I'm curious about why you've grown to hate the Mary Sue term. I have heard one person say they hate it because it's so gendered, but what is your objection?

I think the CONCEPT is okay, it’s shorthand for critiquing work that is too self-absorbed and precious, I guess. I’m fine with that. But I find it so inexpertly applied, any strong character is eventually called a Mary Sue by SOMEONE, which is just bullshit and also a little annoying.

There’s also little question that the term, as it is applied, is more generally thrown at female writers than male ones. And that has implications of othering, of women being more likely to create Mary Sues, less likely to stick to the integrity of the narrative, and other happy horseshit.

I also think it’s being used as a blanket term to insult fanficcers and new writers, often, and that’s derailing and insulting.

I think the concept is okay. It has some validity. But it’s used often simply to diminish a writer’s efforts.

I’ll give you an example…at one point or another, virtually every female character I have written, SOMEONE has said that character is a Mary Sue, a stand-in for me. It’s…not an intellectual argument, it’s just some dumbass thing someone typed without knowing anything.

For the record, I don’t write Mary Sues, and the gender issue bothers me…Catman has red hair, why isn’t HE my Mary Sue?

It’s just people’s own hangups, most often, I find.