Okay so about a month, maybe two months ago, I had the perfect idea to write my own OC harry potter verse...
It was awful.
Never have I been so embarrassed, I created this character that was essentially the definition of a Mary Sue, dios, it was so embarrassing. So to help other writers like me, I pinpointed everything that was wrong with my character, cross-referenced with some of the worst fanfiction I have ever read and created this list.
Now presenting
THE MARY SUE TEST!
(So you don't end up like me.)
Mary Sue Test:
Assuming you have created a self-insert or potential 'Mary-Sue' you've either done 1 of two things. a) you decided that your own personal view was enough, didn't personality check, and immediately posted the story, or b) you've questioned just how good your character is and want to check if it falls into the realms of Mary/Gary Sue/Stu (We're all guilty of it at some point)
if b please congratulate yourselves for at least checking.
Answer these questions with either yes or no and add up your score (yes=1 point. No=0), ranges are posted at the bottom.
Enjoy and please post your scores, I always like finding out just how Mary Sue people can be!
The name:
1. Is your character named after you, any one you know, or any one you admire?
2. Does your character name match your characters ethnicity?
3. Is your character's name Asian for any reason other than being of that Ethnicity?
4. Does your character have more that 1 first name?
5. Does your character have more than two last names?
6. Does your character have a nickname that everyone, including teachers address her by (Ignore if this is at character's request)?
7. Is your character named after a noun at all?
8. Do you wish you had your character's name?
9. Is your character's first name more than 8 letters long?
10. Does your character's name have any meaning i.e Zia=light?
Looks:
1. Does you character have a bust size bigger than a C-cup/ is extremely ripped?
2. Does your character have very long legs, or is very tall without being gangly?
3. Does your character have 'ebony' hair?
4. Does your character have flawless skin without intense use of products?
5. Is your character extremely athletic, but is never mentioned doing sport?
6. Does your character have hair longer than mid back?
7. Is your character's hair ever a hindrance?
8. Does your character always look perfect, even when crying or sleeping?
9. Does your character have an unusual eye colour?
10. Is your character ever mocked for his/her looks?
11. Does it take more than a sentence to describe your character's looks?
12. Do Veelas pale in comparison to your character's looks?
13. Does your character win partners with his/her looks?
14. Does your character look good covered in mud/slime/other unidentifiable substance?
15. Do you wish you looked like your character?
16. Do we know everything about how your character looks within the first chapter?...
17. ...First Scene?
18. ...First Paragraph?
19. ...First sentence?
20. Does your character describe how they look to the reader?
21. Is your character's hair dyed colours that would not be accepted in their surroundings (pink highlights in Hogwarts)?
Clothing:
1. Does your character frequently break dress codes yet never get punished for it?
2. Does your character ever where clothing inappropriate for a situation, yet feels no repercussions (ie, shorts in Winter yet not cold)?
3. Does your character wear neon colours?
4. Would you feel comfortable wandering around public spaces in what your character wears?
5. Is your character a fashion guru?
6. Does your character always know the latest trends even if away from media?
7. Does your character have endless amounts of clothes?
8. Does your character wear clothing that you or your friends could not afford?
9. Does your character wear high heels yet never gets foot or back pain?
10. Is your character's clothing choice better than everyone she knows?
11. Does your character ever slip or injure themselves due to clothing choices?
12. Does your character always describe exactly what they are wearing to themselves?
13. Does your character constantly wear branded items?
14. Does your character wear anything against their religion or upbringing?
15. Does your character ever wear clothes that your role models wear?
16. Is your style similar to your character's?
17. Does your character ever chose practicality over fashion?
18. Does your character ever modify their school uniform drastically to make it more appealing to masses (too short skirt, not wearing tie)?
19. Does your character dress popular or unusually?
Race:
1. Is your character an exchange student from America?
2. Have you had to change canonical rules to allow your character to go to a certain school?
3. Is your character from more than three major ethnic backgrounds (1/8 Irish, 1/10 Bhutanese 3/8's Canadian 5/10's American)?
