Well kids, here it is. The unavoidable Mary Sue rant. This editorial, like the fanfics it's about, has been done to death. But you can't have a complete fanfiction guide without it so I'm doing this right away to get it done and over with. In this one, I have attempted to cover different points and give different ideas that have not already been expressed in other editorials already posted. We'll see how good I do.

"Mary Sue-ism is like picking your nose--everyone DOES it, but no one else wants to SEE it."
--Karen Kirk

Mary Sues: A Plague Upon the Land
By: Ghost of the Dawn

Everyone who made it to this editorial should know who and what Mary Sue is. If not, then I highly suggest checking out some of the other editorials around. Mirror and Image's editorial and also Swift Gold's "State your Name and Power" both do a great job in covering all the basics. This is written as a more enhanced version for those who wish to beat the choking, addicting confines of Mary Sue-ism.
All editors, authors, and readers who have come to know Mary Sue agree with one thing--that Mary Sue must die. But she has proven to be one hard bugger to kill and there's really only one way to get rid if her. That is to somehow transform her into her exact opposite: the Original Character. Sure, it may sound simple. But in reality, this isn't always an easy task.
Making an original character takes a lot of courage. It takes a lot of brain oil and guts and even humility. A Mary Sue story is about only one thing; the author's ego. That is why Mary Sue is always perfect and beautiful and everyone loves her. We may claim that our characters are not meant to be us, but even with true original characters, that's not completely correct. No matter what we as authors do, we will always be judged by our stories. This may be the only impression our readers will have of us and when they think about our characters, they think of us in the same light. That is why Mary Sue takes on the role that she does. Because in making our characters imperfect is admitting that us ourselves are not perfect. That we are not stunningly gorgeous or sing like angels and the guys we lust over don't fall at our feet.
I have been a habitual "Mary Sue" author for years. When I first started out, some of my original characters were the epitome of the MS cliche`. The Mary Sue stage is a story and a writer's career in its infancy. It takes practice and hard work and even perhaps a little soul searching to get beyond this. I assure you I have paid my dues in this cycle. Now I'm one of the very few RW authors who has actually been flamed--by several different parties no less--for referring to my original character as a Mary Sue. But don't think I just wrote a story and everyone loved it. I had to bend over backwards to get where I am now. To be good at anything, don't expect to slop through it and be an over night success. It's not going to happen.
MS authors like to think that their Mary Sues are unbeatable, but they're not. Their so called "perfection" is their weakness. To succeed as a great writer, one has to be bold and daring. A good writer has to be brave enough to face his or her flaws first, accept them and then turn them into strengths. Mary Sue is a parasite that preys on the weak and thrives in shallow waters. Depth must be achieved to escape this plague. Writer's must be willing to leave their egos aside and produce something the fans will enjoy, not just themselves. First, there must be great character of the author before they can conceive and create great characters of their own.

Well, there's my super deep spill. It wasn't too painful, was it? The rest of this editorial is an exercise for those who are brave enough to take up the challenge to transform their Mary Sue and make it something worth while. Please keep in mind that I'm writing this only for those who are SERIOUS about improving their works. If you're just reading this to waist time then you're wasting mine so you can leave now and do something counterproductive like write a bad Mary Sue or something. The rest of you who are really looking for some help, advice, or just a few tips to fine tune your ideas, I hope what I have to say will benefit you somewhat in your endeavors.
You will need a piece of paper and something to write with. If you don't have one, stop right here and go get one before continuing.

Step One: Leave your ego at the door.

