Due to recent events... "30 Days of Writing" again.
A few days ago, someone (no, you won't get names because I protect my sources) pointed me to a story where I still don't quite know if it's absolutely hilarious or horrific. It's Stargate, and it probably contains the worst Stargate Sue (or maybe even Sues) I ever came across. Okay, usually, I steer clear off Sues in general (with a very special exception... the person in question knows who I mean ;)), so that's probably not saying much but seriously... Worst. Sue. Ever.
However, I felt quite content with simply reading it and oscillating (isn't that a great word?) between laughing my ass off and visibly flinching in horror. But then I came across a detail that played into one of my areas of expertise (well, hobby expertise) and that's everything that has to do with characters with a military background. I tried to tell the perpetrator suethor aspiring author that if she includes characters with a military background she should damn well do her research right but she kept telling me stuff that didn't have anything to do with my observations and dared to tell me I didn't pay attention to her excuses explanations. And yes, I couldn't help getting a little bit acerbic in my last reply (yes, a little... when I flame, it looks totally different, believe me).
Today... I got called on by a mod that "everyone could write as they please and GOD FORBID SOMEONE CRITICISES SOMEONE ELSE INSTEAD OF FALLING ALL OVER THEMSELVES WITH PRAISE (okay, not in that exact wording but you get my meaning, right?). People... what happened to growth as an author? What happened to accepting someone's exhaustive advice and maybe even asking for more information on a matter I obviously am not quite as firm in as I thought (or simply abandoning a part of my characters' background that doesn't interest me instead of stubbornly going on as if I knew everything about it when I clearly don't)? And what happened to first go through your Sue phase and then start publishing?
Anyway, with that in mind... let's see what I can think up to the next "30 Days of Writing" question.
The first three were:
1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.
2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
3. How do you come up with names, for characters (and for places if you’re writing about fictional places)?
And here we go with the new question:
4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
...do I have to?
What? I do?
Damn.
Anyway... I won't say more about the story and the plot than that it was Star Wars and was inspired by me getting tired of having to wait for the translation of the third book of Kevin J. Anderson's first Star Wars novel series, Champions of the Force. But what I will say is that the female lead was a terrible Sue, maybe even worse than the Stargate Sue. Yes, this author here had her Mary Sue Phase alright, and I'm pretty sure it lasted for at least two or maybe even three years.
When I started writing, I was 14 (oh God, exactly half the age I'm now...) and I'd never even heard of the term "fanfiction", let alone the term "Mary Sue". I just happily scribbled away in school notebooks and I'm pretty sure they're still lying around somewhere in my old room. I promise, if I ever find them, I will not throw them away, unlike so many other people (including my mom, who one day confessed to me she wrote The Three Musketeers fanfic (long, long before the first German ever heard of that word, I gather) but burned it all... I so wished she hadn't because I'd have loved to see my mom's style and how much it differed from mine).
Because even though the character is a Sue, and a really horrible one (one day I'm gonna put her through a litmus test and I'm pretty sure she'll score uber Sue :D) at that, she's still kind of the foundation for all my female characters today. Of course today, my characters are more balanced and hopefully also more realistic, appearing like humans, not an awfully annoying cardboard cutout but the Sue... was still their ancestor.
The roots of my writing lie in those notebooks and to be able to go somewhere, you have to know where you're coming from. It's also still astounding me how much I evolved and grew as a writer since putting a few words on paper 14 years ago (and a lot that recent development I owe to mackenziesmomma first and foremost but also rareb, ancient_leah and asugar (who I BTW miss very, very, very much!)). That story, crude and maybe even ridiculous as it was, was my first step into the wonderful world of writing and the wonderful world of fanfic writing and it opened a whole new universe for me.
That said... can we please go back to the days where an author's Sue phase takes place in private? Because usually, that phase also comes with the inability to accept criticsm that doesn't consist of the words "That's liek tHe best storey I evAr read!" or some such nonsense (I'm pretty sure I would have had that petulant streak as well, had someone in earnest criticised that first story), no matter how helpful it could be if you'd actually be ready for accepting criticism that doesn't reflect your view but is still justified. I get that a writer's ego is very fragile - mine is, too - but... that doesn't give you the right to call every bit of criticism that points out to you that your characters are out of character, that your OC needs a little trimming to make them actually likable and realistic or that your research skills could use some improvement a flame. Even if that criticsm comes across as rather stern.
As long as someone doesn't outright call your story crap and strongly hints that it would be best for everyone involved if you never write a word again... it's not a flame. Seriously, it's not. Stop stomping your foot and calling everyone who doesn't jump with joy at your newest chapter but wants to give you a few helpful hints as to how to get better a flamer. And if you really can't take a review that doesn't exult exuberant praise of your story... maybe it's best you stop publishing for a while and try to come clean with your issues instead of screaming bloody murder calling "FLAME!"
In light of that, I really am very, very glad that I didn't start publishing until I was 18 and had learned a great deal more about writing than at the age of 14. I'm pretty sure I would have acted like that as well and boy, am I glad that I didn't ever embarrass myself like that on the internet. So yeah, thanks for happening, dear first story but also thank God that you'll never see the light of the internets. I'm really doing everyone involved a favor with that.
~*~
5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?
6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol’ pen and paper?
7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?
8. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!
11. Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of worldbuilding? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?
13. What’s your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?
14. How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
15. Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!
16. Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing?
17. Favorite protagonist and why!
18. Favorite antagonist and why!
19. Favorite minor that decided to shove himself into the spotlight and why!
20. What are your favorite character interactions to write?
21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
22. Tell us about one scene between your characters that you’ve never written or told anyone about before! Serious or not.
