Mary-Sues

The definition of the above: a fictional character (generally female) who is unbelievable in her talent, beauty, youth and spitfire personality. MY definition, anyway. See, lately on A-U, we've been discussing how to avoid making characters you create Mary-Sues. This test is very helpful, and names many characteristics that, when found in compilation, make up a Mary-Sue. However, where's the limit? At the end of the test it gives you a rough estimation of scores to help to determine whether or not your character is a Sue. But personally, I think a character without any of those characteristics is going to frankly be a very boring character. A Mary-Sue would, for example, be a 16-year-old who can pwn anybody, male or female, with any weapon you choose to name, all the while being extremely beautiful, spouting witticisms at every turn, and generally possessing a dark and tortured past that she 'keeps secret' but, strangely, seems willing to relate at the slightest provocation. She's probably also royalty a) in disguise, b) stolen away from her family, c) having run away from her family, or d) watched them get killed by [insert villain here]. Whereas a NON-Mary-Sue is probably into her thirties, isn't someone you would look twice at, has a decidedly normal past, no psychological problems, and therefore has about the depth of a kiddie wading pool. Personally, I would prefer the first character. So it can be rather increasingly hard to find the delicate balance where you're not unrealistic, but at the same time you still possess a degree of excitement in the character.

And I still haven't really decided where exactly that is. I think it varies person to person. Anyway, there's my snippet of introspection for the day.

~Sil

"I've decided I now hate anybody with the name Connell."
"Why?"
"Well, two of the recent anti-Conservative letters written lately were by someone named Connell!"
"Seems like impeccable reasoning to me."