Step One will always be capitalized and shall be mentioned often. It is the golden rule of writing good stories and the only way to banish Mary Sue forever. This one is not opinion, this is law. In fact, think of Step One as the first commandment of writing. Thou Shalt Leavest Thy Ego Out Of Thy Fan Fics. Lest ye be struck down by disgruntled flamers. Remember it always, practice it often. Pray to the fanfic gods to help you resist temptation and keep Step One holy.
It is the author massaging their egos that makes a Mary Sue. You cannot create a good character with your ego in the way. It blinds you, it inhibits you, it clouds your judgement. If you're writing just for yourself, you can let Mary Sue run rampant. But if you write a story like that, please don't post it. I know I don't want to read it and I doubt anyone else does either. If you must post it, then don't be surprised if no one likes it; or even if you get flamed. "What? I wrote a bad story about how great I am and nobody liked it? How can that be??"
Please people, be honest with yourselves. Take a good, honest look at your stories. If you wrote it with only yourself in mind without giving any of the rest of us another thought, then don't expect us to like it. Don't ask us to read it. Heck, show a little courtesy and take it down so we don't accidentally stumble upon it!
Out of all the Ronin fanfics out there, I'd have to say about 98% of them are Mary Sues. Everyone knows that, but people continue making more and they are just astonished when someone calls their character a Mary Sue. Open your eyes people! Do you think out of that whopping two percent that your story is among the non-Mary Sues?! Mine isn't! And I can guarantee yours isn't either unless you have absolutely no fan made characters in that thing whatsoever. Stop kidding yourselves and just admit it. If you want to write a Mary Sue, at least refer to it as such and then start thinking about how you can make it better.
Make your character and the story he/she is involved in worth our while. Think of us every now and then and realize our power. The readers are the only ones who can send you fan mail or flames or nothing at all. The world of fan fiction is no place for ego trips and shallow fantasies. Not if you want to make it out alive.
Keep an open mind when doing this exercise. If you've already written a story about Mary Sue, don't make your answers exactly like that. Don't be afraid of new ideas. Even if they may eventually lead you to change your current story. Changing something doesn't mean you were wrong, it means you are smart enough to know when something better comes along. And I hope everyone discovers new perspectives and ideas from doing this and that everyone will be inspired to change their stories for the better.
Remember this step one. Know it by heart and refer back to it often when planning and writing your story.

Step Two: Who is Mary Sue?

The first step to creating a character is to give him or her an identity. Let's pretend that you currently have no original characters you're developing or writing about. We're all starting out fresh and new like a blank piece of paper. But before we start making Mary Sue, I want you to take all preconceived notions; anything you've read from any kind of fanfic, seen in the movies or on tv--anyone else's ideas anywhere. Take all those and flush them down the toilet. Your mind is empty. Anything you come up with from here on out is your own creation and not some rehash from someone's tired out fanfic who probably copied it from some other cliche` fanfic as well.
Your mind is completely blank. Now stick your character in that space. All she or he is is a skeleton. Your character needs a soul--an existence. A feeling uniquely to itself when it walks in the room. Now, without using your character's name, tell me who she is. If the first thing you list is "She's so-and-so's girlfriend", then you forgot Step One. GO BACK AND READ IT AGAIN! Do not EVER base your character's existence on who she dates! If her only reason to live is to lay your favorite character then she and your story are headed for destruction. Mary Sue must be able to stand on her own or she will not survive--time nor Mary Sue bashers.
There is nothing wrong with hooking Mary Sue up with one of the characters. I love a good romance myself. But to establish what she looks and acts like by whom she dates is not a good thing. Anyone who has made a character as merely a female version of their favorite character who MS hooks up with needs to be beaten down. And quickly. For they are not of the living! They are zombies; undead creatures, for they cannot think for themselves; and therefore, must not be alive.
So once again: who is Mary Sue? Is she kind? Impatient? Gullible? Snappy? Relaxed? Nervous? Lazy? Childish? Shy? Innocent? Moody? Unpredictable? Uptight? Passive? Absentminded?
What is Mary Sue? Is she an artist? A chef? A scholar? A musician? A comedian? Going deeper; is she a thinker? A dreamer? A wanderer? A realist? A lost cause? An optimist? A fair weather friend? Or merely a girl in a loud shirt and torn jeans?
Take all these things that describe the kind of person Mary Sue is and make a list with that paper you have. This is the first of the bio we're making for our new character. When this is finished, you'll have a great new character, lots of ideas, and you'll be ready to start your story.

Step Three: What does Mary Sue look like?
(Anyone who has seen "Pulp Fiction" can laugh here.)

