A post on tumblr turned into an essay on Mary Sues and writing, so have it here too.

[elfwannabe]

I think “Mary Sue” is one of those terms that has been used so broadly that it has lost all meaning. For that reason, I would generally avoid it when giving crit of fanfiction or original writing.

I have, however, applied it to stuff I wrote when I was in junior high. That character was almost completely a wishfulfillment character. She was ridiculously powerful, beautiful, and intelligent, had a tragic backstory and was almost never wrong. She was not a realistic, well-fleshed out character. It was bad writing. That is what I consider a Mary Sue.

But you know what? I think it’s okay to have them. Yeah, they can be a sign of terrible writing. Yes, people may not want to read the work they are in. But they serve a purpose. That character was strong and powerful and in control during a time when I was being bullied- at time when I was not. It was part of what got me through that. I can tell you that I am the person I am today, in part, because of that character. And that’s ultimately way more important than good or bad fanfiction. Or original fiction for that matter.

I’m not saying that people shouldn’t crit “Mary Sue” authors or give them advice. I am saying that people take it way too seriously and are, occasionally, far too mean to them. For most, it’s a phase, a step in learning how to write, and possibly something that they need. I don’t know a single author who does not have writing that they are sincerely embarrassed about, myself included. I was just fortunate not to have had internet access when going through my Mary Sue phase. That said, I have been tempted to track down all the copies of my “masterpieces” that I gave to relatives and start a bonfire….

Comments

[thrall]

Wow. Reading this definitely made me think about the way I used to write and roleplay. For some reason it never occurred to me that it could be a coping mechanism as much as a hobby. Mine wasn't absolutely amazing stuff, but it meant a lot to me at the time, and the character development gave me a sliver of hope that I could one day be that put-together too, no matter what kind of shit I went through.

There are people in real life who can be considered Mary Sues-- whether they're a celebrity or someone we think we know. In high school I knew the nicest, sweetest girl. Her drawings were amazing. Her art skills were flawless. She was polite and creative, and studied hard, and always got the best grades, and she was beautiful. Graduated with full honors, valedictorian. I never heard her complaining about anything. She had loving, caring parents. If she were in a book, someone would consider her a Mary Sue because on the outside her life seemed perfect. Now that I'm older, I wonder just how much I didn't know; there was an emotional distance between us, even though I told her everything I was going through.

I think, to a degree, that it's perspective. Two people can read the same thing and get completely different things out of it. Also, there are stories that use every storytelling cliche and turn it right around, delivering engaging, fleshed-out characters that we love for a lifetime.

So, you're right. Mary Sue is such an overused term that if it's placed in criticism it basically means... nothing. It's a derogatory term, pure and simple, and it won't help any aspiring writer get better. And the Mary Sue Litmus Test? Pure unadulterated BS. It's only with experience that one learns how to balance realism in a character. Having a notable trait like a scar on the face or a dead family doesn't make a character automatically bad. These can be interesting plot points, and they do happen in real life. A complete lack of notable traits can also be a trait in itself, and on and on.

It's how you use it, and how far you take it.

This isn't meant to applaud self-inserts in the slightest. I do understand it's a phase, and a juvenile one at best. But it's sometimes necessary to be bad before you get better, and stomping all over someone's writing to the point where they give up is uncalled for.

... Wow, this got long. Sorry about that.

[elfwannabe]

Don't worry about it getting too long. That's basically what happened to me. :p

But, yeah, I agree completely.

[thrall]

♥

Also the irony of doing this from an account named thrall. WoW fandom has been calling Thrall a Mary Sue for over a year now because of his recent development. L O L

[elfwannabe]

There's some irony in doing this from an account called elfwannabe too...

And also as a Galadriel RPer. Played poorly, she could easily turn into a Mary Sue.

[thrall]

That's true. But we are both a little older now, and better writers than we were ten to fifteen years ago. :D