With my own (slightly guilty) self insert into my latest "fun" story, I've been thinking more about this - for me, it isn't so much about creating a Mary Sue (although I have LONG felt that "Mary Sues" are vitally important in our imaginations, just maybe not such a good idea to write out and put for the world to see on a public forum like ff.net) as it is giving me a chance to look at myself as I would any other character, flaws and strengths and all, and figure out what is it about me that would not change no matter what world I was in.
As for the Ur Doing It Wrong - I have to confess that the whole thing strikes me as so juvenile I hate even giving it the time of day. I just feel like, really? Really? We're adults and doing this, really? When I was a kid and started getting snotty about the right way to do things, I had plenty of uncles, aunts, cousins, and an older sister to laugh at me and show me how silly it was; I hated it then (naturally), but now I wish everyone had a big family like that to help them keep perspective. The wellbeing of the world is not going to be affected by some teenagers writing stories with bad grammar and Mary Sues. It might, however, be affected by individuals who take such thin pretext as license and cause to be cruel and condescending.
(I reread your River & Mara story last night, by the way, and very nearly spit my drink all over the computer at Mara's comment about finding Jedi at the blob races. Oh Luke, Luke, you ninny! Mara and River's friendship is definitely going into my story.)
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As for the Ur Doing It Wrong - I have to confess that the whole thing strikes me as so juvenile I hate even giving it the time of day. I just feel like, really? Really? We're adults and doing this, really? When I was a kid and started getting snotty about the right way to do things, I had plenty of uncles, aunts, cousins, and an older sister to laugh at me and show me how silly it was; I hated it then (naturally), but now I wish everyone had a big family like that to help them keep perspective. The wellbeing of the world is not going to be affected by some teenagers writing stories with bad grammar and Mary Sues. It might, however, be affected by individuals who take such thin pretext as license and cause to be cruel and condescending.
(I reread your River & Mara story last night, by the way, and very nearly spit my drink all over the computer at Mara's comment about finding Jedi at the blob races. Oh Luke, Luke, you ninny! Mara and River's friendship is definitely going into my story.)