Mary Sue? Gary Stu? People We Love to Hate.

Hello everyone, glad you could make it back.

Some say that our characters are merely an extension of who we are. Well I'm not sure about that, but I do know that interesting characters are what drives a story. But have you ever stumbled onto a character that is just perfect. Everything is perfect for them, they are the best at everything, nothing bad happens to them... yeah, the writing world hates these type of characters. They are called the Mary Sue or the Gary Stu characters and they are the worst.

What Makes a Character a Mary Sue of Gary Stu?

If your character is falling into these categories it means they are perfect, in the bad way. These type of characters have no flaws, nothing is bad about them. Oh, they're clumsy in an adorable way? That doesn't count as a flaw. They're broody? Okay, that might work as a flaw if it makes things harder on them. Remember, flaws are things that hinder a character. No one is perfect. If they were we would hate them. So when trying to fight against writing a Mary Sue character, just remember to put in some quirks that'll actually be something. They need to be a part of the character and not be a glamorous thing. Needs some ideas? Here's a list of 500 different quirks.

Who are some Mary Sue/Gary Stu Characters?

So this generally comes down to a person's opinion of the character and, like all characters, there will be people who will defend them to the death. But I'm just going to show a few who the world seems to acknowledged as these "perfect" characters.

Double O Seven

Okay, I know what you're thinking. James Bond? Mr. Double O Seven? No way, he can't be a Gary Stu. Well, actually he can. He's a perfect Casanova mixed with a ruthless killing machine. He clever, refined, always gets the girl, and he's always cool headed. Yeah, he's kind of perfect. Yes, we love him. The Bond movies are always a treat to watch, but if you really look at him, I mean really look at him, he is a "perfect" character. 

The Girl who fell in love with a vampire...

Oh Twilight, how you have a way of always showing up. Let's be real here, Bella Swan is a type of character I wouldn't first think to be a Mary Sue character. Yet after having a very long and almost ranty conversation with the Creative Writing Department of my college I realized, yup, she's a Mary Sue. Let's look at her. She willingly moves to the dismal, boring, rainy, and cold town of Forks in the middle of nowhere Washington, so her mother can travel with her baseball playing boyfriend. Great... Then she finds herself the object of attraction for many boys of her new school. But her greatest feat is that she captures the eye of the vampire Edward. Through the series she saves Edward from the Volturi, gives birth to a perfect vampire/human, makes it possible for vampire and werewolves to live together, and she becomes a shield for an entire of army of vampires... yeah, she's a Mary Sue.

We're not in Kansas anymore

I just like picking on the classic characters, don't I? Well, this one really through me for a loop, but after thinking about it, Dorothy is a Mary Sue. Let's think about it. She survives a tornado, above ground that is, kills the wicked witch of the east, helped three new friends overcome their own personal challenges, kills the wicked with of the west, made it to O.Z. and makes it back to Kansas all without getting her sparkly shoes dirty. Sounds kind of "perfect" right?

Now everyone will have their own ideas of what makes a "perfect" character. People claim Superman is perfect and others claim he is not. Everyone on this list have those who can claim they're not the Mary Sue/Gray Stus that the world thinks they are. If anything you can look at them and see what you shouldn't do with your own characters.

If you're still confused on what make a Mary Sue a Mary Sue, there are plenty of other blogs that have talked about this very thing. Try here, or here, or here, or here, or here... you get the idea, right?

Just remember to keep writing,

Dakota