Next, your character needs a name and a physical appearance. This should reflect the type of person you made your character to be. At this point, there is no right and wrong. There are not certain names you shouldn't name your character. Though I would suggest refraining from making her look like her significant other's twin sister. That's just nasty. Also, don't give Mary Sue your first name, middle name, pen name, or net name. She's a big girl, I'm sure she'll eventually find one on her own.
Being an artist myself, I'm a very visual person when it comes to making characters and I often toil for several weeks or more to come up with a character's physical design. There are lots of different tricks of the trade that you can use. But since not everyone is an artist, I'll save that lecture for another time if anyone wants to hear it.
Most Mary Sues are usually tall with long, sexy legs and big boobs. She is the perfect example of every man's fantasy and certainly the dream of her intended in the fic. A real give away to a Mary Sue character is when more effort is made on the part of the author to describe Mary Sue's outfit then to make a good plot. I would say at least ninety percent of all fanfics with original characters need to tone it down when it comes to their character's physical description. There will be pages and pages of what Mary Sue's outfit looks like, how cute it looks on her and how stylish her hair is. Then, of course, there will be constant reminders throughout the story mentioning all Mary Sue's perfect and sexy physical features in case we forgot between the last two paragraphs.
Often times, what the Ronins are wearing won't even be mentioned. They could be running around naked and we would never know. That's a crime in itself. If you want to describe something, describe them. Please. We as readers get a kick out of it when one of our hunky heros tosses his hair, winks, or throws a heart melting smile. We're just tickled to read about how dreamy their eyes are or how great they look in a certain lighting. Forget what that bimbo Mary Sue is wearing! We want to hear about how good the guys look in their sexy outfits! If you can move yourself to this mode of thinking--of always wondering what would entertain your readers--then I guarantee that you will have your audience riveted to your work.
Okay, back to the current, now you've got a name and physical description to add to your character list. You are filling that out, aren't you? I'm serious guys! If you don't have a paper, then go get one right now. This is a good exercise. I've done it before myself. It helps, I promise!

Step Four: Where is Mary Sue coming from?

Next on our bio sheet goes Mary Sue's background: ethnicity, place of origin, family history. It doesn't matter if hardly any of this is even covered in your story, Mary Sue's background must be established before you begin. A person's past very much makes up who they are and they couldn't be the same without it. Would Kenshin be the same person without his past? Would Heero or Nuriko? See? It's important and it also helps you as the writer to understand your character better. You can literally see where she's coming from and, therefore, you can write her more easily.
So on your paper, choose the place of origin. Big city? Small town? Who was in Mary Sue's family and perhaps write a small summary about it. Her ethnic background is almost a gimmi. Most Mary Sue's in the Ronin fics are either Japanese or American. Well, technically, American isn't really an ethnic group--unless your Native American. Many writers have dubbed this as cliche`. But in reality, it's overused because it's believable. The Ronins live in Japan. If they were to meet someone at school or in town, the chances are that the person would also be Japanese. American students aren't out of the norm either. I know I always see Asian exchange students at my schools. And it's not uncommon for American students to travel to Japan to study the language or art. Just make sure that whatever Mary Sue's reason is for being there, it's legitimate and believable. Go ahead and add that to your list as well.

Step Five: Personalizing Mary Sue.

An important thing to note: MARY SUE IS NOT YOU. That's why I said earlier to avoid giving your character your name. You are trying to make an individual person, not a spoof of yourself. The more your character differentiates from you the better. There's nothing wrong with having Mary Sue a little like yourself. We put a bit of ourselves in every character we make. It's unavoidable. But at the same time, she doesn't have to like/dislike everything you do.
I don't know why, but people have the worst time with this. The next thing we're adding to Mary Sue's character sheet is her likes and dislikes. List anything that comes to mind. Her favorite tv show or movie. Favorite color, favorite fast food restaurant, favorite actor or actress, favorite dessert, favorite hobbies.. Try her favorite band, favorite type of anime, or favorite book. Anything that will help develop her character further. May I remind you at this time that you're listing your character's likes, NOT your own. Same goes for dislikes and pet peeves..
I find it ridiculous sometimes how adamant authors can be about having their character like something they don't or visa versa. There's nothing wrong with having a character with different opinions than your own. That's what makes them unique and interesting. And if you've got more than one character, someone has to have a different opinion somewhere. It's only natural. One method to try is to take something like your favorite tv show and have your character totally hate it. Or take a song or a food that you utterly hate and have it be your character's absolute favorite. Heck, make her have a different religion than you. Don't be afraid to make her different guys! That is a good thing! In fact, I dare someone to make a character who completely hates anime and refuses to watch the stuff. Are you brave enough to try it? >:)
While on the subject of characteristics, don't forget to take dialogue into consideration when writing Mary Sue. She should have her own pattern of speech and actions that coincides with the kind of personality you have given her. It's a good idea to keep your bio paper handy when writing Mary Sue. If you wrote "shy and quiet" about her personality then don't have her running around, talking to strangers, laughing it up and making a scene. At that point, you would either have to change your bio or change Mary Sue's actions. If you put she's strong willed and stubborn, don't have her start bawling over every little thing. If you decide to make her an abject man-hater, don't suddenly flush all her life long convictions down the toilet when some cute guy winks in her direction. Unless, of course, you want your character to have the name Mary Sue.
I would actually add this to the end of the character list when it's all done, but make some kind of notes about how she talks and acts that coincide with the personality you gave her. Add some quotes that you've either heard or that will be in the story that describe the kind of person she is. Don't forget actions to go with the words as well. If she's an animated character, always having her busying herself with something or waving her arms about when she speaks. If she's the shy or nervous type, have her fidget or stumble over her weak willed words. These are all small things that will add great depth to your character.
So, how's our character bio looking?

