Kurahieiritr

Worksheet Number 2 is a psychology heavy profiling tool to understand the Character's Motivations and responses. If you still come with a Mary Sue/Gary Stu after doing this worksheet, then it is a chronic disease on the reader's end of the spectrum that makes the Sue/Stu accusation. Sorry these posts are so long, but these are fairly in-depth tools. WORKSHEET # 2 3-D CHARACTERIZATION SHEET: Traits and Personality section Attitude toward Animals (Pets, horses, etc): What does this Character care about most?" What does (S)he carry with her/him the most? (EX; Memento/jewelry/money?: This section defines expected, or unexpected, deeper personality factors and Quirks. These questions help determine critical points of character depth. Psycho Analysis of Character Introvert/Extrovert section: 1) Would character prefer to work behind the scenes to promote change, or be in the lime light as a community leader that gets all the credit? Is this Character a Leader, Follower, or a dropout whenever things get difficult? 2) Does this character feel that many occupations do more harm to the population than Good? 3) Which is more important in leaders? To be tolerant and encouraging, or discriminating about the roles people should maintain for the public's good? 4) If character had the choice to work as a receptionist, or be their own boss which would character choose? 5) Does this character feel that a doctor should put personal feelings aside while determining the treatment of patients, or should feelings be one of his/her main guides in developing treatments? 6) Does character find it easy or difficult to adapt their behaviors according to the specific company they are in? 7) If this character went on vacation would they prefer to spend most of their time alone, or going out to meet new people? 8) Would becoming a hermit come easily to this character or be very difficult? 9) Would this character prefer to marry someone who is thoughtful, or very sociable? 10) Are most people likely to be trustworthy or untrustworthy to this character? 11) Would this character like, or dislike to throw parties/coordinate social gatherings? 12) Would this character prefer to do things involving travel, or working in an enclosed environment? 13) Would you describe this character as an optimist, or a pessimist? 14) Does this character enjoy big noisy gatherings/parties/social occasions or not? 15) would this character find it easy or difficult to make a public speech? 16) is this character quick or slow to make a witty reply during most conversations? 17) would you describe this character as being full of energy or predominately lethargic? Emotional Stability section: 18) Has this character ever walked in his/her sleep that they are aware of? 19) Does this person take more sick days off, or never gets sick days, compared to others in their work setting? 20) Does this character get confused if interrupted while working on a project or not? 21) Does this character exercise hard every day, or tend to be laid back? 22) When this character learns a new skill does he/she feel confident of mastering it, or not? 23) Does this character get irritated by trivial problems, or does the character brush them off? 24) Does this character agonize for hours over felt humiliations, or do they brush it off as a learning experience and move forward? 25) Would other characters regard this character as a sensitive person, or not? 26) Does this character fall asleep easily and sleep well through the night, or are they an insomniac? 27) Would other characters consider this person shy or outgoing? 28) Does this character feel deeply disturbed if a friend does not greet them, or not? 29)Does this character feel happy or sad without any discernible cause? 30) does this character find themselves daydreaming when they should be working, or not? 31)Does this character have a habit of nightmare dreams or pleasant? 32) Does this character have a fear of heights, tunnels, or going outside? 33) Does this character believe him/her self to be an emotional or rational person in everyday life situations? 34) How do other characters perceive this person during every day living situations? Emotional or rational? 35) Does this character frequently worry about their health or not? 36) can this character recall specifics of having annoyed others during the past year, or do they not care to recall any such transgressions made? 37) does this character perspire a lot even though they have not exercised heavily enough to warrant the perspiration? 38) Does this character's mind go blank in the middle of doing a job? 39) Has this character met three or more people that they felt were unfriendly toward them within a short amount of time over the previous year? 40) Has this character had shortness of breath unrelated to exercise strain? (Psychological anxiety Que) 41) Is this character tolerant of other people's idiosyncrasies or not? 42) Is this character normally self confident, or not? 43) Does this character believe they can or cannot manage the situations of life as easily as other people? 44) Does this character get headaches, sour stomach, chest pains, and other symptoms of stress once a month or more? Mental Strength or Submissiveness Factors: 45) Does this character prefer their life to be full of change or static and unchanging? 46) Is this character ambitious? 47) Does this character hide their true motives from others when doing things or allow others to know their feelings? 48) Would this character rather dream about success, or work hard to gain concrete success? 49) Would this character rather be a coward that stayed alive or the dead heroic figure? 50) Which would upset this character the most; Hearing about a friend's illness or losing a material possession? 