Who reads Self Insertion fics?

[Ginevra]

I find this curious...

I have a blatant Self Insertion fantasy posted in the XMen archive. It's labeled as such. No issues there. This fic has exactly 800 hits as of today. For a 4 Chapter fic. Yet it has 0 reviews and 0 ratings.

That's a middlin' number of hits compared to the rest of my fics. I think that's too many to be random "Oops this isn't what I thought it was. Nevermind." My other fics with comparable numbers of hits do have at least some ratings and reviews.

So it begs the question.

Who's reading this piece? Are they afraid to admit it?

So I thought I'd ask:

Do you read Self Insertion pieces (deliberately)? Are you prepared to admit it?

Don't think I'm whining...I'm actually kind of amused and a little puzzled.

I thought that fic would either never get read by anyone but myself and my hubby, or I'd get "What the heck is the matter with you, posting crap like that!" Or "Self Insertion is too cheesy to demean yourself/myself/this fandom with."

[Guest echtrae]

Generally, no I don't. Actually, I typically only read originals, but that is my thing.

[Leonhart29]

I have 3 self-insertion fics over on the Final Fantasy archive that I'm very proud of. What's happening to yours isn't all that unusual - I have no idea why people don't review when they read. I try to review everything I read.

[dazzledfirestar]

I am not going to go into my "Taking SI back" rant. You've all heard it *points down to her sig and coughs in the direction of the MSV link*. The SI I've written has been, to date my best recieved work. I don't know what that says about the fic, or me as a writer, but there you have it.

As for reading SIs, I'll do it, but there are so many that are so poorly written that sometimes I don't have the patience to wade through it all.

[DarkCabaret]

I don't tend to read SI fics except MSV (Damn you Daz!)

I don't even write them, I tried to write one for an ex-boyfriend but I got MAJOR writer's block and gave up on it.

So I usually don't read or write them.

[dazzledfirestar]

What can I say, DC... everyone needs their crack!

[DarkCabaret]

Yeah, speaking of crack.....when are you going to update again?!

MSV is a horrid addiction, but thankfully the SI of Daz and some fellow AFF Forum Peeps makes it all worth reading!

[dazzledfirestar]

I'm working on it... a few of my muses aren't cooperating with me, but I'm working on it.

[Mourningstar]

This is an interesting topic, to be sure.

Personally, I won't touch self-inserts even with a ten-foot pole. It's not something I'm interested in, and more often than not, they tend to be so very poorly written. Several times my IM buddies have had to tolerate messages popping up and me declaring that I just ran into a surprise self-insert. Hey, we've learned to warn about surprise buttsecks, now how's about these things, too?

And the exception to confirm the rule? The Mary Sue Virus. It has everything that could, and should, be good about self-inserts and it's brilliantly written. The characters are actually fun and interesting, instead of the typical Sue, and the writing is deliciously tongue-in-cheek. It may be a Sue story, but it's more than that. It's a good and engaging story.

I've only ever written one self-insert, and that was for a friend. (That doesn't really quite count as 'self', or does it?) She had her birthday coming up and I knew she harboured a huge crush for a certain video game character. Plus, gag gifts are our preferred medium.

[ZombieDuke]

I do... to a point. When the Mary Sue starts crying or becomes a little too perfect, I hit the back button and look for some good smut to cleanse my mind.

As for writing a SI? I have a Harry Potter story on FF.net that is a bit (okay a lot ) of a SI called The 7th Son and I am amazed by the response I've gotten from it People like it! *faints*

[Leonhart29]

People like mine more on my LJ account than here for some reason. I love MSV btw - it's perfect in it's style. The thing about SI's is - they are very personal, and close to the heart of the author. I know mine have a very special place in my heart, just like my muses that I write about in them.

I guess it all depends on how well written it is just like the rest of the fiction contained on the main site.

[dazzledfirestar]

Wow... thanks you guys... I don't know what to say.

[Nanaea]

Just take a bow, Daz, and collect your roses.

[Ginevra]

Tosses a few more roses on the pile...

