What is a Mary Sue and how to avoid creating one

Being accused of your main character being a Mary Sue is something that many authors dread. They will go to great lengths to avoid their character being labeled as such, often falling into the very pitfalls they are trying to avoid. And popular media, both in written format but also on the screen, does not escape that scrutiny. Some popular characters that are considered Mary Sues are Bella Swan from Twilight, Rey from Star Wars, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, and even James Bond and Harry Potter have been labeled as Mary Sues by some.

What is a Mary Sue?

Mary Sue is a term originating from a Star Trek fanfiction, where the main character of the story would be the object of wish-fulfillment of the author of the piece, a sort of idealized self-insertion into the story. This was the sort of character that was flawless, overpowered and adept enough to overcome any challenge. Even when stated to have flaws, these are presented as quirky or endearing characteristics, and are largely unimportant to the plot of the story or are resolved very quickly.

Though these characters are often female (and there is conversation on the reasoning for this) they also appear as males as well, using the moniker of Gary Stu.

While there is a market in young adult fiction for stories with some of those characteristics, Mary Sues are largely off-putting and their stories uninteresting. If there is no internal struggle, a huge part of a character’s story arc is rendered unimportant. If they are already perfect, then no room is left for them to grow and evolve in meaningful ways.

How to avoid writing Mary Sues

• Your character should never be the best at anything.

Sure, they can be really good at something, but where is the tension in a story if there is no one to challenge them?  Perhaps they are an accomplished magician or an expert detective. Then the antagonist has to be better than them at magic or managed to outwit them. Even if they are at the top of their field someone has to be able to challenge them in order to further the plot and to make the resolution of the story feel earned.

Think of Sherlock Holmes, one of the characters portrayed to be highly intelligent and competent in seeing things that others don’t. Moriarty is able to outsmart him on several occasions by being cleverer and one step ahead of the game. Even more interesting is that the person who is portrayed as essentially his assistant, Watson, is better than him at dealing with people and the world in general, often covering up and correcting Sherlock’s abrasive behavior.

• Avoid the “chosen one” trope

For the same reasons that a character should not be the best at everything, labelling them as “the chosen one” is an easy out for an author who wants to make their protagonist able to battle the villain. The “chosen one” is often over-powered and revered by everyone around them, making it easy for them to become a Mary Sue.

The chosen one does not only refer to fantasy settings or the ones meant to fulfill a prophecy. They might be a princess or destined to rule, beloved by their people. Or a prodigy that is portrayed as the hope of everyone around them to succeed.

There are ways to make this trope work, but caution needs to be exercised when doing so. Perhaps the character rejects the label or the burden it comes with. Or they earn it through their deeds rather that it being handed to them. In any case, use with care.

• Let them feel emotions

Allow your characters the breadth of human emotion. Let them be angry or sad. Give them moments of depression or joy or frustration. These are all part of the human experience and readers often disconnect from a character who does not react naturally. Your characters should not be above these emotions or too good for them unless it serves the story in some way. Conflict is a natural part of life and though many of us tend to avoid it when we can, it is also inevitable.

Be cautious, however. It is easy to go in the entirely opposite direction and end up with a character that is a complete basket case 99% of the time for no reason at all. A character’s reaction to any given event should be at the appropriate level unless there is a specific reason it’s not, and that reason is explored in the story.

• Characters can have flaws

Your character does not have to be universally liked -both in the story and out of it- the same as any real person. They can, and should, have flaws that make them more human, and their flaws should be more than just fun little personality quirks. They might hold grudges or keep secrets. Lie, steal or live in a morally grey area where they try to make good choices but are hampered by circumstance. Maybe in a moment of rage they do something unforgivable.

And that is ok.

The most memorable characters are those that were not perfect. The ones that the reader can identify with and relate to. Think of Severus Snape in Harry Potter or Boromir in The Lord of the Rings. Both are deeply flawed, but also beloved by many readers for their relatability.

In conclusion, balance is the key when it comes to creating characters. For many aspiring writers, the first story they write tends to be a self-insert piece, a gateway into the realm of writing stories. And while no one will judge that, you should aim to move beyond that and grow into a more mature author with more rounded characters and plots.