|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 8, 2011 16:50:01 GMT 1
I hope that by now, most people in this forum knew at least the basic idea of what a Mary Sue is and how much woe s/he gives us within the fanfic territory. Because I'm going to ask one thing that bothers me for a while now when it comes to her:
Why does the colour purple is associated as an element of Mary Sue? It's just the colour of purple for the love of kangaroos.
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Glow on Nov 8, 2011 16:56:51 GMT 1
Basically because the colour purple has ties to like, divinity, royalty and a love of ceremony, I think. Those can all be pretty Mary Sue-ish if handled improperly.
|
|
|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 8, 2011 17:00:22 GMT 1
I've never thought of that, especially the regal part. Thanks Glow. Now another reason to treat colour as colour... nothing special or symbolic about it.... unless you want to use other colours like red blood on a white dress...
|
|
|
Post by jklinders on Nov 8, 2011 17:14:34 GMT 1
It can be pretty pretentious as a colour. Traditionally only royalty could even afford to have the dye made because it was so damn hard to make. But really any kind of obsessiveness over a characters clothing is a little Mary Sue-ish.
Micheal Moorcock had this weird habit of taking the better part of a page in a lock and load scene for Corum in his Corum Chronicles. The guy had style to be sure but why so much effort at describing it since he otherwise was not often bothered by details?
|
|
|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 8, 2011 17:53:42 GMT 1
Or drawing the character in the most cool but really impractical way of suiting up for combat.
|
|
|
Post by Cali on Nov 8, 2011 18:06:41 GMT 1
So be honest, has anyone ever created a Mary-Sue at one point in the span of their writing hobby?
Unfortunately, I can say that I have. He was a character in the WarCraft universe and pretty much had every single Mary-Sue quality about him, right down to a tee.
Luckily I've kept my heels cool since then. Unless Burke Craddock is a total sue and I'm not even aware of it.
|
|
|
Post by Warhammer Gorvar on Nov 8, 2011 18:53:38 GMT 1
Same here, although it had more to do with lineage. My character's great-grandfather was Kilrog Deadeye. The reason why I picked him (along with because he was an orc) was because he had so many unnamed children, grandchidlren and great grandchildren. When I mentioned it in a rp, people IMMIDIATLY stated I was a mary-sue. Note my character has flaws and isn't to powerful and the lineage has little to do with his arc.
So what i got from it i think it's best your character is not even remotely related to any lore character.
As for looking impractical for combat....well i've read to many comic books and manga's to not really care unless they look utterly stupid. I'm talking about Ms.Marvel's costume for example or plate battle-bikini's.
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Nov 8, 2011 23:14:34 GMT 1
That's a good point, Cali - everyone has written at least one perfect character. I don't think I ever did a perfect protagonist, actually... but plenty of love interests who definitely count.
I didn't know about the purple thing! This is something regularly associated with Mary Sues?
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Glow on Nov 8, 2011 23:26:41 GMT 1
I didn't know about the purple thing! This is something regularly associated with Mary Sues? And yes, I have written a Mary Sue or two in my time. Fear of doing it again and losing the towering amounts of respect I've gained in the past couple of years here is one of the things behind my current writer's block, I think.
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Nov 8, 2011 23:38:29 GMT 1
I know that fear. But don't be put off writing by it. I think the only way to write well is to keep at it.
|
|
|
Post by CAPT Issac R. Madden on Nov 9, 2011 1:44:46 GMT 1
As I stated in the horrible fan fics thread (IIRC), my first fic was an Inuyasha Mary-Sue SI that rivals current MST target "Mass Effected" in terms of shittiness. I swear I have no idea WTF I was thinking, but I'm glad to have matured.
Last time I checked, Ian in "Halo of Flies" has some Sue traits (plays guitar, charms some people with his skill, etc), but I'm trying to make him more flawed. Problem is this damned writer's block which is why I've started writing that Marvel fic.
|
|
|
Post by Knightfall on Nov 9, 2011 2:05:51 GMT 1
I definitely had a Mary Sue character for a long, long time. She was probably the most badass character I had written at the time and she could do no wrong, even when she tried. And my first interpretation of Revan that I'd been using for my fanfiction project was also without flaw - throw in the fact that he was a Jedi, and he was just crazy overboard.
It happens, but it's just a matter of reading back through a story a few times with a critical eye. You'll know it when you see it.
EDIT: Just remembered that my Revan had a blue lightsaber, but then traded up to a red one. Blue + Red = Purple. Coincidence?! =O
|
|
|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 9, 2011 9:05:59 GMT 1
Coincidence, really.
Also Buch is right. You should keep going at it, Glow. It's the only way to improve your writing. As long you're aware of it and do care about making well-rounded characters, you should be alright.
|
|
|
Post by Knightfall on Nov 9, 2011 10:25:51 GMT 1
Agreed. The only time you should even consider worrying is if someone else is coming to you saying your character is a little too perfect. Catching yourself in the act is a very good thing.
|
|
|
Post by Cali on Dec 13, 2011 2:30:49 GMT 1
I've sort of noticed (and am quite surprised) that Burke Craddock of Cyan Steel has turned out to be a serious antidote to my personality and viewpoints, save for the good nature, morality and college level vocabulary.
While I'm a bleeding heart liberal he's an objectivist and free marketeer. I believe in Utilitarianism, Burke thinks it doesn't work. While I'm a deistic creationist, he's more or less an atheist. I'm a bit of believer in nonviolence, Burke believes in using it as a means to an end. While I believe in unity, Burke is a raging individualist and anti-establishment.
How I was able to pull this off without trying, I'm not entirely sure. If anything, Burke's crewmates, Brooklyn Seltzer and Darius Macerdin are the Mary-Sues. Brooklyn being the college educated smartass serious one who's a huge believer in planned economics and Darius having the commando training that all the other Gary-Stus have.
|
|