51) Does this character seek to get their own way without regard for others feelings when pursuing their objective? 52) Does this character feel/pursue vengeance if another character hurts them? 53) Would this character worry about work if they were on a vacation? 54) Does this character tend to compare their work/contributions to that of other characters? (Performance/Competition) 55) If this character gets into a heated discussion/debate, do they find it difficult to calm down and stop discussing the topic? 56) Would this character take a shortcut in their tasks to get the job done faster? 57) Is this character inclined to keep their goals set too low because of a fear of failing to produce a positive result? 58) If this character was called upon to witness an execution, would they be pleased or uneasy about the task? 59) In the above situation, would this character feel that the punishment was justified? 60) Is this character cool minded or hot headed when dealing with others? 61) Would this character prepare thoroughly before facing a situation? 62) Does this character tell white lies? 63) Does this character enjoy dancing? 64) Would this character be the type to enjoy traveling at 150 MPH or faster in a race car if they had the opportunity? 65) If confronted with another character obstructing their view of a play or similar situation, would this character ask the obstructing individual to give ground so that they could also continue to view the situation? 66) Does this character hold stronger opinions than most people? 67) Would this character prefer flattering others in order to improve their status in life, or would they choose hard work? 68) As a child, did this character always do as they were told., or rebel against parental authority somehow? 69) Did this character like to embark on dangerous adventures to push the limits of their abilities, or stay within expected childhood games? 70) Does this character place their achievements among the most important things in their life? Do they place people in this position? 71) Does this character work hard to get ahead? 72) Would this character be the type to walk on a moving escalator to get there faster, or would they quietly stand in place until they reached their level? 73) Would this character feel it was best not to respond to a rude person, or would they confront the rudeness? 74) Does this character prefer even temperature climates, or fluctuating temperatures? 75) would this character ask someone to stop doing something they disapprove of or feel uncomfortable about being around? 76) To this character which is more important, Love or success? 77) If this character witnessed someone cutting into a line before them, would they allow the rude transgression, or confront the offender? 78) If this character were put on some kind of committee, would they be in charge, or in another role? 79) If this character disapproved of their friend's behaviors would they remain silent or make the friend aware of their feelings about the behavior? 80) Would this character try new innovations rather than stick to older tested methods if given the chance? 81) Would this character get so angry with another character they would shout at them over a perceived transgression, or try to find a solution in a calm and rational manner? 82) Does this character have a creative bent that they share with others freely to enrich their lives through color, form, or other methods? 83) Does this character see the world and all the things that happen within it is being black and white, gray scale, or color? 84) Would this character hesitate to go up to a stranger and ask a question? 85) Does this character crave excitement? 86) Does this character believe there are better reasons to get married than love? 87) Does this character targetr socialization toward individuals who can most help them? 88) Would this character consider mountain climbing too dangerous, or an interesting challenge? 89) Does this character tend to win people overt by telling them things they want to hear, or by their actions which demonstrate sincerity? 90) Does this character seek out a conspicuous place in a room, or seek to avoid notice from others? 91) Does this character know/care about the differences between right or wrong? 92) Does this character like to shock people? 94) Would this character be the type to think every man for themselves, or group cooperation is more important? 95) Is this character the type to take care of things today, rather than leave them for tomorrow or even later? 96) Does this character find another character's ignorance appalling, or treatable? 97) Does this character have a burning ambition to be of great importance within their community? 98) Does this character dislike foreigners, or try to strike up conversations so they can learn more about this other way of living? 99) Would this character advocate force to stop a crime when necessary? 100) Is this character fond of rougher, physical activities such as wrestling, football, and other rowdy sports? 101) Can this character work while listening to others, or must they do one or the other activity? 102) Is this character inclined to be lazy, or very active? 103) Did this character mold their behaviors after someone they know and respect? 104) Does this character take excessive pride in their work? 105) Can this character persuade other characters to do things their way by being eloquent? 106) Would this character think most people are good, or think people are hiding bad intentions most of the time? 107) Is this character a natural organizer, neat and tidy, or are they sloppy? 108) Does this character think before speaking, or let things spew from their lips without regard to others feelings? 109) Would this character believe that individuals with extreme views have the right to inflict their opinions upon others? 