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A Mary and Gary Sue is, basically, a perfect character. The term is also applied to fan fiction, though I’m not sure who used it first – fan fiction authors or RPers. The best, and most common, example of a Mary Sue (the female form of the Beast) is the tall, skinny, blonde, smart, rich woman or girl. Gary Sues are the same thing, but with men. They are HORRIBLE characters. Not only does playing a Sue show that you are such a bad writer that you are incapable of creating a better character, but it also shows that you are likely just as shallow as the Sue.

There are other kinds of characters along that same level. I’ve never heard them referred to as any kind of Sue, but they are also the bane of your existence and must be avoided at all costs. They are the really stereotypical characters. For example, you have a geek character who has a pocket protector, bad acne even though he should have grown out of it by now, is incapable of having a conversation with a normal person, gets beat up all the time but never fights back, and has absolutely no athletic skill whatsoever. Or you have a stereotypical goth or emokid. Those stereotypes do not occur often in the world, but so many of them run around RP forums.

exclaim There is, however, one exception to the rule. Parodies. When you’re making fun of the goth or emokid. When you’re taking a stab at the perfect cheerleader. When you’re doing it just for laughs. A forum like that will likely have a warning at the beginning saying it’s a parody, but sometimes they don’t.

Now, how do you get around those bad characters? When you first think of your first character, base it around someone you know. If you want your character to be a computer geek, find one you know and base it around him. For example, most of the really geeky computer guys at my school are actually fairly skilled athletically. Two of them are cross-country stars, and quite a few of the rest of them are good martial artists. They’re also good to talk to, and most actually have fairly clear skin. That’s not your stereotypical geek at all, but those people are still geeks.

Another good way of getting around a bad character is to make a perfect character, then cut away at them and make them imperfect. Slice off some of their physical perfections and do the same with their personality. Take the tall, skinny blonde I mentioned in the first paragraph and make her a klutz, annoying to be around, and quite a bit of an airhead. Or do something different to make the character more human.