Dunno if this has been linked before

[seradhe]

I found this through a Deviant art link and I think it's kinda fun.

http://www.onlyfiction.net/marysue2.html

as long as you don't take the results like some standardized test score, it's kinda fun.

[Shecky]

What the ham sandwich is a Mary Sue?

[Heretic]

I'm no writer, but I thought a "Mary Sue" was a character based (at least loosely) on an idealized self-portrait by the author.  Often similar background, perhaps superficially similar appearance, gets away with stuff the author wishes s/he could, etc. 

Along the same lines, Mary Sue is little Miss Perfect - always has the right skill for the particular task, always knows the crucial piece of obscure lore to figure out the mystery etc. 

[Ms Duck]

Tom Clancy's 'Jack Ryan'

[meg_evonne]

AHHH,  MSL, you mean Jack Ryan is fat and I assume balding?...  If Tom is monitoring,  that was a joke--I've no idea what you look like and I love your books better than the movies, even with Harrison Ford at the helm.   

[seradhe]

funny replies 

I actually find the test a little fun. I spent the better part of my time online running through it with various lead characters from my stories (best was a 12, worst was a 97)

makes me want to know how other literary characters stack up, just for kicks of course.

Pendergast, Max Ride, even Harry come to mind

[Ursiel]

-eyetwitch- Borderline?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? -murders test- >_>

[redneckwitch18]

-eyetwitch- Borderline?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!? -murders test- >_>

hahahahahahahaha. *wipes eyes and helps with the murdering*

[meg_evonne]

there was another thread sometime ago that used this test I think.  I didn't know what a mary sue character was either   

there is also an interesting thread about the number of stories and novellas authors have stuffed away...

[Shecky]

I'm no writer, but I thought a "Mary Sue" was a character based (at least loosely) on an idealized self-portrait by the author.  Often similar background, perhaps superficially similar appearance, gets away with stuff the author wishes s/he could, etc. 

Along the same lines, Mary Sue is little Miss Perfect - always has the right skill for the particular task, always knows the crucial piece of obscure lore to figure out the mystery etc. 

Interesting. The idea of the author doing a self-portrait (be it consciously or unconsciously) or a picture of himself as he'd LIKE to be is an old one; I'd just never heard a name given to this. Anyone have any idea where the term came from? Doesn't seem immediately evident.

[seradhe]

Interesting. The idea of the author doing a self-portrait (be it consciously or unconsciously) or a picture of himself as he'd LIKE to be is an old one; I'd just never heard a name given to this. Anyone have any idea where the term came from? Doesn't seem immediately evident.

I never heard of it myself until I came across this test. A short sacrifice to the wiki gods later, I had this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_sue

While I agree with a good portion of the definition (a characters merits greatly outweighing their flaws, etc..). I personally believe there's a little bit of the author in every main character they write.

[meg_evonne]

So Mary Sue came from Star Trek (in a way).... that's cool!  Thanks for the link to the explaination. 

[Hrankta]

What the ham sandwich is a Mary Sue?

Also, a "Mary Sue", or if a male, a "Gary Stu", is a character with no real character flaws.  The overly good, invincible hero.  Think Drizzt, Aragorn, Will Turner, Wesley Crusher, etc.

A Mary Sue / Gary Stu can also be a character who exhibits a lot of common cliches, such as the "Angsty Sue" (Rand Al'Thorne), "Rebel Sue" (Snake Pliskin), "Anti-Sue" (villains with no redeemable qualities), "Outcast-Sue" (Wulfgar), or "Self-Sue", as someone said above, when someone basically inserts themselves.

[KevinEvans]

I did the test for a story I sold,
came out a 12. But a lot of the questions are genre related, as an example I consciously wrote the character as a shadow of my self, and not enough of the questions keyed in on the genre, to reflect the bias. As to good or bad I have always heard that you should write what you know, good suspension of disbelief comes from a believable character that extends it's existence in to an interesting situation.
In my case the plot revolves around a mildly disabled vet, and his reaction to a huge life changing event. Literally (pun intended) his whole world changes when his town is shifted 367 years into the past and onto a different continent.
Stories need to be interesting, and I think the test is trying to sort out the protagontist that always has too easy a time with it's problems.

If you are interested about half the story is available for free here, http://www.grantvillegazette.com/articles/Sailing_Upwind and if you want it all, PM me, and I will send it to you.

Regards,
Kevin

[Shecky]

I did the test for a story I sold,
came out a 12. But a lot of the questions are genre related, as an example I consciously wrote the character as a shadow of my self, and not enough of the questions keyed in on the genre, to reflect the bias. As to good or bad I have always heard that you should write what you know, good suspension of disbelief comes from a believable character that extends it's existence in to an interesting situation.
In my case the plot revolves around a mildly disabled vet, and his reaction to a huge life changing event. Literally (pun intended) his whole world changes when his town is shifted 367 years into the past and onto a different continent.
Stories need to be interesting, and I think the test is trying to sort out the protagontist that always has too easy a time with it's problems.

If you are interested about half the story is available for free here, http://www.grantvillegazette.com/articles/Sailing_Upwind and if you want it all, PM me, and I will send it to you.

Regards,
Kevin

You know, I was just about to point out that this premise sounded exactly like that of 1632. Imagine my consternation when I do a quick re-read of your post to find out that that IS the story you're working on LOL!