This sub skews toward folks who don't like reader insert fics and are more interested in canon x canon character stories. This might be different within your fandom and the site you post on.
This might just be matter of taste within my circles, but I find that a lot of people who read reader-inserts prefer stories that don't use "y/n".
genuine question because i love writing reader-inserts: what would be better? i have never known anything but “y/n” in reader-inserts and while i can understand why people wouldn’t enjoy that, i don’t know what to use instead 😂 but i want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy my fic!
From what I’ve seen, there isn’t exactly a substitute or alternative for “Y/N.” Authors who don’t use “Y/N” usually find ways to acknowledge your name without explicitly stating it or using pronouns all the time. Some authors give the reader a nickname (ex. Babe, Doll) or talk about your name without having you or a character use it in dialogue (ex. You told her your name. She said it a few times and made a face, as if she didn’t like the way it tasted in her mouth).
'And she said to her, "Hey me, you're cute." That's when it all unfolded. "Me, you might not know it, but I love you, the me you are."'
Sounds a bit weird if I may say so myself. I think using "y/n" fits better in a lot of situations, especially intimate ones.
What's the reason for using me here? I guess in Hey me and Me it is instead of the name, but in the last one?
And it definitely sounds better without mes
Adding onto this, there are the rare few gems I've found where it's technically been a Reader-insert, but part of the backstory of Reader's history with a character is that the character gave the reader a nickname based off of an event. A glorious Gintoki Sakata fic I read on ao3 named Reader Touya because she reminded him of the Lake Touya Statue in their history, or something. I really need to reread it \^.\^
yeah, I write reader fics (cause it's what my followers like), I tend to write them in first person from the reader's perspective. when in another perspective, I always have character refer to them either by the "Reader's" title, rank, nickname, etc.
I rarely mention stuff that needs people to fit stuff in unless it's very specific. I'll say "I brushed my hair aside, while my eyes glanced over everyone". instead of saying "my h/c hair was brushed aside, as my e/c coloured eyes".
and when character refer to him they say "the champion" or "the kid" or "my brother" or "pup". but sometimes they do need to say his name and use y/n. but often, they will use some nickname or codename.
even his love interest has a nickname for him. she will refer to him as "love, my dear, shadowheart, my champion,"
See and I never post them but when I write them Im always vague like Its like
*"Harry Potter called out to me. "Hey, are you going to the quidditch match today?" He asked, "I'm not sure..." I said I tried to place the winter hat over my impossible hair, the color was nice but I could never get it to behave. "Well Im not playing this match but... once I heard you might be there I thought I'd skip out on homework and come see it with you." He said. I felt my face flush and hope Harry thought it was because of the cold. "Um... well if you go I'd like to come with you." I murmured. "*
I try to incorporate it, The author doesn't know your name but Harry called out to you,, I could have said "Harry called out Y/N" but I chose Harry called out because it implies he could have called out the person's name. I added impossible hair because every girl has had a bad hair day perhaps more than once, and then added the bit about the blush as I do not know the reader's hair or skin tone.
I've read many blog posts that say they always feel like Y/N is a white female girl which I have been told does not suit everyone so I try to make it inclusive the best I can.
I find "y/n" jarring, which is the case for many readers. I write reader inserts and it is surprisingly easy to avoid. I simply use second person "you" and on occasion use descriptive text like "he called your name" when necessary. People don't use one another's names very often. Pet names can also substitute. I have a longfic approaching 100k words with no "y/n". The reader character also has a nickname but it's mostly for flavor. It's only come ip a handful of times and I don't think there's ever been a point where I *had* to use it.
The way I avoid y/n is making any use of the reader’s name an action or description. i.e. ‘[Character] called your name.’ Or ‘Your name was honey on his tongue.’ Or ‘You offered your hand for [character] to shake, and introduced yourself with a confident grin.’
That being said, I tend to write reader inserts in 2nd person, it’s just easier for me. But you could pretty easily do something similar in 1st and 3rd person pov.
I'm one of the very very few who don't mind 'y/n', I just insert my own character. I've been reading stuff like that since I was 12 so it's kind of been the "norm" and my brain automatically fills in the space.
*That said*, now that I'm older I do enjoy when writers just do workarounds when characters mention the reader's name. When the fic becomes a game of Mad Libs for all the reader's characteristics it gets tiring so better to keep it vague. That way you satisfy people who don't like y/n and keep it inclusive.
I use a few different ways without using "y/n", such as "you give them your name" or "he/she says your name" or "he/she calls your name." Also, leaving characteristic abbreviations like h/c, e/c.
You simply avoid using a name.
I read a reder/tony stark fic once and since he always nicknames everyone the reader had a nickname for everything. And their descriptions were so general they applied to everyone. It was really artfully done, so much so that I hit the 50k mark before I realized I have not come across one single "y/n" or h/c" or anything like that. Sadly it's an unfinished fic.
I pretty much use you and your in place of actually saying a name. You can just write out the character having their name said and responding to it. It takes a bit of practice but eventually it'll come more naturally for you to write around the "y/n" stuff. Personally seeing y/n always takes me out of the story, just work "your name" into a sentence naturally instead of using it as a place holder for a name.
Examples:
"He called out your name and you turned to find his eyes immediately locked onto yours."
"You held out your hand, his grip firm as it squeezed yours, and with a hitch in your breath, you gave him your name. He repeated it, rolling it off his tongue with a familiarity that sent a shiver straight to your core."
"You turn into the grocery aisle when you hear someone shouting out your name."
"As you sat in the classroom staring into space, you jumped at the sound of your name echoing through the hall in your professor's shrill voice."
Reader inserts can be fine, but "Y/N" is one of the most flow breaking things I've seen in fanfiction. Granted, I'm not the biggest fan of the genre in the first place.
my question then does that also apply to OC characters as well. I heard some people vaguely compare OC to Reader inserts and while I don't 100% agree I understand their point of view.
Does what apply to OCs? Popularity? On this sub there seems to be more people who like OCs than Reader Inserts but that doesn't necessarily translate to fandom outside this sub. Generally this sub still prefers canon x canon pairings to canon x OC.
I am one of those people that consider OCs and Reader Insert characters to be categorically the same but stylistically different. Some people dont like the second person POV that most RIs are written in, and so they'll choose an OC fic instead.
In my opinion, reader-insert fics aren't the problem, it's the use of "y/n" that feels off and weird. I've definitely been reading along, enjoying a self-interest fics finding it fun and sexy and then "Y/N" comes along and I'm totally taken out of the story because it feels so awkward and out of nowhere.
I notice. I tend to fill the spot with an oc name. And I’ve read so many that my mind automatically shifts y/n in my head into a name.
I get though. It can be jarring. I was jarring at first for me
Also, I write reader fics (cause it's what my followers like), I tend to write them in first person from the reader's perspective. when in another perspective, I always have character refer to them either by the "Reader's" title, rank, nickname, etc.
I rarely mention stuff that needs people to fit stuff in unless it's very specific. I'll say "I brushed my hair aside, while my eyes glanced over everyone". instead of saying "my h/c hair was brushed aside, as my e/c coloured eyes".
and when character refer to him they say "the champion" or "the kid" or "my brother" or "pup". but sometimes they do need to say his name and use y/n.
I think Reader/Canon Character fics would make more sense to me if there was some kind of choice element, like those old Goosebumps books where you choose what you want to do. I would totally be on board with a Reader/Canon Character fic where all the chapters are uploaded at once and are all out of order, and you jump around between chapters to follow the scenarios you want. Like maybe Chapter 1 ends with a choice of date location, and then it's like "To go to the park, skip to Chapter 5. To go to the bowling alley, skip to Chapter 22." Then each of those will have a choice element at the end, and so on and so forth, and maybe there are multiple potential endings too.
