Now I remember!!

[zhie]

Athos asked earlier as a tagalong to an earlier posting why I don't archive on OEAM [Of Elves and Men] or some other place... took me a while, it's Tuesday, I'm slow...

There's a line under the rules about 'no self-insert'. And, I totally respect how other people run their archive.

Problem for me is, that every single character I write about, is on some level an insert. An adaptation of someone I know in real life.

Or, an adaptation of myself.

For that reason, everything I have written, could conceivably be SI, or something like it. Drawn from someone in real life; even many of the events are simply retellings of my life and the world around me.

In Lorien Origin, Haldir asks for a brother. When I was a little kid, I asked for a sister. Haldir got Oro; I got Maggie.

Orophin's 'no pants dance'.. very much similar to my brother's 'front porch towel extravaganza'.

The pouncing.. really does happen. The notes the wardens fire across the borders to each other.. was Maggie wadding up messages on scrap paper and tossing them at my head at work one day. Salgant.. bane of my high school years, only different gender and I didn't slap her like Erestor slapped him, but I really would have liked to (but, I did call her out before an audience, and was, in fact, quite severely punished, all things considered).

I could continue for a while, but it might get boring.

So, it seemed unfair to 'sneak it in' per se. *nods* Besides. I have a purple archive. With bunnies. Not many can say that. Wheee!

Comments

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

But those arent really self inserts. If Haldir had a sister named Zhie, that would be a self insert!

[zhie.livejournal.com]

You.. you mean..

YOU MEAN HALDIR DOESN'T HAVE A SISTER NAMED ZHIE???!!!

Aw, crap! There goes my sequel...

*sighs, tries to look dejected while laughing like a loon on the floor*

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

*whispers* I think his sister is named Alex!

[aglarien1.livejournal.com]

ROFL!!

[talullahred.livejournal.com]

I think that's meant in a more specific way and meant to put off Mary Sues.

We all take inspiration and search for explanations, motivations, etc in what we know. In that sense, I too write all my characters based on myself and those around me, as should all writers, really. We are harvesters of reality. (And I pray to god that two of my ex-bfs never, ever read my fic, lololol)

[eawen-penallion.livejournal.com]

Yep, well my latest fic is about to get two het female characters and I am terrified that either one might become a Mary Sue!(My other het character, Andrann, definitely isn't...) But I don't think that drawing upon incidences from real life is 'self-insertion', as so many mainstream authors do that as well. 'Write about what you know' is one adage that I have heard of time and time again.

As for archive elsewhere, I know that I first read 'Lorien Origin' (and 'Lord Celeborn's Book', Alex!) on the now-defunct Galadhrim.net. I am so glad, because that was the first LOTR fiction site I found and it led me to so many great authors :-)

However, I soon found the trail of the Purple Bunny, and have spent many hours perusing you wonderful stories so-


THANK YOU, ZHIE!!!!

[erynlinia.livejournal.com]

Which story can I find Orophin's "No Pants Dance"?? I really must know!

**hugs**