Today’s readers are a discerning lot. They want characters with nuance and depth, who are relatable and authentic and inspiring (but not so inspiring that they feel out of reach). It’s a tall order, but absolutely attainable for aspiring writers—as long as you know the pitfalls to watch out for.
One of the biggest character pitfalls that trips up new writers is the stock character known as the Mary Sue —a much maligned, oversimplified figure who acts as a champion of lazy writing. Read on for everything you need to know about this character snafu and how to avoid it in your own work.
What is a Mary Sue character?
“Mary Sues” are idealized female characters that lack complexity and authenticity, and are devoid of any relatable weakness or flaws. They excel at everything, and face neither challenges nor repercussions for their mistakes. These traits make Mary Sues boring and unrelatable characters. Mary Sues have become synonymous with lazy or inexperienced writing.
The term “Mary Sue” was first coined in the 1970s by a Star Trek fan named Paula Smith. Back then, fan fiction was actually printed in free magazines that fans put together to distribute at events. Paula noticed a recurring trope in these magazines in which teenage girls would write a pristine, perfect version of themselves into their favorite fandoms. She and her friends began calling these fictional characters “Mary Sues.”
You’ll find Mary Sue characters most often in the work of beginning writers who are dipping their feet in the fiction pool for the first time. It can be a sign that they’re starting to put together original stories of their own, but they haven’t quite learned how to create complex characters yet.
Traits of Mary Sue characters
Here’s a closer look at the key traits you’ll find in the Mary Sue trope.
A Mary Sue is two-dimensional
The key defining trait of a Mary Sue figure is that they don’t have a lot of complexity or depth. They’re a type of stock character—a cardboard cutout of what a strong independent woman is supposed to look like. But when you look a little closer, you realize there’s nothing behind the surface.
This is why readers have such a hard time connecting with Mary Sue characters. They can sense when an idealized character is more of an idea than a fully formed person.
A Mary Sue has many, many positive qualities
A Mary Sue is, first and foremost, beautiful. They have a voice like a lark in spring and the resilience of a wildcat. They’re natural leaders who can win a sword fight with one hand and comfort a distraught child with the other. They can also make cupcakes better than your granny’s.
In short, a Mary Sue conquers everything she comes up against, and she does it with a suspicious amount of unmatched grace.
A Mary Sue is loved by all
Partly due to the above, and partly due to her natural magnetism, all other characters are drawn to the Mary Sue. Especially male characters. That bad boy who couldn’t be tamed suddenly wants to roll over and beg, and the women are silently envious of her charm.
This is often where the contentious “insta-love” romantic trope comes in. It leaves readers feeling like a powerful relationship—whether that’s romantic or a “found family” friendship—hasn’t been properly earned.
A Mary Sue sees themselves as “different”
A Mary Sue character type is Not Like Other Girls™. She doesn’t fit in, but this just makes her more intriguing. She may or may not be a chosen one with a tragic backstory, or the recipient of a hidden magical legacy. In any case, she’s always had this feeling that she’s different from everyone else.
A Mary Sue has opportunities handed to her
The first ever Mary Sue character was the youngest lieutenant of a prestigious spaceship. In other stories, she might be given a coveted scholarship or international recognition for her art. She climbs the world ladder, however that might emerge in her story’s context, without having to work very hard for it.
A Mary Sue thrives in impossible situations
One of the biggest indications of a Mary Sue character is how they handle themselves in fight scenes. Do they manage to knock out two guards three times their size? Do they say “How do I work this thing?!” when handed a sword and still manage to fight their way to the other side of a battlefield, unscathed? They might be a Mary Sue.
A Mary Sue has razor-sharp instincts
Mary Sues can always tell when something’s up. If there’s a traitor in the midst, or someone’s not being entirely forthright, or that handsomely brittle antihero is hiding his true feelings, the Mary Sue character is sure to sniff it out. They have a sixth sense that transcends even the most suspicious characters.
