[Rob B]

In re-reading a novel I finished writing a year ago, I have a small concern. As the title of the thread indicates, I want to avoide my protagonist being simply a Mary Sue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue) (or rather a Marty Stu since he, is after all, a male).

Walking the line between writing what you know and inserting yourself fully into the story can be a challenge. Any thoughts or pointers?

[James Carmack]

All of our characters are going to have a little piece of ourselves in them, no matter how hard we try to forcibly divorce them from us. That being said, you most certainly don't have to (and shouldn't) have a little Mini-Me parade marching across the pages of your story.

The easiest way to avoid excessive Mary Sue/Marty Sue Syndrome is to ask yourself: Is this what I'd say? Is this what I'd do? Is this character's bio an exact (or near-exact) replica of my own?

Within reason, a generous portion of yourself can actually be a good thing. It makes the story far more personal and can even be an outlet for pent-up emotions you can't release elsewhere. And trust me, all the literature majors a hundred years from now will love making research papers picking apart your psychology from your story. ^o^

A good way to expand your horizons is to visit forums, blogs and other such collections of opinion to absorb ways of thinking outside your own. It'll go a long way toward helping you visualize characters beyond yourself.

[Rob B]

Good points James, thanks. The character's bio is not an exact copy of my own, so I've got that going for me.

[Rocket Sheep]

All of our characters are going to have a little piece of ourselves in them, no matter how hard we try to forcibly divorce them from us.

Hmmm... does that mean Holbrook carries around the hand of a hanged man and robs the dead? Perhaps not ALL our characters?

Rob, you know all those sayings "You wouldn't read about it!" "Truth is stranger than fiction" etc, etc... well... are you any good as a character in a story? Most real people are either too bizarre and illogical or too boring to be good characters.

Mary Sues are perfect flawless characters, the kind dirt doesn't stick to, that evade every death threat... are you trying to tell us that that is you?

[BlueAngel]

I agree that there will always be a piece or pieces of you within any characters you work with. Just as others have said, as long as they aren't exact replicas of yourself, you're pretty well off.

Hell, I end up creating more interesting characters than myself because my own life is often quite boring compared to what I COULD be in a limitless fantasy/scifi world. So yeah, I'm usually in those shoes, but I add here and there to avoid being far to similar to myself.

[KatG]

Sorry, I don't know what a Mary Sue is. What's the question exactly?

[Dawnstorm]

Sorry, I don't know what a Mary Sue is. What's the question exactly?

"Mary Sue" originates from fanfiction (I think Star Trek). S/he's a character who:

a) Single-handedly solves all the problems
b) Impresses all the original cast
c) Makes all the relevant personage fall in love with him/herself.

Basically, it's about story as wish-fulfillment, with an idealised replica of the author at its center. My strengths will save the world, and my weaknesses... I don't have weaknesses, and they're not under the carpet, either.

[Holbrook]

Hmmm... does that mean Holbrook carries around the hand of a hanged man and robs the dead?

Yes. Errr, I mean no. ;)

I know there are scraps of my opinions, thoughts and beliefs in my characters' makeup, there is also the total opposite. I don't think I have ever written myself into my stories, least not on purpose, even the fun collab work it was a "character persona" not me at all.

I somehow find the idea of Mary Sues, the perfect flawless character that always wins and gets the girl, as rather boring.

[Hereford Eye]

I don't know if I've ever made up a character. They're all me. Since "Most real people are either too bizarre and illogical or too boring to be good characters," I believe we've finally pin-pointed why my stories don't sell.
I feel better now.

[Rocket Sheep]

Not that you're not perfectly nice within your bizarre illogic, of course. ;) Apart from the odd bit of sheep torture.


Wasn't there some comics out in the 1930s or 40s with a character named Mary Sue who was just perfect and solved every problem? It's an American term, so I presume an old American comic.