3505: The Worlds Worst... -- Charlotte Cartwrite and company
Don't forget about the Thirteenth Annual Pottersue Fanfic Contestt. You've got until January 31 to get your entries in.
- The link of the day is OC vs. Mary Sue. I bring this one in simply because it amuses me. The character on the left can still be a Sue, and on the left we have exaggerations along with traits which aren't necessarily Sue traits. Is one of the reasons people find themselves confused because people try using a character chart method that simplifies things in ways they shouldn't, like the picture.
- Flashback Sue
TITLE: The World's Worst Hogwarts Experience: An Autobigraphy
PERPETRATOR: Piper-Audrey Freemen
SUE-O-METER: Arful
COVER/BANNER ART: A picture of the OC?
SUMMARY:”Charlotte didn't know she was a witch, Charlotte had no idea her sister was one of the more powerful witches in the world, and Charlotte definitely didn't think she'd be going to the world's best school for witchcraft and wizardry. What Charlotte did know was that she needed to prove herself by carrying on family tradition and making the same house her whole family had: Slytherin.”
FULL NAME: Charlotte Cartwright/Waters, Alfie
SPECIES: According to the Sue, she's the “Muggleborn Thief”, that or her sister is. In reality she's an American Sue, so the question of WHY she's attending Hogwarts crops up.
HAIR:
EYES:
MARKINGS:
POSSESSIONS: The key to her vault, which she teethed on as a baby. (She acts surprised, but keys are you know shaped like keys.) She has a wand that is tigerwood, and dragon's heartstring
CONNECTION TO CANON: She goes on vacation with her parents in the first chapter. She's “sleeping on the couch in the cabin's living room with a blanket wrapped tightly around me. The cabin only had one bedroom...” (Suethor, I know you had your sue was copying the Harry Potter story, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Your character should have a story which is original to themselves.) A boy named Alfie randomly delivers her letter. (Would not happen.) She gets to of course go to Hogwarts. She randomly finds out she's magical, has a sister, and decides to take off without the permission of her adoptive parents, something the Hogwarts staff would never put off with, and heads to diagon alley without supervision. Third chapter is getting into Gringotts. Emphis is placed on the roller coaster aspect. She then gets her wand. Forth chapter, we find out Alfie actually stole her letter, which is why she's unsupervised. (Would not happen.) They talk about owls, but still go to Madam Malkin's, and run into Draco. (Please, don't copy the HP story. Parasite Sues aren't cool because, well, they don't really add anything to the plot, and just copy the story, right?) She makes friends with Draco instead, and I believe she's foes with - doesn't really say. I think the implications is Harry, but she can't even remember his name. Draco goes with her to get her owl, and is excited about meeting someone famous. (Hey, isn't the “sure, it's not everyday I meet someone famous” from the books or movies?)
ORIGIN: The first chapter is pretty much Charlotte going into how her story is like Harry's, but didn't make the cut in the original. She was adopted by Gina and Stanley Waters, but reverts to her original name despite the fact adoptions mean your last name is changed to your adoptive parents, and you don't get a choice to keep your parents last name. She's also a “no friend” character who didn'tfit in, but we're told this rather then shown. More talking to Draco in the forth chapter, and she meets someone named Bethany, and I believe she's meant to meet Snape. I decided to stop with this.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: We've got another story about a forgotten character. I need to say here I really dislike it when the writer tries passing their character off as some special character the original creator forgot, as this comes across as egotistical, even if the writer didn't intend it this way. We then find out she's allowed to keep her real parents last name despite the fact this doesn't happen in the adoption process. She's anti-social, or at least according to her teachers. She's from America, despite the fact it has it's own school system. She's also an unsupervised minor. Scratch that, so is Aflie if you think about it. “You're the little sister of one of the most brilliant witches in the wizarding world, and your picture's pretty much everywhere. There probably isn't a wizard alive who hasn't heard about you”. (Yeah, I believe the last line was something said by Hagrid if I remember correctly.)
NOTES: Have you ever gotten the feeling a writer's really trying to show off how much they know about writing, but they only end up showing how much they really don't know? This is one of them. I also think the writer would be better off writing original fiction, as they would honestly be far more successful. At least that's what I think reading the first part of chapter one. The writer even notes that, “I'll probably put out a list of all the characters that are my own original characters at some point.”
The writer, as in Charlotte, not the actual Suethor, claims that stories rarely start with names. I find myself banging my head at this, because almost every story out there does start off by letting the readers know the name of the character almost as soon as they're introduced. Right there is the kicker though, it's based on when the character is introduced, not necessarily based on being at the beginning of the story. Actually, I think the writer is a bit to focused on introducing their character, rather then setting up the character as a believable characters.
