Young Writers Society

Okay, I really don't know where this should go, but I have a question about a character in one of my stories.

She's the main character (from a short-story of mine, Masterpiece), but she's just not very believable. She isn't realistic (as in, no Stranger-Danger common-sense), but I don't know how to make her realistic and keep the plot. I've been turning it over in my head a jillion ways, but I can't figure it out. Every way I can come up with to make her realistic would make the plot useless as far as I can tell. Looking back over her, she looks a bit like a robotic character, without any guilt or shock or remorse. I'm not sure how to make her work as a main character, and I could use some serious help!

-Addict

Firstly, I'd advise doing a Mary-Sue test. (http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html)
Which would help you figure out where you need help.

Now, If you really can't do it, i'd suggest scrapping everything, and starting again with a new MC.

Good Luck
~WickedWonder

Could we have a couple of examples of her behavior in the story? Also, if you could mention why you think the reactions are unbelievable in those situations, that would be helpful.

Does the story's plot depend upon your MC being an idiot? If so, it is an Idiot Plot and should be scrapped/reworked. If only certain plot points require your MC acting stupid to work, then it's a case of Plot-Induced Stupidity, and those plot points need either scrapping or reworking.

Don't be afraid to revise the plot to suit your characters' personalities. You'll oftentimes find even better ways of moving the story forward by keeping your characters in-character.

Also, while Mary Sue tests can be useful, they shouldn't be taken as an end-all, be-all to writing. It's okay for your characters to have some traits often ascribed to Mary Sues so long as those traits are justified, meaning they make sense within the story and for the character. I for one have a character that, according to various Mary Sue tests, is a very strong Sue, but my readers disagree.

Traits alone do not make a character -- it is how those traits are used, and how they interact with the other traits that distinguishes a Sue from a good character.

Your story should fit the characters and not the other way around. That's the only advice I can give.

WickedWonder: I took the test and she scored a 9... which is REALLY non-Mary Sue-like, so I don't think that's her problem.

Kyllorac: I think my plot really is an Idiot Plot... I didn't really have time to develope everything perfectly, since it was for school and I had less time than I'd normally spend on character developement. I think what her major problem would be that she's just too accepting and niave, all the way to her death near the end, but she wasn't supposed to be like that. It seemed like the only way to make the plot work (and now I hate the whole dang thing... I smell irony)

fading-dream: I have to agree with you in most cases, but in this one, I'm sad to say, the plot was so hopelessly irredeemable that even my characters couldn't struggle through it in a way that made any sense.

Thanks anyway guys. I think scrapping and moving on is just the fate of this story, at least for awhile.