Mary-Sue?
Grace has missed Doctor Who. Well, most of it. She was coming home from a dog show, and certain complications [read: smashed rear-view windscreen] on the way home prolonged the journey. She will watch it on BBC3 tomorrow, or download it at some point, to catch up. No spoilers please! (Though I did see the end... My opinion of which is remaining undecided.)
On a slightly Who related note, what do you think of this quote:
"Doctor Who character Rose Tyler is what is commonly known as a 'Mary Sue'- an unironic reflection of the writers' and fans' desire to get in there and help the Doctor out (while managing to stay pretty)."
It's from the Wiki' encyclopedia page for "Mary Sue". Can't remember who wrote it - some Times Literary Supplement bloke. Question is: do you agree? I'm not sure, but I guess it's down to personal opinion. I never saw S1 Rose as a Mary-Sue, even in fanfic, but maybe S2 Rose was going that way. Her character didn't really develop over the second series, and she was pretty much reduced to being the Doctor's "soul mate" and "looking pretty", with the "tragic past" coming back to haunt her in the Cybermen eps. Admittedly, she often serves, in fanfiction, as the tool through which fans get to experience Doctor Who adventures for themselves, whether they realise it or not. The thing about writing fanfic is that you're in control, and one tailors one's story to one's own tastes, be that regular action, in-depth character analysis, or full-out p0rn.
I didn't like much of S2 Rose, I'll be honest, and I've avoided S2 fanfic like the plague because the tenth Doctor does nothing for me, and I know I wouldn't enjoy much of the fanfic that follows him. Plus I also find Rose a bit irritating post-Nine; S1 Rose was more real to me - she just had a better chemistry, and perhaps even a healthier relationship, with the ninth Doctor. Of course, I state, this is my opinion - everyone sees things differently - and I just prefered things as they were before. Now that Rose has gone, do people see Martha as the Mary-Sue? She certainly hasn't had a tragic life or any of those apparently "clichéd" things, but she *is* the human POV of the Doctor's life and adventures, and will now serve as the humna "way-in" in fanfiction just as she does on TV. I like the tenth Doctor better with Martha, I have to say, because she gives a better reflection of him, and she suits him better. (But again, that's my POV. I know some people are pining for Rose as much as I've pined, and continue to pine, for Nine. ^_~)
Why have I brought this up? I was just looking into exactly *what* a Mary-Sue was, since the meaning is sometimes lost or confused, and the Rose quote-thing intrigued me. The quote was made in 2005, so one presumes the man was talking about S1 Rose in fanfiction, if that has any bearing on the matter at all. Rose fits some of the Mary-Sue requirements, and many people would have made her into one in their fanfics - but, in fanfic, maybe every character is a potential Mary-Sue in one way or another, don't you think? Subconsciously or not? I personally don't think that I live through Rose in my Who fanfics. Maybe in moments, but certainly not always - in fact, I don't envy her at all most of the time! I'd rather be the Doctor, or Jack, or even a Dalek. XD Heh.
It's always hard when one writes a story which stars a character they love very much - in my case, the ninth Doctor - because one has to be careful not to put too much of themselves into it, lest they want to wander into out-of-character territory. It's why there's so much retarded crap out there in fanfic land - because people don't think to pay enough respect to their source material, and want only to fulfil some personal little fantasy. It's harmless, true enough, but still... good fanfiction is a gem and, unless you know where to look, a rarity. But may it live on forever!
On a slightly Who related note, what do you think of this quote:
"Doctor Who character Rose Tyler is what is commonly known as a 'Mary Sue'- an unironic reflection of the writers' and fans' desire to get in there and help the Doctor out (while managing to stay pretty)."
It's from the Wiki' encyclopedia page for "Mary Sue". Can't remember who wrote it - some Times Literary Supplement bloke. Question is: do you agree? I'm not sure, but I guess it's down to personal opinion. I never saw S1 Rose as a Mary-Sue, even in fanfic, but maybe S2 Rose was going that way. Her character didn't really develop over the second series, and she was pretty much reduced to being the Doctor's "soul mate" and "looking pretty", with the "tragic past" coming back to haunt her in the Cybermen eps. Admittedly, she often serves, in fanfiction, as the tool through which fans get to experience Doctor Who adventures for themselves, whether they realise it or not. The thing about writing fanfic is that you're in control, and one tailors one's story to one's own tastes, be that regular action, in-depth character analysis, or full-out p0rn.
I didn't like much of S2 Rose, I'll be honest, and I've avoided S2 fanfic like the plague because the tenth Doctor does nothing for me, and I know I wouldn't enjoy much of the fanfic that follows him. Plus I also find Rose a bit irritating post-Nine; S1 Rose was more real to me - she just had a better chemistry, and perhaps even a healthier relationship, with the ninth Doctor. Of course, I state, this is my opinion - everyone sees things differently - and I just prefered things as they were before. Now that Rose has gone, do people see Martha as the Mary-Sue? She certainly hasn't had a tragic life or any of those apparently "clichéd" things, but she *is* the human POV of the Doctor's life and adventures, and will now serve as the humna "way-in" in fanfiction just as she does on TV. I like the tenth Doctor better with Martha, I have to say, because she gives a better reflection of him, and she suits him better. (But again, that's my POV. I know some people are pining for Rose as much as I've pined, and continue to pine, for Nine. ^_~)
Why have I brought this up? I was just looking into exactly *what* a Mary-Sue was, since the meaning is sometimes lost or confused, and the Rose quote-thing intrigued me. The quote was made in 2005, so one presumes the man was talking about S1 Rose in fanfiction, if that has any bearing on the matter at all. Rose fits some of the Mary-Sue requirements, and many people would have made her into one in their fanfics - but, in fanfic, maybe every character is a potential Mary-Sue in one way or another, don't you think? Subconsciously or not? I personally don't think that I live through Rose in my Who fanfics. Maybe in moments, but certainly not always - in fact, I don't envy her at all most of the time! I'd rather be the Doctor, or Jack, or even a Dalek. XD Heh.
It's always hard when one writes a story which stars a character they love very much - in my case, the ninth Doctor - because one has to be careful not to put too much of themselves into it, lest they want to wander into out-of-character territory. It's why there's so much retarded crap out there in fanfic land - because people don't think to pay enough respect to their source material, and want only to fulfil some personal little fantasy. It's harmless, true enough, but still... good fanfiction is a gem and, unless you know where to look, a rarity. But may it live on forever!