The Curtain Falls on MsScribe (and other randomosities)
Firstly, I just found out that my big fic, After the Die is Cast is now a featured story at Mugglenet Fanfiction! *squee* It definitely brightened my day to see that - check it out on the left task bar if you're curious and don't mind that the first two chapters are *cough*rubbish*cough*. Yay :)
Secondly, I got caught in a torrential downpour yesterday and came home looking like a wet seal out of Prince William Sound. To get home, I literally ran one block through a 2 foot-deep river that ran adjacent to my apartment complex with a defunct umbrella, and once I got through the door, I was so put off by the whole business that I decided to take a picture and document just how soaked I was. This is me, wet-rag style. Yes, that's my "@#$%&!" face.
*ahem* So anyway. How about that Unauthorized Biography?
Like many of you, I was riveted to my computer this weekend reading charlottelennox's gripping non-fiction narrative, "The MsScribe Story". It took me forever to get through a single chapter what with the other insane things I had to do this weekend, but I found myself frequently returning to Bad_Penny like I needed a drug fix. Those who don't know what I'm talking about should turn off your cell phone, leave a note on the door that says "do not disturb" and tackle the story a bit at a time. Make sure you have some painkillers handy as well, for it chronicles the extremely painful and disturbing sequence of events in which msscribe/delawarean, through the creation of alternate identities and sockpuppets, manipulated her friends, slandered her enemies, and downright lied her way to fame and martyrdom. charlottelennox put it best when she said that "the real driver for [MsScribe] was her love for verbal combat, her zest for blood in the online water." (Chapter 10)
There is little I can say that has not been said already. I'm repulsed by what happened over the course of several years - moreso now that I have learned from poconell via heidi8's journal that MsScribe's "conscience is clear". Truly, truly deranged sentiment, that. Especially after reading about MsScribe's hand in what is known to the fandom as "CharityWank". My stomach hurts just thinking about it.
Some people have expressed ire at the apologies that are emerging right now from former MsScribe supporters who were manipulated into participating in her destructive schemes or have come to her defense. Given what has happened, I can understand why someone who was involved would feel like an apology isn't good enough - if I'd been involved, my Sicilian temper would be all OVER it. The only thing I might say in response is that perhaps apologies is all we can expect while the gun is still smoking. It's not easy to admit involvement in something so horrendous let alone ask for forgiveness. Perhaps later we may get offers of organ donations, but for now, I greaty respect those who have been willing to publicly eat their words and express genuine remorse. It's a step in the right direction, I think.
In general, my feelings all come back to this: you reap what you sow. None of us can run from the karmic boomerang; it's only a matter of when it'll strike. Some people are astounded and angry that things that happened years ago have been brought back to reopen old wounds. Well, if wounds don't heal correctly, sometimes you've got to reopen the injury, put things right, and sew it back up in the hopes that the next time things won't just be okay... they'll be better. Besides, this is the meaning of karma: if you are driving 150 miles per hour on a highway, you don't come to a total stop when you put your foot on the break. Like a car that rolls to a stop, consequences can come back years after the initial action that set the wheels in motion. "Why now?" Because that's how long it took for people to distance themselves from the events enough to have an objective perspective on the matter. Because... why not now?
If the events dictated in The MsScribe Story are the starting point for animosity between "ships" in the fandom, I sincerely hope that the exposure of the facts behind them will help mend relations between the various groups. Being a fanartist has granted me an inordinate amount of distance from the ship wars simply because, as I've always said, "art transcends politics". At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think the fandom can learn a bit from the fanart community. It's no secret that I enjoy and favor the pairings that have appeared in Canon so far - H/G and R/Hr among them - but it's never held me back from delighting in the artistic expressions of such amazing H/Hr artists as midnight_ljc and teawithvoldy (just to name a couple). Making the relationships of fictional characters a cause for vitriol and animosity has been and always will be utterly nuts to me. I thought we were all in this for the same reason: we all like Harry Potter.
Here's hoping that, even if delawarean hasn't learned anything, The MsScribe Story can teach us all a little bit about what's worth fighting over and the value of being the most genuine version of ourselves as possible.
There's my two cents, for what it's worth.
