Couple of answers

Minis by anamia on 2010-06-05 17:21:00 UTC Reply

So I have a couple questions about minis.

1. Does an un-capitalized proper noun count as a mini? (I assume yes, but I thought I'd check.)

2. If an author misspells the name of their OC, does that count as a mini, and do the agents have to take it? I can't imagine any of them would really want to deal with a mini with a former 'Sue's name.

3. If OCs do count as minis, do they still look like the other minis from that continuum, or are they different? (I can sort of picture a pink glittery mini Stormwing here, and I can't imagine my agents wanting it. Maybe they could deliver it to DMSE&R, though that seems cruel to the innocent mini.)

I guess that was more than a couple questions, wasn't it?
--anamia

Re: Minis by Maudlin Hart on 2010-06-07 12:56:00 UTC Reply

I once saw a mission in which a Sue's name was mis-spelled, creating a Mini-Sue which the Agents instantly shot.
Disagreeing about #2. by Neshomeh on 2010-06-06 01:43:00 UTC Reply

1 is definitely a mini. However, I would say that precedent suggests that the answer to #2 is no.

The main reason for this is that minis are OFU things, not PPC things, and there would be no point in mini-Sue-things turning up at the OFUs. Also, since Sues are defined by a source outside the canon, then they can be defined and re-defined however that source chooses without the canon having to be bothered about it. Canon characters, on the other hand, are defined internally, so if an outside source doesn't invoke the character properly, the canon isn't going to supply said character. Kinda like a bad HTML tag.

However! This does not stop you from having funny things result from a misspelled Sue name. I just don't think it's going to be a mini. At least, not in the same way misspelled canon names are.

~Neshomeh

Wouldn't a misspelled Sue name clone the Sue? by Calista on 2010-06-06 06:03:00 UTC Reply

When a character is named, the continuum conjures them up. When a character's name is misspelled, a mini is conjured up because a name requires the creation of a character, and the mini is based on a canonical creature. So, if a non-canon name is misspelled, wouldn't a non-canon mini be created--a mini-Sue? Not a mini from that continuum; but a mini of the Sue (actually, come to think of it, any OC's name should create a mini-Sue rather than a mini of the OC because the Sue is the most powerful creature in her fic). Misspelling her own name might be one way a sue keeps her influence over the canon, because it creates a small backup version of her that also has to be killed.

In which case, Enoby is probably a pretty formidable Sue...

Also: Mini-Boarders. by Calista on 2010-06-06 06:08:00 UTC Reply

OK, so a mini-boarder is created when a boarder's name is misspelled, and is a small version of the Boarder. In-canon, the boarders are Authors. That means that a self-insert or Avatar should create a mini that looks much like them if they misspell their own names. Since both self-inserts and Avatars are overwhelmingly of the sueish persuasion, it'd make sense that other Sues would also create a mini version of themselves by misspelling their own names.

Presumably, some of these minis are weak enough to pop out of existence when their progenitor is killed and the continuum reverts to normal, like bit characters when a Sue is killed. Others would be more like OCs or secondary Sues, in that the continuum couldn't revert back to normal until they were killed. How strong they are probably depends on the proximity of the misspelling's location to Sueish actions, urple prose, or other Suelike qualities.

Couple of answers by IndeMaat on 2010-06-05 20:59:00 UTC Reply

1) Yes, that's a mini. They are about half the height of the usual minis. At least, that's the case with mini-Deckers. I've picked up a few of these minis (face and stockwell).

2) I'm actually surprised this has never come up before, considering how bad at spelling Suethors usually are.

3) Since you'd probably be the first to spot a Sue-mini on a mission, you get to decided how much like a regular mini or like a Sue it is.

As a side note, if I don't feel like coming up with a funny situation surrounding a mini, I don't bother mentioning a mini was created. I don't believe all minis should be saved from badfic; they should be saved when it's funny. A Sue-mini for instance, could be saved at first (with the agents arguing what they are going to do about it), but be lost in the end because it tried to save the Sue and took a bullet for her.

So what is Dezz, a mini of Star Wars Sue Deez? Roast mynock? (nm by Tawaki on 2010-06-05 22:16:00 UTC Reply

Re: Minis by Barid on 2010-06-05 18:11:00 UTC Reply

1) I think it would be a mini.

2&3) I think it is a mini and I like the idea of it being pink and glittery. I don't know if it has to be the same as a mini from the continuum that you are in, but I think it could lead to some humor if it is. Imagine a mini-Sue!Balrog (A beast of glitter and eye-shadow?). It would be interesting to say the least.

-Barid

Oh Glod, this will be fun by anamia on 2010-06-05 19:07:00 UTC Reply

The 'fic in question already has characters turning into birds due to the use of dialogue tags such as 'cooed' and 'chirped,' music notes falling from the sky due to poor phrasing, a randomly appearing man in the canon character's bed, and now a mini-Stormwing with pink eyeshadow and sparkly lipgloss. The saddest thing is that I can actually picture that, and it's not pretty. I feel sorry for my agents...

--anamia