Month: November 2010

Pen to Paper: Harry Potter and the Creativity Conundrum

Posted on by bryon

With the upcoming release of the final Harry Potter movie, our favorite boy wizard is almost everywhere you look.

Once the Potter books became successful, various writers and other folk started crying, “That’s not original! I wrote that first!” Or “J.K. Rowling took this and this and this from this other book.” Envy is an ugly thing. Charlie Jane Anders and Michael Ann Dobbs have written an article posted at io9 that looks at all the claims and sorts fact from fiction.

It is interesting to see that what we think is purely original really isn’t. Rowling has acknowledged her debts to other creative minds. We see the same sorts of stories being told and retold. Writers today, after millennia of humans telling stories, aren’t in much position to bring something wholly new into the world. That doesn’t mean we can’t tell wonderful stories; we must recognize that we type on the shoulders of all who have told stories before us. Jill Harness, over at Neatorama, shows us how Rowling has made mythical creatures from stories of the past live in the world she created.

Finally, let me share with you an excellent piece by Cheryl Klein: A Few Things Writers can Learn from Harry Potter. (Spoilers abound if you haven’t read all the books.) This is something I come back to occasionally to refresh my memory and my imagination.

Fiction: Final Encounter

Posted on by bryon

Private William E. Morency was always easy for Quân to find. Skill and training were key the first time; modern technology and the openness of a big city now came to his aid.

Quân had been in the city for three days, adjusting to a time zone halfway around the world and — following years of habit —ensuring he wasn’t being followed.

The cemetery was on the tour bus route; a number of persons prominent in regional and national history were buried there. Quân paid polite attention during the early part of the tour, waiting patiently for the garish bus to arrive at the cemetery.

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Pen to Paper: Mary Sue

Posted on by bryon

Mary Sue comes to us from Star Trek fan fiction. She was in a parody of the fanfic of the day, and her fame has grown since. As you’ll see if you follow the links, nailing down what is and what isn’t a Mary Sue character is like nailing Jell-O to a wall.

The definition I want to focus on is Mary Sue as an author avatar: the over-the-top perfect character that outshines the sun itself. This is the author writing himself into the story in an idealized form for the purpose of wish fulfillment. The author adds a new character who is smarter, braver, more beautiful, more caring, more, more, more than the original characters, who instantly adore the avatar.

This sort of character shows up in original fiction, too. Mary Sue wasn’t a 20th century invention, either, but was around at least in the 19th century.

The term has come to be strictly pejorative, and there is growing controversy in some circles about its use. There are those who believe that a strong female character is too often labeled a Mary Sue. Or that any character who has his head screwed on reasonably well is tarred with the Mary Sue brush. These are valid concerns.

The point I want to make today is simple: enjoy Mary Sue in your daydreams, but leave her out of your fiction. She merely annoys the reader.

Fiction: The G-String Conspiracy

Posted on by bryon

“That’s looking a little tight, Richard,” Ann said.

Richard finished buttoning his shirt. “It feels tighter for some reason,” he agreed. “I’ve been working out every day. Haven’t been eating more. It must have shrunk in the closet.”

“Uh-huh,” Ann said.

There was a loud sneeze.

“Bless you,” Ann and Richard said to each other. They exchanged a funny look even as another sneeze rang out. They looked at the closet and Richard rushed over and yanked the door open. He shoved aside the shirts and trousers hanging from the rod.

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Pen to Paper: The Long View

Posted on by bryon

This is only a day late for Halloween. It’s the story of one of the most popular fictional monsters: Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The writer tells the story well and there’s not much for me to say, except this: Write as well as you can. Create the best characters you can. Because even though your contemporaries might think your work is a pain in the neck, later generations may really sink their teeth into it. Give them that chance.