The GRUMPY AUTHOR - SELF INSERTS AND YOU
It's that time again... time for the Grumpy Author to rant about something. This week, we're taking a look at author self-inserts and how blatant, obnoxious, or troubling they can be. This is something that happens a lot in books, and indie fantasy is far from immune to it. As authors, we really do put everything we've got into our books. For some, though, this goes one step further, to the point where the MC or the super-cool sidekick/flavor character is the author themselves - or at least, what they wish they were.
Now, in and of itself, there's really nothing wrong with a self-insert. I'm sure most, if not all of us, have self-inserted while reading a book. For many, it's probably how we got the itch to write our own books in the first place. Of course we're going to put something of ourselves in the book. The same can be said for having played a roleplaying game, whether tabletop or on the computer. We like to immerse ourselves in these worlds by becoming our characters.
So wherein lies the problem? The Mary Poppins character, of course. "Practically perfect in every way." The Mary Sue/Gary Stu. The White Knight. The Perfect Self. The Ultimate Ego.
It's natural to want to put yourself into an awesome story (and if you don't consider your story awesome, you need to step back and reevaluate what you're writing). I'm in my Eve of Redemption series. Not as a character, though, but simply as bits of characters. Almost every character has a bit of me in them, but none of them have a lot of me. Otherwise there'd be a balding, overweight guy with a bad knee and shoulder more than likely getting his ass kicked or killed trying to help.
Remember Point #2 from last week's column? "The book isn't about you." That should be true for the author as well. Sure, use your experience, knowledge, even your history to inform your character and how you build them. But be reasonable at the same time. If you're going to self-insert, don't make it so blatant that people think you're an egomaniac when they realize it (or, you know, when you flat-out tell them the main character is actually you).
Some people love a Mary Sue - hell, Drizzt Do'Urden is probably one of the most popular fantasy characters and is a complete Mary Sue. But Mary Sues tend to get old fast. If you're going to self-insert and then make yourself a Mary Sue (which is actually where the term originated), you're gonna get razzed for it, and people are probably going to think you're full of yourself. Many of those negative reviews I saw on Throne of Glass mention that the author not only self-inserted, but also put a picture on the cover that looks just like her. Not really a cardinal sin until you read the book and are constantly told how beautiful the character is and how she's wonderful at everything. Yikes. Eragon falls into this category of self-inserts as well.
Worse than this for me personally is the White Knight. The White Knight can take many forms, though typically is just another Gary Stu - but one who has to constantly shine as the Defender Of All Things Female™. The White Knight isn't just the world's best at all things related to crafting, combat, horsemanship, and whatever else, but if a woman is in danger or has been hurt, watch out. Cuz this guy is going to ride in like King Arthur in the iconic scene in Excalibur, with the trees blooming in his wake and the powerful chorus of voices heralding his arrival as he swoops in to save the damsel in distress. Heads will roll, bad guys will die in droves, and the White Knight may even give a speech about how to properly treat women if the reader is (un)lucky. And then whatever said woman has been through, just the presence, touch, and comforting (gag-worthy) words of the White Knight will make it all better because he's just so damn perfect.
In other words, the White Knight self-insert is essentially a dating advertisement extolling the virtues of the author.
The final thing I'll touch on is more of the unflattering variety of self-insert. I see this one a lot running (or playing in) D&D and Pathfinder RPGs. This is where the author (or player) self-inserts but then has the character act like a bully or complete asshole because they have a warped view of what a tough character is. I've heard many an argument saying not to read too much into what people make of themselves while roleplaying, but really, what else are you reasonably supposed to do? So let this be a warning that if you're going to self-insert as some dark, brooding anti-hero or such, watch where you draw the lines. It may not be a big deal in and of itself, but the character is going to reflect on you if people know (or you tell them) that the MC is you.
So, in summary: self-insert to your heart's content, but a) be reasonable about it and b) know where to draw the lines with acting out your fantasies through your avatar.
Until next time,
- Grumpy Author
