So, you've found out what a Mary-Sue is.

It isn't a bad thing-the truth is, all authors had one at one point. Even I did, because we like to project an idealized "perfect" version of ourselves onto our character.

But now, you wanna fix Mary Sue to be a flawed, 3D character.

Coco, I have no idea how the hell to do that.

Lemme show you!

1. Flaws

"But coco, my OC is bad at cooking-"

Shhh. Honey, I'm not talking about their abilies or skills. I'm talking about the deeper, not-surface-level flaws.

Their trust issues, abandonment issues. Their self-esteem issues. Their control issues.

Their problems. Their faults. The stuff that makes them human.

"Perfection" doesn't mean a Renaissance man, kids. It means a person who seems to have their life figured out. Who don't experience any other emotion but happiness.

If you want to fix your Mary Sue, you have to give them flaws that will cause them to f*ck up. To make mistakes.

"Coco, I still don't know how to do that."

I'm getting to it, jeez.

So, you take a good trait. For now, I'm going with Good Leadership skills.

This is great, but in real life, sometimes too much of those leadership skills can lead to being a control freak. To being bossy.

A character's flaws are two sides of the same coin; on one hand, it can be good. On the other, it can cause them to be blinded by their biases and make mistakes.

ANOTHER example: they're great at acting.

But this could also mean that their acting can help them manipulate people to do what they want. They can lie very easily. Sometimes, their friends don't know if it's genuine, or an act at all.

2. Mistakes

I want your characters to screw up. I want them to screw up so bad that other characters are angry. Because the truth is, we screw up all the time. We humans make such monumental mistakes.

But this makes characters human-it makes them less like plastic Barbie dolls and more like real, flawed people. It gives way to self improvement, a character arc, character development. It broadens their personality. It makes them seem real.

3. Realism

If your Mary Sue went through a crap ton of trauma, you want there to be lasting effects. If your Mary Sue was bullied all their life, it makes sense that they have low self-esteem.

What I'm saying is, ya gotta add that spice. That saucy backstory. The reason why they're like this today, AKA the sensible outcomes of their past.

Adding that semblance of realism can also help your characters seem more real. It makes them relatable. It makes them likeable, it helps people root for them.

When you've got all these, it all boils down to making them human. They aren't just robots, bro. They're supposed to be people-that's what a "good character" is.