To new names on my friends lists: I hope you'll pop in and introduce yourselves. :)
To old friends - tomorrow, I'm playing catch-up on your LJs and on your comments. I hope everyone is well!
Secondly, I got caught in a torrential downpour yesterday and came home looking like a wet seal out of Prince William Sound. To get home, I literally ran one block through a 2 foot-deep river that ran adjacent to my apartment complex with a defunct umbrella, and once I got through the door, I was so put off by the whole business that I decided to take a picture and document just how soaked I was. This is me, wet-rag style. Yes, that's my "@#$%&!" face.
*ahem* So anyway. How about that Unauthorized Biography?
Like many of you, I was riveted to my computer this weekend reading charlottelennox's gripping non-fiction narrative, "The MsScribe Story". It took me forever to get through a single chapter what with the other insane things I had to do this weekend, but I found myself frequently returning to Bad_Penny like I needed a drug fix. Those who don't know what I'm talking about should turn off your cell phone, leave a note on the door that says "do not disturb" and tackle the story a bit at a time. Make sure you have some painkillers handy as well, for it chronicles the extremely painful and disturbing sequence of events in which msscribe/delawarean, through the creation of alternate identities and sockpuppets, manipulated her friends, slandered her enemies, and downright lied her way to fame and martyrdom. charlottelennox put it best when she said that "the real driver for [MsScribe] was her love for verbal combat, her zest for blood in the online water." (Chapter 10)
There is little I can say that has not been said already. I'm repulsed by what happened over the course of several years - moreso now that I have learned from poconell via heidi8's journal that MsScribe's "conscience is clear". Truly, truly deranged sentiment, that. Especially after reading about MsScribe's hand in what is known to the fandom as "CharityWank". My stomach hurts just thinking about it.
Some people have expressed ire at the apologies that are emerging right now from former MsScribe supporters who were manipulated into participating in her destructive schemes or have come to her defense. Given what has happened, I can understand why someone who was involved would feel like an apology isn't good enough - if I'd been involved, my Sicilian temper would be all OVER it. The only thing I might say in response is that perhaps apologies is all we can expect while the gun is still smoking. It's not easy to admit involvement in something so horrendous let alone ask for forgiveness. Perhaps later we may get offers of organ donations, but for now, I greaty respect those who have been willing to publicly eat their words and express genuine remorse. It's a step in the right direction, I think.
In general, my feelings all come back to this: you reap what you sow. None of us can run from the karmic boomerang; it's only a matter of when it'll strike. Some people are astounded and angry that things that happened years ago have been brought back to reopen old wounds. Well, if wounds don't heal correctly, sometimes you've got to reopen the injury, put things right, and sew it back up in the hopes that the next time things won't just be okay... they'll be better. Besides, this is the meaning of karma: if you are driving 150 miles per hour on a highway, you don't come to a total stop when you put your foot on the break. Like a car that rolls to a stop, consequences can come back years after the initial action that set the wheels in motion. "Why now?" Because that's how long it took for people to distance themselves from the events enough to have an objective perspective on the matter. Because... why not now?
If the events dictated in The MsScribe Story are the starting point for animosity between "ships" in the fandom, I sincerely hope that the exposure of the facts behind them will help mend relations between the various groups. Being a fanartist has granted me an inordinate amount of distance from the ship wars simply because, as I've always said, "art transcends politics". At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think the fandom can learn a bit from the fanart community. It's no secret that I enjoy and favor the pairings that have appeared in Canon so far - H/G and R/Hr among them - but it's never held me back from delighting in the artistic expressions of such amazing H/Hr artists as midnight_ljc and teawithvoldy (just to name a couple). Making the relationships of fictional characters a cause for vitriol and animosity has been and always will be utterly nuts to me. I thought we were all in this for the same reason: we all like Harry Potter.
Here's hoping that, even if delawarean hasn't learned anything, The MsScribe Story can teach us all a little bit about what's worth fighting over and the value of being the most genuine version of ourselves as possible.
There's my two cents, for what it's worth.
To new names on my friends lists: I hope you'll pop in and introduce yourselves. :)
To old friends - tomorrow, I'm playing catch-up on your LJs and on your comments. I hope everyone is well!