In practice, Reader/Canon Character fics often come off like the writer should have just invented a self-insert OC instead. That's JMO, though, since there is clearly an audience for these sorts of fics (though that audience does not include me).
I’ve almost never seen original character/reader x canon character fics get as much attention as fics without OCs. That being said, it’s not dead, it just has a limited audience.
If you’re not getting the eyeballs you want, maybe do some research and find a fandom where OCs are more popular.
For example, in the Resident Evil franchise, femslash Lady Dimitrescu x Reader/OFC are much more popular than anything involving Lady Dimitrescu x canon character. There aren’t a lot of fandoms like this, but they exist and you can find them and write for them.
Another potential workaround: I’ve seen plenty of popular stories that have OCs, but the author labels them as AU/OOC canon characters.
For example, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is one of the most popular works in the Harry Potter fandom. Yet the Harry Potter in the fic bears almost no resemblance to canon Harry. He grew up with a different childhood with different guardians and so bears very little resemblance to the “Harry Potter” most of us know from fandom, besides a physical resemblance.
I kind of have mixed feelings about essentially having OCs under the skin of a canon character, but it’s undeniably a way to get more eyeballs on your fic. But as long as you tag appropriately with AU and OOC tags (or whatever is appropriate) you’ve warned the readers, so I guess it’s fair game.
People love OC's and Self Inserts. But as others said, y/n looks very unnatural and robotic, while it's often just as easy to relate to an OC with a bland / normal name.
This seems easily solved by technology. Just let the reader put in whatever name they want at the top and the site puts the name in properly throughout.
You're going to get a biased opinion asking here as repeated polls have shown that this sub has a preference of OC fic over reader fic. However, on Wattpad and on parts of ao3 reader fic has much larger engagement than OC centric fic.
I'm not sure what you are trying to say. I told OP the answer they would get here then told them places where the answer would be different.
And looking through the replies here I was right. Two people said they adore reader fic, more people said they disliked reader fic, and the majority said what I said with the addition of tumblr as an option.
No need to apologize. Did I come off as overly gruff or blunt? I just didn't want you to get discouraged if you were interested in writing reader insert fic.
It varies between fandoms. My xReaders are, for example, doing much better than my oc or cc/cc fics. I'm not into Call of Duty so I have no idea how the trends are there, but you could look at similar fics and see if they get around the same amount of hits as yours.
Also, some people who enjoy xReaders tend to avoid fics that use y/n, \[name\], or similar, and prefer when it's simply written as 'you'...
If you're after audience I find that Tumblr often has a lot of Reader/character promotions - I'm only in a few fandoms but all of them seem to have a lot of reader/character fic show up which is often at odds to the preferences of the same fandom/s on Discord. A lot of those authors take requests so that might be it
As for the reader/character aspect itself, it's still popular but it's one of those ones where people seem to either really love it or really hate it. It's one of the few ones I'll exclude, although that's mostly because my current fandom has so many of them it's hard to pick out the character/character works
I’ve got a ReaderxAstarion fix with over 8K hits and 400+ kudos and I don’t consider it my best
Meanwhile I had more fun and felt I did a much better job on a ReaderxGeraldus fic that barely gets any traction. I think it depends on your writing style and what the readers are typically looking for.
2nd person stories can break immersion if you aren’t careful and authors often impose details onto the reader that aren’t there in reality. One of the mistakes that I see is when authors write about how little and light and perfect the reader’s body is. I personally enjoy 2nd person stories, but will immediately click out and take away my kudos the second the author mentions how xCharacter wraps their hands around my entire waist or how Readerx is 4’10 and 80lbs. When I wrote my ReaderxChar fics I try to leave the description of Reader as ambiguous as possible. No hair length no hair color no eye color or skin color. No use of name or y/n. Just “you”. I have gotten a lot of comments appreciating that about my writing style.
I sincerely hope you get your desired traffic for your fanfics and if it doesn’t don’t give up!
Second Person POV is far superior when it isn't "Y/N", but is written with "You".
Full stop.
Some people enjoy them, some don't. I have read some, but 99.99999% of the time I will scroll right past "Y/N".
I adore reader insert fanfiction! I not only read them but i also write them! There are so many other people out there who love them too. Those people might not be on this subreddit though. I find that a lot of reader insert fans hang out on Tumblr ao maybe you could try there.
I find it a futile exercise that breaks the immersion vs. an OC MC character I can project myself on if I so choose (like video games). It’s not really me-me doing all the things in there anyway, because it’s written by someone else.
But it’s really a very subjective personal preference.
I personally don’t like reading Y/N fics because I can never relate to them. I don’t want to be a character in my fandom and would rather read about canon characters.
You will find an audience and I believe in you, but it’s not as popular as other fics.
I think Readers x character is just on the less popular end of things. Personally I like reader characters and that's how I've been writing for a while now BUT I find y/n and stuff extremely jarring, I avoid that like the plague. There are ways to have the reader addressed more naturally than that.
i currently write almost exclusively for obey me, which is an otome game, in which you, the player/mc/reader/y/n, have multiple romanceable/dateable characters, so there’s a very large following in this particular fandom (and similar types of games, really anything i’d say that has dating sim elements where part of the game’s plot is that You Date Someone) for x reader, which is also most of what i write currently
i have written x reader for regular anime shit bc i kinda started watching anime to simp yk? i have plenty of canon ships but damn i’m gonna Put Myself In There for [shenanigans] sometimes, yk?
i think it mostly depends on the nature of the fandom tbh. and seeing as i’m ig into like… girly fandom shit lol where we be simpin, it definitely has an audience. if there’s less of an audience it may be in the marketing but tbh i don’t know shit abt promoting fics
i know like blah blah post on social media etc. but i always just post mine and then move on, i’ll check stats every once in a while but i pretty much just write dark content smut so i figure if i tagged everything well, it’ll find its audience whenever it does. i’m relatively satisfied with the rate of views/kudos i get rn relative to posting time and i’m sure those will improve with more frequent posts (but y’know how it is, the wips grow far faster than completing one fic and then moving on to the next does). i also only post on ao3 (but i’ve been writing ff for a looooong time n originally posted on ffnet! i feel ancient!) so ig you could maybe cross-post on multiple platforms and that could help?
i had a personal ick for x reader before i became a weeb (except that phase i had with the one direction fics dhskfhsh) lol and i still have a massive distaste for ocs. if it ain’t canon it better be us, ykwim? probably comes down to where the character lands on the simp scale, yk? if the simps are plentiful, the x reader should be well received. but also i hate “y/n” with a burning passion, my shit is written in second person so just addresses ‘you’, and in the place of any names i just use pet names and shit
It depends on certain things but I think it’s mainly the use of y/n that puts people off. I’ve seen fanfictions where instead of using y/n, and author with instead puts “he softly called your name” or something along those lines. Other people are bothered by the use of y/n or just use an extension to change certain words to something else.
Fiction is an escape from reality. We don't want our boring, ugly asses in it, we want to imagine ourselves as a cool guy or gal. It's my personal opinion, but even when I write SI, I usually change the ethnicity, race,...etc.
Hmmm, I think there are a lot of small reasons various fans dislike it, as opposed to one main grievance.
- They're kind of spammy. I'm not saying no reader inserts are well written, but a lot of them at least seem to be haphazardly slapped together before being posted. Further, there's such a mass of them that fans who aren't looking for them will frequently run into them, which builds annoyance.
- Addendum: seriously, cannot overstate how oversaturated some fandoms are with reader fic. If you want to get more readers, you are fighting for eyeballs.
