Fanlore:Featured Article Archives/2022: Week 16
Reader-Insert is a type of fanfiction that is typically written in 2nd person Point of View by using you and your pronouns. The protagonist is always the reader, or "you," and is usually paired with one of the canon characters. "Reader-insert" is typically written with a hyphen. It is also sometimes known as Canon X Reader, or CanonXReader. Imagines are also a version of reader-insert, inserting the reader using second person pronouns into short-form "imagine if..." scenarios, and pairing the reader with a canon character or real person.
A comparable type of stories in Japanese-language fandoms is dream shosetsu (ドリーム小説 lit. "dream novel"), also called yumeshosetsu (夢小説) or yume (夢 lit. "dream" or "fantasy") for short. Stories in this genre almost always feature romance between a female protagonist who is assumed to be the reader, and a male canon character. {{refn|Yume shosetsu uses JavaScript and other software gimmicks that allow individual readers to replace the name of the protagonist with a name of their choice. Forest Page, an easy-to-use web hosting service, has had this feature since early 2000's, among other similar services.
There is a certain stigma among some content creators and content consumers centered around self-shipping media, with many fans expressing their distaste for the genre (see Criticism and Support). Despite this negativity, reader-inserts continue to be widely created and enjoyed.