The World of FanFictionWhat I'm about to say will be much easier to understand if you've ever seen the television show Sliders. It used to be on the Sci-fi channel I beleive, the guy who plays Woody on Crossing Jordan was in it, and the guy who plays Gimli (I think his names John-Ryes Davies, not sure though.) in Lord of the Rings as well.
Anyway, if you haven't seen it, let me tell you what is was about. I never saw the first few episodes, so I don't really know how it came about, but these four people became trapped, jumping from one world parellel to ours to the next. Each world was just like ours for the most part, but there were also crucial differences. For example, in one episode, they found themselves in a reality where we lost the Revolution. I also never saw the last season of the show, so I don't know if they ever made it back to their own reality. But that's beside the point.
How does this relate to fanfiction you ask? Well, this is my read on the world of fanfiction. I see each and every fic as another world entirely, parellel to that of the original story. Take the world of Harry Potter fanfiction for example. I once read part of a fic where Harry had been sorted not into Gryffindor, but into Slytherin. That would be another world, parellel to the one of canon, with a crucial difference. You get it?
This alternate-reality is the basis of many of my fics. In the fic First Reign, I've created an alternate world where there was a fifth Marauder, a girl named Skye.
A certain someone feels that Skye is what is called a Mary-Sue. I beg to differ. This person cites Skye's last name Phoenix, as well as her appearance, which I compare to that of sirius solely because I suck at describing people's appearances. She also points out that Skye has a dog named Morgoth. This is because earlier in the day when I wrote the scene in which Morgoth is mentioned, I had been re-reading the Silmarillion, and coupled with the fact that I'm no good at thinking up pets names, and that Morgoth was the first thing that popped into my head, I used that and moved on.
There are several other things this person mentions as support for Skye's alleged Mary-Suedom. She points out that Skye's animagus form is a lynx. I see no problem with this. Canon tells us that a person does not chooose their animagus form, that it usually fits with their personality. And canon supports this. Peter' turns into a rat (in more ways than one) Sirius is a big, black, shaggy dog, which I think fits his personality quite well. And James becomes a stag,which to me seem to be very proud, arrogant-looking animals. James, as we know from 'Phoenix' is very, very arrogant.
Why does a Lynx fit with Skye's personality? Well, it fits more with my impresion of Lynx's. I see them as very sly, intelligent predators. Skye is very intelligent, and has a special talent for getting her and her friends out of trouble. Also, something which has not occured yet in the story as it is posted on HP Fanfiction, Skye goes on to become a rather well-known member of the Order. She becomes a very good hunter of Dark Wizards, driven by the murdur of bother her parents, and later her godfather, at the hands of Voldemort.
I mentioned Skye's last name being Phoenix earlier. Because of what the person who dubbed Skye a mary-sue said about the name having no meaning, I suspect he or she did not read past the first chapter, solely because in later chapters, the connection is obvious.
You can follow this link to read the fic First Reign. Please let me know what you think, but whatever you do, don't just tell me I've got a mary-sue, because I don't care. I put my work up on that site to receive constructive criticism. If you're going to say something bad aboutr it, please, tell me how you think I can improve it.
One last thing I feel I must mention. I write fanfiction for the sole purpose of practice, practice in writing dialogues and actions. So if my story is a bit... odd, or even a mary-sue, so what? It's just practice for my original work.