So I've got this idea, and now that I've finally completed a work featuring it, I'm here to promote it.

What I've got going is this: a self-insert story told in first-person, but first-person from the narrative of a character who is not the self-insert. You, the author, write about yourself from another character's point of view.

For an example:

I ask Player 4 if he wants to go to the chocolate store with me. He says yes, but that he prefers fruity candy over chocolate candy.

This gets my mind in a twist. Is he fine with my original idea, or is he asking to go to the candy store instead?

Then, as if that weren't enough:

"Hey Sassaflash!", my friend Sea Swirl says. "I was thinking we should get some treats while we're out today, but I can't decide between Chocolate Cavern and Candy Cabin."

Oh dear...

See, in this, I am featured as a character, and it's told in first person, but I am not the narrator. Sassaflash is.

I haven't yet written any stories/chapters like this with her, but I did do one with Applejack! It's the bonus chapter on this story:

Important note: It should not be necessary to read the main story in order to understand or enjoy the bonus chapter. And after all, the bonus chapter is what I'm promoting here.

I hope to see some reading of this perspective that I've never once seen or heard of anywhere in my life!

7408886 It reminds me of the Pinkie Pie perspective who sometimes gives comments about the author.

7409037
Huh, I don't think I've heard of that. It sounds cool; what does it look like?

7409448 Take this for example. Deadpool literally pays his writers a visit:

You have discovered: Third Person Narcissistic.

Congratulations!

7409688
Sorry, is that really the name of this perspective, or is this sarcasm?

7409663
That was cool! Thanks for showing me!

7410057
I'm not actually certain, honestly. In the moment I typed it, it sounded very funny in my head. But the more I thought about it, the more accurate it seemed as well.

I mean, without the self-insert, it is just ordinary third-person perspective. Probably the most common perspective used in writing. So the only thing that makes it unique, is that the protagonist focuses their attention on a self-insert character. That's it, in a nutshell. So... the name sounds funny, and yet is rather accurate.

I would argue that it is okay to name something in a funny way, if it is also accurate.

My vote, if I have one, would be to call it that - third person narcissistic. It actually sounds pretty cool... and I would offer, legit, too.

7410165

I mean, without the self-insert, it is just ordinary third-person perspective. Probably the most common perspective used in writing. So the only thing that makes it unique, is that the protagonist focuses their attention on a self-insert character. That's it, in a nutshell.

I think you meant to say it's ordinary first-person perspective. It's told from the "I."

I think I agree with you on the uniqueness thing. I'd say it would be more correct to call this a subset of first-person perspective, or an extra add-on to it, rather than an entirely new perspective.

I don't think I'd use the term "third-person narcissistic", because to me, it implies the writer is a narcissist for writing a self-insert. Don't worry; I don't think that was your intention. I'm just saying that people will take what they know from that word.

I wonder then... what it could be called.

7410179

If the self-insert is the protagonist, it sounds like a type of first-person story where the character narrating isn't the story's protagonist, so you see the story through the eyes of the narrating character.

It can be tough to tell if an OC is a self-insert or not (some self-inserts, especially when they are done well, don't "feel" like self-inserts, if that makes sense). But, I don't see too many stories that have OCs/self-inserts that use a first-person narration, have the OC/self=insert as the protagonist, but a different character narrates.

7410423

If the self-insert is the protagonist, it sounds like a type of first-person story where the character narrating isn't the story's protagonist, so you see the story through the eyes of the narrating character.

Yeah, I agree that's what it is, now that you mention it. The snippet I posted as an example sounds to me like it belongs in a story where I take Sassaflash and Sea Swirl on a trip to bond with ponies I haven't really spent time with, which, if I'm getting it right, would make me the protagonist.

It can be tough to tell if an OC is a self-insert or not (some self-inserts, especially when they are done well, don't "feel" like self-inserts, if that makes sense).

That is very true, but it doesn't occur in my case, as my self-inserts are very obvious self-inserts where the character is fully me, as opposed to a different character sharing traits with me.

But, I don't see too many stories that have OCs/self-inserts that use a first-person narration, have the OC/self=insert as the protagonist, but a different character narrates.