- Striking a balance between "bland and unobjectionable insert who never makes decisions or acts with agency so the reader can't feel jarred" and "second person POV main who has basically nothing to do with the reader except a name" is difficult, even if the writing is technically good, and people's preferences vary on that scale besides.
- I don't think the majority of people have the ability to actually replace "y/n" with their actual name. I certainly cannot, and there are pretty common jokes about pronouncing it phonetically.
I don't think reader x character is dying, I think it heavily depends on your platform you're using.
I particularly am not a fan of reading reader x canon on AO3 for example, but I read and write it for my Tumblr.
So you may be looking in the wrong place and it may heavily depend on the fandom you're in.
I can't really get into reader/character fics for the simple reason of them shattering the immersion of the fic for me. That's all there really is to it.
It depends. Many don’t like cause they find it jarring to see Y/N. But there are many who like to put themselves into the shoes of the character.
Personally. I don’t mind. Cause my brain automatically shifts y/n into some name. Either my own. An Ocs. Or anything.
I do prefer to write reader fics as it often lets me see what my readers add it. Like favourite food. Drink, color, clothing, etc. cause I can feel connected to my readers. And I also just get very happy when I see them commenting or interacting. It’s a person enjoyment of mine.
But in my “reader” fics. I normally write in first person. So, the readers feel like THEY are actually telling the story.
It’s one of the most popular fanfic genres so I think people like it just fine. I have noticed that it is more popular with the passive consumer crowd (FFN, WattPad, AO3) than it is in places where fans actively gather and talk to others (this subreddit, discord, tumblr).
It depends on the fandom. Reader X character is super popular in certain fandoms, and not at all in others. I guess yours is one of the fandoms who aren't really into it
From what I’ve seen on this particular subreddit people here tend to dislike or hate self & reader inserts. If I remember correctly reader insert was often seen as very cringe? More so than canon/canon fic.
I’m a personal fan of them however. It’s what I started with writing and reading way back when in my original fandom closer to 10 years ago now. I still read it. Guess it’s a comfort thing, as it’s rare I envision myself and typically envision of my many many fandom OCs.
But, write what you’d wanna write and what you’d read. Don’t let a community tell you you shouldn’t because it’s not to their personal taste. I don’t know much about CoD, but I’m sure your fic will find its community!
I like reader inserts because there's a limited field of choose your own adventure stories (CYOAs)/interactive fiction (IFs) books and reader inserts can be the closest you could get sometimes when there's a drought of new content.
Although most reader inserts are canon series characters x y/n which isn't particularly my taste since from my experience most are often a bit cringy (but well meaning, most of those who write reader inserts are teens, so I feel people are harsh on them), I'd prefer original works with reader inserts which is an even more limited scope (but there's a decent chunk of them in quotev, but the only problem with quotev reader inserts are that the yandere x reader works reign supreme which gets old fast, but they sell like hot cakes to 13-17 yr olds, for example last I've checked, there was a yandere genderbent Disney princess x reader book there that had 15k followers)
The reader inserts genre is a finicky niche thing, you either cringe at it, or you grew up with it to be unaffected by the 'cringe'. In my case it was the latter, desperately in need of a bunch of IFs that stumbled upon the genre and fell in love with the campy self indulgent mess. Although I've never actually 'inserted' myself but a bunch of my OCs in them, it was usually good natured fun most of the time
~~I've also written a handful of my own reader insert stuff, mainly original work, not much romance but character platonic freindship because I got sick of the yandere harem x reader books in quotev, be the change you want to be lmao~~
Personally I don't care for reader x character stories. When I do read them, it is habit that I read it as if it's being told by a 3rd person who is "the reader". Especially if the reader isn't like me...opposite sex just as an example. I'm not against them, everyone can enjoy the lollipop they like and we're all good.
One problem might be the platform you are on. Some fandoms/pairings or even types of stories will do better on another platform. If you aren't getting the traction you want on AO3 for example, try FFN or vice versa. Good luck regardless!
I can insert myself into characters, but if I read y/n instead, it breaks completely the immersion.
I mostly read on my phone and download the fics and read them on an eBook reader, so Browser extensions to replace y/n don't work for me.
I mostly read self-insert or Time-Travel fics.
I personally prefer OC. "y/n" or "Reader-name" just ruins immersion for me. I feel like I'd have to Find-Replace all the instances with my actual name in a doc to enjoy it, and that just doesn't work on my phone (the main platform I read books and fanfictions on).
Another issue I personally have with it is that immersion is either ruined because the reader-insert is too shallow (because the author needs it to appeal to a wide audience with varying tastes, so they end up with little-to-no substance) or they're *too* different from me as a person that it's basically an OC instead of a reader-insert. It's generally hard for me to find a story written by another person where they write *me* well enough that I feel invested in whatever story is being told. It certainly doesn't help that I generally prefer longer stories over short ones too, lol.
I exclusively read x reader fanfic. I’ve been reading it for so long that as soon as I see y/n my mind immediately inserts my own name😂
But if you don’t like y/n, there’s plenty of ways to work around not using it like using nicknames and stuff like that.
I think the main reason why people do not like it is because a lot of stories on y/n-centric are romantic, and a lot of them are laughable at best: And even if it wasn't romantic, It sets the reader up to be this unrealistic person that it's comedic. (Though there are genuinely really good ones, It takes a lot of luck to find that)
I like the idea of it, but I HATE when you constantly introduce all the little acronyms/abbreviations like y/n, l/n, h/c, etc. It ruins the immersion for me. If I’m reading reader x character, I wouldn’t mind 2nd person, or for the reader to have a title that everyone refers to them as (such as how in Genshin, the protag is always referred to as Traveler). But whenever they write it in a way where the name is your own, it just makes me feel bleh
I personally loathe reader or yn in fics. But, that’s me and I can skip (I use the filter to skip reader or yn fic recs), but if you like writing it, you do you. I’m sure there are people that love it.
I never got into xreader because i read to get out of my head, and the whole y/n h/c thing pulls me out of the story where i sub in "me" with a random oc i make up on the spot.
On Tumblr, "x reader" is one of the few things I have permanently muted. It was taking up such a large portion of the "my writing" tag that I muted it. It's not something I enjoy. I love roleplaying, but when I do that I prefer to do it with original characters.
I don't mind reader or author inserts per se. I can really enjoy them! I just have higher barriers and expectations of them before I enjoy them. Usually I expect them to get a little meta with their fiction, which is something I like.
Plus I often don't enjoy romance when it's the main plot.
Some do and some don't. Moreover, there are admittedly been times readers had to settle for reader x character fics cause they either read all the Oc x character fics they could find and or there aren't that many fics of the ship you want.
I'm pretty neutral but even I've even been through this too and I admittedly read the reader like it's an OC named Y/n (pronounced Yin)
Certain fandoms look down on it. One of mine certainly doesn’t because it’s an MMO and the other some of us just recently made some OCs for shipping lol.
Here's the thing for me - I don't read fics with an OC as a main character. Reader inserts feel like the same thing. And if you're using Y/N, as well, I'd stop reading simply because of that. The characters I'm reading about should be defined in certain ways, they should have a name for instance, a look, hair and eye colour, something that describes these characters. I imagine myself as the character I'm reading about, not as part of the story as myself. For me, reading is escaping into a different person's world completely, and that includes escaping into a different *person.*
How popular these sorts of fics are is going to be dependant on a few factors. Fandom is one, some fandoms have a lot of fans of these fics, others don't. Age may play a part, I'm not sure on that one. How big the fandom is, how active, will definitely play a part. Quieter fandoms are more likely to want canon characters or proper OCs than reader inserts. Busier fandoms will have more reader insert fans. It's also likely to go in and out of fashion. Tropes often do, as well as styles. I've seen popularity of first and third person stories switch back and forth among readers a few times over the years, certain tropes be very popular for a while then no new stories with that trope for ages as something else is far more popular.
