Jason Wolf
The Chronicler
- 999
- Posts
- 14
- Years
- Letchworth, 2390 AD
- Seen Jan 18, 2021
So I've been writing for a very long time. I think I wrote my first story, as misspelled and illogical as it was, around age eight, and have continued to partake in the hobby, but even now with over a decade of practice I find myself questioning if my characters are just too perfect. It definitely is not my intention, but in my writing I find myself often creating character who are rather good at what they do. So when does talented and skilled become a Mary Sue? (*ding* roll credits).
But seriously I have, in recent years, begun to focus in on people more towards the upper middle of their "life paths". Ex. in a current story I am writing about a special kind of pokemon Ranger which I have broken up into 10 ranks. oak, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, expert, elite, master, legend. Now of those ranks Diamond is the usual highest. Its what most leaders of the rangers will achieve. The character I'm writing is a gold ranger. He's above average while the majority stay in silver and bronze.
By that he clearly shouldn't be too amazing. Better than some, but not Mary Sue, but as I've bean writing I've been questioning just how to balance his abilities so that they don't add up to make him a Mary Sue. On the other hand I need to really figure out what average should be.
I think pokemon makes it quite hard to gauge average as many of us have completed the pokedex and steamrolled pokemon leagues with no issue so we don't get a chance to feel the real struggle.
TL:DR What do you feel is a solid place to put as average in the pokemon world? How much victory is too much victory/ how difficult does a victory have to be for it to be deserved?
I don't expect anyone to have this perfect formula to make a story, but I could really use the input right now.
But seriously I have, in recent years, begun to focus in on people more towards the upper middle of their "life paths". Ex. in a current story I am writing about a special kind of pokemon Ranger which I have broken up into 10 ranks. oak, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, expert, elite, master, legend. Now of those ranks Diamond is the usual highest. Its what most leaders of the rangers will achieve. The character I'm writing is a gold ranger. He's above average while the majority stay in silver and bronze.
By that he clearly shouldn't be too amazing. Better than some, but not Mary Sue, but as I've bean writing I've been questioning just how to balance his abilities so that they don't add up to make him a Mary Sue. On the other hand I need to really figure out what average should be.
I think pokemon makes it quite hard to gauge average as many of us have completed the pokedex and steamrolled pokemon leagues with no issue so we don't get a chance to feel the real struggle.
TL:DR What do you feel is a solid place to put as average in the pokemon world? How much victory is too much victory/ how difficult does a victory have to be for it to be deserved?
I don't expect anyone to have this perfect formula to make a story, but I could really use the input right now.