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shadow-otm — What is Mary Sue?
Published: 2008-07-14 04:55:29 +0000 UTC; Views: 16165; Favourites: 381; Downloads: 31
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Another crappy stamp made by me in GIMP.Yeah, here's an example of a major Mary Sue. I've run into plenty of Mary Sues, even made a few myself before. Making a Mary Sue is something most writers have done at some point, but most will grow out of this stage that is often just empty wish fullfillment. Others however do not, and on DA you can find people that have fan-characters in over a dozen fandoms and each one claiming to be the "true-love" of a character from whichever fandom. Again, many artists and writers have hit this stage, but the majority of us GROW OUT OF IT. The problem arises when someone doesn't grow out of this state and places themselves in a rut where the growth of their ability is pretty fixed. Further trouble can arise if they fall into further delusions and strike at people that don't feed their delusions.
If you haven't heard of them yet, there are people called "Soulbonders" who believe a fictional character is their soulmate in some way. These people have websites to connect with other people of the same delusion, one of the most notable seeming to be soulbonding with Snape. These are people that have brought Mary-Sueness to a new level, trying to act it out in real life.
So, I ask you that if you know someone that is full of Mary-Sue, for their own good and of everyone else's to help them grow out of that state.
Yeah, I rant sometimes! Have fun with the stamp!
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Comments: 170
So my little Misty can't have any love at all?
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Thing is if your gonna make an OC anyway why not just create your own stuff instead of using someone elses?
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Gracious seems like every main character can't find true love
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There's more to Mary sues, this alone doesn't make them a sue. (I'm pretty sure you know this.)
A Oc can be well written/developed/ whatever, have this and still be ok. IF, it's just a character and not some kind of obsession of the person themselves (Like you mentioned)
then there's the people you mention,
I used to know someone who would constantly post on old drawings of mine from YEARS ago on another site of a character, how her character should be with him. When ever I would pair my persona with them (Just because I had one of those fictional crushes. I still get them and I do draw persona/character just because I can and want only because who doesn't once in a while? ( I don't have some story to follow, It's purely for fun.) I know they're fictional, and I don't think I LUV THEM SO MUCH I CANT OK. I LL BARE THEIR BABIES XD) she'd CONSTANTLY complain to me of "OH WHY ARE THEY TOGETHER?" Her character had every label that you could possibly think for a Mary sue. This stamp was only a speck on the sins this character had.
But god when I was 12 I used to love characters and I had shamelessly did self-insterts. Though, thanks to that whole crap load that came from my youth I came to love Reader inserts, so everyone can enjoy the characters as much as I do. It doesn't harm the show, nor do you get bashed for your character (If it's positive crit, that's fine.)
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I'm pretty sure I've done a sue character of some sort before. The only case today though I know of where a CC and an OC have been paired at my hand is in a Skyrim fanfiction I've worked on, but is currently on hiatus. Of course, in Skryim, the character you play as can get into a relationship with some CCs anyway, and considering your character CAN become a pretty unstoppable tank of power and [in my case] stealthiness, is that sue-ish, considering the source material?
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*shifts hands side to side as if weighing on a scale*
The Elder Scrolls games are among a genre where you tend to become a rampaging death machine with a mountain of treasure. That's the nature of them. You can argue that tends to make the characters have sue-qualities. Now lots of characters have sue-qualities, but that doesn't inherently make them a sue. If I were to make a story based on one of my journeys through Skyrim and added my character getting married... well that's just an aspect of the game.
The stamp is more about getting on about people that make a dozen characters for a dozen fandoms and each one is paired up in true-love with a canon character, even if doing so breaks canon.
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I see.
I think, in the grand scheme of things, there are many different views on what exactly is a Mary Sue. One view of the matter I quite like is that a character, OC or CC, is a, putting shipping aside for a second, a Mary Sue is a character where nothing the universe the character exists in can provide any provide any conflict or problem can challenge to the character; I think in Skyrim, OCs can become borderline Sues if not handled right, as you said, walking tank made of gold and myrrh, it really boils down to what kind of setting you pose your character in, and if you let them fail sometimes.
Hmmm, but in regard to OC/CC romance, if you're curious: It's my Skyrim character, an argonian thief (and because of gameplay superpower) and vampire lord, and the immortal argonian Derkeethus. It's a homosexual relationship (which IS allowed in Skyrim, so it seems), bred out of companionship and a mutual dependency on one another: Seeing as Derkeethus can't die, that's a very lonely existence, and so my OC is a companion for him; on the other side of that, my OC needs blood to survive, and so Derkeethus becomes a willing donor. It doesn't break canon in any way, and I think it works quite well.
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In my charakters only one charakrer fall in love with a mian charakter xD
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I had an OC in a story once who fell in love with a minor character. is that ok?
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I almost agree with you, except for two points:
1. Does it really have to be a MAIN character? You know, there are some minor characters who are being abused as well
(Alright, this one was more of a question...)
2. While it is very likely, this doesn't necessarily define a "Mary Sue", especially since a "Mary Sue" is a character, not a person so the "You are a Mary Sue" is kind of nonsensical, but that's rather nitpicking...
