The Original Character Debate in Fanfiction

[witchsistah]

I seriously do not see what the whole beef is. I know it's because most ficcers who write OCs write shitty ones that turn into Mary Sues, and a lot of them are glamorized author insertions. That's called BAD WRITING and it can happen in original fic too (Jane Auel, I'm lookin' dead at YOU!). Usually, when the bad writing happens, there's a lot

Comments

[furikku]

The same thing happens with online roleplay and it makes no sense to me. It's like, it's totally OK to play someone superpowerful and awesometastic that someone else made up, but for some reason it is COMPLETELY TERRIBLE AND UNTRUSTWORTHY to cut out the middleman.

I've never been able to really understand the attitude.

Woman, is you TRYING to make me fall in love with you?

[neo_prodigy]

You need to post this shit to Ars Marginal, IMMEDIATELY

Re: Woman, is you TRYING to make me fall in love with you?

[witchsistah]

I don't even think it's author insert. I've read fic that were author inserts and well written. The author didn't transform themselves from a middle-aged, housewife into a 22 year old, 5'8", 110 lbs, 34-D bustline, 18% body fat, 196 IQ, four Ph.D-having, 14-languages-fluent speaking, 10 instruments at virtuoso-level-playing, blue-eyed, blond Aryan goddess living heffa. In one fic, the author insert was 37 years old, average or slighty-above in attractiveness, had modest means, supported them by working two semi-menial jobs, was a widow and had a kid in college. It was one of the best fics I've ever read and showed me that yes, Dorothy, you CAN write author inserts that don't make onions cry!

Nope, I still say it's all about bad writing. I've seen ficcers Mary Sue canon characters constantly. Their fic is just as unbearable as Mary Sue Supertits' are.

[billies_blues]

I'll read this whole post later but you already know what I'm going to demand.

[seashadows]

You win a thousand internets for mentioning Auel.

Ayla = Mary Sue a zillion times over...even the cardboard cutouts like Attaroa and Joplaya were characterized better in the later books.

[witchsistah]

As I was reading those books, it got to the point that I swore I'd burn them bitches if another dude started drooling over Ayla. I was DONE at Auel's passive racism in having Ayla ALMOST marry the half-Black guy (and I notice how the dude's all-Black mom was conveniently killed in his background history. Can't have any darkie gals competing with our prehistoric Aryan goddess) only to have Jondalar save her from such a horrid mistake at the last damn minute after a whole novel of him AND her dithering about making erroneous assumptions and hiding their feelings about the whole situation. Auel could sit and spin after that, as far as I was concerned.

[seashadows]

YES. At least Ranec seemed to have a highly intelligent, functioning brain, unlike Jondalar the Dumbass. Seriously? Blond does NOT equal awesome.

And what about her making the Clan, conveniently as well, all olive-skinned, black-haired, and brown-eyed, and then made out to be inferior, no matter how many times she stressed that they were wonderful in an old-fashioned, doomed-to-die way? Genetic research even back then could prove that they were fair as well...way to state your racism and anti-Semitism, Jean. *raises a dark, Clanlike hand*

[witchsistah]

Blond does NOT equal awesome.

Dude, can we skywrite this everywhere?!

I read that whole story, from Jondalar on, as one big ol' White woman wish fulfillment fic. All the men, of ALL races, drool over her and all the women WANT to hate but instead love and befriend her. And all the women of color are dead and therefore are unable to compete with her.