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EnmaLionheart
Sea Gull
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Joined: 4 Mar 2016
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 232
Location: Milwaukee,WI

11 Apr 2016, 4:12 pm

I've always wanted to ask this question so here it is: How do you make a OC's not sound the same where it can come off as a Mary Sue/Stu? This seems to be a problem of mine I think. Like I want to write more fanfiction, I get frustrated with zero feedback and I do want to start writing fanfiction that is not a one-shot or few shots.

Any advice?

I'll accept non-fandom like original fiction as well. Any type of advice would help greatly.


_________________
*Midori Gurin voice* I'm that one random Alice in Chains (mainly Sean and Jerry...Okay all of them.) fangirl mixed with other fangirl type stuff or nah...Okay, I am.

*goes back on phone thinking of first cosplay ideas*


wrybread
Butterfly
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Joined: 28 Mar 2016
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Posts: 12

11 Apr 2016, 8:17 pm

EnmaLionheart wrote:
I've always wanted to ask this question so here it is: How do you make a OC's not sound the same where it can come off as a Mary Sue/Stu? This seems to be a problem of mine I think. Like I want to write more fanfiction, I get frustrated with zero feedback and I do want to start writing fanfiction that is not a one-shot or few shots.

Any advice?


Keep writing and you'll eventually get the hang of it. That you're noticing your OCs being that way is a start! It helps if your OC isn't a love interest of a popular canon character. It also helps if your OC isn't solving all of the canon character's problems. Maybe imagine your OC in their own story with other OCs (set in the same world) and see if that character is still interesting to you. If I can't imagine an OC having their own motivations and doing their own thing, then they'd just be a prop rather than an actual character to me.

I've posted a couple of pieces of fanfic on AO3 and while I've gotten positive comments and kudos, I've never gotten real "constructive feedback" on pieces I've posted online. I understand the frustration with not receiving constructive criticism. I'm not sure how one goes about that aside from proactively asking or offering critiques on other's works.



EnmaLionheart
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 4 Mar 2016
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 232
Location: Milwaukee,WI

11 Apr 2016, 10:12 pm

wrybread wrote:
EnmaLionheart wrote:
I've always wanted to ask this question so here it is: How do you make a OC's not sound the same where it can come off as a Mary Sue/Stu? This seems to be a problem of mine I think. Like I want to write more fanfiction, I get frustrated with zero feedback and I do want to start writing fanfiction that is not a one-shot or few shots.

Any advice?


Keep writing and you'll eventually get the hang of it. That you're noticing your OCs being that way is a start! It helps if your OC isn't a love interest of a popular canon character. It also helps if your OC isn't solving all of the canon character's problems. Maybe imagine your OC in their own story with other OCs (set in the same world) and see if that character is still interesting to you. If I can't imagine an OC having their own motivations and doing their own thing, then they'd just be a prop rather than an actual character to me.

I've posted a couple of pieces of fanfic on AO3 and while I've gotten positive comments and kudos, I've never gotten real "constructive feedback" on pieces I've posted online. I understand the frustration with not receiving constructive criticism. I'm not sure how one goes about that aside from proactively asking or offering critiques on other's works.


I have as well on FF(dot)net. But things like this got two reviews. One liking the idea, other wanting more. I wish I would've played up a little more on the oblivious part. I think the story is under misc wrestling with the name "My Wife's Best Friend" By MissBayleef. I want to rewrite that fic. Not feeling it all too much looking at it now.


_________________
*Midori Gurin voice* I'm that one random Alice in Chains (mainly Sean and Jerry...Okay all of them.) fangirl mixed with other fangirl type stuff or nah...Okay, I am.

*goes back on phone thinking of first cosplay ideas*