4. Does your character have more fractions of ethnicities than possible, (see above /\)?
5. Is your character at all a half blood (Veela-Vampire, Werewolf-Mermaid)?
6. Does your character have all the advantages of races and none of the disadvantages?
7. Does your character have any special ability due to blood that is very uncommon?
8. Is your character important in their race, i.e princess of Vampires?
9. Do you wish you were like your character?
10. Does your characters ethnic background take more than one sentence to describe?
11. Are people jealous of your character's ethnicity?
12. Does your character have perfect cultural knowledge despite foreign or isolated upbringing?
13. Does your character have habits that could be considered disgusting, yet are endearing (drinking blood)?
Personality and behaviour:
1. Does your character constantly correct people yet is still loved and popular?
2. Is your character ever unsociable or standoffish?
3. Do people dislike any of your character's personality traits?
4. Does your character have a personality you wish you had?
5. Is your character top of her year in everything and yet never studies?
6. If your character were real and you met her, would you dislike her?
7. Is your character ever punished for poor behaviour?
8. Do your character's personality traits ever counter each other (shy, confident)?
9. Is your character especially quick witted or sharp tongued?
10. Do you wish you were like your character?
11. Does your character ever do something wrong even if they believe it's right?
12. Are your character's insults your own creations?
13. Do you ever construct scenes just so your character can be smart or funny?
14. Is everyone around your character shallow or do not understand your character?
15. Do people always trust and believe your character?
Background:
1. Are both your character's parents dead?
2. Is your character abused?
3. Have you done any research into effects of certain upbringings?
4. Is your character unnecessarily angst ridden at moments?
5. do you wish you were raised in the same way as your character?
6. Is your character raised in a similar way to you?
7. is your character from royalty or especially rich parents?
8. Is your character from a poor upbringing yet still spends a lot of money?
9. Does your character know who both their birth parents were?
10. Is your character related to any canonical characters?
11. Is your character secretly related to any canonical characters?
12. Do you tell reader's about your character's upbringing in the first chapter?
13. ...Scene?
14. ...Paragraph
15. Does your character's past invoke strong amounts of pity from people (Not sympathy)?
16. Does your character ever bemoan their upbringing?
17. If confronted with someone with a back ground and attitude towards it similar to your character, would you ever feel the urge to throw a chair at them?
School info:
1. Is your character in Gryffindor or Slytherin?
2. Are they friends with Golden trio, Malfoy, the marauders, or the next gen's?
3. Is their house undecided?
4. Do they suit all houses?
5. Does the sorting hat scream when placed upon their head?
6. Do they automatically know where everything is in the school as well as passwords?
7. Are they 'head' or 'leader' of their house?
8. Are they ever ostracised from fellow housemates?
9. Do they have their own dorm room?
10. Do they insist on giving a detailed description of everywhere they go?
11. Do they play obnoxiously loud music, yet no one ever cares or notices?
12. Do they paint or decorate their room in an unsuitable way?
13. Does their ethnic or religious background have any effect on their room and bed?
14. Are exceptions made for your character that are not due to religion or food habits?
15. Is your character best friends with Fred and George Weasley?
16. Does your character ever get into trouble with their head of house yet is let off?
17. Does your character ever loose points for their house yet receives no animosity for it?
OKAY, WOW!
There are 112 questions so thank you if you stayed till the end.
Scores are
0-12 Wow your character is not at all Mary/Gary Sue/Stu, good work, it's one of the few out there
13-30 Okay, so your character is a little Mary sue, just make sure that those points are spread out between the categories
31-49 Medium level Mary Sue, you might want to look back a little and change a few things, but it's pretty okay
50-70 Now you're very into the Mary Sue levels, watch out, you need to make sure you are adjusting your character to give them flaws - no one's perfect.
71-90 Very, very Mary sue like, I would reccomened starting over and adding in flaws or making them a lot less perfect, maybe take away a little angst please.
90+ DANGER DANGER please stop and delete character, I'm not sure if this is salvageable now. Please do not post this story!
Did you like it? If so please let me know and post your score. I might make more of these, if I get enough reviews.
Adios,
Lunaryestrella101