When I bored I image characters that could be considered marysues but they never leave my head so its just mindless fun

Atlas Shrugged is completely lacking in subtlety, as Stormcrow and I have discussed through IM, but I'd recommend The Fountainhead to those willing to give Rand another chance.  The characters are far less archetypal, and Rand's message is conveyed a bit more gracefully.  I may be a bit more forgiving of her writing, though, as I appreciate her outlook.

As for Mary-Sues, I generally avoid them like the plague.  They seem to be the tool of choice for writers lacking the skill to make a series' pre-existing characters interesting, or as a glaring mirror of the author's own insecurities.  I can really only tolerate original characters if their inclusion seems necessary, such as a sundry schoolmate mentioned in passing, or a family friend, etc.

I'll only permit myself a Mary-Sue as a Sim, as it's basically quick and easy cosplay without effort or cost. ;p

Would you say that Hamill's Law applies to the average quality, the most-common level of quality, or what? Because no matter what the fandom, there will be excellent fanfic and fanfic so horrible that it makes the reader wish to go blind so as to avoid reading more.

I... I...

I refuse to believe that this idiotism is authentic.

Mary Sues... When I was younger, I'd always insert my own character in whatever story that came under my hands. I don't remember any of them, except for an anthropomorphic lion that was in love with Eiko from Final Fantasy IX. Beastiality AND pedophilia, all in one. What more could you ask for? Well, at least he was a guy. (Weird lesbian couples came in the X-2 installment.)

Bwahaha...

MWAHAHAHAHA!

If anyone remembers Ecchi Adventures, you'll understand why I'm laughing so much. Reanna really was kind of an anti-sue, and was always intended to be. While she was a self-insert, she was abused, thankless, and rather pitiful. She had the ability to make wondrous things happen, but she could only do so in a way that it seemed a total coincidence, so she'd never get credit for it. After a time, it was even clear that Akio's pursuit of her was purely in the interest of his own self-preservation.

By the test, Reanna is borderline-Sue, but if she hadn't shared my name, she'd be anti-sue. XD

However, I don't dare fill out the test for the Reanna of the Purple Rose Saga. It's been a while since I read that thing, but I think her score would be through the roof.

Dare I?

... Yes, I dare. I didn't go too much into it because I'm not sure at this point how many people here are familiar with my "work."


http://www.fanfiction.net/s/413434/1/Mu … ra_no_Saga

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/118446/1/Th … a_and_Akio


It's all quite insane and rather shameless (especially the first), written at the peak of my fanatic otaku-ness from late high school through early college.

I originally began MSTing my own work, but unfortunately I lost all copies of it, and they got taken down Fanfiction.net when they banned MSTs. Just when I'd finally turned that crudburger into something actually funny. I partially kid. I have great memories of writing these.

Last edited by Baka Kakumei Reanna (08-02-2007 11:36:05 PM)

Hey, if you take fanfiction seriously... well... let's just say it's a bad idea. But there's not much I think is worth taking seriously. You gotta laugh. It's the best way to make others laugh.

Yeah, I was mad about the NC-17 ban too. I know I lost a couple stories to that. Then they made it so you had to CHOOSE to see the R-rated stories. I rated Ecchi Adventures PG-13 out of protest, even though it probably is R.

I've read only limited fanfiction on FFN.  Morbid curiosity led me to read a few of the the higher rated Sweet Valley High and Babysitters Club fics (although I think at the time they'd removed NC-17 because it was problematic or something...it's been years.)  I love morbid curiosity, I hadn't laughed that hard in ages.

When I did the little 'test' my character came out as a Borderline Sue, but I take it with a grain of salt.  I like my character.  She's an insert, but aside from language (and red hair), there's nothing "self-insert" about her.  Besides, Paradox and I set out to write the best story possible--while breaking as many rules of fanfiction as possible!  Long-lost brother? Check!  Long-lost princess?  Hell yeah!  Crossover?  You betcha!  Crossover outside of the medium?  YEAH!  Non-canon relationships?  Yup!  Rewrite of a certain story?  Mmmhmm!

