It'd be like a social science experiment.

[timepiececlock]

How sick is it that I actually kind of want to write a Mary Sue fic just to see if I can beat the system at avatarsues?

But what does "beat the system" mean? Does it mean writing the best Sue ever, or the worst? I'm guessing there are two possibilities for such a challenge:

a) To write a fic that embodies every cliche of Suefic, but write it in such a way that I get an "OK" rating [the best they give]. Is it possible to get an "OK" rating with a total Mary Sue-i-fied story?--Is she even still a Sue? How to I do both at once?

b) To write a fic that gets the "Apocalypse: time to die!" rating. Or at least a very love "Abyssmal".



Yeah, okay, I'm bored. Or self-destructive? Or maybe it's a secret desire to see if I can write an OC an integrate her/him with the main cast and, like, get away with it. Of course, if I did go to all that trouble and never got rated at any Mary Sues sites I'd be very disappointed.

Perhaps a penname is called for, to protect what existing positive reputation I might or might not have? But would having an alternate penname suck all the fun out of it? Where's the fun if I can't be held accountable for my crimes against the internet?


EDIT: I could layer it with literary references. The whole thing could be a reinactment of Through the Looking Glass, the way Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? was a psuedo version of The Odyssey! ...::geeking::

Comments

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

The issue of what makes a Mary Sue is very complicated. If you visit the Wikipedia article on it, there's a lot of differing ideas of what makes a Mary Sue.

I don't put a lot of stock in Wiki articles, on just about any subject. Like I mentioned above, I used to run a Journal where I "reported" Mary Sue offenders, so I'm pretty schooled in the Mary Sue Litmus Test.

An idealized character could be considered as a MS... and I actually like making idealized characters.

Having never read your fic, I'm not able to offer any kind of informed opinion there.

Idealized characters and flatout fangirl author inserts are two different things, though. I could call Yuna (of Final Fantasy X) an idealized character, because she was an ideal person, but she wasn't perfect. Someone who wants to, for example, shag Pyro, of the X-Men, and thus writes a crappy character to fulfill that desire ... yep, that's a Sue.

[easytodistract.livejournal.com]

That sort of makes me feel better. 8)

(one-side to Sacha) Hear that, Sacha. You're not a Gary Stu, just an idealized character.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

Judging by what you've written about your character - ::points to comment below:: - I wouldn't offer that up to the wolves as a Gary Stu. Contrary to popular belief, OCs can be connected to canon characters in some form and still be original characters, not Sues/Stus. It's all in how you work the connections you've given your OC to the canon lot.

[easytodistract.livejournal.com]

Ah... actually... I sort of already... sacrificed him... since I killed him off at the very start of the story. Heh...

Yeah. You and Rashaka are right, he's not a Stu, but if I had kept him alive - he'd do a great impersonation of one and I would have no story.