Mary Sues

[Chibi-sitter]

There's already one. Gary Stu, I think.

:razz: that's even better!

[Wingnut]

On the Mary Sue issue, one artist came up with a nice counter to it that features Goku and Trunks from DBZ.

http://www.deviantart.com/view/8433061/

[Chibi-sitter]

OMG! that was so funny!
Thanks for the link Wingnut

[AnShino]

lolol...that was really great...I loved it...ditto Chibi, Thanks Wingnut =3

[Teankun]

Gegyechhhh, I know of a guy who is the epidamie of Gary Stu (so much that he probably qualifies as Mary). I managed give him the lithmus test. Here are results I was able to squeeze out of him.

Is the character named after you? (This can be your first name, middle name, or the name you go by in chat or irc.) If so, stop now. Put your pencil (mouse?) down and turn in your test.[10] Check

Is the character the same gender as you?[1] Check

Is the character from the same racial group as you?[1] Check

Is the character not subject to limitations normally put upon someone of this species? A human who is immortal.[4] Check

Is the character a teenager or in her/his early twenties?[1] Check

Is the character beautiful or roguishly handsome?[1] Check

Does one or more of the regulars find the character highly attractive?[1] Check

Does the character have an unusual eye color for no apparent reason?[3] Check

Is the character the long-lost child or descendent or sibling of a regular or recurring character?[1] Check

Does the character have a twin, a clone, or a sibling of the same gender?[2] Check

Is the character royalty of any type?[3] Check

Does the character have telekinesis or telepathy? (Twins count.)[2] Check

Does the character just "know things" for no apparent reason?[2] Check

Do you think everyone who reads the story should automatically like the character and want to be friends with the character?[1] Check

If someone tells you he/she doesn't like your character, do you take it as a personal attack on you?[1] Check

Do you introduce the character on the first page of the story?[2] Check

Do you tell the story from the character's point of view, all or mostly?[1] Check

Does the character save the day and/or another character's life?[3] Check

Through almost dying?[2] Check

Does everyone go into mourning?[1] Check


Total = 43 (Certified Mary Sue)

Actually, it probably should be higher since he makes his character (i.e. himself) President of the Earth Sphere and even has the chutzbah to have him(self) remembered as "the savior of all mankind." How many points is blasphemy worth?

[Wingnut]

Well the same gender as you one really can't be counted as that is too general of a question even OC's who are not MS/GS cas easily be of the same gender as the writer. the same could apply to the racial group.

[melrose_stormhaven]

Ha! my OCs are somewhat borderline Mary Sues. XD But what the hell...XD

[aieki]

don't they just turn you off to a fic? anyway, that's not what the purpose of this thread is, lol. i wanted to ask, what makes a character mary sue? i want to write original fics and i want to make sure my main characters are NOT mary sue. also, i believe all of my fics include (in some way) one (or two...maybe three ) orginal character(s).

so...back from your original question, ne? well, OC characters aren't really mary sues. it really depends on the fanfiction really. eto...lets see; for example I put "Pokemon" because alot of people are familiar with it. if your going to write a mary sue then your "OC" will take over the story, rather then Ash. So it would be like an AU but yet, almost the same universe. well that would be confusing explaining that way, nya? soo~ i guess my post was really no help x.x

[zapenstap]

Not <b><i>all</b></i> of those checks are signifiers for Mary Sue. It's a great list, but some of them are just standards for young adult fiction. The real tell-tale ones have to do with how special, invincible, beautiful, powerful, suddenly intregal for a nonsense reason that the canon characters accept without question, AND universally adored the character is. The test "does this character exist for personal wish-fullfilment purposes" is usually a good indicator. Introducing a character as a long-lost relative of some standardized canon character is pretty common in GW for example (Heero's or Duo's sister being probably the most common). This is particularly obvious when the mary sue character is randomly introduced as if he/she had been there all along and all the canon characters either A. accept it without question and promptly invite him/her on whatever adventure is currently underway, B. force Mary Sue to prove herself...which she does immediately and with a brilliance that trumps the canon characters, or C. becomes the immediate love interest of one of the canon characters and thus becomes a "tag along" character whose personal angst then somehow becomes more important than the rest of the plot.

She's also usually sexy, cool, skilled, vivacious, funny and unstoppable....though often with a horrific past. And somehow she annoys no one but the reader.

I don't actually hate Mary Sue all that much generally. I do typically skip mary sueish fics, but I don't hate that people write them. I think she serves a purpose for some writers, especially beginning writers (though not limited to these) and occasionally the dedicated writer can rework her in a way that is interesting. I have seen some really annoying ones, but I won't say I have never created a mary sue character. I don't <i>think</i> I've written any mary sue fics, but before my online ficdom days I'm sure I created a plethora of mary sue type characters, and I'm sure I had fun doing it!

[melrose_stormhaven]

Well said, zapenstap.

Whoa, it's been a year or so since I posted in this topic.