Will you be more inclined to answer my question if I say please? ?

Question

Can you name a character that you relate to but ISN'T a Mary Sue (meaning no one can mention Bella Swan). How do you think one go about making a character like that? Answer, please.

Answer 1

There's not a particular character I can relate too. I have bits and pieces of a few characters in me. Hermione and her know-it-all attitude. Unfortunately, I get that a lot of the time. Sarah from Girl In Blue with her sense of adventure (I love adventure). Also, Isabel (I know, coincidence, but don't worry they're two completely different people) from The Named Trilogy. She's a tough chick and she loves adventure and trying all sorts of new things. That's me too! Plus plenty of others.

I think one goes about making a character--relatable correct?--by adding a bit of themselves into it. Without the Mary Sue quality, please. I think if you add flaws--like others have said--to your character, they become more realistic, more relatable. Also, adding one of your flaws--we all have them, of course--helps you get closer to the character. One quality most of my characters have is that they can be stubborn and persistent and fickle. A few "flaws" I possess.  It lets me understand and develop the character to a great level. If the character is developed well then the reader will be closer to them as well.

Also, giving them quirks helps. I do this on purpose. The quirkier--but reasonable--the trait or hobby (or fear) they possess then the more understandable they become to the reader. Does this make sense? It did in my head. Okay, one of my characters is an operative but she boxes part time. Whenever I let someone read it, they immediately assume the main character is a boy. When I tell them it's actually a girl their response is almost-always "Oh, sorry." Another one is a tough chick but she's deathly afraid of spiders.

It just goes to show that we all have one thing we wouldn't want others to know about us. Or one thing others would least expect from us. Another thing is to make them fit the situation without making them predictable. I'll give you an example from Meyer's work herself. When Bella finds out Edward is a vampire (and that he's been watching her sleep in her room) she doesn't go "Oh holy h**l" *excuse my language*. No instead, she thinks it's cool and/or charming. Uh, no. It's not. It's creepy. And normal people would be freaked out too. So her reaction would've been more relatable had she went in the latter direction instead of the one Meyer had taken her in.

Make sure your characters progress as the story goes on as well. People don't stay the same. They change. Make sure they make sacrifices too. That also makes them more relatable. Uh, can anyone relate to Bella and say they got EVERYTHING WITHOUT sacrificing anything? Um, no one I know can say that.

But just put passion into your characters. If you don't love them or love writing about them then the reader won't either.

Good luck! Hope I helped.

Answer 2

Hermina from Steppenwolf by Hesse. She is such an alluring character!! In my opinion, one of the best female characters ever.

Why she is not a Mary Sue? Because she might be a result of Harry's twisted mind, his mirror, and he has flaws. Many of them.

Nastasya Filipovna from the Idiot by Dostoevsky. Again, admirable female character. A woman that is so passionate that her passion drives her mad. She is literally insane. Therefore there is no way she could be a Mary Sue.

Aglaya from the same book. Young, naive in a way, positive nice and good female character. That has such a terrible character that no-one could possibly live with her. Once again, the reason of being not Mary Sue.

Margarita from Master and Margarita. She is determined to kill herself is she does not meet the love of her life and she gives herself one day for it. She leaves her husband, her nice, comfy life to live with the man that she loves. She is determined to do anything to know at least one little detail about her love that she lost. Therefore she accepts to be the queen of the devil. She treats the worst criminals of the whole history with such respect that most of the theater directors enjoy to interpret this scene as an orgy with animals. Then she is killed together with her Master because there is no place in this rotten world for such love, and they do not get heaven, because they do not deserve it, they get peace. How in the world she could ever be Mary Sue?

Answer 3

Who is either character, where are they from?  

Answer 4

elizabeth bennet :-)

Answer 5

I relate to Adrian Mole from the series by Sue Townsend. He thinks he's a good writer (he's not) and he's on a different wavelength to the people around him.

You forgot to mention Ginny Weasley under the "Mary-Sue" category.

Give your character faults and failures. Give them disagreeances. If they're friendly with EVERYONE they meet, it's unrealistic and boring. Give them small habits, too, like biting their nails or saying "y'know" a lot.

Happy scribbles!

Answer 6

Gemma Doyle or Felicity (Can't remember her last name, they're both from the book A Great And Terrible Beauty. WONDERFUL SERIES <3)

You give them flaws :] but good points too.  

Answer 7

First off - I love your curse "For the sake of grammar!" Brilliant! I may have to use that!

So you want to know how to make a character relatable? For me, I usually take certain characteristics from people I know and piece them together to make my own character. If you do this and you show how much you love a character, then others will be able to see this and will love that character also.

Characters I relate with: Sam Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings), Gollum (The Lord of the Rings), Eowyn (The Lord of the Rings), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter), Nick (The Stand), Danny (The Shining), Tonks (Harry Potter), Ginny (Harry Potter), Mrs. Weasley (Harry Potter), Alice (Twilight... It's not Bella!), Edward (Twilight. And no, I am not in love with Edward Cullen. I think that his character is fascinating. I am not interested in pursuing the love of fictional characters), Ian (The Host), Artemis (Artemis Fowl), Butler (Artemis Fowl), and many more that I'm sure I'll add later.