And that's what I'm promoting here, I believe.

Really interesting insight from you!

7410798

Really interesting insight from you!

Thanks!

Interesting enough, some of the 2nd half of a HIE story I adopted (and is nearly finished) uses a style that comes close to what you proposed, where Starlight Glimmer narrates in first-person.

The human OC's not a self-insert, but even if he was, It still wouldn't be quite what you proposed because Starlight is the story's protagonist, not the OC. But, if the OC was the protagonist, during the parts of the story Starlight narrates, it would be much like what you promoted: a self-insert story, but the character narrating isn't the self-insert.

7410823

Interesting enough, some of the 2nd half of a HIE story I adopted (and is nearly finished) uses a style that comes close to what you proposed, where Starlight Glimmer narrates in first-person.

That sounds cool! Is the story out yet?

The human OC's not a self-insert, but even if he was, It still wouldn't be quite what you proposed because Starlight is the story's protagonist, not the OC. But, if the OC was the protagonist, during the parts of the story Starlight narrates, it would be much like what you promoted: a self-insert story, but the character narrating isn't the self-insert.

I hope this thread has a ripple effect in writers beginning to use what I'm promoting! Have you ever written a self-insert story, or considered writing one?

7410825

That sounds cool! Is the story out yet?

Yep! The first half goes between a first-person narration with the OC and a third-person narration (usually through the eyes of Starlight), but the second half is nearly exclusively first-person between either Starlight or the OC.

TCaught and Punished

• MLP: FiM
• Drama
• Sad
• Slice of Life

Alternate take on Season 5 premier: here, Starlight gets caught instead of getting away.

• Alt. Universe
• Human
• Twilight
• Spike
• OC
• Main 6
• Starlight Glimmer

ThePinkedWonder · 142k words  ·  224  16 · 5.8k views

Have you ever written a self-insert story, or considered writing one?

A different human OC I created, Eric Reed, has a few traits I either have or used to have years ago and is a brony, but I haven't tried to write a straight-up self-insert story yet, I might, but I currently have no plans to do it.

7410834
The story sounds awesome! I'll go ahead and read it.

A different human OC I created, Eric Reed, has a few traits I either have or used to have years ago and is a brony, but I haven't tried to write a straight-up self-insert story yet, I might, but I currently have no plans to do it.

I feel really relieved to hear your comments here, ThePinkedWonder. The strong negativity many people feel towards self-inserts has recently been getting to me. It's not their fault, I know they're not trying to hurt me, but that didn't stop my brain from convincing me I should be ashamed of writing my self-insert stories. It's refreshing to see clear-cut evidence that not everyone hates them. So thanks

7410840

I feel really relieved to hear your comments here, ThePinkedWonder. The strong negativity many people feel towards self-inserts has recently been getting to me. It's not their fault, I know they're not trying to hurt me, but that didn't stop my brain from convincing me I should be ashamed of writing my self-insert stories. It's refreshing to see clear-cut evidence that not everyone hates them.

From what I've seen, that negativity is based on how self-inserts tend to be used in wish-fulfillment stories, so they have a stigma around them.

The upside is that, if they like the story, a reader won't care and (in stories without the self-insert tag, but the OC is actually a self-insert) might not even suspect that an OC is actually a self-insert. In fact, there's at least one story I've read that has an OC that I now strongly suspect is a SI character (but the story doesn't have the self-insert tag) but the story handled the character well enough to have most readers (if not all) not even suspect that the OC is a SI.

So thanks

It's no problem! Glad I could help!

7410848
I personally think there's nothing wrong with wish fulfillment stories, but that discussion should be taken to a different thread if it is to be had. I think it's off-topic for here.

And you're right, some stories can cause a reader to make an exception to one of their preferences.

7410851

I should've clarified that I meant that self-inserts tend to be used in bad wish-fulfillment stories, but not all of them are, and wish-fulfillment, in itself, isn't a bad thing.

7410854
Ah, okay.

Can we take this discussion to PM? There's more I'd like to touch on that I don't see as befitting for this thread.

7410855

Sure we can.

7410859
Good! See you there