But I'll admit, I still think we have an enjoyable story, and even if not, we're having an absolute blast with it.  We've been working on it for years, are closing in on the end of story one (it's a few thousand pages long), and already have story two and story three in our minds, we just have to get to the point where we can write it.  We go "in character" all the time and play out scenes or discuss ideas--although never our "insert" characters.  They're literally there as a sort of foil for certain things things, and the somewhat neutral bystanders that play key roles some of the time, but are usually in the background so characterization of "real" characters can be focused on.

Just took the test. Apparently, I tested out Non-Sue. I dare not post any fanfic with a Mary Sue character. I'll admit I've created some and they grace the pages ... of my diary.

tohubohu wrote:

Frosty wrote:

Tohoboho, I'm gonna bet you played: Mary Siobhan!!! Her dialect meant to be Hagrid-esque, yes? I choose her because I like Hagrid, I don't know your preferences in HP, so I'm guessing based on my preferences.

Good guess, but no!  I played Marisu, the ninja Slytherin.  Mary Siobhan was brilliant, wasn't she?

Oh. My. God!!!!!!!! I am freaking out!!! Tohubohu, your webpage is the place where Archimage was written??? *YOU WROTE THAT???? And I misspelled your name?? *bangs head on desk* Dear Lord, it's SO WONDERFUL!!! I love that story!!!!! Ah, are there any plans to finish the last chapter soon? ;____; Oh please do! Can't you hint about what will happen? *Please!!! (excuse me, I just got a new WoW keyboard, so my typing is funky) I've never seen Anthy so well-written, she comes across just like a *God! Most of the stories I see with Anthy, who is in any way connected to Utena after the series, her POV really irriates me because she's always a bit "off" - she's chipper and cheery, but Archimage has PERFECT characterization! And the way they met up? Oh God, that scene with Utena in the hospital. *LOVED IT!!! I would totally pay you, word by WORD, for more of that story! I can't say enough... wow, I never thought I'd ever get to speak to the person responsible for that!!!  You're a genius! I love it!!!

Keep writing, Tohubohu!!! No chance of a Mary Sue in that fanfiction, well, unless you're writing on purpose like the HP. Oh! Still so excited!

Frosty wrote:

Oh. My. God!!!!!!!! I am freaking out!!! Tohubohu, your webpage is the place where Archimage was written??? *YOU WROTE THAT???? And I misspelled your name?? *bangs head on desk* Dear Lord, it's SO WONDERFUL!!! I love that story!!!!! Ah, are there any plans to finish the last chapter soon? ;____; Oh please do! Can't you hint about what will happen? *Please!!! (excuse me, I just got a new WoW keyboard, so my typing is funky) I've never seen Anthy so well-written, she comes across just like a *God! Most of the stories I see with Anthy, who is in any way connected to Utena after the series, her POV really irriates me because she's always a bit "off" - she's chipper and cheery, but Archimage has PERFECT characterization! And the way they met up? Oh God, that scene with Utena in the hospital. *LOVED IT!!! I would totally pay you, word by WORD, for more of that story! I can't say enough... wow, I never thought I'd ever get to speak to the person responsible for that!!!  You're a genius! I love it!!!

Keep writing, Tohubohu!!! No chance of a Mary Sue in that fanfiction, well, unless you're writing on purpose like the HP. Oh! Still so excited!

Er, wow!  Thank you!  Yes, I write Archimage (that is, I wrote the initial 5 or 6 chapters myself, and then subsequent chapters have been written with increasing collaboration with my wife).  We are (slowly) working on the final chapter -- we have an outline and just need to fill in.  Real life keeps interfering (as does non-fanfic writing), but we're committed to getting the final chapter and epilogue out there eventually.

A hint as to what happens?  Well, there'll be a duel.

Last edited by tohubohu (08-06-2007 09:26:36 AM)

Trench Kamen wrote:

Ohohohoho, Sues. This community is dedicated to ripping apart bad fanfiction, and oh have we gotten some Sues.

Seriously, don't blame me if you waste a lot of time reading through these posts and laughing your ass off. I've laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.

LOL, I never heard of the term Ficbitches until now! Thanks for sharing!
I read a couple of the fics they posted, and by all that is the strawberry pop-tarty goodness that is Akio's rose-hip jams, some of the fics destroyed my original perception of FAKE and Zelda

I can be such an a$$ sometimes