[Discuss] - What's wrong with self-insert?

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Hello guys!

So this is a topic that really interests me. I'm giving my opinion on this, but please feel free to express yours. Just keep it in mind, i wouldn't like to start a war. I'm just curious.

Self insert: Although the term "self insert" is a high ranged definition, i will use it in it's most  common version, which is "author surrogate".
Author surrogate stands for : a fictional character based on the author.

So my question is: What's wrong with it? Literally it is one person making one or more characters based on themselves, on their apperance, on their persionality - or both. Is that bad?
It is a bit more complicated, i'm well aware of that. Let's look at it a bit closer.

Obviously it is a phenomenon appearing in the "character creating" culture. Like fan fictions, comics, stories, role play games etc. 
Most of the people when they first meet these, are not planning to create a perfect, realistic character but a source of fun.
What's the easiest way to create a character i can relate to? To make them more like ourselves. Either it's instinct or intended, in the end the first characters defenetely look a lot like us.
Then as life goes on, one have to decide either they want to go on and dive into this culture, and plannig to go professional, or keep it as a more or less serious hobby.
If one decides to go pro, studiing and creating more various crew of characters is a requirement. Althought i do think there are sometimes too high expectations,but they are to provide some kind of standards.(this is another topic worth to discuss so lets leave this to another occation)

So what if someone decides to remain a hobbist? Basicly from that moment it is up to them, in what and how much they intend to improve. They are not and should not be expected to improve in an advanced level, from day to day. It's their personal commitment if they are planning to learn in a faster tempo, or just leave things as they are and enjoy the results - since that's the main point of having a hobby.

Also selfinsert - as i have already stated - is a way to be able to relate to a character. Too much selfinsert (if such a thing exists) is a mistake of a beginner. If one's not utterly talented in character creation will likely to fall into this, at least once or more. Not to talk about the so called 'persona'-s who are not simple selfinserts but exactly the representations of the artists in an exact world/fandom/whatever whatnot. I really do not see any problem with it. If one's main character is a lot like them, well hell yea, go for it! If it's intended, well it's their own decidion and i'm noone to tell them to do otherwise. I may suggest some changes but it is up to them wether they accept it or not. 
If it is unintentional, then by time probably they will correct some mistakes, add on-, change-, remove useless traits.
I personally self-insert into allll of my characters, personally for me it is a way to express and to battle my feelings. Each of my characters represents a mixture of a problem in my life, represents my thoughts and doubts regards to the topic, and also added a little bit of an idolisation, like what i'm going to be. This way i can think with the characters mind, and figure out how would they react in an exact situation, what their motives would be, in what would they be different and similar to me, or simply form my opinion in their names. See? Aven represents my views on objectivity and loyalty, doubts about truth and justice(also i think she looks the most like me,even in facial attributes), Sora: my doubts about leadership, Ame: is some kind of idol how i should step up and stand for my rights, Pixie : my views about outlook and concifence, and so on and so on.

There'll always be a little self insert in every character. And until they do not intend to use them for commercial income, it is completely fine in my opinon. But also if they do profit from it and the selfinsert is too high for someone, well, anyone is free to decide what to spend their money on, what stories to read. Simply because one does not like it , it doesnt mean it's instatntly bad. Explained above why.
And don't forget, contructive critisism is well appreciated.
I'm sure there are some high skilled or well educated people who does not and won't self insert and that's fine. But i don't see a problem in doing so, and i simply cannot see why is it treated with such an ill manner.
Even Stephen King admitted that in his main work , The Dark Tower series, the protagonist Roland is his selfinsert in a minimal way. Does this fact lower anything in the quailty of the character's persionality? I highly doubt.
[whover has read the book, I KNOW I KNOW but do not spoiler in the comments , that's why i have not mentioned the actual thing :3]

So yea, basicly that's my opinion im curious if you can add anything to this topic! 
And sorry for the lack of activity, i have exams to study, but soon i will finish them! Thanks for stucking by, and supporting me!

[Edit]: on Tumblr if you'd like to reblog the topic.

Ame
© 2015 - 2024 Ame-y
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MademoiselleMushroom's avatar
Szerintem önmagában nem probléma ha valaki a karaktereihez önmagából merít ihletet. Ha valaki neki áll karaktereket gyártani akaratlanul is átruházza rá bizonyos tulajdonságait/nézeteit, sőt időnként a karakter még bizonyos szokásait is "átveszi" az alkotójától. Szóval nem probléma ha valaki ebből indul ki. A baj ott kezdődik ha valaki nem elégszik meg azzal hogy létrehozza a saját fantasy/sci-fi/akármi énjét hanem átesik a ló túlsó felére. Általában ezek az emberek nagyon nem elégedettek a való világbeli énjükkel ezért úgy gondolják ha itt nem is, majd ott tökéletesek lesznek. És így születnek a Mary-Sue karakterek. Akikről mind tudjuk mennyire elviselhetetlenek és bosszantóak.
A legrosszabb eset pedig nyilván az amikor minden karakter amit az illető megalkot egy az egyben ő maga. Az ő elveit képviselik, az ő nézeteit vallják, úgy beszélnek mint ő, úgy cselekednek mint ő, szóval gyakorlatilag mindegyik szereplő ő maga. Ez egyhangúvá, lapossá teszi az egész történetet, hiszen mindenkitől mindig ugyanarra számíthatunk.
Habár nem vagyok az ellen hogy a karaktereink bizonyos mértékig hasonlítsanak ránk akár külső akár belső jegyekben én magam nem tudnám megnevezni egy olyan karakteremet sem aki kicsit is hasonlóan gondolkodna vagy viselkedne mint én. Ennek ellenére nem nehéz kitalálnom mit mondanának vagy tennének egy-egy szituációban, valahogy magától értetődő számomra. Nem tudom ezt pontosan elmagyarázni de olyan ez kicsit mint amikor nagyon jól ismersz valakit és kitalálod mit mondana vagy tenne az illető egy adott szituációban. Jesszus, talán szerencse is hogy nem hasonlítok a szereplőimre mentalitás terén mert valószínűleg már börtönben lennék, vagy elvonón, vagy más egyéb helyen ahol nem szeretnék lenni.XD Számtalan hibájuk ellenére egyébként én szeretem a karaktereimet még azokat is akik nem éppen az élet erkölcsös oldalán süttetik a hasukat. Mondjuk van akinek nem megy könnyen hogy magukra öltsék bizonyos karaktereik személyiségét, nem tudom ezen mi segíthetne. Talán nekem az segített hogy általános iskolás koromban oszlopos tagja voltam a dráma klubnak, és a tanárunk egy ex-színházi rendező volt akinek nehezen vette be a gyomra hogy kénytelen a megélhetésért egy általános iskolában tanítani éppen ezért véresen komolyan kellett venni minden darabot. Na meg persze nem játszhattunk klasszikus, kisiskolásoknak szánt darabokat (emlékszem harmadikban Hamlet-et kellett eljátszanom). De lehet ez csak az én elképzelésem, és valahogy ösztönösen jön ez nekem nem a gyerekkori Shakespeare traumáknak köszönhetem.XDDD