Mary-Sue Litmus Test for The Outsiders

visitors since November 1, 2003

last updated November 8, 2003

   I am always updating this test, to suit the needs of the fandom. Please e-mail me if you spot anything I forgot.

   What is a Mary-Sue, you ask? Visit this handy-dandy definition. Or try something at the Mary Sue Society.

   Remember, when taking this test, be honest. If you answer "yes" to a question, it's a yes. There are no "yes, but ..."s.

         Section One – The Name Game

• Is the character named after you? (This can be your first name, middle name, or the name you go by on the Internet.) If so, stop now. Put your pencil (mouse?) down and turn in your test. [35]
     DO NOT NAME YOUR CHARACTER AFTER YOURSELF.
     DO NOT NAME YOURSELF AFTER THE CHARACTER.
     I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR EXCEPTION IS.
• Is the character's name an unusual spelling of a more common name or word? (e.g. "Kaitlynne" for Caitlin) [1]
• Is the character's name unusual in another way?
        ~ A female with a male-sounding name? [1]
        ~ A name the character chose for him or herself? [1]
        ~ A noun or adjective not normally used for a name? [1]
           - Is your excuse for this unusual name that Darrel Curtis Sr. has an unusual taste in names? [1]
        ~ Is the name uncommon to the 1960s? (e.g. Shantiqua, Zelda) [1]
• Does the character have a really cool name that you wish you had? [1]
• Is the character's name in the title of the story or is the title otherwise a description of the character? (e.g. "The Girl Who Came to Tulsa") [5]
• Does the character have more than one name? (i.e. a nickname or pseudonym that other characters use to refer to the character) [1]
• Did you spend more than a day looking for just the right name? [1]
• Have you considered naming your pet or child the character's name? [1]

         Section Two – Physical Attributes

• Is the character the same gender as you? [1]

      ~ Is the character female? [3]
• Is the character from the same racial group as you? [1]
• Is the character a teenager? [1]
• Is the character the age you would like to be? [1]
• Does one or more of the characters find the character highly attractive? [1]
        ~ Is it Dallas Winston? [1]
• Does the character have an unusual eye color for no apparent reason? [3]
• Does the character have really nice hair that you describe more than once, or on the first page? [1]
• Is the character physically disabled? (Anyone who says "She's so pretty that it's like a disability because everyone hates her or wants to have sex with her" should be introduced to Tim Shepard's switchblade.) [subtract 2]
• Is the character mentally disabled? (Read: at the functional level of Curly Shepard or below) [subtract 2]
• Is the character overweight? [subtract 2]

         Section Three – Personal Traits

• Is the character the long-lost sibling of a major character? (Two-Bit Matthews' sister doesn't count.) [1]
        ~ Of the Curtises? [4]
        ~ Of Johnny Cade? [1]
• Was the character adopted or did s/he otherwise live with people who were not blood-related to him/her as a child? [1]
        ~ Was s/he raised by a family from the West Side? [1]
           - And rejected them because s/he hates the rich life? [2]
• Add points for each event that happens in your character's life (if the character has something happen to him/her more than once, add points accordingly):

      ~ Abandoned by caregivers [1]
      ~ Born or raised in extreme poverty [1]
      ~ Sole survivor of a calamity [2]
      ~ Physical abuse [1]
      ~ Sexual abuse by a caregiver [3]
      ~ Kidnapping [3]
         - Kidnapped by Socs [2]
      ~ Rape [3]
         - Raped by Socs [2]
      ~ Pregnancy [3]
      ~ Illegitimate birth [1]
      ~ Any other traumatic life experience that could be turned into a movie on Lifetime [3]
• Does the character suffer from guilt about something that s/he did in the past? [1]

      ~ Was it his/her fault? [subtract 2]
         - If not, do the other characters eventually convince him/her that it was not his/her fault? [1]
• Does the character have a twin or a sibling of the same gender? [2]

      ~ About whom you plan on writing another story later? [2]
• Does the character have a very good singing voice? [2]

      ~ Or play a musical instrument amazingly well? [1]
         - The guitar or flute, for instance? [2]
• Is the character a good cook? [1]
• Can the character singlehandedly defeat large groups of Socs (Say, three or more.)? [1 point for each Soc]
• Add one point for each trait:

      ~ Tougher than Dally
         - Swears a lot
      ~ Makes more wisecracks than Two-Bit
      ~ Has more heart than Ponyboy Curtis

         Section Four – The Love Connection

• Does the character fall in love with and/or have sex with Dally and/or Ponyboy and/or Sodapop Curtis? [2 points for each person copulated with]

      ~ Because you want to fall in love with/have sex with Dally and/or Ponyboy and/or Sodapop? [1 point for each character you have the hots for]
• Does the character fall in love with and/or have sex with another major character? [1 point for each character copulated with]

      ~ With whom you want to fall in love/have sex? [1 point for each character you have the hots for]
• Does the character fall in love with and/or have sex with another original character? [1]

      ~ With whom you want to (say it with me) fall in love/have sex? [1]

         Section Five – The Real World and Your Character

• Would you like to be friends with the character if you met in real life? [1]
• Do you think everyone who reads the story should automatically like the character and want to be friends with the character? [1]
• If someone tells you he/she doesn't like your character, do you take it as a personal attack on you? [1]
• Do you ever pretend, just yourself, that you are the character, with the same strengths and abilities? [1]
• If someone calls your character a Mary-Sue, do you automatically assume they're jealous of you/the character? [3]

      ~ Do you consider those people to be flamers? [1]

         Section Six – The Fiendish Plot

• Would a basic plot synopsis of your story read something like this: "Jazzlyn is a hard-hearted greaser chick burned by love that the gang takes in after they find her in the lot and then she falls in love with Dally"? [5]
• Are Dally and Johnny still alive? [2]
• Is your character from the future? [2]
• Do you introduce the character on the first page of the story? [2]

      ~ In the first sentence? [1]
• Do you tell your story from the character's point of view, all or mostly? [1]
• Are most of the characters shunted to the side to make room for the character, and perhaps a canon character as the romantic interest? [5]

      ~ Is Sandy portrayed as a complete bitca? [3]
      ~ Is Cherry Valance portrayed as a complete slut? [2]
• Does the character meet the gang, and after a few tense pages of plot, become friends with them? [2]
• Does the gang take him/her into their home, despite the fact that they are poor and cannot accommodate another person? [4]
• Does the character manage to develop a relationship with an otherwise antagonistic character (can be a Soc, Dally, Tim), and through this friendship, reform the other character? [2]
        ~ If the antagonistic character is Dally, is he portrayed as head-over-heels in love with your character? [1]
• Does the character save the day and/or another character's life? [3]

      ~ Through almost dying? [2]
      ~ Through actually dying? [3]
         - Does everyone go into mourning? [1]
• Do you plan to write many more stories revolving around this character? [2]

Okay.  Now add them points up.

Possible points: At least around 130+, excluding the first question, depending on how much the character is traumatized and/or a bunny in the sack.

Scoring:

0 – 10: Developed character, unlikely Mary-Sue.
11 – 15: Borderline character. Characters in this range are potential Mary-Sues, who can go either way depending on the author's skill.
16+: Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu. Proceed with greatest caution.
25+: Reconsider your character and plot. Please.

If you have questions, comments, or flaming sacks of you-know-what to throw at me, e-mail me at a.smithee@mindless.com.  This litmus test was based off The Original Mary-Sue Litmus Test by the oh-so-talented Dr. Merlin.