This is a neat post. I've often wanted to try to take time to think through/write down why I love the characters, ships, story arcs that I do, and why. I have definitely identified broad patterns, some of which are the same as yours (and characters the same as yours in some cases).
I used to think that feeling so emotionally invested in and protective of my favorites was because I identified so strongly with them, but I've found upon closer examination that I actually often DISLIKE people most like me in fiction. This is strange, because I'm not self-loathing at ALL. I wonder if characters that I love represent more of things I wish I could do/traits that I wish I had, and so attacks on them feel like attacks on my dreams and aspirations? I don't know. Hope to find time to do an exercise like you've done here someday.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-12-09 04:45 pm (UTC)I used to think that feeling so emotionally invested in and protective of my favorites was because I identified so strongly with them, but I've found upon closer examination that I actually often DISLIKE people most like me in fiction. This is strange, because I'm not self-loathing at ALL. I wonder if characters that I love represent more of things I wish I could do/traits that I wish I had, and so attacks on them feel like attacks on my dreams and aspirations? I don't know. Hope to find time to do an exercise like you've done here someday.