Derivated, ripped-off, stolen, falsely attributed, borrowed alternative universe fanfiction
i. J.T. Leroy is a fraud? Well, I am shocked and appalled, but not very surprised.
ii. Chuck Palahniuk stole Fight Club opening from the opening of Rushdie's Satanic Verses. According to both you've got to die before you live forever. Or again. Hmm... on second thought - maybe Palahniuk and Rushdie just ripped off one or two similar religious texts.
iii. Is Ginny a Mary... well, Canon Sue? Well, if she is, she is in excellent company.
Mary Sues are quite pathetic and I can't really understand an author wanting to live through one in their own fictional universe. It's like sending an idealized version of yourself into a fictional universe, you have complete control over, to "play" with. To have other characters, you completely control, adoring that idealized version of you.
Uhm... can someone explain to me why I sound like a commentary on Christianity? With Jesus as Mary Sue? Because actually, I wasn't trying to say this. (And I should stop watching movies while typing stuff.)
My point was quite non-religiously pointing out that the author is the god of his own fictional universe. He can paint the sky purple. He doesn't Mary Sue Ravenfeather's superpowers or the characters' love, he is the damn alpha and omega of that world, he is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. What do you need a Mary Sue for?
iv. I've been watching episodes of the US version of The Office and it's like watching fanfiction. A cleverly executed AU, with characters being occasionally OOC, but always in a way that make sense. The first episode is terribly derivative of the original, including the basic big arc (downsizing, competing with the Swindon/Albany branch), the main characters (sleazy boss David Brent type of character, nice guy Tim-a-like, nice receptionist, stoic fat guy, nerdy suck-up), the relationships (nice guy has crush on nice girl, but she is engaged to that dumb manual laborer), the set, the mockumentary style etc etc.
But all episodes after that one are a lot less derivative. It's weird, because the characters change according to their arcs and consequently act differently in certain situations than their UK counterparts. And you feel different about them. The style is different as it is a bit more upbeat and happy-ending-orientated than the UK version. Here the sleazy boss does actually find a stranger who thinks he is funny. Only once, but it counts. And it doesn't take two seasons and crying fit to feel kind of sorry for said sleazy boss.
It's an entertaining show and so I kept watching, but it really feels like watching fanfiction. Expensive, paid-for, legal, amusing fanfiction.
v. Derivated fiction. Mary Sue Ravenfeather's author writes it. Shakespeare wrote it. Whoever writes the US version of The Office does. Does them make that lesser "gods", because they didn't created their characters, settings and plot and as such are not really the alpha and the omega of their world? Are Mary Sues an attempt to get that creative power back by the creation of an important new character?
You know, at least two writers on the US Office are also having regular or recurring roles on the show. Ryan, the temp, is actually having some sort of UK counterpart, but Toby, the corporate guy, doesn't. Are they Mary Sues? Especially, since the sleazy boss does have some sort of fixation on Ryan.
vi. Should I continue to write when I am too tired for coherent thoughts?
vii. No.
ii. Chuck Palahniuk stole Fight Club opening from the opening of Rushdie's Satanic Verses. According to both you've got to die before you live forever. Or again. Hmm... on second thought - maybe Palahniuk and Rushdie just ripped off one or two similar religious texts.
iii. Is Ginny a Mary... well, Canon Sue? Well, if she is, she is in excellent company.
Mary Sues are quite pathetic and I can't really understand an author wanting to live through one in their own fictional universe. It's like sending an idealized version of yourself into a fictional universe, you have complete control over, to "play" with. To have other characters, you completely control, adoring that idealized version of you.
Uhm... can someone explain to me why I sound like a commentary on Christianity? With Jesus as Mary Sue? Because actually, I wasn't trying to say this. (And I should stop watching movies while typing stuff.)
My point was quite non-religiously pointing out that the author is the god of his own fictional universe. He can paint the sky purple. He doesn't Mary Sue Ravenfeather's superpowers or the characters' love, he is the damn alpha and omega of that world, he is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. What do you need a Mary Sue for?
iv. I've been watching episodes of the US version of The Office and it's like watching fanfiction. A cleverly executed AU, with characters being occasionally OOC, but always in a way that make sense. The first episode is terribly derivative of the original, including the basic big arc (downsizing, competing with the Swindon/Albany branch), the main characters (sleazy boss David Brent type of character, nice guy Tim-a-like, nice receptionist, stoic fat guy, nerdy suck-up), the relationships (nice guy has crush on nice girl, but she is engaged to that dumb manual laborer), the set, the mockumentary style etc etc.
But all episodes after that one are a lot less derivative. It's weird, because the characters change according to their arcs and consequently act differently in certain situations than their UK counterparts. And you feel different about them. The style is different as it is a bit more upbeat and happy-ending-orientated than the UK version. Here the sleazy boss does actually find a stranger who thinks he is funny. Only once, but it counts. And it doesn't take two seasons and crying fit to feel kind of sorry for said sleazy boss.
It's an entertaining show and so I kept watching, but it really feels like watching fanfiction. Expensive, paid-for, legal, amusing fanfiction.
v. Derivated fiction. Mary Sue Ravenfeather's author writes it. Shakespeare wrote it. Whoever writes the US version of The Office does. Does them make that lesser "gods", because they didn't created their characters, settings and plot and as such are not really the alpha and the omega of their world? Are Mary Sues an attempt to get that creative power back by the creation of an important new character?
You know, at least two writers on the US Office are also having regular or recurring roles on the show. Ryan, the temp, is actually having some sort of UK counterpart, but Toby, the corporate guy, doesn't. Are they Mary Sues? Especially, since the sleazy boss does have some sort of fixation on Ryan.
vi. Should I continue to write when I am too tired for coherent thoughts?
vii. No.