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+1 Matthew. Bottom line is a Mary-Sue is too lucky and too perfect, and that is not what you are writing. The problem with Mary-Sue is a lack of conflict and thus boredom with the character. Reade...
Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed
by
System
·
2019-12-19T22:13:38Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41138 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T10:31:48Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41138 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
+1 Matthew. Bottom line is a Mary-Sue is too lucky and too perfect, and that is not what you are writing. The problem with Mary-Sue is a lack of conflict and thus boredom with the character. Readers turn pages to find out what happens in the next _few pages:_ Not just in the end, but there must be constant conflict. Mary-Sue defuses the conflict because we know she won't fail, she won't disappoint anybody, etc. I expect writers to produce MC that reflect themselves, the bigger danger is if all your characters are the **same** reflections of you; and the villains are cardboard cutouts. Too much agreement (especially by the good guys) can **also** defuse conflict -- you don't want to write a _collective_ Mary-Sue. Now I do believe in happy-endings, that is what most people want (unhappy endings generate bad word-of-mouth or lack of recommendations that severely depress sales). But as you have done for your MC, ensure the rest of the cast is also flawed, makes mistakes, sometimes doesn't know what to do, and argues different points-of-view they won't give up easily, even if they are wrong.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2019-01-09T12:37:46Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 10