Anybody know what a "Mary Jane" story is?

POSTED BY: CapnRahn
UPDATED: Saturday, May 22, 2004 10:07
VIEWED: 5456
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CAPNRAHN

Friday, May 14, 2004 1:34 AM

If I got the term right -- it refers to a 'style' of writing. Mostly concerning fanfic and book or script submissions to an established Movie or TV series.

I know what it means, just wondering if others did...

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

SIGMANUNKI

Friday, May 14, 2004 1:37 AM

News to me. For myself, Mary Jane has always meant 'pot'

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

RADEGUND

Friday, May 14, 2004 1:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CapnRahn:
If I got the term right -- it refers to a 'style' of writing. Mostly concerning fanfic and book or script submissions to an established Movie or TV series.

I'm not sure about 'Mary Jane.' Could you possibly be thinking of 'Mary Sue'? That's a fanfic where the author introduces a new character who clearly represents the author inserting herself into the fantasy -- beautiful Mary Sue saves the ship, boffs the captain, and is beloved by all.

CAPNRAHN

Friday, May 14, 2004 1:55 AM

Bingo! I got the Mary right just frelled up the Sue part. Thanks!

I wanted to discuss the "Mary Sue" ...

You know, good VS bad style
Where is the line? etc...

Debate on!

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

SUCCATASH

Friday, May 14, 2004 2:27 AM

Too late! You said Mary Jane and now this thread is about pot!

Yay!

CAPNRAHN

Friday, May 14, 2004 2:34 AM

OK, so we can translate that Tash'ism to this "Thinks those who write Mary Sue's smoke Mary Jane in mass quanities."

Sound good Tash?

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

ANNIK

Friday, May 14, 2004 3:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by CapnRahn:
Bingo! I got the Mary right just frelled up the Sue part. Thanks!

I wanted to discuss the "Mary Sue" ...

You know, good VS bad style
Where is the line? etc...

Debate on!

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

Speaking as a sometime-fiction writer, I would say that the line on bad style would be where Mary Sue saves the ship, boffs the captain, and is beloved by all.

.... remember 'Westley Crusher' aka Gene Roddenberry in a perfect Star Trek future?

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

JEBBYPAL

Friday, May 14, 2004 3:39 AM

Hmm, not sure that there are many good mary sues or good ways to go about them. on the one hand, any character an author creates invariably reflects some facet of their personality to an extent, but if the character is the author by another name?? Author must then be incredibly witty, funny, charming, etc and not end up being annoying, saving the ship, boffing the captain etc.

BTW don't forget, you can also have your Marty Sues too.

VETERAN

Friday, May 14, 2004 3:40 AM

So 'Tash, do they have space weed? Are hallucinations of space monkeys in the engine room a side effect?

GUNHAND

Friday, May 14, 2004 3:44 AM

Think the technical term would be Spweed.

I've seen quite a few authors fall into that trap, self insertion into their stories. And not only just in fanfic but authors with ongoing series.

The Dirk Pitt novels actually have the author appearing in a few as himself to help out the main character get out of a few tight situations. Which is ironical because the character already was based on an idealised version of the author himself. Good books, mostly, but talk about narcessism gone terribly awry.

I used to love Tom Clancey's Jack Ryan books until the one day I was reading one and it was like,"Okay now he's gone from writing about Ryan to writing fanfic about Ryan. And bad fanfic no less."

So it does happen even in places that you wouldn't expect.

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around playing art critic till I get pinched by
the Man, how's about we move away from this
eerie-ass piece of work and get on with our
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