McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Avoiding Mary Suehood?

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someguynamedjoe:
Gosh, I feel sort of weird asking for advice on this but here goes...

I'm actually writing a graphic novel at the moment and I'm sort of afraid that my main character is becoming too much like me. My main character is a grouchy, misanthropic aspiring science-fiction writer stuck in a dead-end job at a thinly-veiled Starbuck's expy (called Apollo's...) who's being targeted by a gaggle of street performers/assassins who are after his cat.

I started with writing from what I knew (useless college degree, taking crap job to support doing what I love), went from there, and now I'm sort of afraid my main character's become me... only prettier and more interesting.

Anyway, help?

Kali:
I think it only counts as a Mary Sue if they're not just prettier and more interesting, but are also uberpowerful, everyone loves them, even their faults are actually positive things, and their mistakes end up being all for the best.

Just basing it on you, if you include all your faults and flaws, isn't enough to make it a Sue.

Starbeam:
Basing the character on yourself isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, though it is a self insert.  But I wouldn't really worry too much unless the character ends up being pretty much perfect.  Also, http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm.

someguynamedjoe:

--- Quote from: Starbeam on April 22, 2010, 01:21:35 AM ---Basing the character on yourself isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, though it is a self insert.  But I wouldn't really worry too much unless the character ends up being pretty much perfect.  Also, http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm.

--- End quote ---

Ooookay... so I have a Mary Sue score of 4... guess he's not a Sue. I am a tad concerned about the self-insertion though ("self-insertion"? wow that sounds saucy...)

Jaeh:
i personally think authors usually insert a part of themselves, or maybe even a part of who they think they are/who they want to be, in their writing. I don't think self-inserts are that bad, unless you turn it into Mary Suedom and make the book into one this-is-what-i-wish-for-and-i'm-getting-it-through-this-story story.

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