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Nov. 25th, 2006 03:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cybermathwitchAdvice on MarySues - as in, avoiding them.
I have this idea for a Supernatural fic. It involves an original character (who has started talking to me and won't shut up! Cause I need that during NaNo, right...) who is female. It's going to eventually be OT3 (cause I found a fic using a character that was in an ep of the show that worked on that principle, and while I can't quite get into Wincest (I'm trying, but nothing I've read so far has really worked for me) I can *totally* see them w/ the same girl at the same time.
ANYWAY, I want to write this. I know that no matter what I do, someone, somewhere, will decide that since it's an OFC it's a Mary Sue, but I want to minimize that reaction. I don't want her to be that kind of a character, I want her to be "real". Have any of you lovely people written fics w/ OFCs? (Or OMCs, for that matter?) Or read fics you really like with original chars in them that work? How do you think one should go about making a character *not* be the dreaded Mary Sue?
I have this idea for a Supernatural fic. It involves an original character (who has started talking to me and won't shut up! Cause I need that during NaNo, right...) who is female. It's going to eventually be OT3 (cause I found a fic using a character that was in an ep of the show that worked on that principle, and while I can't quite get into Wincest (I'm trying, but nothing I've read so far has really worked for me) I can *totally* see them w/ the same girl at the same time.
ANYWAY, I want to write this. I know that no matter what I do, someone, somewhere, will decide that since it's an OFC it's a Mary Sue, but I want to minimize that reaction. I don't want her to be that kind of a character, I want her to be "real". Have any of you lovely people written fics w/ OFCs? (Or OMCs, for that matter?) Or read fics you really like with original chars in them that work? How do you think one should go about making a character *not* be the dreaded Mary Sue?
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Date: 2006-11-25 09:06 pm (UTC)You have to be careful how and why you bring them into the story and what abilities they have.
For example, in the Buffyverse, we refer to Mary Sues sometimes as being MSTS, or More Scooby Than Scooby. They're better at research than Giles, better at magic than Willow, etc. Or they're more badass than Faith or something like that. Sometimes people want to bring in new Slayers. Those can easily become Mary Sues. It's a fine line to walk.
Other things you want to watch out for come in physical descriptions. raven-black tresses that fall to her waist, any type of unusually colored eyes and, for some reason, an excellent singing voice, are all hallmark traits of the Mary Sue.
Here's a link: link to a helpful site. Take the test. If you score too high, revamp and test again.
Good luck from the ML who is probably not going to reach 50k.