On the other hand, what about taking care of Frodo or Aragorn when they're sick or injured?
I'm with Mariole---I might be miserable at it, and I'm not sure I'd want to be the main caretaker, but I'd LOVE to be a fly on the wall and watch it. :)
As far as a Mary Sue being a projection of an author---yes, that's the definition, but you know, that doesn't bother me. I really don't care if the OFC shares traits with the author. So yes, I suppose those in older "motherly" roles could be Mary Sues, but they generally don't fit enough requirements, I don't think, to qualify. As for the author giving the OFC traits she wishes she had---well, if she overdoes it, then yes, it's a real turn-off to me.
It's been a long time since I read the Aragorn fic I was speaking of, but I seem to recall the character was extremely poor, lived in a hut, lived a very dull life, and was quite believable. There was no romance, just one-sided unrequited love. If the author projected herself onto this character, then I feel quite sorry for the author. :) On the other hand, I read a fic once in which a character got pregnant by Aragorn pre-quest, causing MANY problems. The fic was excellently done, and the character well-written . . . at first. Then I felt the character ended up being loved and adored much too much by Elrond and Legolas and Elrohir and Elladan, and watching them catering to this OFC got irritating and I quit reading. The story revolved around her, and I knew that from the very beginning, but what could have been an enjoyable fic about a woman caught in a bad situation turned into a woman who had every elf in Rivendell pining after her.
I think a Mary Sue is one of those vague things: You can't define it, but you know it when you see it.
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I'm with Mariole---I might be miserable at it, and I'm not sure I'd want to be the main caretaker, but I'd LOVE to be a fly on the wall and watch it. :)
As far as a Mary Sue being a projection of an author---yes, that's the definition, but you know, that doesn't bother me. I really don't care if the OFC shares traits with the author. So yes, I suppose those in older "motherly" roles could be Mary Sues, but they generally don't fit enough requirements, I don't think, to qualify. As for the author giving the OFC traits she wishes she had---well, if she overdoes it, then yes, it's a real turn-off to me.
It's been a long time since I read the Aragorn fic I was speaking of, but I seem to recall the character was extremely poor, lived in a hut, lived a very dull life, and was quite believable. There was no romance, just one-sided unrequited love. If the author projected herself onto this character, then I feel quite sorry for the author. :) On the other hand, I read a fic once in which a character got pregnant by Aragorn pre-quest, causing MANY problems. The fic was excellently done, and the character well-written . . . at first. Then I felt the character ended up being loved and adored much too much by Elrond and Legolas and Elrohir and Elladan, and watching them catering to this OFC got irritating and I quit reading. The story revolved around her, and I knew that from the very beginning, but what could have been an enjoyable fic about a woman caught in a bad situation turned into a woman who had every elf in Rivendell pining after her.
I think a Mary Sue is one of those vague things: You can't define it, but you know it when you see it.
CON'T below...