What's a Mary Sue?

[donnaimmaculata]

No, honestly. I entered aldalindil's It's All Been Done Fest with the pairing Lupin/OFC. Now, I consider all OFCs whose major (or sole) purpose is to shag the male character the author finds attractive a Mary Sue, regardless of how well she's written. I mean, no-one writes an OFC who ends up with Hagrid, right? They all get their chance with Snape/Black/Lupin/Harry/Draco. I don't mind such Mary Sues, either. I have read and enjoyed very well written ones, but still, following the definition of Mary Sue = author's self insert, I do think they are Mary Sues.

So what do you think? Does Mary Sue refer merely to half-elven, half-unicorn American transfer student with super special mega powers and a dark secret? Or is every OFC who shags the author's crush a Mary Sue?


And here, gacked from everyone and their sister, the Hottest Pairings Ever:

Hottest "Gods I hate you, let's shag NOW!" pairing:	Snape/Black
Hottest "All about teh Luff" pairing:	Padfoot/Crookshanks
Hottest "Kinky beyond reason" pairing:	Voldemort/Trevor
Hottest "This is so very sick but I LOVE it" pairing:	Dobby/Draco
Hottest "OMFG this is so illegal" pairing:	Dudley/Aunt Marge
Hottest "Master and Slave" pairing:	Albus/Argus
Hottest "Morally ambiguous" pairing:	Bill/Ginny
Hottest "So effing CLICHE, but I don't care" pairing:	Harry/Ginny
Hottest "Father and Son bonding taken to the next level" pairing:	Tom Riddle Sen./Tom Riddle Jr.
Hottest Threesome pairing:	Sirius/Severus/Remus
Hottest "The more the merrier" pairing (orgy):	Sirius/Severus/Remus/Bill/Kingsley
Hottest "We're just friends that happen to shag" pairing:	Sirius/Remus
Hottest "WTF that would NEVER happen" pairing:	Minerva/Sirius
Hottest "First Time" pairing:	Sirius/Harry
Hottest "They're both so deliciously evil" pairing:	Bellatrix/Mrs. Black

The Harry Potterverse Pairings Survey brought to you by BZOINK!

I actually read the Trevor/Voldemort one. It makes sense. Really.

Comments

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

The problem with 'Mary Sue' is that there is no clear definition. The phrase itself implies negative connotation and no-one wants to be associated as 'that Mary Sue writer'.

I am trying to clarify it for myself. The very basic definition of a Mary Sue is 'author's insert'. But, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many authors model their characters after themselves.

I go along with saying 'Mary Sue = annoying and cliched character'. But OTOH, I am not entirely satisfied, because I feel it's too vague. What I find annoying and cliched, is not necessarily what you would find annoying and cliched.

As I said in my reply to isiscolo, a Mary Sue is a fantasy. She stands (more than other characters do) for something the author considers as the right and desirable behaviour. And while 12-year-old OFC writers think being a uber-powerful witch is most desirable, older fanfiction authors adjust their OFCs to the realities of life as well as the realities of canon. Nevertheless, when I write Lupin/OFC, I do write a fantasy. It differs from what I would have written at the age of 12, but an OFC as protagonist defines the entire plot line, conveys my fantasy, and shags Lupin is modelled after what I think are desirable features and characteristics.