Dandello2000

Category name: Lois & Clark Section category to be in: TV, F-L Do you have any stories for it?:Yes (2), currently under TV General. --added

You're absolutely right - a person's age is not indicative of writing ability - I've known fifth graders who wrote on a very 'adult' level (with a 'want to learn more' attitude and a love of research) and adults who wrote like immature, self-centered brats. I've known pre-schoolers and kindergartners who could plot a flawless fantasy adventure - okay, they needed a scribe, but their train of thought was as well constructed as much older writers' outlines. So no, I seriously doubt you can tell the age of a writer by their writing - but you CAN tell the maturity of the writer by their writing. And some people mature earlier than others.

For myself - having written several stories with OCs who could be Mary Sues but I prefer to think of as additional necessary characters for my stories - one of the keys for me in defining whether or not an OC is an MS is the writer's reaction to criticism of that character. (I've also DMed with players who insisted on running a MS character. You would think they would get the message when other members of the party tie that character to a tree in the deep woods and pour honey over him...) Since many characteristics of the standard Mary Sue is also standard to romance novel heroes/heroines (utterly adorable, infallible, etc.) this character type can show up anywhere. From my observation, the key is how the writer responds to criticism. If the OC/MS is the way they are because the writer was lazy and didn't want to do the research necessary to create a believable fully fleshed out character, it will show in the rest of the story as well. (You had better give me a damned good reason why your 16-year-old fashion model/rock star can fly a F-6 Phantom.) [Points to those who can tell me ALL the things wrong with that scenario.] Generally, if the writer gets defensive about their OC when asked an honest question - it's a MS (Well, it's MY story and MY universe and that's just how it is.). An non-MS writer will respond with something more curious and open (Oh, I hadn't realized Essy was coming off as too whatever... Darn, are you sure about that fact?) This also goes back to the suggestion that blatant Mary Sues are a sign of a writer who is still in the first stages of learning the craft. To me, they are also a sign the writer had not yet learned how to do the research to make both the story and the character more real. Just my two cents worth.