*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10800-The-Trouble-With-Mary-Sue.html
Action/Adventure: June 02, 2021 Issue [#10800]




 This week: The Trouble With Mary Sue
  Edited by: Kit
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

It is natural to identify with one of your characters. The danger rests in the detail...

This week's Action/Adventure Newsletter is all about Mary Sues and Gary Stus.

Kit


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: 197380364X
Amazon's Price: $ 15.99


Letter from the editor

I read quite an enjoyable story recently (or, at over 200,000 words it was more of a novel, really). It had some interesting ideas. A pleasant pace. Well-flowing dialogue. A good cast of supporting characters. Trouble was, the more I got into the story, the more irritated I became with the main character. That’s not something you want as a reader, and it’s certainly not what you hope for as an author!

If I remember correctly, the main character is 15 years old when the story begins, and 17 years old when it ends. She discovers that she was kidnapped as a baby and sold off to the people she believed to be her parents. Her real parents are wealthy, but not very good people, and her brother is the guy who’s been bullying her for years. This issue is resolved by her telling off her birth parents and brother over a cup of tea, from which point onward they’re happily bonding.

She does a lot of telling off adults, putting them in their place, and is excellent at outsmarting them in general. She gets away with this because, as the reader is reminded almost constantly through other characters, she is very intelligent, probably the most intelligent girl of her generation. It doesn’t matter that she is only a teenager, she knows better than the experts and even calls a panel of judges to heel at one point. Our girl can do no wrong. Ever. She is the perfect heroine.

Now, I am not one to be mean about someone else’s work. That’s why I refuse to ‘name and shame’. There was, as I said above, a lot to enjoy about the piece. If there hadn’t been, I would have stopped reading it. It would have been excellent had the main character not been, as some would call it, such a Mary Sue.

A Mary Sue is a usually young-ish, usually female character who can do no wrong. If she has any weaknesses at all, they are endearing ones, like being somewhat shy and clumsy. Their stories read as though the author has inserted an idealised version of themselves into the adventure, fulfilling all of their fantasies in the process. The male version of a Mary Sue character is called Gary Stu.

I daydream. A lot. In those daydreams I tend to be an idealised version of myself – smarter, slimmer, far more beautiful, way more skilled in all sorts of cool stuff – and I go on wonderful adventures. It’s always been this way, ever since I was a child. So, I get wanting to live vicariously through your characters, but you’ve got to be careful. You don’t want to end up with a character that feels irritating and unrealistic to others. Not if you’re planning on sharing your story. If you are its main audience then hey, go for it!

Some Mary Sues actually end up published. Some even become bestsellers. Twilight’s Bella Swan is an excellent example of a Mary Sue yet, somehow, the author has managed to make her relatable to such a wide audience that many a reader fell in love with Edward and/or Jacob through her. I often found myself disagreeing with her, and thought Edward to be a creepy stalker, but there is no doubt that Stephenie Meyer has created some popular characters.

As with so many things in the world of writing, and life in general, there is a balance to be found here. It is certainly not uncommon to place something of your personality and your hopes and dreams into a character. If you find yourself doing this, there is no need to be concerned. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. Just make certain that because of this bond between you and the character you don’t allow them to become a near-saint, always right, always great at everything, because people aren’t like that! Every person is a mixture of good and bad, right and wrong, with their own skills and talents and flaws and mistakes. It is that complexity of character that makes people interesting.

That’s the sad thing about Mary Sues and Gary Stus. In not being permitted to be flawed, they become boring, and a boring main character is not going to establish them, or you, in the hearts and minds of readers…

Kit


Editor's Picks

Some contests to inspire you:

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#1873271 by Not Available.


FORUM
No Dialogue Contest-CLOSED  (E)
Write a story containing no dialogue, in 700 words or less.
#2079495 by QPdoll


FORUM
The Dialogue 500  (18+)
Dialogues of 500 words or less.
#941862 by W.D.Wilcox


 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#2162300 by Not Available.


FORUM
The Writer's Cramp  (13+)
Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPS!
#333655 by Sophy


FORUM
Shadows and Light Poetry Contest  (E)
Do you love the challenge and creativity of free verse poetry? This contest is for you.
#1935693 by Choconut


FORUM
The Bard's Hall Contest  (13+)
September: Annual Cop Shop Mystery!
#981150 by StephBee


FORUM
SENIOR CENTER FORUM  (ASR)
The Place for Seniors!
#427318 by Kit


For a bit of fun:

IN & OUT
Three Word Mayhem!  (13+)
Mayhem is afoot!
#555590 by Jay's debut novel is out now!


And don't forget:

 
SURVEY
Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest  (ASR)
Use the quote provided to write a story and win big prizes!
#1207944 by Writing.Com Support



 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B01CJ2TNQI
Amazon's Price: $ 5.99


Ask & Answer

The Action/Adventure Newsletter Team welcomes any and all thoughts, questions, suggestions and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! *Smile*

Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,

The Action/Adventure Newsletter Team

*Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet* Don't Be Shy! Write Into This Newsletter! *Bullet* *Bullet* *Bullet*

This form allows you to submit an item on Writing.Com and feedback, comments or questions to the Writing.Com Newsletter Editors. In some cases, due to the volume of submissions we receive, please understand that all feedback and submissions may not be responded to or listed in a newsletter. Thank you, in advance, for any feedback you can provide!
Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional):

Send a comment or question to the editor!
Limited to 2,500 characters.
Word from our sponsor
ASIN: B000FC0SIM
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99

Removal Instructions

To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.


Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10800-The-Trouble-With-Mary-Sue.html