Descendant is still stalled, for several
reasons.
1) I'm not quite sure if what I have in mind for What Happens Next (in
the final half of the story) has sufficient oomph, so I'm spinning my wheels.
2) I've been distracted by a new shiny - ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
b7_soolin
3) I'm still unsettled by the Mary Sue factor.
No matter how I file the edges of Kara, the Sue-ness is still showing
through. It might just be me. I might be too close to it and so paranoid
of the factor that I've lost perspective. However, I don't think that's
the case. I think my worry is still justified.
I already carved out all the really obvious MS-ness from the original
version of the character (exit: tragic death of mother at hands of the
Federation) and knocked the moral high ground out from under her - she
chose to continue working for the Feds when her first chance to run came
up. I won't remove her one kewl ability, especially as I've limited it
to the point whereby if she uses it again after it's introduced, there's
an excellent chance that she'll die. What else can I do?
I had an idea last night, as I was drifting off to sleep and battling
the problem1, but I don't know if it's a good idea or a
knee-jerk reaction to the lingering presence of Mary Sue.
Change Kara's gender.
Pros
-- Totally different chemistry between the characters. Rather than Kara
and Andriss being girly chums together, there'd be an inevitable factor
of "Are they or aren't they...?" going on. I'd tinkered with the idea of
having a certain amount of ambiguity, relationship-wise, between the
two women, but I decided it was borne of a need to be sensationalist,
rather than from good character development. Meanwhile, luv Avon tho' I
do, he's got just a wee streak of the misogynist bully in him and he
wouldn't be able to use that against Kara-as-a-guy.
Hold on a sec, I seem to have had a sudden outbreak of slash pixies.
Back! Back, you little devils! Right, where was I?
-- It'll certainly be a bit unusual, as there's a definite prevalance of
"give the psi powers to the girls" in SF. Cally, Deanna Troi, every Anne
McCaffrey character evar (okay, that last one is inaccurate, but you
know what I mean. Her male characters are pretty dam' girly). A male
character dealing with what I've created could be veeeery interesting.
Hm. Hmm...
Cons
-- It means we're down to one woman on the crew (until/unless I get
Dayna out of trouble) and I fear that smacks of tokenism, even tho'
Andriss owns the blasted ship and is the holder of the piggybank. It'll
be more challenging to write Andriss and "Kara" as an equal partnershp
with the inevitable are-they-aren't-they? going on, but that
much, I know I can deal with as long as I'm aware of it.
-- Is it perhaps a wee bit too much testosterone?
On the face of it, it might be a good idea - although it'll take me a
while to let go of female-Kara2. She's been in my head off
and on for, oh, 21 years or so. So I'll have a further think about it
and see if it gels, or if this is identified as a panic-driven case of
change-for-change's sake.
Meanwhile, vilakins, I'd like to pick your brain for a
moment, if I may? ( Come into my parlour... )
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