It doesn't matter if all you have is a repugnant Mary Sue or Gary Stu- all that we want is to help you make it into something people like and can relate to. For a simple overview, check out The Guide to Creating Complex Characters in the stickies, but for indepth help, feel free to make a thread and get posting.
Here is a simple profile to use, for easy viewing and to make it easier for those who are helping to, well, help you. You don't have to use it, but I'd like it if you did.
Quote:
Name:
Age:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Children and their ages:
General Appearance (whatever seems useful):
Living Arrangements (i.e., lives with wife and three young children; rents a ramshackle apartment alone; has tent in nomadic tribe with three concubines):
Occupation, including name of employer (if applicable):
Degree of skill at occupation (beginner, really competent, experienced but a bumbler, etc.):
Character's feelings about his occupation (loves it, hates it, regards it as 'just a job," has mixed feelings, is actively searching for other employment):
Family Background (whatever you think is important; ethnicity, siblings' names, parents' names, social status, clan affiliation, total repugnance toward everybody he knew before the age of twelve):
Age:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Children and their ages:
General Appearance (whatever seems useful):
Living Arrangements (i.e., lives with wife and three young children; rents a ramshackle apartment alone; has tent in nomadic tribe with three concubines):
Occupation, including name of employer (if applicable):
Degree of skill at occupation (beginner, really competent, experienced but a bumbler, etc.):
Character's feelings about his occupation (loves it, hates it, regards it as 'just a job," has mixed feelings, is actively searching for other employment):
Family Background (whatever you think is important; ethnicity, siblings' names, parents' names, social status, clan affiliation, total repugnance toward everybody he knew before the age of twelve):
If you don't wish to use this format, you could post a several-paragraph bio about your character, written as though you were going to publish a book about them, meaning avoid page-long rants about their clothes and hair and beautiful complexion and model-length legs. Write about how they ended up where they were at the end of your story, what their goals in life are/were, so on.
A list of traits is also liked, such as they are always running into stuff, or maybe they have a beautiful singing voice but is terrified of singing in public. Great beauty, however, is not a trait I want to see. Ever.
Take responces to your thread as a complement: they took the time to give you their honest opinion, so don't be offended if they don't particularly enjoy your character.
>>Don't flame. If the person has an honest-to-god Mary Sue, give them concrit on how to turn their character around.
>>Post around- Give some and you'll recieve some. Try politely asking if somebody will look at your thread after helping them out. Maybe they'll do so, and if you were kind and honest, you'll probably recieve the same from them.
>>This is the area to post things like Anti-Mary Sue guides, as opposed to the Resource forum. If you find something particularly helpful on creating characters, post it here. The Resource is primarily for basic story-building.