110) Does this character believe all religions are basically the same? 111) Does this character concentrate upon one great cause through their life? (Great causes are things like saving souls for God/Feeding the hungry) 112) Is this character willing to compromise with their opponents? 113) Does this character get annoyed when other characters refuse to admit that they are wrong? 114) Does this character enjoy being the center of group attention, or try to avoid attention whenever possible? 115) Does this character fear boredom or prefer it? 116) Is this character aware of the beauty surrounding them, or is everything viewed as a commodity to use? 117) Would this character feel that playing is more important than the winning of the game, or vice-versa? 118) Would this character criticize someone they felt was conceited? 119) Would this character go to a spouse swapping party? 120) Is this character often furious with other characters? 121) Is this character often drawn to unfortunate people? 122) Does this character state their opinions with vehemence? 123) Does this character hurt other people in order to get what they are after? 124) Does this character feel that pacifists are actually cowards? 125) Does this character believe it is best to always be honest, or do they tell white lies to protect other people's feelings when required? 126) Does this character try to understadn another character's view point when in conflict, or simply refuse to listen to the other side nad come up with an alternative that respects both sides of the conflict? 127) Is this character easily startled? 128) Does this character like top take orders or resent receiving them? 129) Does this character continue to argue even when they know they are wrong? 130) Will this character help someone in need without coercion, or self gain? 131) Is this character slow to trust people? 132) Does this character fear people in authority or resent their authority over their lives? 133) Does this character often think about falling in love? 134) Does this character believe there is much to be learned from other cultures? 135) Does this character find it difficult ot say no to others? 136) Can this character make up excuses to get out of doing something they do not want to do easily? 137) Does this character prefer a peaceful or a risk taking life? 138) Is this character easily swayed to jealousy of other people's successes? 139) Is this character inclined to active forms of protest against things they do not agree with? 140) Does this character blame someone else when things go wrong or accept responsibility for their part in creating the negative situation? 141) Would this character prefer to convert others to their religious views, or tolerate different faiths? 142) Does the sight of blood make this character queasy? IF so, what created the aversion? 143) Will this character tend to scold others when they do something offensivce? 144) Does this character surropund themselves with people who are unpredictable and non conformist? 145) Does this character fight for their rights, or give them up without struggles when in a confrontational situation? 146) Is this character always amiable around others? 147) Does this character grind their teeth when emotional? 148) Does this character frequently question their own beliefs and actions? 149) If the character knows they are right, do they argue with the opposing person, or walk away? 150) Does this character's sympathy lie with the underdogs, or the winners in any situation? 151) Does this character cry at times in private or public? 152) Is this character regarded by others as being too good natured? 153) Does this character have a sarcastic streak? 154) Is this character prone to cynical judgments of others? 155) In any argument, is this character firm an forthright with their opinions? 156) Does this character tend to change their mind frequently? 157) Does this character like jokes of all kinds, or only a few types? (Meaning practical jokes with physical components that could potentially hurt might be viewed as vulgar) 158) Is this character patient or impatient with people and situations? 159) Does this character prefer to get closely involved with people or keep their distance emotionally? 160) Does this character believe that it is most beneficial to a group's cohesion if everyone believes the same things, or is differences in opinion good for progression of the group's growth? 161) Is this character good at bluffing their way out of situations? 162) Is this character prone to forgive people who have wronged them, or hold grudges? 163) Does this character stick to their decisions long term? 164) Does this character wish to improve themselves? 165) Does this character pay attention to other people's view points during a discussion? 166) Does this character put their interests before others? 167) In a burglary scenario would the character shoot the burglar with or without hesitation to preserve their possessions? 168) Would this character believe that there is some referential truth to everyone's views, or only in a set of criteria that can be proven through analytical means? 169) Does this character prefer to agree instead of argue for their beliefs? 170) Is this character prone to repeating themselves? 171) Is this character the type to stamp their foot or shake a fist when angry? 172) If given the opportunity would this character participate in an orgy? 173) Does this character stand up for themselves? 174) Does this character feel comfortable singing around others? 175) Does this character tend to get pushed around despite trying to stand up for themselves? 176) Does this character prefer to listen to their internalized intuition, or wait for concrete actions to guide their judgments?

