Writerly Ways
Jul. 22nd, 2012 05:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessSometimes the Mary Sue wins. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just that it happens. This came to mind last week while I was reading J.D. Robb (i.e. Nora Roberts)’s In Death series. Not that Eve Dallas is a Mary Sue per se. It’s not too unbelieveable that she could overcome her horrific childhood and become a detective. It’s not even too out of the realm of possibility that she crossed paths with an uber rich man on one case and fell in love.
It’s Roarke who’s more the Mary Sue (or Larry Stu I suppose). Coming from a smiliar horrible childhood, he slid into a life of crime and made ungodly amounts of money. From there he goes llegit, makes even more money. He can now buy small countries and entire cities (and does). The Stu part comes in where he provides anything that’s needed to solve the case. Roarke knows the right people to talk to. He has the money to grease wheels. He’s an ace computer guy so he helps the police’s electronic investigators. Hell, he’s bought the police department their computers, and their tricked out cars and their body armor and well, you get the idea.
Over the series he’s made all sorts of techniological leaps that benefit Eve and her job. And if he isn’t buying her the perfect body armor or helping her save her investigation (this last book Robb didn’t even bother to justify why Roarke the civilian is helping on the crime scenes and half assed a the electronic investigators are busy so let’s have him help them out), he’s buying her the perfect jewelry, clothing or meal. If he doesn’t have it, he’ll commission it from his people. If for some reason Eve needed purple unicorns with glitter hooves, Roarke’s bioengineering one would cook one up in the lab.
So why am I bringing this up? It’s not just to rant about these books (I admit it, I actually like them). It’s more to point out that audiences (at least some of them) are more tolerant of the fantasy life than we might think. It is okay to have at least something special about a character (oddly enough, general readers seem more forgiving than fanfic ones). I’m not saying go all out and write a Sue/Stu but it is okay to write a millionaire (mystery authors do it all the time) or have someone graduate college in the early teens (Hello, Sheldon) or have them get two degrees at once while in a sorority, in three bands and every play (hello, self, and yes I had a character do that and people screamed, that can’t be done. Um, yeah it can I DID it personally). You can play with being special just a little. The aforementioned In Death book I read was In Death #34. Yes, sometimes Mary Sue wins.
As for me I edited zero (okay I’m up to my forehead inwater summer school/prepping for fall.).
I did however write. Speaking of writing, I’m sending out an older short story about a demon to a new open call. It was about a hundred words over the original open call (which didn’t want it) and barely long enough for this new one. I could double it in size without fear so it probably needs expanding. It’s called Wolf in the Fold. Anyone want to be a beta reader?
And speaking of beta readers, anyone want to start reading Blood Red Roulette, the Vampires in Vegas story? It’s about at the half way mark. You could either read it chapter at a time or the whole thing to date at once. Both of these are M/M erotica.
I’ve also started another new story, another demon hunter type. This one is also set in Pittsburgh (what is it with me, Pittsburgh and demon hunters) only it’s set in the modern day. Like Nine’s story, it’s not for anything so I’m taking my time with it. I’ve decided the school was formed soon after the Revolutionary War and sits on top of Fort Pitt (i.e. right there at the confluence of the three rivers).
Also, if you like Caleb, Temple Agni and Li, come ask them questions. You can find the post here . I have two questions but two does not an interview make.
And I did a writing post on accents here for the interested.
Yearly Count -
97480 / 125000 words. 78% done!
It’s Roarke who’s more the Mary Sue (or Larry Stu I suppose). Coming from a smiliar horrible childhood, he slid into a life of crime and made ungodly amounts of money. From there he goes llegit, makes even more money. He can now buy small countries and entire cities (and does). The Stu part comes in where he provides anything that’s needed to solve the case. Roarke knows the right people to talk to. He has the money to grease wheels. He’s an ace computer guy so he helps the police’s electronic investigators. Hell, he’s bought the police department their computers, and their tricked out cars and their body armor and well, you get the idea.
Over the series he’s made all sorts of techniological leaps that benefit Eve and her job. And if he isn’t buying her the perfect body armor or helping her save her investigation (this last book Robb didn’t even bother to justify why Roarke the civilian is helping on the crime scenes and half assed a the electronic investigators are busy so let’s have him help them out), he’s buying her the perfect jewelry, clothing or meal. If he doesn’t have it, he’ll commission it from his people. If for some reason Eve needed purple unicorns with glitter hooves, Roarke’s bioengineering one would cook one up in the lab.
So why am I bringing this up? It’s not just to rant about these books (I admit it, I actually like them). It’s more to point out that audiences (at least some of them) are more tolerant of the fantasy life than we might think. It is okay to have at least something special about a character (oddly enough, general readers seem more forgiving than fanfic ones). I’m not saying go all out and write a Sue/Stu but it is okay to write a millionaire (mystery authors do it all the time) or have someone graduate college in the early teens (Hello, Sheldon) or have them get two degrees at once while in a sorority, in three bands and every play (hello, self, and yes I had a character do that and people screamed, that can’t be done. Um, yeah it can I DID it personally). You can play with being special just a little. The aforementioned In Death book I read was In Death #34. Yes, sometimes Mary Sue wins.
As for me I edited zero (okay I’m up to my forehead in
I did however write. Speaking of writing, I’m sending out an older short story about a demon to a new open call. It was about a hundred words over the original open call (which didn’t want it) and barely long enough for this new one. I could double it in size without fear so it probably needs expanding. It’s called Wolf in the Fold. Anyone want to be a beta reader?
And speaking of beta readers, anyone want to start reading Blood Red Roulette, the Vampires in Vegas story? It’s about at the half way mark. You could either read it chapter at a time or the whole thing to date at once. Both of these are M/M erotica.
I’ve also started another new story, another demon hunter type. This one is also set in Pittsburgh (what is it with me, Pittsburgh and demon hunters) only it’s set in the modern day. Like Nine’s story, it’s not for anything so I’m taking my time with it. I’ve decided the school was formed soon after the Revolutionary War and sits on top of Fort Pitt (i.e. right there at the confluence of the three rivers).
Also, if you like Caleb, Temple Agni and Li, come ask them questions. You can find the post here . I have two questions but two does not an interview make.
And I did a writing post on accents here for the interested.
Yearly Count -
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 11:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 11:30 pm (UTC)I'm game for Blood Red Roulette.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 01:53 am (UTC)Okay cool. Did you have one you wanted to send to me? I still owe you Darkest Midnight too.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 02:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-22 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 01:44 am (UTC)but thanks. if you get time and are interested still let me know (still haven't used your edits from the last one but am working on a few new scenes to address your concerns)