Writing Tips and Tricks

Mary Sues

This is basically a guide on how not to make your characters.

Now, for a lack of better definition a Mary Sue is essentially a 'perfect' character who everyone seems to love for no reason.

The most common two seem so be the ones that are clumsy, ditzy and bad at what they're supposed to be doing but are still there anyway because everyone loves them, and at least four characters are fighting over them for no reason at all.

The second is the depressed, anxious, traumatised victim with an over the top tragic past who everybody still seems to love. Or at least the main characters love, and will protect from anything. And they show no real signs of the mental illnesses they have, it's just mentioned that they have them.

So how do you avoid making a Mary Sue? It's simple. Take from your own experiences in life. Ask yourself would you like this character, what flaws could you see. Would they really be in this situation?

You can totally have a character with mental illnesses! But the thing is, you have to do it right. If you have never had this mental illness, or even if you have, there's so many sources that can help you to figure out what a character with said mental illness would be like. Another thing to keep in mind is that it will be difficult. Not just for you to write but the character to cope with. For any of you who have or ever had a mental illness, in most circumstances it can put strain on your relationships. You have to look at problems friendships and relationships may face. Say if your character is depressed and keeps bailing on going out with another, that person, although they may be understanding, would probably be a little frustrated too. Especially if they're doing this to help that character, and that character seems like they're trying to push the person away.

That's something you have to realise, mental illnesses are not romantic or cute. They're difficult and can sometimes tear people apart. You just have to be really careful with this.

The second thing I'm going to address is the tragic past. This, in most cases, is so unnecessary. It just gives the Mary Sue a reason to be depressed and for people to feel sorry for them.

It's okay for a character to have a tragic past, it may even make the character more interesting. But your character does not need a long list of awful things that have happened to them. And if they are to have a traumatic past, make sure you understand what that entails.

You just have to remember your character is not the best at everything, nor are they liked by everyone. I make it a point when doing character sheets to always include a list of skills and flaws of approximately the same length to create a balanced character. Of course, this is not always the case some may be more flawed and others more skilled. But if you have a character with 1 flaw and 20 odd skills. Then you may want to reconsider how you're making that character appear to your audience.

And again, just because your character is skilled and has many positive traits doesn't mean everyone will like them. If she's pretty, smart and kind then someone may be envious of her. If he's strong, muscular and handsome then someone might be scared of him. She might be incredibly lazy, unfashionable or not at all fit and he might be shy, a little bit dumb and socially oblivious. For every positive, have a negative.

Now, that's not so say people who make Mary Sues are bad writers. Hell, I have a few Mary Sues. From when I was just starting off and was younger to when I feel self indulgent.

Younger authors especially use Mary Sues because they want their character to seem interesting and likeable. And that's totally fine. A Mary Sue in a story is not the end of the world. It's how writers grow and develop.

And sometimes you've just had a bad day and want to write something with a character that is just so liked, a character that makes you feel a little better. And that's okay too!

Mary Sues will help you grow as a writer, and these were just a few tips to help you on the way!