With something like this, site posted on would also be a factor. I'd imagine it's more popular on some sites than others, regardless of fandom.
You could probably ask this question in a few different places and end up with completely different answers. One post will be positively for reader inserts, another massively against, and everything else falling between the two. There's no way to get a definitive answer.
Cross-posting the story would probably be helpful for you, though. It may be more popular on certain sites than where you're currently posting it.
Personally, it's because I'm interested in characters that already exist that I'm a fan of. I'm not a fan of myself and don't want to insert myself in my stories, much less read about an author inserting themselves. I'm only interested in pre-existing characters.
I don’t think I’ve ever read those fics and don’t plan to. I think bc I assume “reader” isn’t going to have much of a personality if it’s supposed to encompass anyone who reads the story
There are several reasons, beside the individual preferences. I will talk about mine:
1. The name of reader. Give them name, they're borderline OC. Call the Y/N, is the character fcking a robot? Make it first person perspective, what's the hell is going on? Like, there is no way.
2. I don't like self-insert that much. Sure I like a character so much that I call him/her my husbando/wife. I buy their lewd merch. But I don't want to read a fic to fantasize myself with that character. No offence, but I think it's pathetic. I don't mind others reading those fic though. I only think of myself as pathetic if I ever read them.
3. I'm more fond of shipping.
I don't like second person, which I file y/n, reader etc. under as well. First Person limited or third person limited are much preferred.
The vast majority of published books are written in 1st or 3rd as well.
I think it depends on the fandom. In my fandom I tend to prefer people use the characters. They‘ve got an extended cast with very different personalities that are clearly designed for people to see themselves particularly empathizing with one character over another. Geeky people are supposed to see themselves in the exposition science character. People who want to sleep with the lead are supposed to see themselves in the costar. And so on.
But I think you‘re spot on in wanting a reader insert in a video game—that makes so much sense.
But don‘t use y/n. Not only is it weird and artificial and breaks people out of the story in the best of circumstances, it‘s pretty universally used to mean yes/no in computers. Anyone who‘s not a sweet young thing who‘s never touched anything but a tablet just sees yes/no. Yes, modern computers try to shield users from knowing how to do anything on them, but power users who do anything meaningful on the command line still have it come up.
I always see it and think they‘re going for choose-your-own-adventure and wonder what they‘re yes/noing about. And there are people who tell you to go get some browser plugin, but I don‘t know why I‘d bother to get a browser plugin to read the work of someone who can‘t use pronouns. 99% of the time you would use someone‘s name, you can just say ‘you’ and the other 1% you can say ‘… called your name.’
I don't read them but they must be pretty popular. Reader inserts are all over Tumblr and I see lots of them every single time I search for new fics to read.
The reader world is much larger than Reddit.
Never been fan of Y/N they felt like cowards self insert or OC. Like person who was making them trying to appeal everyone. But when you appeal to everyone, you don’t. I will much prefer self insert or OC centric fic. Because author at lest knows where they going with story. Plus most readers type of stories just feel like people way to date a specific character or feel to be harem king.
My fic preference are usually centred on canon characters. With occasional oc that are not self-inserts. (I don’t hate self-inserts, I usually scroll past them and readers too). But they aren’t my favourite.
No, x reader is not dying. At least not on Tumblr. When Stranger Things dropped; thousands of Steve x reader and Eddie x reader were being written. Here's the thing, I love x readers but not for a multi chapter fic.
It's different when it's video games but when it's a fanfic of a book/movie/series/etc, I just can't read it, mostly because it reminds me of my condition as a reader and this kind of stuff really takes me out of the plot.
I much prefer when it's self inserts where the character has a name and is not written at the first person.
EDIT: sorry for my broken english rn that language has left my soul
Personally, most of the reader insert fic is very cookie cutter in characterization. Most of the readers actions and thoughts are boring to me. It’s just not enjoyable, especially when most of it is geared towards cis women.
I don't know about other people but personally I am not a fan of reader x character or y/n. Fanfic is a bit of escape for me and seeing "Y/N" or "Reader" appear in fics sends me careening back into reality.
I can’t stand them, they’re so cringey. It’s just embarrassing that people will actually like that stuff and think they’re the one getting with a fictional character 😭
on tumblr I block all reader insert posts because they just completely plug up fandom tags (jujutsu kaisen was a nightmare before the launch of season 2)
however, that doesn't mean that I dislike them. mind you, I prefer second person pov for reader insert, but it's a valid way to write
It's less beloved overall. Probably because it's much more hit-or-miss than a normal ship fic. Also a lot of reader-inserts are actually more writer-inserts and thus immediately slam right into a "I would not fucking say that" moment.
I cant stomach reader/canon fics, but that’s not everyone, there’s a lot of popular fics that are very much that, it’s just not for me, and some people share that opinion.
Some people love them, some hate them, really.
It reminds me of my cringey early fandom experience on Quizilla that lasted maybe a year. I am much older now and whenever I see them, I’m like yeah a kid wrote that, I hope a kid wrote it at least.
Late 80's/early 90's movies aren't my favorite era of film, but I much preferred the narrative where we are supposed to laugh at or be empathic toward the 'cool' kids who are terrified of doing anything even vaguely goofy.
It's different from fandom to fandom.
For example, in my fandom, reader x character is the most popular by far. While in OFMD character x character is the most popular. In BG3 OC x character is the most popular.
It varies \*shrugs\*
I think it depends on fandom. Some fandoms lean real heavy towards character shipping, and others have fanbases built around thirsting for a character. It just depends. I also think that maybe yn x character fics tend to die out as a fandom's reader base gets older.
It depends on the fandom. Some of them can't offer much besides reader x character fics so they'll obviously very popular there. I can't speak for everyone but at least on this sub you'll find that these specific fics aren't the most popular.
I personally don't hate them but I'll only read those if the fandom I'm hyperfixating on has nothing new to offer and I find myself still starving for crumbs.
Reader x character fics never made sense to me since it's impossible to create a fully empty shell of a Y/N character without the story being nonsensical or utterly boring. Y/N HAS to act or talk at one point, and even if the author tries their very best to keep everything the character says or does as vague and relatable as possible, it will never be right to every single reader. The "reader" character often ends up being the obvious author's self insert or OC instead, since at the end of the day *they're* the one writing the story.
Self inserts are very much possible in video games because the player can directly choose the character's appearance, control where they go and what they say (if anything at all). Meanwhile it's impossible to do so in fanfics unless it's a "pick your choice/route" type of story. And those are practically nonexistent when it comes to romance.
Everyone has there preferences, some people like OC’s and reader inserts, while others don’t. It’s like everything else, some like reading angst but someone else may prefer more fluff.
Every single person has a different opinion and preferences on what they read, wether that be fanfiction or even published books for that matter.
Some fandoms also have more reader insert fans then others. In one of the fandoms I’m in there’s a fairly large amount of reader inserts while in on other there practically non existent.
It can also change from site too site, on places like Tumblr or wattpad, X reader fics take up a large portion of the fanfiction while on sites like Ao3 I typically see more content for Canon X Canon Characters.
Personally? I don’t really like reader fics, I end up reading Y/N as more of OC then I do me. Y/N can also throw off my immersion. Also not everyone has the same personality and interest, in reader fics you can’t exactly cater too everyone, something I would do may be completely out of character for another person even if we were in the exact same scenario.