This said, the writer's not a bad writer. I think the real reason she's mimicking elements is because she's writing what she knows, and repeating things she knows. There are elements in this which are original to her, like “original fiction” original, but she's trying to meld these into the Harry Potter series. She's doing it based on what she knows. (double checks) Yeah, she's only got one favorite story wise, and only two favorite authors.
P.S. Seriously hope the writer isn't using their real name...
SAMPLE:
My name is Charlotte.
Have you ever noticed that books so rarely start with names? Which is a shame, seeing as how we so often we depend on them. I'd like to see someone write an entire book without ever once mentioning a name. I imagine they'd find the task quite difficult. Why authors put it off like it's some kind of big reveal is beyond me. Chances are the reader has already read the name on the back of the book, so it's not like it's some grand surprise.
But that's besides the point. The point is my name is Charlotte Cartwright and I'm here to tell you a story, as is the case with all who write books. But this isn't just any story. This story is a special story. One full of magic and adventure.
There's a story out there, that you might of heard by the name of: Harry Potter. It's quite a fun story, and I might enjoy it if I didn't know how far from the truth it actually was. You might have your eyebrow raised at that comment but I assure you if you continue to read you will understand what I mean.
The Harry Potter story is a lot like the Charlotte Cartwright story. To tell the truth they actually are the same story altogether, simply told from a different point of view. The other, and probably more important, difference between the two, is that this is the full story.
In the story you heard, certain people, such as myself, have been cut out. No one's at fault for this. The only reason my name never made an appearance in the well loved piece of literature is because I asked not to be mentioned. At the time, it was best for everyone if people just forgot I existed. Most people have. I'm grateful for that. It gave me time to recollect the pieces of my shattered life.
But I suppose the real question is: how did it get shattered in the first place? Well, I suppose that's why I'm writing this.
When the Harry Potter story originally came out, people had been cropped out, events had been forgotten, and details had been changed. We were all desperate to protect each other's way of life and we didn't even want to think of the damage the full story would cause to certain people's family names. The time simply wasn't right.
But now? Now, I believe it's time you know the whole truth. I think it's time you hear about the Muggleborn Thief. It's time you heard of the girl called "The Dark Princess." It's time you heard about the sorting hat's great mistake. And it's time you heard all about the dark secrets and hidden affairs that lurked around every corner of the Hogwarts corridors.
- The link of the day is OC vs. Mary Sue. I bring this one in simply because it amuses me. The character on the left can still be a Sue, and on the left we have exaggerations along with traits which aren't necessarily Sue traits. Is one of the reasons people find themselves confused because people try using a character chart method that simplifies things in ways they shouldn't, like the picture.
- Flashback Sue
TITLE: The World's Worst Hogwarts Experience: An Autobigraphy
PERPETRATOR: Piper-Audrey Freemen
SUE-O-METER: Arful
COVER/BANNER ART: A picture of the OC?
SUMMARY:”Charlotte didn't know she was a witch, Charlotte had no idea her sister was one of the more powerful witches in the world, and Charlotte definitely didn't think she'd be going to the world's best school for witchcraft and wizardry. What Charlotte did know was that she needed to prove herself by carrying on family tradition and making the same house her whole family had: Slytherin.”
FULL NAME: Charlotte Cartwright/Waters, Alfie
SPECIES: According to the Sue, she's the “Muggleborn Thief”, that or her sister is. In reality she's an American Sue, so the question of WHY she's attending Hogwarts crops up.
HAIR:
EYES:
MARKINGS:
POSSESSIONS: The key to her vault, which she teethed on as a baby. (She acts surprised, but keys are you know shaped like keys.) She has a wand that is tigerwood, and dragon's heartstring
CONNECTION TO CANON: She goes on vacation with her parents in the first chapter. She's “sleeping on the couch in the cabin's living room with a blanket wrapped tightly around me. The cabin only had one bedroom...” (Suethor, I know you had your sue was copying the Harry Potter story, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Your character should have a story which is original to themselves.) A boy named Alfie randomly delivers her letter. (Would not happen.) She gets to of course go to Hogwarts. She randomly finds out she's magical, has a sister, and decides to take off without the permission of her adoptive parents, something the Hogwarts staff would never put off with, and heads to diagon alley without supervision. Third chapter is getting into Gringotts. Emphis is placed on the roller coaster aspect. She then gets her wand. Forth chapter, we find out Alfie actually stole her letter, which is why she's unsupervised. (Would not happen.) They talk about owls, but still go to Madam Malkin's, and run into Draco. (Please, don't copy the HP story. Parasite Sues aren't cool because, well, they don't really add anything to the plot, and just copy the story, right?) She makes friends with Draco instead, and I believe she's foes with - doesn't really say. I think the implications is Harry, but she can't even remember his name. Draco goes with her to get her owl, and is excited about meeting someone famous. (Hey, isn't the “sure, it's not everyday I meet someone famous” from the books or movies?)
