Well it's kind of like I said before, Mary Sues can be rather complex (as far as a Sue would go, at least). A Mary Sue may have flaws and even tribulations, but these would generally be shallow flaws and things to make a Sue not seem overly perfect. My previous example of Bella Swan, for instance: If Bella Swan lost fights and was weaker than the other characters, would she no longer be a Mary Sue, or would she be a Mary Sue who happens to have some struggles?
Almost four decades of Ahnold, Dolph, Stallone, Tiny Lister, and Vin Diesel (who can, but isn't called on to do so) have killed any expectation I have of a big guy being able to act. Remember, the Illuminati had Michael Clarke Duncan murdered for his breach when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
When I saw this, I knew there'd be people who'd get salty about it. If I don't like somebody being critical of something I like, I know the first thing *I* do is undermine their opinion by gaslighting them, and claiming - without a shred of evidence, mind you - that they're just being sexist, or racist, or Korra-phobic. It's a full-proof way to prevent anybody from criticizing anything you like. Don't believe me? Try it. Speaking of Mary Sues...
We've done that bit. We had an argument about Rey in another Mary-Sue-related thread and a discussion was duly created in the Debate Room. I love Legend of Korra. Lots of people don't. I just wanted to speak in her defence because I have a lot of respect for her creators and the directions they took the show. It will always be in the shadow of its predecessor and there were a lot of disappointed fans. So, I'm not going to get too mad over what you've dubbed (probably with tongue in cheek) "Korra-phobia".
You recognized that I was being sarcastic, and making fun of people who use name calling and besmirching to try and de-legitimize good criticism. In doing so, you wouldn't appear to be one of those aforementioned people (not that I claimed you were). Sounds good.
Tell Mary Sue test certainly is fun. It makes me look at my characters closely but that's about it. Same thing with the Hemmingway app and the I Write Like X site. The Hemingway app has its uses, though it's funny how someone pointed out how his stories are the biggest offenders according to said app. And IWL flatters me by telling me my work is similar to Agatha Christie or Virginia Woolf but I wouldn't put that in a cover letter.
Did I miss something? I don’t know if you’re talking about my comments or someone else’s. I don’t see anyone being salty.
Patrick Jane would be my choice for Jack Reacher I worried over my character becoming a Mary Jane, but I think she may have been the inverse of that. I'm done with it now so I quit worrying.
Make sure you give them a *significant* flaw. You see plenty of Mary Sue's with flaws, they are just so minor as to be insignificant, or they wind up being important and positive to the plot of the story. A flaw that winds up saving your life isn't a flaw.
Hi, Cephus! Welcome to the forum! To expand on that, make sure their flaws hinder them. I saw one girl with a "temper problem", but all it did was give her a few dramatic exits (out of completely righteous anger, of course) and some brooding time. It helped her friends see the error of their ways, but never once did anyone say "I'm sorry, mate, but that's out of order" and she never got mad at her love interest. (Except once, for another girl hitting on him that he had to apologise for anyway.)
Thanks. It's more like welcome back because I created this account back in 2014 and apparently forgot about it. Oops! Flaws are not flaws unless they have a distinct negative impact on the character. I've seen stories where they will say how ugly the MC thinks she is, then everyone, absolutely everyone in the story falls all over her. That's not a flaw. Flaws make it harder to meet goals or defeat enemies. They don't make it easier.
Ha. I just figured out my boo boo. I think I used Patrick Jane's sister Mary, or maybe I should turn in my medical card.
The character may not have significant flaws, but still not be Mary Sue. Real MC check has just one question in it: is character "exceptional" and adored by everyone around and entitked to a great mission "just because"? Not because she deserves that, she did something for that, etc., but just because the autor wants it. All other signs are just secondary signs, and character probably may have all of them, but still not be MC
This thread was a great ride to lurk through lmao. Write whatever you want, the quality of the writing is ultimately down to the reader's perception anyway. If you want to appeal to escapist fantasies of hyper-competence, write a hyper-competent character, if you want to be realistic, actually try and make your character realistic. The issue of a Mary Sue is not in fact the hyper competence or fortune of a character, but the intent behind the written portrayal. Insisting Princess Gabriel with her blushed cheeks, blonde hair and big blue eyes and lack of mistakes is a realistic depiction of a woman in say, a historical novel regarding medieval politics, then you are writing a Mary Sue in my opinion.
