Writing Tips and Reviews

Don't Just Focus on the Main Character

If Steven Universe has taught us anything, it's that giving the perspective to ONLY ONE character is a horrible idea.

Many writers, and the writers from the show, tend to think that "main character" means ONLY THAT CHARACTER gets attention and the world cannot work without them. And you have give them all the powers. Look at Steven, if a tree falls down and he doesn't know about it, did it really happen? This means the world and other characters can't grow, their abilities mean nothing to the main character, and you end up with a Mary Sue.

The World:

The world where a story takes place is important, how does it work? What happened in the past? Who are the inhabitants and how do they differ from those of the past? These are just a few questions to think about when making the world. If we're stuck with one character, we only know what they know, and if they don't ask questions, we learn Jack shit.

I think you should make the characters work with the world's rules, not the other way around. That way you don't end up with a Mary Sue. If you have a world traveler, state the differences and how they work with the world they're from. If Superman can do it, you can too.

Character Development:

If this happens off screen, stop that, major development and deaths should be on screen for full attention from the audience. If you focus on one character, others have little to no development. Characters won't spend all their time with the main character, they have their own lives and if they're not explored, why should we care?

Also Kalia, don't make every single other character scared to death over a Mary Sue and be consumed with that their whole lives. That's bad writing. I read your stories, it's sad and not character development, not everyone is afraid of a cat with a stick, and people who aren't the same person should not have their bios be the same with name changes.

Character Powers:

How do we avoid Mary Sues in the power department? Distribute the powers to each of the characters. Have them work off each other, not depend on the main character at all times. Each character should have their own their strengths, weaknesses, and development. Why do you think the main cast of any story are so different? Let's take Fate for example, the seven servants are of different classes with different strengths and weaknesses. Why? If they work together, they make a good team, if they fight each other, they can take advantage if strengths and weaknesses.

An immortal invincible main character with all the powers and ability to use all the weapons perfectly, in five years might I add, doesn't need a supporting cast. It needs to be thrown in trash and the creator needs to start from scratch. Why do you even have a supporting cast? Oh yeah, it's to worship your Mary Sue.

Kalia, this is to you again, I read your "My Oc is not a Mary Sue", bullshit journal. I saw when you said, "she's a main OC so she of course has many more powers." (Affectively lying about the oc being well balanced.) On top of immortality, invincibility, and "kill everyone" powers, what else does she have? These aren't bad when they're balanced, but I know you don't know how to balance them because you make her cry victim to shit she started and call that balancing it out.

The Story:

If you know Steven Universe, you'll know the story is full of filler. This is because the story focuses on what Steven wants to do, which isn't on the conflict. There's filler in the middle of major story points instead of before and after, and that's not good. There's also a problem of him never asking questions or knowing basic knowledge, so we don't know shit. If you want a character to learn a new concept, make a reasonable explanation. An example? Amnesia. Another example? Someone new to the town. Another? Someone who was protected from the truth. Not for stupid reasons. This way it's natural.

This is why media switches the perspective of who's telling the story every so often. So the audience sees another view and learns more about the world. DEVELOPING IT. Characters get development, the world gets development and you keep the audience intrigued. We get pieces of the entire story which we can piece together and start to see the world as if it was real. Stories in Mythology are like this, they tell the lives of many heroes, not just ONE, and develop the world with each one.

Conclusion:

If you're so pin pointed at one character, the story can only go as far as they let it. Characters can't develop without them around, the world only changes in their vicinity, and we don't know anything unless they know. Sure you can build a mystery, but the daily lives of main characters shouldn't be treated like a big reveal. Treat characters like real people, treat the world like a real world, development exists beyond one person's eyes. If your main character is the only thing that matters, people will leave.

I like to call this "special snowflake syndrome". Focusing on one person as the only thing that exists and matters. Everything else doesn't matter and shouldn't be developed, no other characters have lives outside of the main character and the story only cares about one person.