User blog comment:PrettyRaveGirl/Dah! What do I do?/@comment-218.111.3.238-20110630110547

Hua is right, a tragic past does not mean you instantly have a Mary Sue :> What DOES make it a Mary Sue is if your character constantly laments on it.

Her background should be a an explanation as to why she acts the way she does in the PRESENT. For example; if she doesn't have a good relationship with her parents, she might not readily trust adults or authority figures. Likewise, if she had lost a parent or a loved one, she might turn that loss into a fear (ex: if her mom drowned, then she'd be understandably afraid of water/swimming, or if her father was murdered while innocently walking down the road, she'd be more of a shut in, etc.)

But if you end up writing CHAPTERS about how she sits in her room all day crying about her past, it doesn't make for an interesting story. Yes, we may feel bad for your character, but reading about it over and over again won't help :> Give us a reason why we should sympathize with your character, but don't over do it! We want to read what she does in the present and how she interacts with everyone else after all <3

A lot of the Mary Sue tests online don't actually tell you what makes a good character, but it is a good checklist to keep in mind. It's like salt and pepper; too little and your breakfast is bland, but too much and its an instant turn off. It depends entirely on how you write her; keep it balanced and make sure her actions are accounted for; if she does a bad thing, she'll get in trouble, likewise, if she does good, she'll be seen a better in the eyes of others.

I crit characters for the RP board I'm in, so if you ever need help, you can hit up my deviantart: divinedesires.deviantart.com

Good luck! - Mems