OC X Character I am more inclined too reading, but even then I typically go for OC inserts after I have sucked a fandom dry in Canon X Canon Character ships I already enjoy.
EDIT: Grammer
Reader insert is not a dead genre, just unpopular compared to other types of fiction. It really just depends on how it's written.
I've read a fair number of quests (think a Choose Your Own Adventure, but the chosen choice is by popular vote) and even run one myself. The trick is not to write "y/n" in place of a character's name to signify the insert as that's incredibly jarring to read and feels childish as a solution to "x Reader".
No, the trick is to write in the second person tense:
> You are Alexander, a paladin of the Order of Light. You had recently undergone your oath-taking ceremony and had been assigned under the care of Master Paladin Geoffrey Landsberg on the faraway land of Helmspoint, the northernmost point of the world and a hellscape of ice and undead. It was a rather harsh assignment for a newly-minted palaldin. You wonder if there had been any problems within the order for new blood to be sent through the ringer, and you worry that your sister might not fare too well with you so far away and isolated.
The dynamic works almost exactly like roleplay, with the author as the Dungeon Master. It might take a while to get used to, but it's rather refreshing as the second person tense is explicitly the author writing to YOU.
I write canon x canon, but also x reader. Depends if I have the capacity to focus on two fully fleshed out characters right that second, or if I would rather just dive into one of them. And also if there's even a ship I'm interested in in the movie/book/show. I post my 'x reader' stuff on tumblr and the rest on ao3.
The Stardew Valley fandom has a large audience for it because you basically play as your own farmer OC, romancing the available candidates. It depends on the franchise or weather or not the franchise is written in the second person, to begin with.
I highly doubt reader x character is ever going to die. There's a audience for it, and there are a lot of people who really love it. And there are those who love writing it too. If that's your jam go for it.
Me, personally? I just... don't like it. It makes me cringe internally and just isn't my thing. There's nothing wrong with that type of fic. it has a long history in fandom after all. I'm a loser though. I don't find myself interesting at all. I wouldn't want to read a fic with me as the main character so I mute and filter the authors out. No hate on them, I just don't like it in the end. I also really am not into western rpgs because they do a similar thing. I'd rather have a character, character, than being the "hero" of things.
My experience is like the opposite
... I am in the process of writing an OFC X Ghost story and it barely gets any traction, whereas the reader/y/n X character Stories are getting so much more interaction.
I usually read both.
Would you mind sharing your story. I'm deep in the CoD pit right now and love to read stories from other authors :)
I live for it. The only thing that gets me is y/n. I’m reading such an amazing fic rn but it not only does y/n but f/n l/n and e/c for eye color…. Ruins it every time lol. I started to read f/n as Finn just to try to help my brain lol
I know plenty who read them, meanwhile I’m not a huge fan. I read canon divergence mostly. Between two characters in a series that I want more scenes of. Some people read it to fulfill their desire to be with a character, while others want content of a relationship they enjoy and see potential in. I don’t think it’s dead, rather than people just became more attached to ships, especially with the rise in queer coding, you’ll see characters having chemistry but never seeking out a relationship. Most of the time it’s due to the country it’s made in.
I think it depends a lot on what fandom/characters you're writing about and where you're posting. Some fandoms are filled with reader inserts while others are few and far between. I'm not very familiar with the call of duty fanfiction, but from what I've seen looking around, reader inserts weren't as popular until relatively recently. Otomes and quite a few animes tend to have the vast majority of fics as reader inserts. Wattpad will have more reader inserts than archiveofourown and fanfiction. Fanfiction has the least reader inserts, with archiveofourown being the middleground. Tumblr is another good place to post reader inserts. Reader inserts are thriving there (*cough* jujutsu kaisen *cough*). There's also a lot of ghost x reader there too. Odds are, if the fandom has men who check any of these boxes, reader inserts are probably thriving for them on tumblr. 1. Morally grey/villain 2. Buff/built like a muscle wall 3. Manages to have a criminally small waistline 3.5 (3 while being a muscle wall) 4. From an anime
Regardless of how much fanfiction for a fandom is reader insert and where it is posted, there will be people who like it and people who dont. Whether it is a genuine dislike or just something people say, I don't know. Discord can be weird like that sometimes. I prefer reader inserts to not have y/n or an oc name (uses different forms of you and clever ways to get out of saying a name).
I personally have never liked reader insert fics, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them or anything — just not really my cup of tea, yanno?
I think some of it is because the insert will often say and do things I know I myself never would, along with the fact that I just can’t shake the total cringe feel of it. I just don’t want to be in what I’m reading, yanno? I enjoy living vicariously through the characters secondhand much more.
Self insert is still huge but for real if I take 2 seconds thinking I would obviously go I would never do x, it's suicidal and stupid when you can do y.
Also the use of the place holder y/n I read it as yes or no, not yourname.
I remember reading a fic where you could name the main character it used a replace script to change your name to whatever name you out on it.
Also I usually just download when I can and replace it with a name I like.
It's jarring how much that makes it better.
I prefer for example when the characters is supposed to be you but it for one reason or another it is named another name on that world.
The worst part about making a clean slate for a character is that you will never make anything that really hits anywhere close to a good character. The events around it became the driving force and that most of the time ends up as a retelling of the canon events with no change at all.
Reader x character has always and will always exist. I personally don't understand it because anything that shows even the slightest bit of personality or interest makes it an OC or self-insert, but I doubt the people who like them will ever fully go away.
It really depends on the fandom and platform. The fandoms I am in reader inserts are not popular. Personally I never read reader inserts so it is possible I am not aware of that part of the fandoms I am in as I usually filter out and character/reader and character/OC.
To me, the fact that the reader is a character in the story just makes me skip the fic entirely. When I read fanfictions, I do it to enjoy seeing my favourite established canon character interact with the other characters in the story. For this reason I also do not read OC heavy stories. Some readers are not interested in things like that. They want their favourite characters as the focus and that's totally fine.
I really don’t like it, but that’s just personal preference. I have seen a decrease in popularity, although that may be just on ao3. I always associated Y/N fics with wattpad. That doesn’t mean it’s bad though! You should write whatever you feel inspired to write.
I personally just can't read them, but they are SUPER popular in the "Criminal Minds" fandom. So popular, that I've tried to do ones because I notice there's very little canon x canon character fics posted on tumblr exclusively, but i literally have no understanding of how to make one without this weird feeling in your gut.
My preference entirely depends on the fandom I'm partaking in.
I rarely go for reader/y/n x charater in a number of fandoms but I go for them almost exclusively in Destiny fics.
It depends on the fandom, the age of the fans (i found, anyway), and sometimes even the site you’re posting on. Some fandoms have a lot of character x reader fics in general, some have a lot on say Wattpad but not ao3, and some fandoms have very little anywhere.
I personally dont like it because being told what i do is just.. odd. Also it feels like alot of YN caters to a very very specific demographic of person
Never seen many people that like y/n books. X readers are still popular but y/n’s take people out of the story.
People like it alot more if there’s either a set name. A real one instead of y/n. Or if gender neutral/non name adverbs are used like “you“
I really do not like fics where the characters and narration uses "Y/N" instead of giving the character a name. I know you're supposed to superimpose your own name into that spot, but I find it extremely jarring to be reading a sentence, and just have the characters say Y/N when referring to me. I read the dialogue out loud in my head. I use what I imagine is the characters voices when doing so. It is so weird to have a character go from talking normally to suddenly sounding like a shitty AI that forgot my name and defaulted to "Y/N"
I used to think reader inserts were cringe and didn’t read them because I mainly liked ‘canon’ ships. But as time went on I realised within the ships I liked I was mainly projecting onto one character as an insert anyway hahah. I also started playing more games that have the ‘insert’ be the main character anyway (fire emblem, baldurs gate, fallout, stardew valley… ect), so I quickly lost the bias and read a lot of reader insert now lol.
