My major protagonist (good guy) in my novel, Emmet Barrows is a flaming Marty-Stu
In case you are unfamiliar with the definition of a Mary-Sue/Marty-Stu character it is this:
A character who is so perfect as to be annoying.
Emmet Barrows IS perfect, technically. But as his love interest Anita surmised: He's just packaged wrong.
When I started to write this story, I didn't want it to be same old, same old in the romance/plot department. Let's face it, the men in romance novels are generally:
1. Ruggedly handsome
2. Dominant
3. Able to kick ass
4. Sexual
5. Has a body like Odonis
6. Is "the leader"
7. Experienced lover
8. Has a rough past that made him the way he is.
There's more, but that gives the general idea about it. And the women who love them are generally
1. Sheltered
2. Innocent
3. Virgins
4. Relentlessly pursued/stalked/abducted
5. Helpless in most situations
I didn't want Emmet to be that kind of leading man and I wanted to show that the nerdy guys that women don't look twice at can have wonderful qualities and be just as or even more attractive than their blustering, well-abbed counterparts. I wanted my major character to show how sensitivity, kindness and quiet chivalry can make all the difference. So, Emmet Barrows was born.
Emmet is the consummate antithesis "good to his mother" character.
1. He's never been intimate with a woman
2. People take advantage of him
3. He lives with his mother
4. He is low man on the totem pole at work
5. He doesn't dress well
6. He drives a hoopty
7. His mother manipulates him
8. He's skinny as a rail
9. He lacks confidence
He seems like a real loser on the surface, doesn't he? But let's look at his good points:
1. He has a good work ethic
2. He is good at his job
3. He is polite and generous
4. He believes women should be treated with respect
5. He's invested his money wisely
6. Has a modest temperment
7. Is well aware of how he is perceived
8. He loves his mother
9. He isn't selfish or manipulative
10. Is very intelligent
11. He's "well-endowed" (One blatantly redeeming feature. XD)
These are very good qualities but they are also what makes him a Marty-Stu. But, in his defense he's not a Marty-Stu because he is more perfect than the other characters, but because he's lived a very sheltered life and has the values instilled in him by his father when it comes to women. Some of those ideals are dated, but in this day and age, it's refreshing. At least I think so.
What's nice about the story is we get to see the ugly duckling kind of turn into a swan. But he's not the one who's changed. It's the perceptions of others that have changed concerning him. It's amazing how a simple thing like a change of wardrobe and an attractive lover can make people perceive a winner who has always been one.
We also get to see him become Anita's lover and experience all the trepidation, worry and desire he feels. Also his hesitation because he doesn't want to drive her off. In fact, he's willing to do almost anything to have her stay. And we get to vicariously experience both of their delight in the discovery of each other's bodies as well as souls.
Emmet doesn't handle adversity in the mannish, sword-buckling, tough guy approach. He approaches difficult situation with problem-solving skills, going right to the root of it. The way he handles Anita's trashy father isn't ideal but it works.
That's another thing that makes him a Marty-Stu. Whatever he tries, it works. But in the realm of this world and how much effort he puts into everything he does, logically it should work. It doesn't feel forced. It simply feels as if he applies everything he's learned in his life, his decent values.
Don't be fooled, this is one hot story, but the explicitness of their intimacy is couched in a real storyline. There is humor, drama, romance, violence, abuse and very dark situations. There is also redemption.
What I wanted to put out here with Emmet was the message not to overlook the awkward, quiet guys in the corners. They could be pure gold.
Emmet might have the makings of a Marty-Stu, but he's a Marty-Stu I can live with.
No comments:
Post a Comment