Mary Sue and Gray Stu Guidelines (SHAD'S PET PEEVE!)

I think we've all had our encounters with a Mary Sue or Gary Stu sometime in our internet lives. They are extremely annoying and have to pop up on every single freaking website. They have no logic or reasoning behind the way they behave. There are many more versions of a Sue or Stu, not just the generic 'perfect' character. I just wanted to point out a few tips for others who are creating their next character. I know that some won't take my advice. And to be honest, I'm not suprised! I've been roleplaying for about 3-4 years and some of you guys on here have been roleplaying for what, 7, maybe 8 years? Or more? Well I just wanted to help everyone, old roleplayer or young roleplayer, with a couple of ways to avoid that Mary Sue or Gary Stu character.

So, let's start off with a list of Do's and Don'ts!

Make your character think 'outside the box.'
However, it is very easy to cross the line to making your character think so insanely that they stand out in a negative way. Please be careful of how far off the wall you go with this one.

Give your characters a rich, thought out backstory!
Don't overwork their histories to the point where they are unrealistically tragic though. But make sure it's not bland or overused. Yes, we get that she's the prettiest out of all of the girls and refuses a love life for the sake of keeping justice. Yes, we get that he's a test subject who somehow lost his memory and will do anything to find out his past. The occasional bad past is okay, but most do not go under a traumatic experience on a daily basis.

Nobody is evil without a reason.
Like I said, your characters need a well thought out story. How many people do you see roaming the streets murdering people just because? Raping? Fighting, maybe? There has to be a past behind each psychopath. Don't randomly make a dark, evil, sharp tongued character without a reason. There must be good logic with someone who is evil, partially insane, etc. Other causes could be like trauma, complications during birth, and/or undeveloped brain functions. This information must be noted in the history. If the history and background are well thought out enough, then this shouldn't be much of a problem.

It's okay to have a 'plain old tabby cat!'
Alright, I might of just have said not to make your character's history boring, but they don't have to be all-powerful or anything. A character with even a little bit of spunk in their history or design is perfectly fine. Just make them stand out a bit from the rest.

No one is good at everything.
Kind of going back to the stereotypical Mary Sue/Gary Stu, no one can be good at everything. Please, I beg of you, do not make any more 'Shadow' or 'Sonic' characters. This will also apply to original characters as well. No one can really be the best at everything. When your character is bad at tasks, then it can attract more attention and make he/she more interesting.

Spice it up!
Over the couple of years I have roleplayed, I've ran into these amazing roleplayers but they all have the same bland, tasteless characters. It is very easy to favor a certain personality type, and even more easy to fall into that standard of character. Be cautious when selecting a character's personality.

Hopefully this helped! Feel free to PM me about any questions you have or post any other tips for avoiding those pesky Mary Sues/Gary Stus!