30 Day Fandom Meme Day 8

[leethet]

Day 08 – Do you write OCs? And if so, what do you do to make certain they're not Mary Sues, and if not, explain your thoughts on OCs.
Yes. I’ve written male and female OCs, peripheral and important. Any female OC who is romantically involved with a canon guy is automatically a Sue to most people, but I try to make my OCs human, and only involve them in what’s necessary and realistic for their level of skill. My OCs are almost never beautiful to anyone except those who love them (like most people) and although they always have skills, they’re never superheroes. I do tend to make them articulate and sometimes too verbally clever, and that’s a definite flaw in my characterization. Not everyone is clever.

Comments

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

You just hit on the sore spot. my current MFU story is at stalemate for ages because I had the unbecoming idea to bring in too many OC, one of them, a sort of black superwoman, was getting more an more looking like a Mary sue (though I have strictly nothing in common with her, but still, she was functionning as one). I suppressed her and that suppressed my inspiration altogether.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

I should clarify - when I say they must not have abilities that are crucial to success, I don't mean they should lack every necessary ability. Only that they cannot be the one who, you know, carries everyone to safety, has the medical knowledge to save their lives, happens to know exactly how to get coconuts open so they don't starve on the tropical island, and is able to make a raft out of palm leaves and turtle shells, AND can navigate by the stars, AND speaks the language of the men on the rescue ship ... it's best to let your heroine have an area (or two - no more) of excellence and let others carry the rest of the plot-advancement.