23. How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story-from planning to writing to posting (if you post your work)?
24. How willing are you to kill your characters if the plot so demands it? What’s the most interesting way you’ve killed someone?
25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.
26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite picture of him!
27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there’s nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
However, I felt quite content with simply reading it and oscillating (isn't that a great word?) between laughing my ass off and visibly flinching in horror. But then I came across a detail that played into one of my areas of expertise (well, hobby expertise) and that's everything that has to do with characters with a military background. I tried to tell the perpetrator suethor aspiring author that if she includes characters with a military background she should damn well do her research right but she kept telling me stuff that didn't have anything to do with my observations and dared to tell me I didn't pay attention to her excuses explanations. And yes, I couldn't help getting a little bit acerbic in my last reply (yes, a little... when I flame, it looks totally different, believe me).
Today... I got called on by a mod that "everyone could write as they please and GOD FORBID SOMEONE CRITICISES SOMEONE ELSE INSTEAD OF FALLING ALL OVER THEMSELVES WITH PRAISE (okay, not in that exact wording but you get my meaning, right?). People... what happened to growth as an author? What happened to accepting someone's exhaustive advice and maybe even asking for more information on a matter I obviously am not quite as firm in as I thought (or simply abandoning a part of my characters' background that doesn't interest me instead of stubbornly going on as if I knew everything about it when I clearly don't)? And what happened to first go through your Sue phase and then start publishing?
Anyway, with that in mind... let's see what I can think up to the next "30 Days of Writing" question.
The first three were:
1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.
2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
3. How do you come up with names, for characters (and for places if you’re writing about fictional places)?
And here we go with the new question:
4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
...do I have to?
What? I do?
Damn.
Anyway... I won't say more about the story and the plot than that it was Star Wars and was inspired by me getting tired of having to wait for the translation of the third book of Kevin J. Anderson's first Star Wars novel series, Champions of the Force. But what I will say is that the female lead was a terrible Sue, maybe even worse than the Stargate Sue. Yes, this author here had her Mary Sue Phase alright, and I'm pretty sure it lasted for at least two or maybe even three years.
When I started writing, I was 14 (oh God, exactly half the age I'm now...) and I'd never even heard of the term "fanfiction", let alone the term "Mary Sue". I just happily scribbled away in school notebooks and I'm pretty sure they're still lying around somewhere in my old room. I promise, if I ever find them, I will not throw them away, unlike so many other people (including my mom, who one day confessed to me she wrote The Three Musketeers fanfic (long, long before the first German ever heard of that word, I gather) but burned it all... I so wished she hadn't because I'd have loved to see my mom's style and how much it differed from mine).
Because even though the character is a Sue, and a really horrible one (one day I'm gonna put her through a litmus test and I'm pretty sure she'll score uber Sue :D) at that, she's still kind of the foundation for all my female characters today. Of course today, my characters are more balanced and hopefully also more realistic, appearing like humans, not an awfully annoying cardboard cutout but the Sue... was still their ancestor.
The roots of my writing lie in those notebooks and to be able to go somewhere, you have to know where you're coming from. It's also still astounding me how much I evolved and grew as a writer since putting a few words on paper 14 years ago (and a lot that recent development I owe to mackenziesmomma first and foremost but also rareb, ancient_leah and asugar (who I BTW miss very, very, very much!)). That story, crude and maybe even ridiculous as it was, was my first step into the wonderful world of writing and the wonderful world of fanfic writing and it opened a whole new universe for me.
That said... can we please go back to the days where an author's Sue phase takes place in private? Because usually, that phase also comes with the inability to accept criticsm that doesn't consist of the words "That's liek tHe best storey I evAr read!" or some such nonsense (I'm pretty sure I would have had that petulant streak as well, had someone in earnest criticised that first story), no matter how helpful it could be if you'd actually be ready for accepting criticism that doesn't reflect your view but is still justified. I get that a writer's ego is very fragile - mine is, too - but... that doesn't give you the right to call every bit of criticism that points out to you that your characters are out of character, that your OC needs a little trimming to make them actually likable and realistic or that your research skills could use some improvement a flame. Even if that criticsm comes across as rather stern.
As long as someone doesn't outright call your story crap and strongly hints that it would be best for everyone involved if you never write a word again... it's not a flame. Seriously, it's not. Stop stomping your foot and calling everyone who doesn't jump with joy at your newest chapter but wants to give you a few helpful hints as to how to get better a flamer. And if you really can't take a review that doesn't exult exuberant praise of your story... maybe it's best you stop publishing for a while and try to come clean with your issues instead of screaming bloody murder calling "FLAME!"
In light of that, I really am very, very glad that I didn't start publishing until I was 18 and had learned a great deal more about writing than at the age of 14. I'm pretty sure I would have acted like that as well and boy, am I glad that I didn't ever embarrass myself like that on the internet. So yeah, thanks for happening, dear first story but also thank God that you'll never see the light of the internets. I'm really doing everyone involved a favor with that.
~*~
5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?
6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol’ pen and paper?
7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?
8. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!
11. Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of worldbuilding? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?
13. What’s your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?
14. How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
15. Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!
16. Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing?
17. Favorite protagonist and why!
18. Favorite antagonist and why!
19. Favorite minor that decided to shove himself into the spotlight and why!
20. What are your favorite character interactions to write?
21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
22. Tell us about one scene between your characters that you’ve never written or told anyone about before! Serious or not.
23. How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story-from planning to writing to posting (if you post your work)?
24. How willing are you to kill your characters if the plot so demands it? What’s the most interesting way you’ve killed someone?
25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.
26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite picture of him!
27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there’s nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!