-This isn't a marketplace, don't go bland: Stories need to be bland in order to be marketable. Rock music no longer has the edge it once had, same with any fiction. Why is GoT so popular? Partially because fantasy got it's edge back with it. Why is Orphan Black so acclaimed despite the small audience? Because it's a hard science fiction story centered on [i]characters[/i] not plot like most hard science fiction stories. Between something that's off the beaten the path and one that's safe always go with the beaten path. You're not catering to the masses so you don't need to censor yourself for being weird or off kilter. 

-Is your character the person you look up to or the person you wave to across the street?: This is the Marvel vs DC question. Are you like Marvel and focus on characters that are distinct and just like you or are you DC where you focus on archetypes and make them those you feel safe around? There's a reason why Peter Parker lost his everyman mindset in the 90s and early 00s, he no longer became relatable, he just spun his wheels like a high school student. There's a reason why evil Superman's so terrifying apart from his superpowers. Because the beacon of hope you admired for so long and a surrogate father to many... has become the abusive monster people flocked to Superman to save them from. Pick which one your character is and don't blink