I am doing a bit of condensing to take up less space. Here is the first worksheet. Feel free to copy it and use it all you want. I got it free from a pro writing site, and have used it for over a decade personally. Character Developing Worksheet NAME: RACE: GENDER: CITY OF BIRTH: STATE: COUNTY: COUNTRY: BIRTH DATE: CURRENT AGE: NICK NAMES: PHYSICAL STATISTICS HEIGHT: WEIGHT: BODY TYPE: NECK: SHOULDERS: ARMS: HANDS: BREASTS/CHEST: BELLY & WAIST: LEGS & HIPS: VOICE: FACE & EYES: HAIR COLOR & STYLE: Habitual Expressions: PERCEIVED PHYSICAL IMPERFECTIONS MINIMUM OF 3 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES/ MINIMUM OF 3: CLOTHING STYLES & FAVORITE OUTFITS; MINIMUM OF 3: Favorite Colors: Taste in Jewelry: This is a psychoanalytical tool. This focuses mainstream values and character behaviors. This is the inner world workings of characters that evoke emotional responses to each situation. Language Spoken: Political Affiliations: Social Class: Family: Father's Name: Profession: Living or dead? If dead, how did he die?: Mother's name: Profession: Living or dead? If dead how did she die?: Are parents happily married, or divorced where applicable?: # of Brothers: Names: # of Sisters: Names: Description of family escutcheon (Coat of Arms) where applicable: Interesting information regarding family (Idiosyncrasies/historical significant background such as starting a company that was successful/ war hero ancestors/Scientific innovators etc.): Marriage to whom and when.: Number of children, ages, and names if any: Character's relationship with family: Thoughts and feelings about their family: CHARACTER LINEAGE: 3 GENERATIONS MINIMAL CREATE FAMILY BACKGROUND FOR CHARACTER'S RELATIVES; INCLUDE HISTORY, OCCUPATIONS, ETC WHERE APPROPRIATE. PERSONALITY TYPE: CHARACTERISTIC GESTURES (Habitual Mannerisms are Actions that are somewhat compulsive to emotional cues) Name 4 minumum: RELIGION; WHERE APPLICABLE: GENERAL PERSONALITY TYPE: INTROVERT? EXTROVERT? QUIRKS Name 3 or more: ECCENTRICITIES/ MINIMUM OF 3: TEMPERAMENT: Emotional Level (i.e. Cries at the drop of a hat/ angry at the drop of a hat): SENSE OF HUMOR: METHOD OF HANDLING ANGER/RAGE: ADMIRABLE TRAITS; MINIMUM OF 4: NEGATIVE TRAITS= MINIMUM OF 2 preferable to have 3 or more: BAD HABITS/VICES List MINIMUM OF 4: PREJUDICES = MINIMUM OF 2: PET PEEVES/GRIPES MINIMUM OF 4: FAVORITE PET SAYINGS, WORDS/IDIOLECT MINIMUM OF 5: SPEAKING STYLES; TALKATIVE, TACITURN, SOFT/LOUD ETC... PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE: TYPE AND # OF CLOSE FRIENDS MINIMUM OF 2: BEST FRIEND: OTHER FRIENDS MINIMUM OF 6: What do friends and neighbors really think of him/her?: What does (S)he value most in his/her friends?: Who are his/her worst enemies and why?: THINGS THAT MAKE UNCOMFORTABLE/ EMBARRASS = MINIMUM OF 4: MOST PAINFUL THINGS IN LIFE MINIMUM OF 2: TRAUMAS/PSYCHOLOGICAL SCARS FROM PAST MINIMUM OF 3: MOST CRUCIAL EXPERIENCE(S) THAT HELPED SHAPE PERSONALITY/ATTITUDES MINIMUM OF 1: FEARS MINIMUM OF 2: PHOBIAS: WHERE APPLICABLE MANIAS: WHERE APPLICABLE PHYSICAL ILLNESSES/AFFLICTIONS: WHERE APPLICABLE MENTAL DISTURBANCES: WHERE APPLICABLE HOBBIES: Hobbies or Past times, MINIMUM OF 3(Can these activities show characterization