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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 6, 2012 7:43:19 GMT -5
Hey... I'm trying to test out a new thing, a fanfic with an O.C. in it... but I don't want her to become a Mary Sue...
Can anyone give any suggestions?
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Post by deathrosehunter on Aug 6, 2012 8:02:16 GMT -5
When you pick a name make sure it doesn't sound Mary-sue. For my other story I was going to name my girl Callidora, because it was unique, but someone pointed out and said it was Mary-sue name. That's what I'm trying not to do now with my oc, I was going to name her Marie Charolette(I saw it on a baby name webaite), but it sounds Msish, so I'm going with either Charolette or Florence.
You also don't want her to be perfect(looks and personality) and very powerful. Some flaws, not like Bellas. That's what I have a problem with, I can't come with any, and I suck coming up with personalities. I read this guide in FF.net about coming up with a non mary sue character but it was for Percy Jackson.
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Post by Ithiarel on Aug 6, 2012 8:05:46 GMT -5
Well, the most important thing to do is to make the character believable. Meaning, they will need their good sides but also their bad sides and their actions need to be coherent. Personally, I find it best to first sit down and develop the character completely and only after that start writing. That way, I won't have to go back to edit scenes in which the character acts ooc, just because I wasn't sure about his main personality traits. You will also need to think on what the characters purpose in the story is and how he/she is a part of it. Every character also need a motivation. Those may change over the course of the story, but a character must always have at least one - otherwise things get boring. Good characters also have an inherent potential for conflict, either in themselves or in their daily life. I once did a PowerPointPresentation on creating characters for my local writer's group. If you are inetrested, I could send it to you. Just drop me a pm with your email address.  |
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Post by viralic1 on Aug 6, 2012 8:25:23 GMT -5
Also while don't forget to make sure they are believable and have flaws, also don't forget their flaws don't have to be glaringly obvious.
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Post by G. Novella on Aug 6, 2012 10:10:32 GMT -5
And the easiest way to make it not obvious is to practice making the O.C react to stress. They should have a break-down, have some temper, cry, just have moments of weakness. And have people hate and/or like him or her. If everyone feels one way, then you have an issue.
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Post by werewulfking on Aug 6, 2012 18:17:57 GMT -5
A great thing to think about is this site her: heartless-bowser.deviantart.com/art/Character-Design-101-162276435 I would try to go by the suggestions for starter. Another big point is that the O.C. doesn't become a main character in any way. A good reference for Harry Potter might be Dean and Seamus. They have their moments when they are mentioned but generally they are ignored. A person who reads your fic will want to read about Harry and the already known characters and not your O.C. |
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Post by dracosfairmaiden on Aug 6, 2012 18:52:59 GMT -5
I have a problem with OC's being related to main characters. That seems like a cheep way out of something. Same thing with long-lost family members suddenly turning up out of the blue.
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Post by werewulfking on Aug 6, 2012 19:11:46 GMT -5
Yep that is a big problem as it would always put them in the position of a main character which is generally not the best option for an O.C.
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Post by melodypottersnape on Aug 10, 2012 15:20:03 GMT -5
If you write a fic where you were transported into Harry's body is that a mary sue
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Post by viralic1 on Aug 10, 2012 15:21:31 GMT -5
No, a Mary Sue is a character that is flawless. Basically they are perfect in every way, or the problems they do have aren't real problems.
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Post by melodypottersnape on Aug 10, 2012 15:55:13 GMT -5
thx. I was thinking of making a fic of what I would do if I was Harry a while back. Though Harry would be a girl. I don't think I could adjust to being a different gender. lol
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Post by werewulfking on Aug 10, 2012 16:11:55 GMT -5
I disagree with viralic1. Unless you are a really, really talented writer your character would still come around as a mary sue. It is very hard to keep to an existing character without making him to perfect. In most cases the good qualities of the character stay while the bad disappear. But maybe you can pull it of. Just try to recreate the character from scratch without leaning to much on the book Harry.
Maybe it is easier for you as you already change Harry's gender.
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Post by viralic1 on Aug 10, 2012 16:35:45 GMT -5
I didn't say she could or couldn't write it, I just stated what a mary sue is?
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Post by werewulfking on Aug 10, 2012 16:44:07 GMT -5
Sorry I put to much in your statement. I thought you meant that if somebody writes himself in the body of Harry then that wouldn't turn out to be a mary-sue.
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Post by melodypottersnape on Aug 10, 2012 18:06:11 GMT -5
It's okay werewulfking. It's just an idea that pops into my head alot. Basically its an idea where my character dies and is taken to a limbonsort of place. There she is given the option of becoming a harry of an alternate world thatwas female and died in the shack from the extreme cold. Then of course I don't want to stick to the world of JK; I want to add my own aspects. Really it's the idea of what I would really do if I was Harry. Though I fully intend to make my character flawed. Mainly with the fact that since it is a alternate world not everything in the books is true. It's like a fic I feel I need to write though I know it most likely wont be any good.
