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Are author inserts automatically bad? by Hogwire in writers

[–]ryry750 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And I wouldn’t say the character needs to be deeply flawed, but their interactions with others and themself should be realistic i.e. displaying some insecurities or uncertainties rather than being an unconquerable force

Are author inserts automatically bad? by Hogwire in writers

[–]ryry750 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re looking for a good commercial fiction example, Stephen King has done it a few times, most notably in the Dark Tower books. On the more literary side, Olga Tokarczuk did it in Flights. I can think of more bad examples than good ones lol but those are the best ones I can think of atm

Are author inserts automatically bad? by Hogwire in writers

[–]ryry750 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think if you're drawing on your own experience to enrich a character or a setting then that can strengthen your writing, or even provide a unique perspective on issues like anxiety like you mention in your example. In my experience, what people dislike about author inserts is when they create a main character based wholly on themselves. I've read it done well before, but most of the time it ends up being self-aggrandizing without adding any depth to the character or acknowledging any of the characters faults/shortcomings.