The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Can I just admit that I'm addicted to LotR fanfiction?

mark12_30 · 06-22-2008, 03:48 PM

An interesting teacher (John Eldridge at RansomedHeart) says that there are six basic desires woven into the fabric of humans. Let's see if I can recall all six.

The desire for a great battle to fight; the desire for a great adventure; the desire for a Beauty to rescue. Versus, the desire to be fought for; the desire for shared adventure (in the process of being fought for); and the desire to be The Beauty.

Another significant desire is the desire to heal. Beauty Heals (insert temporarily disabled hero). I remember this one myself; favorites stories were about rescuing angst-ridden heroes (Mad Lancelot, for instance).

Having said all that, I think most stories are autobiographical to some degree. Especially if they are any good; but even when they are not. Your pardon all, but using the phrase "writing as therapy" simply gains one the label Captain Obvious. What else is it? What else could it possibly be? Any story that we tell, we tell because we are part of a story ourselves, and we remind ourselves of the themes of our story by weaving those themes into the stories we tell.

So a young authoress wants to be Elrond's Other Daughter, the Beauty to be rescued... it comes from those root desires. And the ubiquitous Hack 'N' Whack... same thing.

What do we desire, anyway? Should we be surprised if those desires surface in the stories we write? I am forty-seven years old... I think. More or less. Anyway, the stories I wrote when I was fourteen (long since burned) meet many of Nerwen's checklists (except mpreg). I rescued many heroes, including Lancelot (mad), Boromir (rescuscitated from his elvish boat after Faramir's vision) and so on and so forth. Was it based on being a depressed kid, moping about wishing that somebody loyal might fight for me and rescue me out of my moping? Oh, I suppose, you know, maybe.

I shall agree with Lush quite loudly about this: just because the author of an abused Marysue doesn't announce that she suffered similar things, I would not therefore assume that she had, therefore, not suffered similar things.

Elrond's other daughter. Hmmm. How come I never wrote that one?

06-22-2008, 03:48 PM	#11
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	An interesting teacher (John Eldridge at RansomedHeart) says that there are six basic desires woven into the fabric of humans. Let's see if I can recall all six. The desire for a great battle to fight; the desire for a great adventure; the desire for a Beauty to rescue. Versus, the desire to be fought for; the desire for shared adventure (in the process of being fought for); and the desire to be The Beauty. Another significant desire is the desire to heal. Beauty Heals (insert temporarily disabled hero). I remember this one myself; favorites stories were about rescuing angst-ridden heroes (Mad Lancelot, for instance). Having said all that, I think most stories are autobiographical to some degree. Especially if they are any good; but even when they are not. Your pardon all, but using the phrase "writing as therapy" simply gains one the label Captain Obvious. What else is it? What else could it possibly be? Any story that we tell, we tell because we are part of a story ourselves, and we remind ourselves of the themes of our story by weaving those themes into the stories we tell. So a young authoress wants to be Elrond's Other Daughter, the Beauty to be rescued... it comes from those root desires. And the ubiquitous Hack 'N' Whack... same thing. What do we desire, anyway? Should we be surprised if those desires surface in the stories we write? I am forty-seven years old... I think. More or less. Anyway, the stories I wrote when I was fourteen (long since burned) meet many of Nerwen's checklists (except mpreg). I rescued many heroes, including Lancelot (mad), Boromir (rescuscitated from his elvish boat after Faramir's vision) and so on and so forth. Was it based on being a depressed kid, moping about wishing that somebody loyal might fight for me and rescue me out of my moping? Oh, I suppose, you know, maybe. I shall agree with Lush quite loudly about this: just because the author of an abused Marysue doesn't announce that she suffered similar things, I would not therefore assume that she had, therefore, not suffered similar things. Elrond's other daughter. Hmmm. How come I never wrote that one? __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.