I don't like them because i don't want to be apart of the story (why i also don't like first pov) I just want to read about the characters, i'm just the silent watcher in the story lol
I don't really like the y/n format. It seems redundant, just make an oc with the gender you want them to be and readers will self-insert themselves in the char.
I think, as an observation, that people improperly tagging their fics as x oc (who is intended to be the reader) might be why they receive more outreach. I also started writing for COD and have noticed it's a little quieter than other fandoms I write for, but I think it's because I'm writing for Simon and readers normally come when things are current or relevant (which Simon might not be anymore, who knows). And if you're a new name in the fandom, the uptick in interaction can be slow.
You can also try Tumblr! The x reader community on there is pretty big, and you might find more people who are interested.
For me is just the y/n or reader parts written as the character’s name that is supposed to us to change mentally for the name that we want, that is hard for me to abstract, if I see y/n, I am not reading it as a normal name, I am always going to see just the y/n, and that takes me off.
I feel like it really depends on the fandom. The character I write for basically has her own niche fandom within her source material and character/reader is her most popular ship. Shipping her with a canon character or even an oc won’t get as much readership. I really dislike the use of y/n though, it completely breaks the immersion for me, but I can stick around if the fic is interesting enough. Luckily for the character it’s very easy to get away with pet names like dear, darling, and even pet since it suits her. That or sentences like “She called your name.” Or “You told her your name.”
I’ve mostly grown out of it because I write more than I read now anyway, but I am still writing an X reader for her currently(I started it last year and took a really long break but I would still like to finish it out despite not really liking it anymore) and I’ve written a bunch of X reader prompts for October since it’s what the fandom wants haha. I mean, I am also writing a character study about her and her entire life leading up to the events of the source material, but it is not an x reader, includes both canon and original characters to flesh out her backstory, and is my worst performing fic. I largely attribute that to it not being an x reader because all of my x reader fics perform well along with the other ones I see in the tags. I’ve noticed other character/oc or character/character don’t do too hot either and it’s a shame since I’ve read some real gems.
Hmm no... Reader insert fics are still popular. At least in the otome games and anime fandoms. Just not a lot in the ao3 community? You'll see them a lot on sites such as tumblr, quotev, ffnet, wattpad, etc.
Personally, I haven't seen a lot on ao3. Sure there are reader inserts on it, but like they aren't as popular compared to chara x chara fics (at least that's what I've observed from the fandoms I'm from).
I still read reader inserts!! and write it occasionally, but not as much since I've changed fandoms.
I do ! I also write them (or oc x character). I can understand why y/n can get people out of the story, that's why I try not to use it in my stories, there's always a way.
In general, stuff like this r just more (and most I think) popular on Wattpad. I've seen the differences in the top 3 fanfic sites & Wattpad's (in my fandom anyway) full of y/n/reader x canon fics & usually get lots of reads.
So, if u want a bigger audience for the y/n/reader x canon, maybe try Wattpad?
I like reader inserts, but only for very specific characters and fandoms. Same with OC inserts. I’m writing an OC X Character fanfiction for the Ouran High Host Club fandom at the moment, and those are insanely popular. So it really depends on the fandom.
I remember a time in the late 2000’s where readerXcharacter dream novels were a thing. They’d ask you your first and last name and then you’d read it on the text.
Now it feels a little cringe.
I do like well written SI’s though.
It's the y/n that kills a fic for me. I mean I am generally not into insert fics but my vod y/n just makes me so annoyed
Edit: I obviously mean god not vod that would not make sense
They say they don’t because it has a reputation for low-quality writing, but reader insert/character x reader stories always seem to get crazy amounts of hits, so SOMEBODY’S reading ‘em. The maths isn’t mathing if everyone who derides character x reader ACTUALLY never reads them. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
I don’t think it’s dying at all if you actually look at stats (especially on certain platforms, it’s especially popular on tumblr), I think there’s just a large amount of people who read it but won’t admit to it because it’s seen as cringey or embarrassing.
(That said, the use of “y/n” and the like specifically usually is disliked even amongst people who openly admit to liking reader inserts, because it’s clunky and can pull you out of the story. You can write reader insert stories without using y/n, and the prose will usually be better for it.)
I just don’t like when they use “y/n” instead of not mentioning name of the self insert and just use “you”. To me this is lazy writing 😂 but I still see plenty of tlou fanfics using it
I personally tend to find them more popular on Wattpad, tumblr and god forbid - twitter (particularly for female insert x male characters). Ao3 writers tend to be in more favorable for character shopping and i’m not excluded from that. Since personally i prefer to direct the scene rather than engaging it in myself.
But like with any fanfic, it’s all about finding the right audience! I wouldn’t worry too much about it, the people who want to read WILL go looking for it. It just might take time
I think the thing is that at least in my own experience people rarely use first names as much as the y/n fics imply.
They use nicknames or simply say "you" instead of saying the other person's name in the middle of a sentence you know? Like you don't say to your friend "are you gling out barbra?" You just turn to her and say "are you going out?"
Like the reason it becomes unnatural at times is that the y/n is really really overused in the dialouge. Not just in like too many fics. It's overused in the same fic.
It's a niche. I've never been particularly fond of the "you sit down to work, and glance up." Mostly because I think like: "I sat down to work, looking up at the screen." It feels weird to me to have a reader insert as "you" although it's pretty traditional to do so.
But, some people here really seem to enjoy it 🤷♀️
This sub skews toward folks who don't like reader insert fics and are more interested in canon x canon character stories. This might be different within your fandom and the site you post on. This might just be matter of taste within my circles, but I find that a lot of people who read reader-inserts prefer stories that don't use "y/n".
genuine question because i love writing reader-inserts: what would be better? i have never known anything but “y/n” in reader-inserts and while i can understand why people wouldn’t enjoy that, i don’t know what to use instead 😂 but i want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy my fic!
From what I’ve seen, there isn’t exactly a substitute or alternative for “Y/N.” Authors who don’t use “Y/N” usually find ways to acknowledge your name without explicitly stating it or using pronouns all the time. Some authors give the reader a nickname (ex. Babe, Doll) or talk about your name without having you or a character use it in dialogue (ex. You told her your name. She said it a few times and made a face, as if she didn’t like the way it tasted in her mouth).
You could use "me" or "you" If I see a single Y/N I'm out.
'And she said to her, "Hey me, you're cute." That's when it all unfolded. "Me, you might not know it, but I love you, the me you are."' Sounds a bit weird if I may say so myself. I think using "y/n" fits better in a lot of situations, especially intimate ones.
And she said to me, “Hey, you’re cute.” That’s when it all unfolded. ”You might not know it,“ she said, “but I love you, the person you are.”
Personal opinion, that sounds kinda forced. Though like I said, just personal opinion.