Step Six: Perfect Is As Perfect Is Not

The number one reason Mary Sues fail to thrive is because their biggest fault is that they're perfect in every way. Why do people make them like that if they want us to like Mary Sue? Remember the spunky little cheerleaders with the perfect bodies and hair and hunky boyfriends we used to see in the hall at school? Did we like them? No, of course not! They were snobs! Mary Sue is a perfect little snob, too. So of course, we don't like her either. However, in the real world, no one is perfect and I'm sure if we looked closer at miss teeny bopper cheerleader we'd find a normal person there, too. But I digress.
Along with all your character traits Mary Sue must have, not necessarily, character flaws, but at least quirks. To make her flawless is to make the world shun her. Plus, imperfect characters are far more fun and likable anyway. Take Ranma ½ for instance. Each and every character has something wrong with them; be it something mentally, physically, or both. And we love them to death! Imagine that! And it doesn't have to be some major flaw like an extra nose or bad body odor, just a few quirks that will continue to make her more individual and believable and show that she's not perfect super girl Mary Sue.
The point that I'm trying to make here is that character quirks, follies and flaws aren't burdens to Mary Sue, they're her secret weapon to being liked by the readers. You put in something strange and all of a sudden people are like "Hey, I like that, too" or "My friend is like that" or "I know how that feels like, that's embarrassing". And before they know it, your readers are attached to this character because they can relate to them. Because they feel real.
I think sometimes writers fail to give Mary Sue any kind of negative trait not necessarily because they want her to be perfect, but because they're afraid the reader won't like their character. It's like being at the first day of school all over again and you're just praying you won't mess up and everyone will think you're a looser. But if these people are so shallow that they judge you by first impressions and physical appearance then do you really want them to be your friend?
Think about the friends you have. Are they tall and gorgeous and rich and perfect in every way? Mine aren't. They're slobs and lazy loafers. They dress in grungy clothes and are always broke. They tell crude jokes and fart in public and lock their keys in the car and mooch for money without paying it back for two years. And we accept these guys not because they caught Mary Sueitis and suddenly changed into superstars, but because we're their friends.
I won't lie to you. To make a reader like a fanfic character you made up takes talent. It takes hard work, rewrites, and a lot of false starts. This is the part where you bend over backward for the reader. It's your job to make it so the reader likes Mary Sue. Even if she's clumsy or not very pretty or says stupid things. Or even if no one else in the fanfic likes her. Despite her downfalls, the reader will come to accept her as she is and be her friend. Even if she farts in public.