ORIGIN: The first chapter is pretty much Charlotte going into how her story is like Harry's, but didn't make the cut in the original. She was adopted by Gina and Stanley Waters, but reverts to her original name despite the fact adoptions mean your last name is changed to your adoptive parents, and you don't get a choice to keep your parents last name. She's also a “no friend” character who didn'tfit in, but we're told this rather then shown. More talking to Draco in the forth chapter, and she meets someone named Bethany, and I believe she's meant to meet Snape. I decided to stop with this.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: We've got another story about a forgotten character. I need to say here I really dislike it when the writer tries passing their character off as some special character the original creator forgot, as this comes across as egotistical, even if the writer didn't intend it this way. We then find out she's allowed to keep her real parents last name despite the fact this doesn't happen in the adoption process. She's anti-social, or at least according to her teachers. She's from America, despite the fact it has it's own school system. She's also an unsupervised minor. Scratch that, so is Aflie if you think about it. “You're the little sister of one of the most brilliant witches in the wizarding world, and your picture's pretty much everywhere. There probably isn't a wizard alive who hasn't heard about you”. (Yeah, I believe the last line was something said by Hagrid if I remember correctly.)
NOTES: Have you ever gotten the feeling a writer's really trying to show off how much they know about writing, but they only end up showing how much they really don't know? This is one of them. I also think the writer would be better off writing original fiction, as they would honestly be far more successful. At least that's what I think reading the first part of chapter one. The writer even notes that, “I'll probably put out a list of all the characters that are my own original characters at some point.”
The writer, as in Charlotte, not the actual Suethor, claims that stories rarely start with names. I find myself banging my head at this, because almost every story out there does start off by letting the readers know the name of the character almost as soon as they're introduced. Right there is the kicker though, it's based on when the character is introduced, not necessarily based on being at the beginning of the story. Actually, I think the writer is a bit to focused on introducing their character, rather then setting up the character as a believable characters.
This said, the writer's not a bad writer. I think the real reason she's mimicking elements is because she's writing what she knows, and repeating things she knows. There are elements in this which are original to her, like “original fiction” original, but she's trying to meld these into the Harry Potter series. She's doing it based on what she knows. (double checks) Yeah, she's only got one favorite story wise, and only two favorite authors.
P.S. Seriously hope the writer isn't using their real name...
SAMPLE:
My name is Charlotte.
Have you ever noticed that books so rarely start with names? Which is a shame, seeing as how we so often we depend on them. I'd like to see someone write an entire book without ever once mentioning a name. I imagine they'd find the task quite difficult. Why authors put it off like it's some kind of big reveal is beyond me. Chances are the reader has already read the name on the back of the book, so it's not like it's some grand surprise.
But that's besides the point. The point is my name is Charlotte Cartwright and I'm here to tell you a story, as is the case with all who write books. But this isn't just any story. This story is a special story. One full of magic and adventure.
There's a story out there, that you might of heard by the name of: Harry Potter. It's quite a fun story, and I might enjoy it if I didn't know how far from the truth it actually was. You might have your eyebrow raised at that comment but I assure you if you continue to read you will understand what I mean.
The Harry Potter story is a lot like the Charlotte Cartwright story. To tell the truth they actually are the same story altogether, simply told from a different point of view. The other, and probably more important, difference between the two, is that this is the full story.
In the story you heard, certain people, such as myself, have been cut out. No one's at fault for this. The only reason my name never made an appearance in the well loved piece of literature is because I asked not to be mentioned. At the time, it was best for everyone if people just forgot I existed. Most people have. I'm grateful for that. It gave me time to recollect the pieces of my shattered life.
But I suppose the real question is: how did it get shattered in the first place? Well, I suppose that's why I'm writing this.
When the Harry Potter story originally came out, people had been cropped out, events had been forgotten, and details had been changed. We were all desperate to protect each other's way of life and we didn't even want to think of the damage the full story would cause to certain people's family names. The time simply wasn't right.
But now? Now, I believe it's time you know the whole truth. I think it's time you hear about the Muggleborn Thief. It's time you heard of the girl called "The Dark Princess." It's time you heard about the sorting hat's great mistake. And it's time you heard all about the dark secrets and hidden affairs that lurked around every corner of the Hogwarts corridors.