What should we know before we try to do this? Let's say we write our own stories, and the character may or may not be exactly ourselves, or heavily inspired by our identities. Obviously, characters should face struggles, but much could we get away with one being like us before readers might notice and just be disinterested in the protagonist altogether? Does this really bother that many people? From my understanding, the term self-insert refers to the author inserting a character into pre-existing fictional works, not their own.
When it comes to your own works, it’s almost unavoidable that parts of us will seep into the characters. I mean, how could they not? We draw from our experiences, emotions, and even our flaws to make them feel authentic. The problem arises when the character feels like an idealized or overly perfect version of the author—someone without real struggles, weaknesses, or growth. Readers can sniff this out almost instinctively. If a protagonist feels too much like the author’s dream self, it can break the immersion because it feels indulgent rather than organic. Nobody wants to read about someone who’s always right, effortlessly admired, and unrealistically skilled at everything. It’s not relatable, and worse, it’s not interesting.But having a character inspired by yourself isn’t inherently bad—it’s actually a natural starting point for many writers. The key is in the balance. A good rule of thumb is to ask: “Would I want to read about this character if I didn’t know myself?” If the answer is yes, you’re probably on the right track.I think the bigger fear is whether people will notice and judge you for it. And honestly? Most readers don’t care if a character shares traits with the author, as long as the story is good.
>>24094585This is extremely great advice. Thank you.
>>24094577You have to be an interesting person first
>>24094577It's necessarily bad. Somerset Magaughm or however the fuck you spell it basically only wrote Roman a clefs. And he's a great author. Or you could be a total madlad like Clive Cussler and do your damndest to become the character in one of your books in real life.
>>24096244>>24096333>>24096333You say it is necessarily bad, but why exactly? If almost nobody knows me, I could just be a character in a fictional work, just about as I am, without almost anybody noticing, and they may not be reading this. It does seem that the authors you described, rather hid their identities within characters than wrote characters to more openly be themselves. If that is the preferred approach, that's fine with me, I could deal with changing my real name and maybe altering some of my personality and physical appearance slightly, but I feel that I still want to write at least one character I could feel mostly represents me.
>>24094585>someone without real struggles, weaknesses, or growth >Nobody wants to read about someone who’s always right, effortlessly admired, and unrealistically skilled at everythingDo you know any notable characters who may be one or two of these but are still enjoyable to read? Messiah figures interest me most, and obviously the figure of Jesus Christ had his drawbacks (being hated by anyone who wasn't a follower). Surely a good balance could be reached, that is enjoyable to read.
