Simple Mary Sue Litmus Test

Forget about hair color and troubled pasts. The true mark of a Mary Sue is how the plot treats them. This quiz can help give you a general idea of whether you have a problem.

A. Readers and your character

First-time readers can probably tell who my favorite character is.

Yes

I really hope that all readers will have the same opinion of my character.

Yes

If someone criticized my character’s personality or behavior, I would feel hurt.

Yes

B. Character traits and habits

My character has an unusual appearance because I want to show that they’re special.

Yes

My character is way more skilled than others, to the point that most of their peers could never hope to match them. It’s beyond impressive.

Yes

Compare them to both people in their peer group (e.g. “fellow recent MIT graduates”) and to major characters in the story (e.g. “fellow engineers at the company”).

My character has an above-average amount of health problems or episodes (like fainting) because I want to turn up the drama or elicit sympathy.

Yes

My character has a tragic backstory/mental illness/(un)diagnosed disability because I think it makes them interesting, sympathetic, or not responsible for their past behavior.

Yes

Pay attention to the “because” part, here. There’s a difference between wanting to help your readers understand a condition and using it as a way to get your character attention.

C. The plot

If someone disagrees with my character, they’re either evil or temporarily misguided.

Yes

Friends or enemies are drawn to my character without a clear logical/emotional reason.

Yes

My character gets to get away with hurting feelings or breaking rules without any real consequences. The story doesn't treat this as a bad thing.

Yes

Results

Score me!

Click for results.

Think your character could use improvement? I have an article on taking action based on your score.

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