: Re: Is it bad to project myself into my story? After reading that a Mary-Sue often is a projection of the author, I realized most of my stories are. Is it a bad thing? My MC aren't Mary-sues

@Welton431

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+1 Matthew. Bottom line is a Mary-Sue is too lucky and too perfect, and that is not what you are writing.

The problem with Mary-Sue is a lack of conflict and thus boredom with the character. Readers turn pages to find out what happens in the next few pages: Not just in the end, but there must be constant conflict. Mary-Sue defuses the conflict because we know she won't fail, she won't disappoint anybody, etc.

I expect writers to produce MC that reflect themselves, the bigger danger is if all your characters are the same reflections of you; and the villains are cardboard cutouts. Too much agreement (especially by the good guys) can also defuse conflict -- you don't want to write a collective Mary-Sue.

Now I do believe in happy-endings, that is what most people want (unhappy endings generate bad word-of-mouth or lack of recommendations that severely depress sales).

But as you have done for your MC, ensure the rest of the cast is also flawed, makes mistakes, sometimes doesn't know what to do, and argues different points-of-view they won't give up easily, even if they are wrong.

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