Case (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
case) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomsecrets2015-03-21 02:23 pm
case) wrote in fandomsecrets2015-03-21 02:23 pm
[ SECRET POST #2999 ]
⌈ Secret Post #2999 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
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Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 131 secrets from Secret Submission Post #429.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 (repeat) - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
First off, stop worrying about writing a Sue.
(Anonymous) 2015-03-22 01:57 am (UTC)(link)What it should not say (and probably does say): I'm afraid of writing a Sue and getting a nastygram from a writer formerly known by a username rhyming with "Cinderblocks."
OC writers should worry less about whether their OC has enough flaws to "balance" her strengths, and more about whether the flaws are consistent with the rest of her character. It's easy to see when flaws have been stuck onto an OC to lower her score on a MS Litmus Test, rather than growing organically out of the same history and temperament that her strengths do
Stop worrying that you need to heap dust and ashes on your OC's head before she can be admitted to the presence of the canon characters. Making her "ugly, over 30, scarred, incompetent or weak" (as I once saw an OC ficcer advised to do) won't magically make her a better character--it will just make her ugly, scarred, over 30, incompetent or weak.
Stop worrying that things like being orphaned, or having a painful past "automatically" makes your character a Sue; concentrate on not manipulating the reader by making the OC an object of pity. Stop worrying that being talented, or even competent, automatically makes her a Sue--what makes for Sueage is when her talents make her the center of attention all the time, and reduce the other characters to speechless admiration or poisonous envy.
I do have a personal criterion for a Sue/Stu: does the character ever do something stupid and have to suffer the natural consequences? Does she ever offend people--actually give real offense, not piss off someone who's ridiculously touchy--and have to apologize? If it never happens--if the author refuses to let her character look stupid or be wrong--then you have a Sue on your hands.
OC writers are always being told to give their OCs some flaws, but some OCs need to be given a few virtues. If I'm going to have to spend significant reading time in a character's head, they had better not be completely insufferable. Obnoxious characters aren't more realistic, or more interesting: they're just more obnoxious.
Re: First off, stop worrying about writing a Sue.
(Anonymous) 2015-03-22 02:14 am (UTC)(link)Honestly, people need to stop worrying about satisfying people who obviously aren't going to like what they're writing to begin with. I'm not saying ignore everyone who doesn't immediately love it and only say nice things. But if their kneejerk reaction is "It's gonna suck and you shouldn't write it, well you're probably not going to change their minds.
If you're writing an OC, don't bother trying to write for someone who thinks OCs should never, never have more than a minor mention and gives you a rubric of a bunch of things OCs should never never do. Write for someone who's willing to give your work a fair chance and (of course) give it your best go for 'em.
Walking on eggshells for people isn't going to help you or anyone else.