or influence story?): INTERESTS: (Not Romantic) MINIMUM OF 2 SPORTS: FAVORITE SHOWS MINIMUM OF 2: FAVORITE MOVIES: FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS: PETS: DIET; RICH OR LOW CHOLESTEROL/FAT?: FAVORITE MEAL: Favorite Non Alcoholic Drinks: FAVORITE RESTAURANT/ETHNIC FOODS: A: Restaurant: B:Ethnic Foods: DRINKS ALCOHOL? : HOW OFTEN? WHAT IS FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?: FAVORITE BOOKS: FAVORITE SONGS IF APPLICABLE?: OPINIONS SECTION OPINION ON ABORTION (As Example): OPINION ON BIRTH CONTROL: OPINION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: OPINION ON MILITARY INTERVENTION: OPINION ON PROGRESS; SCIENTIFIC: MEDICAL: TECHNOLOGICAL: OPINION ON CRIME/WEAPONS CONTROL: OPINIONS PECULIAR TO CHARACTER MINIMUM OF 4: WHAT IS HIS/HER ATTITUDE TOWARD SMALL CHILDREN?: ATTITUDES ABOUT CHARITIES: LIVING SITUATION SECTION HOME; APARTMENT/CONDO, MANSION, CASTLE ETC.. LOW INCOME/EXPENSIVE, RENT OR OWN? NEIGHBORHOOD: DESCRIBE FURNISHINGS IN CHARACTERS HOME (COLORS AND MATERIALS): CITY BACKGROUND?: COUNTRY BACKGROUND?: TRANSPORTATION: OBEY LAWS: WHAT IS THE WORST CRIME (S)HE HAS EVER COMMITTED?: DRIVE FAST/SLOW INCOME: INCLUDES BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES IF POSSIBLE: STOCKS/BONDS, INHERITANCE WHERE APPLICABLE. SEXUAL ATTITUDES SECTION TYPE OF MEN/WOMEN ATTRACTED TO OR PREFERRED: FAVORITE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF OPPOSITE/SAME SEX: MINIMUM OF 2: ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTER THAT ATTRACT OPPOSITE SEX: OPINION ON HOMOSEXUALITY: SEXUAL TURN ONS: SEXUAL TURNOFFS: SEXUAL ATTITUDES; PRUDE OR PROMISCUOUS: WOULD THIS CHARACTER PREFER ORDINARY SEX, OR SEEK MORE THRILLING GRATIFICATION? EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IQ: YEARS OF SCHOOLING: POOREST PERFORMANCE SUBJECTS IN SCHOOL: FAVORITE SUBJECTS: MAJOR/MINOR STUDIES IN COLLEGE; IF APPLICABLE: DEGREES EARNED/AWARDED/ HONORARY: GRADES ACHIEVED: SPECIAL OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING WHERE APPLICABLE: SKILLS/ABILITIES/ & TALENTS: I left numbers because all O.C. characters need these to be realistic. 1 2 3 4 AREAS OF EXPERTISE: 1 2 3 CURRENT OCCUPATION: PREVIOUS OCCUPATIONS: 1 2 3 4 QUALITY OF WORK PERFORMED: HOURS WORKED PER WEEK: INCOME: REPUTATION WITH THOSE WORKED WITH: GUILDS BELONGED TO IF ANY:

Upon seeing so much Sue/Stu fear questions listed under Character development, I 'll offer to share a professional author's series of crib sheets with everyone. If that is something people wish to see, please let me know. I have a series of worksheets that are broken into different segments including a psychology test to define the flaws and strengths to get a consistent characterization upon which a writer can safely rely for writing any story that contains Original Characters. These are fairly in depth detail oriented, and one is a personality targeting questionnaire. I will warn everyone that it is 2 documents, and some parts overlap between the two. The redundant sectors are meant for consistency building. So, if I receive any feedback that is positive I will gladly share these specific worksheets. I have used them for several years with exceptional results..

