Avoiding Mary Suehood?

[someguynamedjoe]

Gosh, I feel sort of weird asking for advice on this but here goes...

I'm actually writing a graphic novel at the moment and I'm sort of afraid that my main character is becoming too much like me. My main character is a grouchy, misanthropic aspiring science-fiction writer stuck in a dead-end job at a thinly-veiled Starbuck's expy (called Apollo's...) who's being targeted by a gaggle of street performers/assassins who are after his cat.

I started with writing from what I knew (useless college degree, taking crap job to support doing what I love), went from there, and now I'm sort of afraid my main character's become me... only prettier and more interesting.

Anyway, help?

[Kali]

I think it only counts as a Mary Sue if they're not just prettier and more interesting, but are also uberpowerful, everyone loves them, even their faults are actually positive things, and their mistakes end up being all for the best.

Just basing it on you, if you include all your faults and flaws, isn't enough to make it a Sue.

[Starbeam]

Basing the character on yourself isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, though it is a self insert.  But I wouldn't really worry too much unless the character ends up being pretty much perfect.  Also, http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm.

[someguynamedjoe]

Basing the character on yourself isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, though it is a self insert.  But I wouldn't really worry too much unless the character ends up being pretty much perfect.  Also, http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm.

Ooookay... so I have a Mary Sue score of 4... guess he's not a Sue. I am a tad concerned about the self-insertion though ("self-insertion"? wow that sounds saucy...)

[Jaeh]

i personally think authors usually insert a part of themselves, or maybe even a part of who they think they are/who they want to be, in their writing. I don't think self-inserts are that bad, unless you turn it into Mary Suedom and make the book into one this-is-what-i-wish-for-and-i'm-getting-it-through-this-story story.

[Starbeam]

Looking it up, self inserts look to generally be as minor characters, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-insertion.  A lot of people tend to consider self inserts to be pretty much the same as being a Mary Sue, but it's really not.

The main character in the urban fantasy I'm writing is generally me, including flaws.  I was told I should base a character on myself because of the randomness of who I am.  So why not?

[meg_evonne]

hey, just write and don't worry about it.  that about covers it.

[meh]

Errr, why are street performers after your cat?

[Kali]

The cat thought they were stuck in an invisible litter box, and, well...

[Nickeris86]

i always base my characters off my own personality, even my villains are part of me. i don't think there is anything wrong with creating a character that is like yourself. i think the fact that street performers are after your characters cat is difference enough between you and them.

[Nickeris86]

Basing the character on yourself isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, though it is a self insert.  But I wouldn't really worry too much unless the character ends up being pretty much perfect.  Also, http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm.

yeah i don't think this test is terribly accurate.

[Starbeam]

Pretty much every Mary Sue test you find online is going to be something of a variation of that.

[meg_evonne]

The cat thought they were stuck in an invisible litter box, and, well...

snorting coca cola out my nose...  ty for that.

[Kali]

snorting coca cola out my nose...  ty for that.

Please don't encourage me.  I already think I'm way funnier than I am.   I'm still giggling over making Rachel's favorite pizza joint "Chichen Pizza".

[someguynamedjoe]

Errr, why are street performers after your cat?

there's a ridiculous backstory that's revealed little by little by my Big Bad™ involving bus fare, unpaid union dues, and a broken heart and it's all pretty silly.