let's talk about Anon · 1:29am February 28th
i was OVERJOYED to see not a single Anon story on the front page tonight. but some people on this platform seem to think that Anon is a lifesaver for their stories; that Anon is acceptable for a reader stand-in.
THEY'RE WRONG
Anon is a plague on the writing community, and a copout. Anon means you're a shit writer, because Anon is LAZY
most of the Anon stories on this site are because the writer doesn't want to create a new main character that maybe readers won't like or connect with. YOU'RE A WRITER; your job is to create a wide variety of characters, and Anon keeps your from doing so. Anon is safe and doesn't require you to challenge yourself and stretch your comfort zone
some Anon stories use him as a reader stand-in. let's ignore the fact that every time he is used in this way, he's still written as a self-insert, and usually male with euro-centric "features," if he's described at all. YET YOU IGNORE SECOND PERSON?? use the second person POV as a reader stand-in, which is why it exists in the first place (choose your own adventure uses it very effectively). in my story In Disguise, i even considered making my MC a changeling, which is something you could do! it'll also challenge your writing, and stretch your comfort zone
are you sensing a theme here at all?