I Love MSV...

So, yes I do read SI myself once in a while.

I do think Self-Insertion should be done with sense of humor. After all isn't the term kind of funny itself when you think about it?

Insert self into....Insert into self...Self inserts what into what?

Now, off to bed with me before I get too lost in this train of thought...

Insert self into bed...That works...ZZZ...

[dazzledfirestar]

I couldn't agree more. One has to have a sense of humor when writing SI. It comes back to the saying "If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?".

[Squallfan]

I've only read Leonhart's, which are wonderful. Other than that, no, I haven't, and I have never attempted to write one either.

[Leonhart29]

You should read MSV Squallfan - it's great! And thank you sweetie - that means a lot to me.

[Guest Knorg]

I'll read just about anything if it's done well.

[Ginevra]

OMG! I finally got a review for "Two XMen and a Jacuzzi"!

After 893 hits...

Of course I'm not sure the reviewer saw the "Self Insertion" tag, as he/she referred to myself and my hubby as original characters.

I'm original? Wow!

[Guest AzaleaWood]

I've never written one myself, but if something is well done, I'll read it. It just seems that there are a lot of really poorly written ones out there.

[Solaris]

I find most of the time, people will flame you because of that mere fact.

Some of my characters has bits and peices of myself in them but I do not consider them to be me.

Some traits of mine are in the characters but are the characters really me, no, I never write them to be me.

Or am I wrong in my thinking and the characters are really self insertions?

Beth

[Ginevra]

I'd say the Mary Sue/Gary Stu is usually unintentional self-insertion. That's where someone has created a character that represents his/her idealized self and proceeds to live out his/her fantasies. Those are usually boring or even annoying to read by anyone but the author.

There are deliberate self-insertions and deliberate Mary Sue's...The ones that are entertaining are usually humorous and poke fun at the author in some way. Sometimes they are flat out fantasies, but the author that labels his/her work as "SI" or "Mary Sue" is doing it deliberately. Some of those are very good...some aren't. But, at least the author is being honest with him/herself and the readers.

The closest I think I've ever come to a Mary Sue is probably my first published fan fic "Out of the Clear Blue Skye." But, even then, she doesn't quite fit the mold. While she has more in common with who I was at the time I wrote it than any other OC I've come up with, the life she lived wasn't really my fantasy. It was my first published fan fic, and looking back at it, it shows.

Some people label all OC's that show up as major characters as self-insertion. My OC's are not me. I'd rather be safe and warm in front of my computer writing about these heroes than being one and risking life and limb. In order to write them, or even write from a cannon character's POV I have to be able to find some commonality-- some way to relate to them. In that sense, every character I write reflects some part of me.

I did write that one silly piece as a self insertion fantasy...just for kicks. I never expected that many people to read it. And it is literally intended to be myself and my husband (it's based on a shared fantasy and I did ask him.) The number of hits I got with absolutely no feedback of any kind was what sparked this topic.

[Guest The Lurker]

I try not to use self inserting in too many of my fics.

Usually only my name is used.

When I write real life fics..example Orange County Choppers. I don't exactly persay use myself in the fic. As with Solaris, I use bits and peices of myself, moods, ect.

Sometimes when writing fics with real life characters, it is hard not to use some parts of yourself.

And if ya know me, you would see that those characters are deffinantly not myself.

I feel at times, self insertion is a good thing but only if it is done in good taste.

There is a self insertion fic in bleach called Leia's Story or something that is just plain aweful. But then again, not everyone can write self insertion without it being that way.

I say write how you want to and don't worry about the reviews or what people say. As authors it should be our choice.

I had to go through the self insertion thing with one of my LOTR stories. My friend sent me to this website about Mary Sues and I had to go through the list to make sure that my original character wasn't a mary sue because LOTR readers hate that. It took almost a year to get the story right before I could even attempt to post it. And the story that is up.. it could be better but it was the first ever published fanfiction I ever did.

I just wish I had my first fanfic that was over 52 chapters long. But alas, when my first system crashed, I lost it. cries