Actually I was a published Writer and a Professional Editor through the 90's with a two page listing of Published Works added to my resume's credit. No valuable input explanations are given about my Female O.C., except the one person who ranted she did not act Native American enough because she is half blood Native American. Sounded like she felt Sam should be a clone of her, the reader. I'd say that is a perfect example of the rants I get. Not enough like me is the biggest underlying message in my Mary Sue bashing reviews. Therefore, I'm quite certain my supposed Sue is not a Sue. However, she was designed based upon a real high-level female FBI agent I knew a few years ago. I twisted Samantha's personality considerably so she's not completely like the real woman I drew off of to create the same kind of strong, willful, and highly obsessed with personal performance/honor personality. Nor is my Sue a good Girl, or particularly sweet. She speaks Japanese, but is sometimes snappy when a native or cannon Project D character does not speak slow enough that she can do mental translations. Samantha could not follow the Sue script if her life depended on it. She's way too violent to ever fit a Sue mold. I never state that she's pretty, only that she strikes the members of Project D as being very unusual. She's dressed in Neo-Vamp Gothic clothes and has tons of braids in her long hair when they first meet her. One reason for her design was to point out the horrific plethora of non mechanical know how stupidity that overwhelms the vast majority of Initial D fan fiction online at all sites. I know automotive upgrades and other things. Even her car reflects such know how. So I am pretty sure that it is a huge bunch of Bunk. Most of the readers are so incompetent in the mechanical aspect of writing Initial D they do not understand what they are reading or writing in the genre. Initial D is also the biggest offender in fanfiction to date with Sue/Stu characters who beat Project D and then conquer the rest of Japan. Worst of all, They always seem to be from America. I wrote this at first as a tongue in Cheek Hey morons, the impossible needs to be realistic. ROFL. However the demand to continue this saga has been rather pressing. Samantha Singing Wolf is a trained body guard who was in her introduction actively working for the American Embassy in Japan. Of all the expanding number of O.C. cast i have produced through 4 novel sized stories to date to play good guys and bad guys alike, Sam is the one all the morons want removed. My suspicions get firmer with each flaming Sue bash that it is her refusal to be a Sue that angers the readers.

I'm not very versed in Teen Titans. However, if you do an Original Character to make trouble, I would think you automatically are dealing in a villain of some sort since your plot involves starting problems among the cannons. Villains can pretend to be good, yet their motives come through in how you write their actions out while you develop their bad side through their pretended good actions. Make those good actions reveal the layers by having the evil laugh under the breath or the vicious smile they try to hide show up. if you are inserting an O.C. into a closed universe: They can be the good Samaritan that hands over a meatloaf sandwich to a cannon as example in the closed universe insert. Start them off by having the cannon feel sorry for them and trying to help them is another decent insert. The second type is the perfect setting to get an O.C. that intends to cause trouble into a closed universe, and sets up defense mechanisms to be triggered at a later date.