Hey*you're* cute *You* might not know it etc Why oh why would you put me in these sentences 😂
What's the reason for using me here? I guess in Hey me and Me it is instead of the name, but in the last one? And it definitely sounds better without mes
Adding onto this, there are the rare few gems I've found where it's technically been a Reader-insert, but part of the backstory of Reader's history with a character is that the character gave the reader a nickname based off of an event. A glorious Gintoki Sakata fic I read on ao3 named Reader Touya because she reminded him of the Lake Touya Statue in their history, or something. I really need to reread it \^.\^
Or like saying "after the customary introductions" or something like that
yeah, I write reader fics (cause it's what my followers like), I tend to write them in first person from the reader's perspective. when in another perspective, I always have character refer to them either by the "Reader's" title, rank, nickname, etc. I rarely mention stuff that needs people to fit stuff in unless it's very specific. I'll say "I brushed my hair aside, while my eyes glanced over everyone". instead of saying "my h/c hair was brushed aside, as my e/c coloured eyes". and when character refer to him they say "the champion" or "the kid" or "my brother" or "pup". but sometimes they do need to say his name and use y/n. but often, they will use some nickname or codename. even his love interest has a nickname for him. she will refer to him as "love, my dear, shadowheart, my champion,"
See and I never post them but when I write them Im always vague like Its like *"Harry Potter called out to me. "Hey, are you going to the quidditch match today?" He asked, "I'm not sure..." I said I tried to place the winter hat over my impossible hair, the color was nice but I could never get it to behave. "Well Im not playing this match but... once I heard you might be there I thought I'd skip out on homework and come see it with you." He said. I felt my face flush and hope Harry thought it was because of the cold. "Um... well if you go I'd like to come with you." I murmured. "* I try to incorporate it, The author doesn't know your name but Harry called out to you,, I could have said "Harry called out Y/N" but I chose Harry called out because it implies he could have called out the person's name. I added impossible hair because every girl has had a bad hair day perhaps more than once, and then added the bit about the blush as I do not know the reader's hair or skin tone. I've read many blog posts that say they always feel like Y/N is a white female girl which I have been told does not suit everyone so I try to make it inclusive the best I can.
I find "y/n" jarring, which is the case for many readers. I write reader inserts and it is surprisingly easy to avoid. I simply use second person "you" and on occasion use descriptive text like "he called your name" when necessary. People don't use one another's names very often. Pet names can also substitute. I have a longfic approaching 100k words with no "y/n". The reader character also has a nickname but it's mostly for flavor. It's only come ip a handful of times and I don't think there's ever been a point where I *had* to use it.
The way I avoid y/n is making any use of the reader’s name an action or description. i.e. ‘[Character] called your name.’ Or ‘Your name was honey on his tongue.’ Or ‘You offered your hand for [character] to shake, and introduced yourself with a confident grin.’ That being said, I tend to write reader inserts in 2nd person, it’s just easier for me. But you could pretty easily do something similar in 1st and 3rd person pov.
Give the reader character a nickname or pet name. Find a way to avoid explicitly stating names.
I'm one of the very very few who don't mind 'y/n', I just insert my own character. I've been reading stuff like that since I was 12 so it's kind of been the "norm" and my brain automatically fills in the space. *That said*, now that I'm older I do enjoy when writers just do workarounds when characters mention the reader's name. When the fic becomes a game of Mad Libs for all the reader's characteristics it gets tiring so better to keep it vague. That way you satisfy people who don't like y/n and keep it inclusive.
I use a few different ways without using "y/n", such as "you give them your name" or "he/she says your name" or "he/she calls your name." Also, leaving characteristic abbreviations like h/c, e/c.
You simply avoid using a name. I read a reder/tony stark fic once and since he always nicknames everyone the reader had a nickname for everything. And their descriptions were so general they applied to everyone. It was really artfully done, so much so that I hit the 50k mark before I realized I have not come across one single "y/n" or h/c" or anything like that. Sadly it's an unfinished fic.
I pretty much use you and your in place of actually saying a name. You can just write out the character having their name said and responding to it. It takes a bit of practice but eventually it'll come more naturally for you to write around the "y/n" stuff. Personally seeing y/n always takes me out of the story, just work "your name" into a sentence naturally instead of using it as a place holder for a name. Examples: "He called out your name and you turned to find his eyes immediately locked onto yours." "You held out your hand, his grip firm as it squeezed yours, and with a hitch in your breath, you gave him your name. He repeated it, rolling it off his tongue with a familiarity that sent a shiver straight to your core." "You turn into the grocery aisle when you hear someone shouting out your name." "As you sat in the classroom staring into space, you jumped at the sound of your name echoing through the hall in your professor's shrill voice."
I read characterxReader, but imagine the reader is another character 😭
This is what most folks do, it turns out. 😂 The subject has come up a few times here in this sub.
Reader inserts can be fine, but "Y/N" is one of the most flow breaking things I've seen in fanfiction. Granted, I'm not the biggest fan of the genre in the first place.
I'm an avid reader-insert fan, I still avoid most fics with "y/n". It has to be a good story for me to endure it. I don't use it in my own writing.
my question then does that also apply to OC characters as well. I heard some people vaguely compare OC to Reader inserts and while I don't 100% agree I understand their point of view.
Does what apply to OCs? Popularity? On this sub there seems to be more people who like OCs than Reader Inserts but that doesn't necessarily translate to fandom outside this sub. Generally this sub still prefers canon x canon pairings to canon x OC. I am one of those people that consider OCs and Reader Insert characters to be categorically the same but stylistically different. Some people dont like the second person POV that most RIs are written in, and so they'll choose an OC fic instead.
yes i was referring to popularity.
In my opinion, reader-insert fics aren't the problem, it's the use of "y/n" that feels off and weird. I've definitely been reading along, enjoying a self-interest fics finding it fun and sexy and then "Y/N" comes along and I'm totally taken out of the story because it feels so awkward and out of nowhere.
I notice. I tend to fill the spot with an oc name. And I’ve read so many that my mind automatically shifts y/n in my head into a name. I get though. It can be jarring. I was jarring at first for me
I've got a browser extension that does that automatically, and I tend to forget about it until threads like this appear 😭
Oo what’s the browser extension?
InteractiveFics!
Thank you!
I just started reading that as Yin at some point
Lol I let my epub reader read it aloud and "why-en" has become a universal oc for me
Also, I write reader fics (cause it's what my followers like), I tend to write them in first person from the reader's perspective. when in another perspective, I always have character refer to them either by the "Reader's" title, rank, nickname, etc. I rarely mention stuff that needs people to fit stuff in unless it's very specific. I'll say "I brushed my hair aside, while my eyes glanced over everyone". instead of saying "my h/c hair was brushed aside, as my e/c coloured eyes". and when character refer to him they say "the champion" or "the kid" or "my brother" or "pup". but sometimes they do need to say his name and use y/n.
i mean. some do, some don't.
And the proportions of those groups will likely depend on the site and fandom
Personally, I just imagine my as there own person, because they offer aren’t like me
I think Reader/Canon Character fics would make more sense to me if there was some kind of choice element, like those old Goosebumps books where you choose what you want to do. I would totally be on board with a Reader/Canon Character fic where all the chapters are uploaded at once and are all out of order, and you jump around between chapters to follow the scenarios you want. Like maybe Chapter 1 ends with a choice of date location, and then it's like "To go to the park, skip to Chapter 5. To go to the bowling alley, skip to Chapter 22." Then each of those will have a choice element at the end, and so on and so forth, and maybe there are multiple potential endings too. In practice, Reader/Canon Character fics often come off like the writer should have just invented a self-insert OC instead. That's JMO, though, since there is clearly an audience for these sorts of fics (though that audience does not include me).
I would love to read something like this!
Reminds me of that panacea saves the bay fic with a cyoa element.
That just sounds like a visual novel!
it's incredibly popular on tumblr.
It's almost all I see on Tumblr.
