Deviation Actions
6K Views
Literature Text
Welcome to The Mary-Sue Complaints Checklist! Got a complaint about a character trait, or a plot device? Maybe it's more of a writing style pet peeve. Come on in and read why these specific "traits" aren't necessarily "Mary-Sueish" or "bad writing".
Before you read any farther, it would probably be best to read my "Mary-Sue: Who is She?" series first before reading any of these because my definition of Mary-Sues are quite different from anything I've read by anyone else. I'm quite open-minded, so if you have a gorgeous, powerful character with a tragic past, I would accept it without automatically declaring it a Mary-Sue.
These are the chapters I have written or am planning to write. If I have submitted the subject, I have put links in this index itself, so just hover over the subject you want to read, and click on it. If you feel I have missed something, by all means, let me know and I'll either add on here, or I'll make a guide for the "Mary-Sue: Who is She?" series.
Before you read any farther, it would probably be best to read my "Mary-Sue: Who is She?" series first before reading any of these because my definition of Mary-Sues are quite different from anything I've read by anyone else. I'm quite open-minded, so if you have a gorgeous, powerful character with a tragic past, I would accept it without automatically declaring it a Mary-Sue.
These are the chapters I have written or am planning to write. If I have submitted the subject, I have put links in this index itself, so just hover over the subject you want to read, and click on it. If you feel I have missed something, by all means, let me know and I'll either add on here, or I'll make a guide for the "Mary-Sue: Who is She?" series.
- "You" P.O.V.s
- Clichés and Self-Inserts
- Sucked into the Universe
- OCs Paired up with Canon Characters
- OCs Related to Canon Characters
- Controlling All of the Elements
- Suddenly or Accidentally Gaining Powers
- Having or Gaining Wings
- Coming Back to Life
- Musical Talents
- Having Numerous Hobbies
- Knowing Numerous Languages
- Youthful Old Gals/Men
- "Hot" Only Characters
- Multi-Colored Hair
- Lack of Scars on Fighters
- Inflow of Japanese Characters
- Princesses vs. Rebellious Tomboys
- Girlish Boys and Macho Girls
- Cutters, Druggies, and Alcoholics
- Killing Canon Characters
- Physical/Emotional/Mental Disabilities/Disorders
- Has an Alter Ego/Demon/Angel Inside
- Sex as an Outlet (Even for Sexually Abused Characters)
- Rule Breaking Genres
- OCs with a Canon Character's Name
- Characters with Extra Long Hair
- "Rare" vs "Impossible"
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn
- Sweet Sixteen
- Endearing Flaws
- Animal Companions
Help! I have a Mary Sue!
You know that you have a Mary Sue when she upsets the monochromatic color scheme of my Writer's Guides.
Mouse over blue text to see a note.
Internet communities often lash out at writers who create Mary Sues. Declaring the writing to be below their standards, they proceed to punish the creators. They mock the characters, verbally abuse the writers, and write hyperbolically about how much they wish the characters would die.
Bullying writers (who may be very young) is only going to make them afraid to write—and therefore improve—or share their work. Not only that, but it discourages other writers from speaking for fear of public
Types of Mary-Sue's
Angsty Sue: This type of Sue is created for people to feel bad for because of some dark past. Every other character in the story (unless they're mean or spiteful) will always make the Sue’s angst the biggest issue in the story and the fact that she constantly dwells in her own self pity will be considered a “natural reaction”. If two characters both have traumatic experiences, the Sue will receive more attention no matter what. The main goal of these is often to have the OC cuddle with a canon character.
Example one: Fred has just had his leg chopped off and will die if he does not receive medical attention immediately, but
Writing better villains
Part one: Creating a villain in general
Don’t create a paper cut out of evil. Unless you’re writing a story for little kids, give your villain depth (think of the good witch and the wicked witch, a protagonist would be closer to the good witch, while the antagonist should be closer to the wicked witch, but they should never be just the good witch or just the bad witch), just like you would any character. There is no such thing as pure evil.
Give your villain a good motive. If somebody hurt them, then they may want to hurt that person, their relatives, or the entire world. They may also be doing it out of greed. Whatever it is, i
Suggested Collections
Featured in Groups
I highly recommend reading my first Mary-Sue guides from the Mary-Sue: Who is She? series before reading any of these. My definition of a Mary-Sue isn’t all about the characters perse, and you would be surprise at how open I am to ideas that are declared an “absolute Mary-Sue trait.” Gorgeous, powerful characters, with sad pasts, I accept it all and wouldn’t call them Mary-Sues.
Anyways, what this checklist is, is just me writing specifically about these so-called “bad writer/Mary-Sue traits” and telling you why it’s OK to write about/with them. With the other guides, I just didn’t have room to be more specific, so I wanted to have another series within the series going. If I think of another guide-worthy idea, I’ll still continue the general guides, but for now I’m taking a (well-deserved) break.
By writing another series of Mary-Sue guides?
. . . I'm weird.
The links to each of the subjects that I have written are in the index. Just hover over whatever you want to read, and if it adds an underline, that means I've submitted it here.
Learning how to develop characters and the story itself isn't something I can just teach you or write a tutorial about, you have to practice that on your own. So this is really just a checklist.
Anyways, what this checklist is, is just me writing specifically about these so-called “bad writer/Mary-Sue traits” and telling you why it’s OK to write about/with them. With the other guides, I just didn’t have room to be more specific, so I wanted to have another series within the series going. If I think of another guide-worthy idea, I’ll still continue the general guides, but for now I’m taking a (well-deserved) break.
By writing another series of Mary-Sue guides?
. . . I'm weird.
The links to each of the subjects that I have written are in the index. Just hover over whatever you want to read, and if it adds an underline, that means I've submitted it here.
Learning how to develop characters and the story itself isn't something I can just teach you or write a tutorial about, you have to practice that on your own. So this is really just a checklist.
© 2012 - 2022 HatedLove6
Comments10
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Hmm...My char has an unnatural hair color though I wasn't dyed or anything its more of a representation for my character's personality does that make her a Mary sue?