Happy Anniversary and Mary Sue
Jun. 15th, 2003 09:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ciroccojHappy Anniversary to us! Today marks 7 years married. Which means we've been together 9 1/2 years. That's... wow. That's a long time.
Speaking of 7 years married, 9 years together, Chris read over ch 3 of Promises yesterday - found more Mary Sue-isms, damn it. There's also a bunch of stuff in there that I would rather gut myself than say or do, but still. I hate not knowing whether I'm putting something in because it's true to a character or because it's true to me. It's even worse not knowing whether, in an effort to not Mary Sue myself, I'm putting in or taking out things solely because I would do them too. And therefore not being true to the characters, because I'm taking out stuff that should be in or putting in stuff that shouldn't be there.
I mean, some stuff is just universal to people and couples in general. If there happen to be similarities... some of them probably can't be avoided. And I'm twisting myself into a pretzel trying to distinguish between what's universal and what's lazy writing and over-identification.
Even the "7 years married, 9 years together" bit - I realized that was another similarity, and I kind of cringed. That part isn't even my fault - it's from canon, for God's sake, and when I started writing this, lo so many moons ago, it wasn't even true because we'd been together 6 and 8, respectively. But right now it's yet another niggly little "you're over-identifying, neener!" that my silly subconscious keeps mocking me with.
Gah, my head is spinning on this. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying Plain Sight Exception (updated on ff.n with chapters 9 & 10 this morning, BTW) so much right now - not only is it mostly not written by me, there's absolutely no chance of Mary Sue'ing. Especially for me - I'm doing Lennnie.
Um, I mean, I'm writing Lennie. Let's make that really, really clear. Writing.
Speaking of 7 years married, 9 years together, Chris read over ch 3 of Promises yesterday - found more Mary Sue-isms, damn it. There's also a bunch of stuff in there that I would rather gut myself than say or do, but still. I hate not knowing whether I'm putting something in because it's true to a character or because it's true to me. It's even worse not knowing whether, in an effort to not Mary Sue myself, I'm putting in or taking out things solely because I would do them too. And therefore not being true to the characters, because I'm taking out stuff that should be in or putting in stuff that shouldn't be there.
I mean, some stuff is just universal to people and couples in general. If there happen to be similarities... some of them probably can't be avoided. And I'm twisting myself into a pretzel trying to distinguish between what's universal and what's lazy writing and over-identification.
Even the "7 years married, 9 years together" bit - I realized that was another similarity, and I kind of cringed. That part isn't even my fault - it's from canon, for God's sake, and when I started writing this, lo so many moons ago, it wasn't even true because we'd been together 6 and 8, respectively. But right now it's yet another niggly little "you're over-identifying, neener!" that my silly subconscious keeps mocking me with.
Gah, my head is spinning on this. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying Plain Sight Exception (updated on ff.n with chapters 9 & 10 this morning, BTW) so much right now - not only is it mostly not written by me, there's absolutely no chance of Mary Sue'ing. Especially for me - I'm doing Lennnie.
Um, I mean, I'm writing Lennie. Let's make that really, really clear. Writing.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 08:45 am (UTC)At leat you can write
Date: 2003-06-15 09:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 10:07 am (UTC)FWIW, even if there is a chunk of "you" in Deborah and/or Rey, I don't think that automatically equals Mary Sue. If you were ignoring the canonically-established characterization in favor of writing what you think Rey "ought" to feel in certain situations that bore some resemblence to your own, then yeah, you're skirting Mary Sue territory. But there's *always* going to be a certain amount of "you" in any fic writing, and in the L&O characters, especially, given that we know next to nothing about their private lives.
Seriously, unless you're writing the Rey and Deborah stuff with the intention of using it as a passive-agressive way of dealing with your personal issues, I wouldn't fret too much about any similarities. 'Sides, this is what beta readers are for - and I'm not afraid to smack you down if I think something isn't kosher. :)
Am v. relieved to know that you're *writing* Lennie. :)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 10:16 am (UTC)Don't think she won't do it... She's already threatened me with pointy sticks!
;)
Congrats on the anniversary!
Re: At least you can write
Date: 2003-06-15 10:39 am (UTC)As for _feeling_ like you can write, or wanting to write... I felt pretty burned out after all the Aftershocks and Pretty Picture stuff, and that was nowhere near the 760-page two-year epic that IAS was. Maybe the longer the project, the more downtime we need afterwards to feel like picking up again, or to feel confident about what comes out.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 11:09 am (UTC)Eeep! I totally missed this! I'm simultaneously mortified and not terribly surprised. This time of year is such a Chrisfest - birthday, wedding anniversary, Father's Day - that it's no wonder I missed one of the events this year. Still... I have some apologizing to do.
unless you're writing the Rey and Deborah stuff with the intention of using it as a passive-agressive way of dealing with your personal issues
Heh - hadn't thought of that before. That would be a little evil, wouldn't it? I could make Rey act like a total jerk, and Deborah be the epitome of sweetness and light, and show it to Chris, saying, "Of course this isn't about us, dear," ::sweet smile::
Hm... why hasn't this occurred to me before? I have some serious re-writing to do.
Am v. relieved to know that you're *writing* Lennie. :)
::gulp:: Yeah - some things need immediate clearing up.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 11:11 am (UTC)Hee... oh dear. Will get out my protective gear when the next chapter comes back to me ;)
Congrats on the anniversary!
Thanks - and thanks also to snarkhunter and bear for your congrats too :)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-15 11:44 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-06-15 12:12 pm (UTC)