I love this entry. I think you've really hit on something.

I've had that fear that the character I'm writing is just another Mary Sue. I so don't want her to be that, but I think it's hard to get away from (at least in the first draft stage of things). Still, it's my hope that even if I can't escape it entirely, there will still be someone who identifies with her and wants to read about her.

And yeah... in so many ways, I think that this is what fiction is for. (Well, this and Understanding Each Other.)