes, and I think also that people tend to think that if something is not canon, it's bad and shouldn't be used. For example, I don't generally call HoME "canon'. Does that mean it should not be used as a source of inspiration or reference upon which to shape a story or details if you so choose? Of course not. Even I've written a ficlet or two inspired by the dreaded HoME. ;)

But criticizing a story because a Gondorian character has the wrong hair colour? Urgh.

Exactly. And like you said, people often abuse the term canon to criticize a story that just doesn't follow their exact interpretation. I remember one story featuring young Galadriel and Angrod (or Aegnor? Eh, one of them) that got labeled as "un-canon" by a reviewer, when so far as I can recall, there is not anything mentioned about Galadriel's early childhood. And if there is, I'm willing to bet that there is still a lot of room for fleshing out and interpretation!

And then there's the tendency of wanting to make other people do what you say, conform to whatever you

[ann_arien]

I gotta give this meme some thoughts and do it myself. I might as well dust off the stuff I have written a million years ago, or so it seems, and figure out which of my stories I love best.

I remember having a really long (pun intended!) discussion on Freud and his theories a few years ago, when I was rooming with a Psychology student. Boy,we had lots of laughs.

[tarion_anarore]

Yeah, picking out my favorites was hard, because I kept trying to pick out the best-written, even though that wasn't the point of the meme. Oops. :)

*snerk* Yeah, Freud is quite the laughing stock at times!