Awesome way to learn characterization. I was into D&D years ago. Got me started with creating characters, and led to writing. I'm not a frequent back story O.C. writer. I prefer to throw my O.C. characters to the proverbial rabid wolves form line one. Brings out lots of flaws, and shows the subtle sicknesses so to say. Then again, I tend to write the psycho loner that thinks He/she has to save the world. My O.C. characters last only so long a necessary to carry off the plot requirement. Most of my characters tend to be somewhat psychotic with illusions of grandeur that make them easy enough to kill off as soon as they finish their job. I did enjoy your how to Mary Sue though. That made me smile. It usually is the oh so perfect that irritates everyone around. Then again, I've known an FBI lady my uncle worked with for several months who was damned near perfect. Took nearly four months to find a single flaw in that one. She was scary perfect. All I can say is that when I found out she had driven herself into a really huge emotional hole from the stress, she finally became human. It took her needing emergency surgery to put her damaged guts back together because she had so many bleeding ulcers for people around her to recognize that there is such a thing as an imposter of perfection. One thing I would love to see is the Cannon that sees and O.C. as perfect. Then show the O.C. away from the Cannon do something like bulimia fits or any kind of huge emotional crack up where the other characters can't see the supposed perfect one completely lose it. the O.C. resumes his or her spotlight on the stage with the cannons, and voila, you have seen how imperfect and fake the O.C. is pretending to be.

Litmus tests sound rather foolish overall to me. Why not use personality worksheets that you can get from any pro writer site? Those are to help pro writers design their characters. I use those exclusively for all of my O.C. Characters and they insure you do not have a Mary sue/Gary Stu problem because you can put thought into the character that fits the requirement of the storyline without being a clone of yourself. Most character build sheets are free and can be found online at reputable writer's Industry Trade magazine DIgest sites. Give one a try. They have made a huge difference in my own writing of original characters, and make designing a Mary Sue/Gary Stu character almost impossible.

Nice. You have a lot of history in this character's development. There is a lot of potential for a deep story surrounding this character. The hardest part will be in keeping him consistent. TO accomplish the promise this character has, you will have to have him being inconsistent and saying things he thinks is normal and logical that are anything but logical. LOL. Have you ever read Edgar Allen Poe? This character would be as great as any of Edgar's off the wall killers.Your character kind of reminds me of many of them. Check out the complete works of Poe and see how he strips the paranoid character's mind down and introduces them. I think you'll find a great way to use this character, and make him as insightful and powerful as a supporting role for cannons if you do that.

In writing fan fiction, I think O.C. characters should exist. They are the ones to annoy, push the cannon characters to act, or to aide them in their endeavors. Give only enough history to make the characters dynamic, and Never Ever eclipse the cannons. O.C. has a purpose and a well written one can do necessary jobs like the hotel clerk example. However, there are fan fiction readers that are too lazy (or perhaps dim?) to give a valid review if there is a problem with character development. Those make me laugh because most folks that review after the Mary Sue ranting individual tend to say I don't see a Mary Sue in your character, although there is something off. Those I can fix, and always do. Now to tackle Mary Sue/Gary Stu: I've seen way too many stories listed under specific anime like Initial D that rarely even mention a single cannon character at various sites. Or worse, the O.C. comes to Japan and demolishes Initial D and goes on to Conquer All of Japan's Mountain Pass racing scene like a god. Those anger me royally because they're my definition of a Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Those writers are posting out of a desire to get an ego trip for their insignificant, miserable little self absorbed lives. Those are writers who are not truly interested in the actual Anime or Manga they managed to mangle for their ego kicks. Mot of them are also age 16 or even younger I figure. Stories that don't have the anime's cannons as the focal need to be tagged as an original. An Original should not be listed under a cannon Anime series. Sadly, most fan fiction sites don't seem to have original story settings for originals with " this is an original inspired by watching Initial D" genre headers in example. I think that is one reason people abuse an anime/manga/movie/video game name in fan fiction sites. They do not feel they have any other place to go to vent their creativity so annoy the real fans of a given show/game/series. Sure it is fun to write about genuine automotive mechanics and fast driving, which is why I tackled Initial D. However, when you can't find an actual Initial D specific fan fiction of any variety as a rule because of a plethora of knock offs, it is very frustrating to be a fan of the show.

