Fan Fiction According to Tycho Brahe

Not the astronomer, the web comic author (a.k.a. Jerry Holkins). He talks about fan fiction in today's Penny Arcade blogpost, and I thought it was worth sharing.

… a little story? Brave to write it, all by itself, and then brave to show it. It is like opening your ribcage, and letting someone see the little bird you have inside. What if they don’t love the bird? It’s not like you can change it. I mean… That’s your bird.

Comments

[BaroqueNexus]

What the fuck is this guy smoking, and where can I get some?

[RBDash47]

2649765
Probably some pot! He used to do a lot more but he's mellowed somewhat in his old age.

[BaroqueNexus]

2649816 Okay, understandable, but still this makes no sense. Ribcages and birds? Dafuq?

[Iceman]

2649837 That's just his writing style. Most of his posts use exaggerated imagery like that. Personally, I find it part of their charm.

[BaroqueNexus]

2649906 Charm? What's charming about a bunch of gibberish that sounds like it came from a stoner? I mean seriously? Birds from a ribcage?

There's a difference between having a writing style and throwing a bunch of random words and images together trying to sound deep and artsy. Is English not his primary language or something? I don't get it.

[Rao the Red Sun]

I've always enjoyed Tycho's writing, and it's really great to see Gabe exploring his literary side. I've enjoyed watching them grow together in their respective mediums for years. This branching, however brief, can only be a good thing.

2649931 You're not familiar with Penny Arcade, I assume. Tycho is eccentric sometimes, but clever. Maybe read through the comic archive and get a taste for his style and personality.

[BaroqueNexus]

2649947 I'd rather not. If this is what passes for cleverness and good writing these days, that's just sad. Then again, we are the generation that made 50 Shades of Grey and Twilight into bestsellers.

And what's up with his name? Tycho Brahe? He couldn't have been a little original? What's he trying to prove? It's like that jackass on Vine who goes by the name Oscar Wylde, which is a slap in the face to one of my most favorite writers of all time, because Oscar Wylde is nothing but an immature hipster who makes unbelievably shitty music.

Sorry, but I don't like him. I don't like him at all. This excerpt sounds like a foreigner who can't speak English very well trying to sing karaoke and failing miserably. It's awful.

[RBDash47]

2649765
He's speaking metaphorically. Creating something like a story (the bird) can be a very personal thing, coming from your heart (i.e. within your ribcage), and then sharing it with the world can be terrifying. If no one else likes it, what does that say about you? About your heart?

[BaroqueNexus]

2650041 Okay, to his credit, that's not a bad message at all. I just think it gets lost in his poor, hackneyed writing style.

[psychomotorboat]

2650041
Similar things have been said about parenthood:

So, there you two go, my heart walking around outside my body; one half on the swings, the other half on the slide. You have no idea, do you? Have you every wondered why I hold you so close? It’s just my heart coming home for a visit.