A Mary Sue doesn’t face any real consequences
In real life (and in story), actions have repercussions. Plot develops when a character does things that they think will fix everything, but which only serve to make things worse. A Mary Sue, by contrast, doesn’t face any repercussions for her actions. They float through life on the winds of love.
A Mary Sue has no character development
Perhaps most importantly, the Mary Sue character has no development. They don’t change, learn, or grow over the course of a story.
Not every protagonist necessarily needs a dramatic arc, but there should be a sense that they’ve been impacted in some way by their experiences in the story. A Mary Sue doesn’t have the depth that allows for this sort of change.
Can Mary Sues have flaws?
The Mary Sue can sometimes be flawed, but those flaws are always given a positive spin. For example, an impulsive female character who acts without thinking of the consequences is “fearless”. One who easily loses their temper and berates their loved ones is “fiery.” The sort of character traits which might otherwise get themselves into trouble are just part of their seductive charm.
A more experienced writer knows that these flaws are meant to create challenges for the character and opportunities for growth. But in a Mary Sue story, these traits are treated more like window dressing.
Can Mary Sues be men?
While the term “Mary Sue” specifically refers to a female character trope, the flat characterization problems associated with the trope can definitely be present in male characters as well. These characters are sometimes called a “Gary Stu” or, less commonly, a “Marty Stu”.
However, it’s a little less common to hear people talking about the Gary Stu character type, because we’ve been socially conditioned to be more accepting of flawless male characters (more on this characterization controversy below). Many action hero-types such as James Bond can be considered Gary Stus.
Mary Sues vs. author-insert characters
Sometimes, Mary Sues are viewed as alter ego characters that a writer uses to insert themselves into a story. This is most common in fan fiction. But although Mary Sues can be author insert characters, not all Mary Sues are author inserts and not all author inserts are Mary Sues.
Some new writers will strive to create strong, perfect female leads because they’ve been led to believe that’s what readers are looking for. With the rise of cultural heroes like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena the Warrior Princess, powerful female characters are seen as a way to push back against oppression and subvert expectation. A Mary Sue can come from a writer who’s trying to emulate these character archetypes. In these instances, the Mary Sue isn’t meant to be an author insert at all.
And then there are writers who will write a thinly veiled account of an idealized version of themselves thrown into an exciting, magical world. This can be a form of wish fulfillment as it allows the author to live out their dream adventure from the comfort of their own desk. But sometimes, an author insert character can be flawed and realistic because the writer is using this character as a way to process difficult experiences. Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a good example of a deeply autobiographical work that was written as a therapeutic tool. The protagonist, an extension of the writer himself, was an authentic person rather than a “Gary Stu.”
So although inexperienced writers might sometimes write themselves into a “Mary Sue” story, this character trope and an author insert character aren’t exclusively the same thing.
The controversy of Mary Sue
While “Mary Sue” specifically refers to a poorly written character who lacks dimension and depth, the term sometimes gets erroneously attributed to any major female characters who can throw a punch or stand up for themselves. Many would argue that the stringent criteria for a well written female main character wouldn’t be applied to a male character in the same way.
For example, if a female protagonist can fight off three security guards without messing up her hair, she might be called a Mary Sue. But if a male protagonist did the same thing, would he be called a Gary Stu? Maybe not. The unstoppable, unflappable male character has carved themselves out a place in our cultural consciousness, while a female character of the same caliber may be met with suspicion.
For this reason, the term “Mary Sue” is becoming a bit more contentious. This just means that when you’re writing a character in a story, and particularly a female character, you need to be sure that they’re multifaceted and relatable so they don’t get regulated to the heading of Mary Sue. We’ll look at ways to do that next.
How to avoid Mary Sue-ing your main character
So let’s say you’ve written a story about a strong, likeable woman that you want your readers to look up to. How do you avoid writing the dreaded Mary Sue trope? Here are some tips.