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Post by werewulfking on Aug 11, 2012 16:28:59 GMT -5
Well in that aspect that not everything in the aspect is true it may be interesting to see how a character would fare that bases all their decisions on those facts. I don't think I have ever seen such a story. And do this test for Mary-Sues: www.springhole.net/writing/marysue.htm |
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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 12, 2012 21:09:01 GMT -5
wow... that's a lot of thoughts  Well, I kind of have to call her Callidora (weird... how did you know?) because she's named after he great great grandmother or something like that (a distant relative) and apparently that's an old pureblood name... I'm thinking about a Remus/OC fic, and I want the reactions to his "condition" to be different to the usual "I don't care that you're a werewolf" b/c, let's face it... there has to be some prejudice in the world, and not everyone's like the marauders... and there has to be a reason Remus kept pushing Tonks away, right? The thing is, it's probably not going to have a happy ending, and I was wondering if she'd still be a Mary Sue if she has blond hair and stuff...? (I chose blond b/c I don't want her to become a self-insert) Thanks to everyone for their help! |
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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 12, 2012 21:21:25 GMT -5
Okay... I just took the mary sue test, and I think she's not a Mary sue... but the thing is... it kind of reminded me of Twilight Does your character belong to a species whose members are generally extremely attractive by human standards? Check Is your character belong to an exotic or unusual race or species with powers/abilities beyond human (or whatever the "normal"/most commonly shown species/race in the story is) ability? Check Is your character a cross-breed/hybrid of any kind? (Nessie) Check Does your character have a past xe cannot remember? (Alice in the first book) Check Does your character always have money to spend on frivolities or whatever xe really wants or needs at the time? Check Is your character unusually accomplished for xir age, time period, place, occupation, and/or social status? Check Need I go on? |
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Post by Dimcairien on Aug 12, 2012 21:31:03 GMT -5
I did that quiz for two of my original characters, and I got around a 4 for both of them. I need to get some ways to make them deeper and the quiz did give me some ideas for situations. Just looking at the situations that were listed, I think if handled correctly and without using very many of them, they can be used in a very good way.
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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 12, 2012 23:19:09 GMT -5
hehe... I got around 13 :/
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Post by physicssquid on Aug 12, 2012 23:25:01 GMT -5
Damn, I just did the test for one of my OCs, and I got a 76. That's irritating.
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Post by Dimcairien on Aug 12, 2012 23:29:39 GMT -5
Damn, I just did the test for one of my OCs, and I got a 76. That's irritating. Well then, it looks like your work is cut out for you. Hopefully you can redeem your character somehow. |
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Post by brokenquill92 on Aug 13, 2012 2:03:51 GMT -5
I did okay I got a 25
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Post by Dimcairien on Aug 13, 2012 2:20:55 GMT -5
I'm currently writing a story with Molly II as the main character as all the canon knowledge we have of her is her name and parents. With what I have written out and developed so far, I ended up with an 11 for her.
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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 13, 2012 3:34:41 GMT -5
cool I've read a lot of Mary Sue fics  and I noticed that most of them have overly cool names...or the complete oposite, way too normal names... like Phoenix, or Annie (just the first names I could think of) Does Callidora sound weird? I just used it b/c a member of the Black family had the same name, and she's not well known... and I thought that since most purebloods are somehow inter-related and stuff??? What are your OC's names? |
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Post by physicssquid on Aug 13, 2012 9:33:35 GMT -5
My main problem were these questions:
Do other characters frequently tell your character how sexy, cute, or beautiful xe is?
and
Does your character modestly deny it every time or refuses to believe that xe is attractive?
The problem is that my character is pregnant, and therefore feels fat and ugly, while her parents and husband tell her that she isn't. I therefore didn't really know whether to check the boxes or not, so I did.
The other problem is that she is a minor character, appearing for a total of two and a half days, delivering items that the main canon characters need, then disappearing once that is over. Of course, she's also the oldest daughter of two of the canon characters and looks very like a female version of her father, with her mother's bone structure.
btw, bkaddictjk, my character is called Akasha Charlene, which means ethereal warrior.
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Post by G. Novella on Aug 13, 2012 10:43:28 GMT -5
I took it for a few of my RP characters that I was worrying about and got an 11 for one, and a -1 for the other ^.^
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Post by bkaddictjk on Aug 14, 2012 8:35:00 GMT -5
cool |
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and I noticed that most of them have overly cool names...or the complete oposite, way too normal names... like Phoenix, or Annie (just the first names I could think of)