The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

#1

Post by lbarn3 » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 12:48 PM UTC

Re: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

#2

Post by snowwrestler » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 2:37 PM UTC

This piece of writing merely reiterates the archetype. While it may be fun to read for a couple minutes, it doesn't add any value--no new thought or insight.

This is like the essay equivalent of a chocolate donut.

Re: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

#3

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 2:52 PM UTC

This isn't quite fremdshamen, but the entire article is of the form 'dude, no, why are you writing this, don't be a creep.'

Re: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

#4

Post by draw_down » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 3:10 PM UTC

Good grief.

Re: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

#5

Post by smacktoward » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 3:18 PM UTC

Note for writers: starting your essay by quoting Wikipedia is the 21st century version of starting your essay with a dictionary definition.

http://blog.writeathome.com/index.php/2012/06/please-quit-st...

It's a crutch to help the writer get past the problem of having a blank page in front of them and no idea what to put on it. I can understand the desire to reach for it, having faced more than enough blank pages myself, but it's so commonly used that it immediately flags your work as something that wasn't thought over particularly hard. If you find yourself reaching for it, take that as a sign that you need to find a different angle from which to approach your subject.