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Writing Tips-Made up characters and other things

Given the amount of fanfiction on my page, I decided to create a section for writing tips regarding made-up characters, etc.

First term to know: Mary Sue. A 'Mary Sue' fic has various characteristics. I'll list the standard ones with my comments. Mary Sue fics tend to annoy some people, but remember that just because you have a Mary Sue character or fic doesn't mean that it isn't good.

1. Character has the same name as you do. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is with this one; a lot of people model their characters after themselves or people they know.

2. Standard coupling-If your fic has a romantic theme, does your character end up with a character often used in fanfic of that type? For example, in Sailor Moon a fanfic character often ends up with Darien/Mamoru or Seiya. In my opinion though, it can still be a good story-just come up with an original plot.

3. Is the character good at everything? For the most part, no one likes a character that is perfect. You have to give your characters flaws and/or weaknesses. In Sailor Moon fics unbeatable fan senshi are often regarded as annoying. There are a few notable exceptions depending on the way the character and fanfictions are structured, bur for the most part, remember that everyone has flaws.

4. Does everyone like you character? Everyone has to have at least one enemy; otherwise the story might get boring. This rule really doesn't bother me as much; if your character is popular, then that's fine.

5. Is your character a child or relative of one of the main characters? This isn't always bad, but it gets old after a while. A Sailor Moon example is another daughter of Queen Serenity, Neo-Queen Serenity, or Chibi-Usa.

6. Is your character the focus of the story? I personally don't see any problem with this and find writing stories from the first-person point of view comfortable. Other people might suggest that writing from another character's point of view would be better.

Finally, if someone labels your character or fanfic a Mary Sue, don't panic. While there's always room for improvement in any story, remember that fanfiction is written in the spirit of fun. It's your story; do what you want with it. Feel free to let others comment and give suggestions, but in the end you are the master of your own story.