character question

[rocklobster]

I thought up a character who seems destined to be considered a Mary Sue. She's admired by most of the cast and seems to be very nice. Is there a way to pull this off without going into Mary Sue territory?

[Esoteric]

Well, she could turn out to be a hypocrite or a real jerk. I'm no expert here, but find a way to flaw her character, or don't make her the main character.

[Ante Bellum]

http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm

And if you can, give her some negative qualities that the rest don't find cute or adorable.

[Davidizer13]

Give the character a reason to be liked: one defining characteristic of Sueishness is that everyone in the story likes a character just because he/she exists. Just because everyone likes someone does not automatically make them a Sue; however, if, for example, the villain drops his plans and decides that he was wrong just because the villain met your character, then that's when to rethink the state of that character.

[OfficerSting]

While niceness is a common Mary Sue trait, having a nice character that is admired doesn't mean you've ruined your character. What you could do is have her slip up occasionally, or otherwise make it clear your character is good-hearted, yet still human, and therefore capable of error. Also, give some other characters time in the spotlight, rather than having her do everything, and don't make her a savant at everything: giver her one or two fields she excels in.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Who is she? What fandom is this? Is she just another character in your story or the main one?

Give her a real backstory with some bite and DON'T let her ever, ever feel sorry for herself.

[rocklobster]

Who is she? What fandom is this? Is she just another character in your story or the main one?

Give her a real backstory with some bite and DON'T let her ever, ever feel sorry for herself.

It's an original story, SK. Well, as original as a story can be anyway. So, you think if I make her a broken bird type it might work. Maybe I can make her someone who has a troubled background but has an optimistic outlook?

[Chrysolite]

My advice to you is this: forget the Mary Sue concept. Just look at your character, her situation, her disposition, and the struggles she faces throughout the story, and ask yourself, "Is this a character I would find interesting if I were reading about them?" And if the answer is no, just figure out what the story as a whole is lacking. Does it need better character development, better dialogue, better conflict, or maybe a more cohesive plot with a more obvious premise? Every story has room for improvement, but you should approach this from the mentality that you want to make your story more gripping and meaningful, not just because you want to avoid writing a Mary Sue. Don't let fan-contrived stumbling blocks like this sway you from writing what's really on your heart.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Also, treat this character as if she's a real person. Have her do things, say things, think things, feel things like an actual person would in that situation, because if you treat your characters like real people it's almost impossible to make them Mary Sues.