Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Valuable Links- Mary Sue Test

One of the things I've been warned about along my writing journey is Mary Sue characters. Avoid a Mary Sue character.

Well, what is a Mary Sue?

A Mary Sue is a character that is too perfect to be realistic. And usually too flawless to be likable to a reader. Sly or insinuating people might say that a Mary Sue character is what the author wishes they were, but can never attain.

The problem with a Mary Sue is they often end up inspiring hatred instead of devotion. No one is perfect. In appearance or personality. And no reader likes to compare themselves to a fiction character who is.

A fun game to play is taking the Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test to find out if your character is a Mary Sue. The questions are hilarious! Really, don't miss it.  

Confession: My first ms was loaded with Mary Sue characters. I answered yes to so many of these questions that it was embarrassing.


2 comments:

  1. Right, well, I just blew the better part of an hour testing my favorites (good news there, but wow that's a long test).

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  2. Oh I have this test memorized. I've been using it since my middle school Fanfic writing days. I can blow through this test so quickly now because I know where all the questions are and which ones are relevant. Its a great resource.

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