Self-insertion
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| See also: | Mary Sue, Anywhere But Here | |
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When an author appears in his or her own story, either explicitly or in thinly-disguised form, the result is self-insertion.
Mary Sues are often self-insert characters, although they tend to be idealized rather than realistic versions of their authors. Authors may also write self-inserts as humor (for example, in metafic featuring an author arguing with her characters) or as an in-joke (for example, making an extremely minor character a self-insert that will only be recognized by friends).
Self-insertion in Canon
Wesley Crusher on Star Trek is widely considered to be a self-insert character for his creator, Gene Wesley Roddenberry. In the Dark Tower series of books by Stephen King, Stephen King appears as a character in the sixth and seventh books.
Examples of Admitted Self-Insertion
- Mark's Leaps, a Quantum Leap zine
- MEST #18 was a Special THRUSH Appreciation Issue (Man from UNCLE). It has 10 pages and was published in 1965 by Ted Johnstone for inclusion in the Amateur Press Association (APA) Spectator Amateur Press Society (SAPS) mailing #71. The issue features the story of a hoax played by Johnstone and local fans pretending to be from the evil THRUSH organization from The Man from UNCLE.
