: Re: How to make sure that you don't end up writing a Self-Insert? Could I get some pointer as how to NOT write a Self-Insert/Mary Sue? What I mean: according to Urban Dictionary a Self-Insert

I share your fear... I used to be a full blown "Suethor" in my teenage years, and I'll admit, I'm guilty of creating Mary Sues and Self-Inserts to this day. However, the more I practiced, the more I came to realize something:

All characters, especially main characters, are born with some degree of self-insertion.

It's like original sin: We naturally write about people who are similar to us (and who may even be our avatars in our stories) because it's what we know. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

What is wrong, however, is when the author treats their Self-Insert like a spoiled child. You must give your characters fatal flaws, since it humanizes them, and it makes them less prone to the cringe-worthy perfection we all know as the Mary Sue. You must let your character make mistakes, say and do incorrect things, act contrary to what is best for him/her, and let him/her get into trouble for their actions.

This leads me to the other crucial step to avoiding Sues, in my opinion: You have to let the world you created continue to spin, regardless of what your character does. Even Chosen Ones and Saviours of the World can't defy certain "rules" of their universe, and if they do, they should be punished accordingly. It's all about striking a balance between the main character and his/her interactions with the world.

So, to sum it up, self-inserts are okay. Just make sure that the character is as realistic as you can make him/her, and don't let them get away with breaking The Rules without serious (or fair) repercussions.

Oh, there's also the issue of being obvious... I'm sure you know all this, but if you name a character after yourself, give him/her an appearance that is identical to yours, etc., you will have a blinking neon sign over your character that says "I AM A BLATANT SELF INSERT AND I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY TO HIDE IT!"

Good luck, and happy writing!

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: Re: How to make sure that you don't end up writing a Self-Insert? Could I get some pointer as how to NOT write a Self-Insert/Mary Sue? What I mean: according to Urban Dictionary a Self-Insert

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: Why are names in fantasy novels often "original"? In the vast majority of fantasy novels, the characters' names are somewhat original (Bilbo, Kvothe, Daenerys, Pug and so on). Some authors use

: How can I get inspired to write a story, without any experience beforehand? I have tried to write a couple of stories, but all of them sounded like a two-year-old wrote them (no offence to

: What is a reasonable rate for proofreading a manuscript in terms of sales percentage? If offered a percentage of profit for an ebook (e.g. after Amazon's cut), what is reasonable charge for

: Extra long descriptive paragraph This is one person describing the past behavior of another, who is absent, to two different people. One of the listeners knows the person who is being spoken

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