1. Give your character a nuanced backstory
Strong characters don’t come from nowhere, and their skills aren’t fully formed gifts from the gods (unless they are… in which case, ask yourself what your character has done to earn them). If your protagonist is a killer sword fighter, where did they learn those skills? From an elite training camp they were pressed into as a child? By practicing fencing in their suburban backyard with their dad? Give your character’s history a journey.
Likewise, consider which experiences shaped their personality. If they’re confident and self-assured, what made them that way? And what might their past not have prepared them for?
2. Give your character realistic flaws
Remember that a perfect character isn’t just unrealistic—it’s boring. Meaningful flaws are what make us human, and what will make your readers empathize with your character.
A good example of this is the character Huntress from the film Birds of Prey. As a tough trained assassin, this character could have so easily become a Mary Sue. But the scriptwriters dodged this pitfall by making the character completely socially awkward. She could dispatch a mobster with no problem, but when it came to talking to people, she tripped over herself and froze up. This made a fantastical character feel more grounded and realistic.
Make sure to give your character something that scares them and challenges them to break out of their comfort zone.
3. Give your character consequences for those flaws
Now, character flaws are really only useful if they play a part in the story. It’s your job as the writer to show your characters what happens when those flaws aren’t addressed.
For example, a very proud character might find themselves in trouble when they don’t accept help from others. Or, a commitment-phobe might lose someone close to them as a result of their fear. Or, an impulsive character who loves to party will find themselves in a situation that they can no longer control.
The consequences of these flaws, and the way the flawed character works to overcome them, will help the reader invest in your story.
4. Give your character room to grow
One of the most glaring problems with Mary Sue stories is that the protagonist never undergoes a dramatic arc—an internal shift in which the main character changes for better or for worse. One of the easiest ways to ensure your main character doesn’t fall into this trap is simply to allow them the capacity for change.
Despite the name, this doesn’t have to be a dramatic character arc. It can be a subtle shift in perspective, a new way of looking at things or looking at themself.
Examples of Mary Sue characters from literature and film
Do Mary Sues sound familiar? You may have come across them in some of these literary works that display weak or lazy writing.
Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses
Paranormal romances are pretty fertile ground for Mary Sues in general. Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of the more famous YA paranormal romances out there today, and her protagonist checks all the Mary Sue boxes: beautiful, unrealistically good at just about everything, and navigating multiple handsome suitors at any given moment. And although Feyre makes some questionable choices, she’s never really held accountable for the ramifications of those choices.
Jem from Jem and the Holograms
Jem and the Holograms was an ’80s cartoon that’s found a modern cult following. Jem, the holographic alter ego of band manager and foster care worker Jerrica Benton, rises to every challenge she encounters—and her voluminous pink hair always looks perfect while doing it.
In fairness, Jem was a female character created to inspire young girls to be as good and kind and honest and compassionate and confident and ambitious and airbrushed as her, so she almost gets a pass. But if she was designed for a more mature audience today, you can be sure she would be a little more complex.
Bella Swan from Twilight
Possibly the most notorious fictional character in this Mary Sue phenomenon, the heroine of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series is something of a blank slate. She has no discernible flaws, apart from her charming klutziness, and everyone she meets falls in love with her. When she finally grows a set of teeth, she manages her new vampiric life with a grace that astonishes her new family.
This character was intended to be a vessel through which the reader could place themselves and experience the story. The effect, however, was a character that didn’t feel lifelike or real.
Write compelling characters that feel like human beings
When a reader picks up a book, what they’re really looking for is a character they can relate to and believe in. This means writing main characters that feel authentic and nuanced, even if they’re not always acting their best. Because those moments are what make those characters interesting! So be sure your brilliant story doesn’t get dragged down by a Mary Sue lead (or the less derided male Mary Sues). Instead, create original characters that reflect the messiness of being alive.
