The Curse of Mary Sue/Gary Stu - FANON EDITION

[AlphaWolf]

If you've been writing for a while, you'll probably know what a Mary Sue/Gary Stu is. Even if you don't, this guide will be of good use to you.

Mary Sue = MS
Gary Stu = GS

• What the difference between a MS and a GS?
  A MS is a female. A GS is a male.
  
  
• What is a MS/GS?
  A MS/GS is a character with few to no flaws.
  
  
• How can you tell if you have a MS/GS character?
  There are several symptoms a character will show if they are a MS/GS.
  ~They are frequently the same gender as the writer.
  ~They have few to no personality flaws. Angel is a kind, sweet and gentle wolf who loves other animals and peace! If she ever loses her temper it's for a good reason; anyone she ever opposes is an evil fiend who deserves a tongue-lashing.
  ~They are never wrong, or if they are opposed they are later proved right; their opponents are frequently killed or harmed, especially in an ironic way. Nobody believed Angel when she warned them that a tornado was coming, but anyone who still hated her even when the storm came got killed.
  ~They help some bad characters become good, or everyone loves them from the start. Demon was evil until he became friends with Angel. Then he turned good.
  ~They had lots of angst in their past, but everything's happy and good later on. Angel's mother died giving birth and her father was never around. Then there was a forest fire and she got orphaned. Against the odds she survived. She ended up meeting her father and he apologized to her, and she met her mother in a dream.
  ~On the flip side, they had little to no angst in their past. No example required.
  ~In fanons, they fall in love with a canon character you really like, and are frequently the cause of a two canon character's "breakup". Angel loved Humphrey even before he met Kate, so he never loved her, which let her focus on her alpha duties.
  
  
• What are the different types of MSs/GSs?
  ALPHA SUE/STU: A strong character who is a wise leader. They never makes a wrong decision.
  WARRIOR SUE/STU: A tough character who is a loyal fighter. They would follow their leader/gut to death.
  ROMANTIC SUE/STU: A beautiful character who everyone falls in love with. They frequently fall for another sue/stu.
  EMO SUE/STU: A very angsty character who had a tough past. They usually have a quiet personality to begin with and don't stand out much, but are well-known by the end.
  
  
• How can I avoid making a MS/GS?
  Always make sure your characters have faults, preferably the same number of faults as they do positive qualities. Appearances can be deceiving so it's okay to have the occasional perfect-looking character, but you should never have a character where you can't name at least one bad personality trait. If you find you have one of these, kill them with fire get rid of them ASAP.

If you think you have a Mary Sue fanon character, post a reply here with some information on your character and why you think she's/he's a Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Other members would be happy to help you out in turning your white angel-wolf of perfection into a well-rounded, realistic character!