Avoiding Marys and Garys

A major problem in stories nowadays is the huge amount of what are called "Mary Sues", basically a shallow character that is a self-insert for the author (male versions of these are often called "Gary Stus"). There is nothing good about these characters, as they are annoying and distract from the story, making it hard to read.

Here are some signs of a Mary Sue (took me a little research to make sure these were correct):

- Unusual, special character. This Mary Sue is unique in the world and has very special powers or gifts that no one else has. They may have a unique name and unique features, often including great beauty or being very attractive. The character has special magical powers or great talents like being an expert at oil painting in their early teenage years. They may also take an extremely short time to learn certain skills that would normally take years.

- Everybody loves him/her. This character may have a stubborn, unintelligent, and mean personality, but all the other characters fawn over him/her, not caring about their faults. The good guys often love this character and bad guys hate this character, and there's no in-between. Basically, the character can do no wrong in the author's eyes, and so everyone must agree with them with no criticism or anything bad said toward them.

- They usually have a very shallow romance. The kind of romance where he/she falls in love with the hottie, usually the popular person that everyone else has fallen head over heels for.

- In relation to the first point, Mary Sues are given preferential treatment in regards to their appearance. They are physically perfect in every way and may even have oddly colored eyes or hair. Some Sues often have a special mark on them that speaks of their unique position, though this is not always the case.

- This is not always the mark of a Sue, but they have some very special role to play in killing the villain and saving the world.

- This is also not always the mark of a Sue, but they often have very troubled pasts like abuse, dead family members, etc... and this turns simply into a way for them to angst and for the readers to feel sorry for them.

- A Sue may be a wish fulfillment of the author, having the same physical appearance as him/her, similar interests and hobbies, etc... Or, they may be what the author wishes they could be, like being more attractive or more talented.

This is not a comprehensive list, and it was largely taken from the following website: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CommonMarySueTraits

To test out your characters for any signs of Suedom, try out the following link: http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html However, I would say, use caution, as sometimes it may call a character a Sue when it is not. Still, try to beware of this severe flaw that is floating around nowadays.