Your opinions, please.

[Techno-Ninja]

I'm working on an original story at the request of a friend. It draws inspiration from a post-apocalyptic fantasy story I'm developing, as well as a couple of weird inside jokes, and some minor physical traits and personality quirks of myself and people I know. For appearance examples, hair and eye colour similarities, and a male character with unusually curvy hips. For personality/quirk examples, one character has an oral fixation with writing utensils, another is easily (and comically) distracted by the man she loves.

Their overall personalities (and most of their looks) aren't based off of actual people, but are a mixed bag of what I hope to be interesting and humorous dynamics.

So what do you think?

Does this kind of thing mean that if I post the story here, it needs the Self-insertion tag?

Is too vague/loosely based for that?

Is it too much real life inspiration?

[Guest Robin_Mask]

I'm working on an original story at the request of a friend. It draws inspiration from a post-apocalyptic fantasy story I'm developing, as well as a couple of weird inside jokes, and some minor physical traits and personality quirks of myself and people I know. For appearance examples, hair and eye colour similarities, and a male character with unusually curvy hips. For personality/quirk examples, one character has an oral fixation with writing utensils, another is easily (and comically) distracted by the man she loves.

Their overall personalities (and most of their looks) aren't based off of actual people, but are a mixed bag of what I hope to be interesting and humorous dynamics.

So what do you think?

Does this kind of thing mean that if I post the story here, it needs the Self-insertion tag?

Is too vague/loosely based for that?

Is it too much real life inspiration?

I would say that unless you're directly inserting yourself into your story - as in appearance, personality, etc. - then it can't really be called 'self-insertion'.

It sounds like you're just taking inspiration from real-life, which is what a lot of authors do, and merely taking odd traits or quirks isn't really 'inserting' that person (in my opinion), but simply using them as inspiration to build an original character upon It's probably something we all do unconciously or subconciously, I think the only difference is that you're deliberately taking traits, but as it's so vague and loosely based you should be okay. Unless these people read it and can say 'omg, that's just like so-and-so!' you shouldn't have a problem

[Shadowknight12]

What Robin said. Unless you're writing yourself, or mostly yourself, no need for that tag.

Sounds like a funny story, though.

[Techno-Ninja]

I would say that unless you're directly inserting yourself into your story - as in appearance, personality, etc. - then it can't really be called 'self-insertion'.

It sounds like you're just taking inspiration from real-life, which is what a lot of authors do, and merely taking odd traits or quirks isn't really 'inserting' that person (in my opinion), but simply using them as inspiration to build an original character upon It's probably something we all do unconciously or subconciously, I think the only difference is that you're deliberately taking traits, but as it's so vague and loosely based you should be okay. Unless these people read it and can say 'omg, that's just like so-and-so!' you shouldn't have a problem

Thanks for your input!

I am guilty of having created a Mary Sue at one point that was completely accidental. It was awful. D: Since then, I have tried to be very much conscious of everything I put into a character. Sadly, Techno-Ninja is one of my most popular characters. She needs a serious re-do. XD;

[Keith Inc.]

I've drawn from life a lot, and used 'self insertion' only twice.

For a lot of story details, people who know me could point to the scene or the dialogue and say: "I know where you got that!" or they might point to a character and say: "HE's a lot like you." Well, we write what we know. None of my characters are first-person SEALS because i don't know enough to support that. Many work in a cubicle. But then, many people who are not me work in corporate environments.

For one of the SI's, i went full bore Marty Stu on purpose. There just wasn't a way or a reason to put a pretend layer of separation. No way to move the details enough to make it not me and still have a story.

The second SI was a pun...

[Techno-Ninja]

What Robin said. Unless you're writing yourself, or mostly yourself, no need for that tag.

Sounds like a funny story, though.

Thanks, I hope you read it if I ever get around to writing and posting it. :3

[Techno-Ninja]

I've drawn from life a lot, and used 'self insertion' only twice.

For a lot of story details, people who know me could point to the scene or the dialogue and say: "I know where you got that!" or they might point to a character and say: "HE's a lot like you." Well, we write what we know. None of my characters are first-person SEALS because i don't know enough to support that. Many work in a cubicle. But then, many people who are not me work in corporate environments.

For one of the SI's, i went full bore Marty Stu on purpose. There just wasn't a way or a reason to put a pretend layer of separation. No way to move the details enough to make it not me and still have a story.

The second SI was a pun...

So, a few instances of "hey, that sounds like you" or "I know where that came" from are ok, as long as that isn't the case for a lot (or all) of the story?

That's good to know. ^^

I suppose if you are writing something very personal, that kind of thing can't be helped sometimes.

[Keith Inc.]

So, a few instances of "hey, that sounds like you" or "I know where that came" from are ok, as long as that isn't the case for a lot (or all) of the story?

That's good to know. ^^

Well, sure. In my stories, there's a part of me in each and every character. But it's not self insertion. I think the technical term would be 'unavoidable.'

But if you're writing and you start to worry that someone may think your character is SI, it may be worth reviewing. Maybe your subconscious or your muse is trying to tell you something. Don't be afraid to count traits. "Like me...not like me...like me...like me...identifiable as me from orbit...not like me...."

But it's not a crime. Hell, Self Insertion isn't criminal. But at the level of Mary Sue, it starts to look like masturbating...which is frowned upon in public venues...

I suppose if you are writing something very personal, that kind of thing can't be helped sometimes.

Zacktly! Just make sure your character is believable. IF you have that down, no one even notices if it's Self Insertion.

[Techno-Ninja]

Well, sure. In my stories, there's a part of me in each and every character. But it's not self insertion. I think the technical term would be 'unavoidable.'

But if you're writing and you start to worry that someone may think your character is SI, it may be worth reviewing. Maybe your subconscious or your muse is trying to tell you something. Don't be afraid to count traits. "Like me...not like me...like me...like me...identifiable as me from orbit...not like me...."

That makes sense. They live in our brains, so they're part of us.

I have a character whose personality is pretty much made up of a small facet or two of my own, but taken to an extreme. The results were hilarious. XD

I'll keep that in mind, and probably make a trait list of some sort. :3

But it's not a crime. Hell, Self Insertion isn't criminal. But at the level of Mary Sue, it starts to look like masturbating...which is frowned upon in public venues...

When it comes to fanfiction, even the OC tag sends some people running. I was just wondering how it was received/defined in the original writing crowd, since I'm going to joining it soon. Personally, I'm not much of a (blatant, and especially Mary Sue-like) Self Insertion fan when it comes to original work, (unless it's something that obviously can't be helped, like a biography or a nonfiction event that occurred in the author's life.) which is why I want to avoid writing it, but to each their own. As for Mary Sue... It really does look like that.

Zacktly! Just make sure your character is believable. IF you have that down, no one even notices if it's Self Insertion.

I think I read a fanfic where a person wrote some events from his life, and the personalities of himself and the people said events happened with. He stated in his profile that he sometimes wrote "bio fics." If that's what this story of his was, then that's the kind of self insertion I can hop on board with, because it was one of the best fanfics I ever read. He's one of the most talented writers I have come across on this site. It truely was something else. If more SI stories were like that, then the label wouldn't have such a stigma to it.