Thanks so very much for the help. I really appreciate this

I have been combing the archive for several hours and wish to know how to change a fan fic listed as in progress to completed. I tried the various things that seemed to apply, but did not have any luck changing the status of the fan fiction's progress status. Can someone please point me in the correct direction to change the story's status?

This is an excellent resource for writers of original characters. Thanks for putting this up on this site. Fatal Flaws should always be considered in any original character, and it is noce to see that there are guidelines ot help a writer create such flaws by having a spelled out female specific crib of sorts.

Boring reading is sometimes a problem in fan fiction writing with or without an O.C. character addition. I get all the people speaking about this topic's point quite clearly. Yet I would also like to point out a fallibility to the Sue/Stu write off so prevalent within fan fiction readership prejudice. I probably won't make any friends by making this case based upon personal experience, and yet I have long been bothered by this topic of what is a Mary Sue specific character. I highly doubt all writers are producing Mary Sue characters despite the all to quickly spouted accusations to the essence that any female O.C. is a Mary Sue. To me, Reviews containing the word Mary Sue equals a huge chunk of double standard cop out that people do not even recognize within themselves. I see a huge amount of prejudiced thought in the fan fic reading community, and it is easier to fob off a character you don't like by calling it Mary Sue.Stu than to consider giving a review than points to specifics about an O.C. so a writer can become aware of concrete problems in development. If a reviewer yells Mary Sue at me, I figure them too immature to give me a concrete review that addresses a genuine and fixable storyline flaw. That, or a flaw in development does not actively exist, and they simply want to hate the Female specific O.C. because it is a girl in my opinion. Parody away to one's heart's content is my ultimate philosophy since that is the spine of all fan fiction that has ever been written. I think Profile development might be about the character evolution within a story? But can't be absolutely certain as to the prior poster's thoughts. Perhaps my experience as a 20 plus year career editor/Ghost Writer gives me a vastly different perspective about Mary Sue/Stu concepts from the hobby specific writers. I have read original novels that contain Sue/Stu characters also. Twilight series is nothing but a Mary Sue fantasy that caught Hollywood's eye and catapulted it into the fame sector. So there is even "Mary Sue" characterization that can be done to gain positive results on occasion. I see Mary Sue specific accusation, not just in my work, but in plenty of other fan fic writer review pages posted here and at FFnet also. It is almost universally the female characters that get scorned, not male characters which I find highly insightful also. People do not seem to recognize that this is a symptom of something deeper, It has become my theory that is only the female OC that gets open scorn, or my male characters would likewise get tons of Stu hate, which I do not see happening in mine or other writer's story reviews. All my Original Characters are meant to push the cannon characters into action. Some are even supposed to be hated. However, my specific experience is that Mary Sue accusers always add a please keep writing this story line to every complaint I get about my O.C. female character. To me, their please continue writing this fic means it is a bunch of crap that I wrote an actual Mary Sue. I have to laugh when I get accused of Mary Sue writing since I have a diverse cast of O.C. characters in all my fan fiction, mostly male O.C. characters. Nobody ever calls the male original characters I write to give back story to the Canon anime characters, or to anger the Cannon, any form of Stu tags. Only the Female o.c. ever receives that particular whine in any review I have ever received in the two years I have been training in a new genre of writing through using fan fiction as a re-training tool. I can't help but wonder why all the complaints center around the female Original Character with zero love Interests in any of the cannon Anime series characters. Considering I am writing Yaoi, or boy love, it makes even less sense to cry Mary Sue in reviews. Only "she" ever gets Mary Sue tag and accusations, which is complete nonsense because the lady is obviously crazy from the introduction on. Based on this two year analysis, I have decided it is a dysfunctional problem on all sides, and not genuine Mary Sue characters in some cases.