User blog comment:PrettyRaveGirl/Dah! What do I do?/@comment-199.168.136.88-20110705035435

I have always been Zak, there is no other Zak that posted on this page, it's confirmed because... well, I'm Zak. No, you won't find me on any other website because... I'm well, just as my name says, I'm Anonymous, you won't ever know who I am. Wanna know why? I'm sly, like a fox. Or a Slytherin, whichever you prefer.

Mems pretty much said what makes a sue with a tragic past. She CAN have a tragic past, of course, but it has to make her for who she is. Say she was raped. She may hate sexual contact, any contact at all, and covers up like she's constantly in winter. Or, like one of my characters (it's odd, but I can see it happening) became very comfortable with her sexuality and used it to lure men into her clutches. She's only had sex with three men (rapist and two other guys/lovers). The past should define who she is, and she CAN dwell on it, but don't make it annoyingly so. You don't want her to constantly be talking about how she was raped-- that's no fun to rp with! Don't take the Mary Sue tests to heart. Most of them suck; just keep their things in mind. What also helps is finding questionnaires online and answering them as your character. I'll give an example of my character, Tenki.

Q: What would you do if you found a million dollars? A: "Uhh... um... I'd... see if... Saki needed money for anything, but then bringing it to the police... reluctantly :("

See? He's a good guy at heart, but he is absolutely head over heels for Saki, so he puts her before anything (even if that's not the right thing to do).