Step Seven: Mary Sues's Relationships

Okay, so now we've got Mary Sue standing as an individual. Now, she's ready to meet the world we're writing her into and the people who inhabit it. At one point, she is going to meet the Ronins and/or Warlords. Friendships, rivalries, and romances are going to form between her and the different characters she encounters. Now is the time to decide just what kind of relationships Mary Sue will have with each character. This can get a little tricky as the depth of a relationship can change very quickly as characters experience one situation or another together.
Now, on your increasingly extensive bio, list all the characters Mary Sue is going to come in contact with. Next to each name write a small summary of what kind of relationship Mary Sue will have with that character. Again, this can be tough if you haven't written your story yet. You'll find as you write, your story will change from the original idea you came up with at first. There's nothing wrong with that. The first idea that pops in your head is not always the best one you'll come up with. As other things inspire you and new ideas surface you may find yourself changing things on Mary Sue's bio several times. That's perfectly fine as long as whatever made it to your story's final draft is consistent all the way through.
When writing about the different relationships, don't start with the one Mary Sue falls in love with first. (Step One! Step One!) Get over yourself for just a little bit so you can take a look at the rest of the story. There has to be some element much greater than hunky ronin/warlord falling for Mary Sue in your story or I'll predict right now it's going to be a big flop. One thing I hate is when the story is nothing else but scenes of Mary Sue and her significant other making out or proclaiming their perfect love to each other. Everyone else gets shoved in the background because all the egotistical writer cares about is that her favorite character is making out with a girl whom she pretends to be. This is where the main Mary Sue element starts taking over. This exercise was designed to help us break away from that.
In a lot of Mary Sues you'll also see that as soon as she's introduced to the group, her intended instantly falls for her stunning beauty. Is this a realistic scenario?? Not only are you digressing back to the Mary Sue-ish ego trip, but you're also degrading that character by turning him into some womanizer who starts drooling after the first thing on two legs that waltzes his way. Don't be like that writers. Nobody likes a showoff.
I know this was the part you've been waiting for. You've worked so hard building up your plot and character depth and relationships and now we're to the fun romance part. But don't drop it all here. Don't ruin what you've worked so hard to build. And for heavens sakes, please don't forget the others. Don't let our other favorite characters fall into the background and don't forget your story. The love triangles and trials of the heart should always be the secondary plot device, not the main event.
Okay, so now that I've thrown out a lot of warnings and no-no's of the Mary Sue romance, how's our bio coming? Did you get all the relationships covered while I was ranting? Her relationship with each character should have a different feel when they are in a scene together. Say Mary Sue is perfectly comfortable hanging with Dais but her and Cale don't get along. So a scene with MS and Dais would feel calm and easy to the reader, but as soon as Cale steps in, the friction should be tangible.
Writers seem to have a harder time determining the different levels of a relationship between Mary Sue and the five Ronins. It seems one or even two Ronins will love her and the others are her good, dear friends. The end. Very shallow and poorly thought out. To anyone who has ever been to a new school or has invited a new kid to hang with your group of friends--the stranger is never accepted 100% into the group from day one. Except if your name is Mary Sue, of course. Making things too easy and perfect takes away the story's depth and leaves the reader with nothing interresting to read.
Make sure you do have a set out, separate relationship between each one. You want to give out a distinct, different feeling when Mary Sue interacts with each Ronin. If you're real good at it, you could ask the reader this question and they would be able to tell you the difference in relationships in your story.
Also, watch out when introducing Mary Sue into the story. Don't parade her around in the first scene so all the guys can gawk and stare at her beauty. Don't have her just appear, go right up to the guys and suddenly be all buddy, buddy with them like she's known them forever. I mean when does this EVER happen in real life? In what universe does one girl suddenly get accepted into a group of all guys who have lived and fought and bled and cried together? I'm sure they're just looking for some girl they've never met before to come swap Dynasty stories and see who can eat the most or who can spurt milk out their nose first. Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm female so I'm kind of seeing this from a second hand perspective. But don't guys mostly like to hang around with...other guys??
If the story needs Mary Sue to be accepted by the Ronins to some extent then there has to be a reason. There has to be experiences and situations that help build trust and friendship between characters. Say Cye meets Mary Sue in Marine Biology class. They find out they have a lot in common, they enjoy talking and become friends. Of course, you can't know Torrent without meeting his best friend and any friend of Cye's is a friend of Kento's so now Mary Sue has two friends.
Next she may meet Rowen, but the two have absolutely nothing in common so they never talk and aren't that close. But one day Rowen offers to give her a ride and on the way they get lost. As they try to find their way back, they discover that they're both big Star Wars fans. Rowen is just thrilled because Sage says it's dumb and won't even watch the movies and the others don't care, so the two become inseparable from that day on. Mary Sue may not even have a conversation with Ryo or Sage, but that doesn't matter, because the story shouldn't be just about her anyway. And that senereo is far more interresting than "Hi! I'm Mary Sue! Everyone love and accept me while I prance around in my cute little outfit! Tee hee!" Slut.
Did we forget Step One again? Pray for forgiveness, you sinners.

Wow, we've covered several aspects and done some real digging to make a better character. Those of you who actually care about making better characters have a cool new character sheet to keep by you and read over as you work on your stories. And as you work on these stories, how is Mary Sue doing? Is she still worthy of the name Mary Sue? Or has she grown and evolved into her own character to be enjoyed and remembered by her readers? I hope so.

Ghost

Notes from the Editor (That's me ^.^): So what did you think guys? Did I happen to give out anything that was helpful to any one? If so, let me know. If there's other fanfic subjects you would like me to touch on then tell me and I'll do them. Or, if you think I'm an idiot and I don't know what I'm talking about, tell me as well and I'll shut up.

Anyone still hungry for more about Mary Sue? Check out Karen's great editorial/ rant at http://www.geocities.com/katanagari/storypages/mary_sue_rant_web.htm which inspired this editorial. But be warned, it's very harsh and blunt.