Table of Contents
What are the qualities of a Mary Sue?
A “Mary Sue” is either a female or male (sometimes called a “Gary Stu”) character who embodies the perfect hero/heroine. Often, she is an idealized version of the author herself. Mary Sues are usually beautiful, talented, have few or no flaws, and are loved by everyone.
Is your original character a Mary Sue?
The most basic definition of “Mary Sue” is an original female character in fanfiction — which is largely about established characters and worlds — who is often close to perfect. Like, too perfect.
How do you act like a Mary Sue?
A character needs to have an equal balance of good and bad traits. A character that spits fire, always heals, can speak to the universe, etc, is a Mary Sue. They can do everything without fault or consequence. Give them some problems in their life too.
Why do Mary Sue characters exist?
Looking past the author’s urge to exist in a fictional world, we can also see that Mary Sue characters often exist to ‘solve’ the story. A great story makes the reader care about the goals of the protagonists – they find their set-backs frustrating and their barriers intolerable.
How do you write a Mary Sue fanfiction?
Tread carefully around romance. Mary Sues are constantly winning the love of a character the author really likes or fixing up two previously unattached characters the author thinks should be together. Romance is possible in fan-fiction, but give it time to make it more realistic.
What are the benefits of a Mary Sue protagonist?
The benefits of a Mary Sue protagonist. While a Mary Sue protagonist is something to be conscious of when writing, it’s not necessarily going to ruin your story. In its truest form, it’s really a power fantasy – a character who’s the best at everything, beloved by everyone, and always gets the job done.
Is Mary Sue more common than Marty Stu?
Mary Sue is more common than Marty Stu, and that’s because female characters come under fire more than male characters do. However, this trope is not gender specific, or at least it shouldn’t be. Plenty of male characters out there suffer from Marty Stu symptoms and yet aren’t as easily recognized.