14 replies to this topic

[Arden_Cain]

Hi POW fans.

This week we ask if any of our members have done a Mary Sue test? I am sure many long serving members can attest to the fact that the characters we write often come alive in their own right, evolve past what we originally planned. So this week we also pose the question to older members of the community if they have done a Mary Sue test recently.

Please feel free to share the results. No one is going to judge you. As always the fun is in the discussion afterwards.

[Deliera]

I do them for everyone and every character I write about just because I'm bored . . .

[T'Mihn Ah'mygahn]

Mary Sues kinda aggrivate me so I write one. My charactor has faults doesn't get along with everyone,but try have her with depth and such.

[Diego Herrera]

I cannot stand the idea of writing a Mary Sue character. I was originally going to use one of my PNPCs, Lex Menar, as a character in an idea for a Star Trek fanfic I was going to write and I described her to my sister. She said the words Mary Sue, and two seconds later I was already thinking of a major overhaul.

I did a test for Tallis initially and came out OK. I could do with doing another one! I don't think I'm in Mary Sue territory, but it's definitely worth running the test to check.

[T'Mihn Ah'mygahn]

Where is the "Mary Sue" test?

[Arden_Cain]

There is a bunch of them but this one is the one I use. http://www.ponylandp...om/ms-test.html

[T'Mihn Ah'mygahn]

Thanks, took qiuiznot a Mary sueYay.

[Segolene LeMarnix]

There is a bunch of them but this one is the one I use. http://www.ponylandp...om/ms-test.html

I like this test - other 2 I found gave me much higher YES result - in this one it's 19, so The Non-Sue I am, lol! But not far from it, either...

[T'Mihn Ah'mygahn]

Maybe there needs to be a Trek style test. There are a few species that have some naturally occurring abilities. Leaning languages, I'd think in Starfleet because of the nature of environment, a person would know more than their native language. Can't rely on the universal translator all the time.

[Arden_Cain]

You may have a point there but I doubt that knowing a second language is going to tip the scales all that much. Being able to learn a new language in a blink of an eye on the other hand.

[Kotir Arith]

I never think to test my characters. I must try one later and see but I'm pretty certain my character isn't a Mary sue character

[Sinda Essen]

A what test?

[Saveron]

A 'Mary Sue' is a perfect character who has everything. She's sporty, funny, genius, gorgeous and boring as soup. They're often a 'new and improved' version of the player themselves, a highly romanticised creation who's actually not very interesting to interact with. Although, they can also be excessively tragic characters, especially those who are always injuring themselves or are in constant need of help, in order to be the centre of attention. If you think of any main character that falls within the 'teen angst' writing genre, you've pretty much got a Mary-Sue. The person all angsty teenagers want to be.

All the best characters have three dimensions and gaping flaws you could drive a truck through.

Edited by Saveron, 16 April 2012 - 01:59 PM.

[Segolene LeMarnix]

Maybe there needs to be a Trek style test. There are a few species that have some naturally occurring abilities. Leaning languages, I'd think in Starfleet because of the nature of environment, a person would know more than their native language. Can't rely on the universal translator all the time.

The test is obviously not meant for a species like El-Aurians. You can be a child for 100 years, but you will still have 100 years of experience. That life and knowledge and stories (lives stories) you collect along the way are not erased because you're still a child living in your parent's house and under their protection. You still live and read and see/experience and learn.

Being 275 years young my character has experience that by default pushes her into being borderland Mary Sue. She spent almost 150 years living in Romulan space (for a federation citizen speaking Romulan fluently gives 3 points toward being Mary Sue), but her family arrived from Delta Quadrant and settled in Romulan space before moving into Federation.

But if "gaping flaws you could drive a truck through" makes character less Mary Sue - I'm more than safe...

[Saveron]

Out of interest I took the test linked and scored a 'borderline' grading! ::Shocked::

I do think that Vid-Lotilija is right however, many of our species are long-lived, and most of our characters would speak at least two languages, their native one and Federation Standard, which tilts the score a little.

Still, it never hurts to review one's character from time to time...