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I've seen a few OC x main character pairings that are done well. And the two key words in that sentence are "a few".
I agree with you...but I won't help them grow out of that state. =.= I'll offer tips and all to help them improve their characters and maybe even end up lessening their obsession to an extent, but one doesn't just change a Mary Sue that's been that way for years. You can't win with these people.
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just wondering. my Harry Potter Oc starts dating Neville after he asked her to the Yule ball. is that sueish?
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The reason I said what I said in the response below is because there are more factors than just 1 to make a character a Mary Sue.
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Funny how some people make such defensive comments to this.
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It's funny how some people think that one quality makes an OC a Mary Sue.
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Did I say making one character the "twu wuv" of a major character makes a mary-sue writer? Nah, every.
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Well in the description of your stamp sure didn't say that point.
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BTW if you think that a Mary Sue is only a character who's in love a canon character then you ought to be stupid.
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I'm terribly sorry for the same multiple response to your stamp. My Internet connection was acting up on me
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I admit I did pair one or my fan characters with a canon character but I don't make them do anything sexual or over-exaggerated.
Your statement about people pairing their OCs with a canon character for the author's sex fantasy is not entirely true and I'm one of those authors who don't do that.
Sure pairing your OC with a canon character may be a Mary Sue quality but it doesn't make the character a Mary Sue as a WHOLE.
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i feel this is a major fail on your part. My character is Neville Longbottom's girlfriend (cuz he deserve one) but tat doesn't effect who she is or her sueness levels the slightest.
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Well, I will repeat myself, based on my experience: 'Who really gives a Shit if a character is an Author Avatar and had sex with Canon Characters? It doesn't affect the storytelling if it's done right'.
And that's my major problem with MS Tests - that they just rant and nip-pick instead of looking at the whole picture.
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Well DONE sir!! I couldn't have said that all better myself, albeit I was thinking the same thing. 
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Yeah, I grew out of mine, that's why I have [link]
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I can relate 
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That doesn't automatically make it a mary sue.
There are other things that make it a mary sue.
Though most of the time, that's true.
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I saw a person earlier in the morning this person said that I'm married to fluttershy and hates fs couples such as fluttermac some people these days are so annoying.
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so...what exactly is a mary sue? i've hear of them all over but idk what they are. Can anyone help me?
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A self insert used for wish fulfillment or is pampered by the writers. It can also be and overly cliche character
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oh.....I kinda do that but i don't write it i kind of just image it in movies and i never publish it...does tah tcount as a mary sue still?
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I have a Invader Zim OC. Irkens, the alien race of which is in the cartoon, are not supposed to have love as an emotion since their lives are depending on a backpack-like device made up of the best of their technology on their backs, which prevents them from loving. There are some of the PAKS (as they are called) that have been defective. Which causes them to love. The deal with my OC's love interest, he's Zim. And if you have ever watched the show, he has a gigantic ego and is too much of a (forgive me for swearing) bastard to love anyone, meaning he would rather kill my OC than love her. I hate when people make every main character act OOC when they make an OC.
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When I read an story with a OC its always like "me and soso are dating because I am a wizard too!!!" That pisses me off
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What if the OC just has a mild crush on a canon character?
Does that still count?
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That doesn't count. There is a difference between "my character has feelings for someone though they already have feelings for someone else" and then "my character loves them and canon relationships be damned they love me back." I've seen plenty of DragonballZ sues that forcibly pair themselves with Vegeta.
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Ahh, thanks for clearing that up!
(damn, mary sues are annoying...)
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I kinda agree, I don't mind any character actually, Mary-sue are or not, I jsut hate it when the actual person is the OC and that's jsut no =/
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Thats just one trait of a mary sue, it takes MANY traits to create a sue :U
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True, but when every character they make is jumping the bone of a lead and has 10 children with them, that's a pretty good sign the characters they make aren't likely to go much deeper.
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Yes, I admit thats probably crossing the line. Slow gradual steps is the best way to avoid sue-ness .3.
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"If you haven't heard of them yet, there are people called "Soulbonders" who believe a fictional character is their soulmate in some way. These people have websites to connect with other people of the same delusion, one of the most notable seeming to be soulbonding with Snape. These are people that have brought Mary-Sueness to a new level, trying to act it out in real life."
Are you fucking serious?!?!?!?!
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actually, many fcXoc couples do come out right.
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Yeah I heard that someone got married to ariel from the little mermaid, it was strange to say the least
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That is no where near true
Someone can write a fanfiction on whatever-the-fuck-they-want
You cannot tell them what to write
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I can't tell them what to write, but is Sue is a Sue. Bad writing is bad writing. You don't get to give yourself the biggest award in writing for a flat, bland, unrealistic character. If you don't like someone calling your characters Sues then write some better characters.
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I don't see what pairing a OC with a canon character has to do with badc character development. I just don't.
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Depends if you actually work up to the pairing. Usually people don't and just have random true love with no development to it at all. Usually people date once or twice before they jump into bed and start pumping out children. That's wish-fulfillment sueism.
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Ah. Now THAT is what's bad writing. Sorry I'm oblivious ^^
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