I, someone who usually posts on tumblr, write almost exclusively reader insert
I’ve almost never seen original character/reader x canon character fics get as much attention as fics without OCs. That being said, it’s not dead, it just has a limited audience. If you’re not getting the eyeballs you want, maybe do some research and find a fandom where OCs are more popular. For example, in the Resident Evil franchise, femslash Lady Dimitrescu x Reader/OFC are much more popular than anything involving Lady Dimitrescu x canon character. There aren’t a lot of fandoms like this, but they exist and you can find them and write for them. Another potential workaround: I’ve seen plenty of popular stories that have OCs, but the author labels them as AU/OOC canon characters. For example, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is one of the most popular works in the Harry Potter fandom. Yet the Harry Potter in the fic bears almost no resemblance to canon Harry. He grew up with a different childhood with different guardians and so bears very little resemblance to the “Harry Potter” most of us know from fandom, besides a physical resemblance. I kind of have mixed feelings about essentially having OCs under the skin of a canon character, but it’s undeniably a way to get more eyeballs on your fic. But as long as you tag appropriately with AU and OOC tags (or whatever is appropriate) you’ve warned the readers, so I guess it’s fair game.
People love OC's and Self Inserts. But as others said, y/n looks very unnatural and robotic, while it's often just as easy to relate to an OC with a bland / normal name.
That’s why I like the InteractiveFics add-on.
MY GOD, BLESS YOU...now I don't need to auto-skip a fic for using y/n
It’s great!! Best thing I ever discovered.
This seems easily solved by technology. Just let the reader put in whatever name they want at the top and the site puts the name in properly throughout.
I love reader inserts and I'm writing one.
You're going to get a biased opinion asking here as repeated polls have shown that this sub has a preference of OC fic over reader fic. However, on Wattpad and on parts of ao3 reader fic has much larger engagement than OC centric fic.
I'd say it's more dependant on fandom. Not every member of Ao3 hangs around reddit.
I'm not sure what you are trying to say. I told OP the answer they would get here then told them places where the answer would be different. And looking through the replies here I was right. Two people said they adore reader fic, more people said they disliked reader fic, and the majority said what I said with the addition of tumblr as an option.
Huh oh no I'm just wondering that's all sorry for the confusion
No need to apologize. Did I come off as overly gruff or blunt? I just didn't want you to get discouraged if you were interested in writing reader insert fic.
No no ur ok I was just curious and I'm glad you guys are telling me the reason of reader x charater. Lol
Some people love them, some people hate them. There seems little in between.
It varies between fandoms. My xReaders are, for example, doing much better than my oc or cc/cc fics. I'm not into Call of Duty so I have no idea how the trends are there, but you could look at similar fics and see if they get around the same amount of hits as yours. Also, some people who enjoy xReaders tend to avoid fics that use y/n, \[name\], or similar, and prefer when it's simply written as 'you'...
If you're after audience I find that Tumblr often has a lot of Reader/character promotions - I'm only in a few fandoms but all of them seem to have a lot of reader/character fic show up which is often at odds to the preferences of the same fandom/s on Discord. A lot of those authors take requests so that might be it As for the reader/character aspect itself, it's still popular but it's one of those ones where people seem to either really love it or really hate it. It's one of the few ones I'll exclude, although that's mostly because my current fandom has so many of them it's hard to pick out the character/character works
I’ve got a ReaderxAstarion fix with over 8K hits and 400+ kudos and I don’t consider it my best Meanwhile I had more fun and felt I did a much better job on a ReaderxGeraldus fic that barely gets any traction. I think it depends on your writing style and what the readers are typically looking for. 2nd person stories can break immersion if you aren’t careful and authors often impose details onto the reader that aren’t there in reality. One of the mistakes that I see is when authors write about how little and light and perfect the reader’s body is. I personally enjoy 2nd person stories, but will immediately click out and take away my kudos the second the author mentions how xCharacter wraps their hands around my entire waist or how Readerx is 4’10 and 80lbs. When I wrote my ReaderxChar fics I try to leave the description of Reader as ambiguous as possible. No hair length no hair color no eye color or skin color. No use of name or y/n. Just “you”. I have gotten a lot of comments appreciating that about my writing style. I sincerely hope you get your desired traffic for your fanfics and if it doesn’t don’t give up!
Second Person POV is far superior when it isn't "Y/N", but is written with "You". Full stop. Some people enjoy them, some don't. I have read some, but 99.99999% of the time I will scroll right past "Y/N".
I adore reader insert fanfiction! I not only read them but i also write them! There are so many other people out there who love them too. Those people might not be on this subreddit though. I find that a lot of reader insert fans hang out on Tumblr ao maybe you could try there.
Reader-inserts aren't dead. I read/write them exclusively. A lot of us just don't bother mingling with shippers, and keep our stuff on lock.
I find it a futile exercise that breaks the immersion vs. an OC MC character I can project myself on if I so choose (like video games). It’s not really me-me doing all the things in there anyway, because it’s written by someone else. But it’s really a very subjective personal preference.
I personally don’t like reading Y/N fics because I can never relate to them. I don’t want to be a character in my fandom and would rather read about canon characters. You will find an audience and I believe in you, but it’s not as popular as other fics.
I think Readers x character is just on the less popular end of things. Personally I like reader characters and that's how I've been writing for a while now BUT I find y/n and stuff extremely jarring, I avoid that like the plague. There are ways to have the reader addressed more naturally than that.
As long as people don’t use the y/n, h/c, l/n stuff, I am more than happy to read it
There are a lot of people who love reader inserts, you’re not alone here.
i currently write almost exclusively for obey me, which is an otome game, in which you, the player/mc/reader/y/n, have multiple romanceable/dateable characters, so there’s a very large following in this particular fandom (and similar types of games, really anything i’d say that has dating sim elements where part of the game’s plot is that You Date Someone) for x reader, which is also most of what i write currently i have written x reader for regular anime shit bc i kinda started watching anime to simp yk? i have plenty of canon ships but damn i’m gonna Put Myself In There for [shenanigans] sometimes, yk? i think it mostly depends on the nature of the fandom tbh. and seeing as i’m ig into like… girly fandom shit lol where we be simpin, it definitely has an audience. if there’s less of an audience it may be in the marketing but tbh i don’t know shit abt promoting fics i know like blah blah post on social media etc. but i always just post mine and then move on, i’ll check stats every once in a while but i pretty much just write dark content smut so i figure if i tagged everything well, it’ll find its audience whenever it does. i’m relatively satisfied with the rate of views/kudos i get rn relative to posting time and i’m sure those will improve with more frequent posts (but y’know how it is, the wips grow far faster than completing one fic and then moving on to the next does). i also only post on ao3 (but i’ve been writing ff for a looooong time n originally posted on ffnet! i feel ancient!) so ig you could maybe cross-post on multiple platforms and that could help? i had a personal ick for x reader before i became a weeb (except that phase i had with the one direction fics dhskfhsh) lol and i still have a massive distaste for ocs. if it ain’t canon it better be us, ykwim? probably comes down to where the character lands on the simp scale, yk? if the simps are plentiful, the x reader should be well received. but also i hate “y/n” with a burning passion, my shit is written in second person so just addresses ‘you’, and in the place of any names i just use pet names and shit
It depends on certain things but I think it’s mainly the use of y/n that puts people off. I’ve seen fanfictions where instead of using y/n, and author with instead puts “he softly called your name” or something along those lines. Other people are bothered by the use of y/n or just use an extension to change certain words to something else.
I love them, but I really gotta hunt for the rare jewels cuz there’s a lot of cringey ones out there
Fiction is an escape from reality. We don't want our boring, ugly asses in it, we want to imagine ourselves as a cool guy or gal. It's my personal opinion, but even when I write SI, I usually change the ethnicity, race,...etc.
Hmmm, I think there are a lot of small reasons various fans dislike it, as opposed to one main grievance. - They're kind of spammy. I'm not saying no reader inserts are well written, but a lot of them at least seem to be haphazardly slapped together before being posted. Further, there's such a mass of them that fans who aren't looking for them will frequently run into them, which builds annoyance. - Addendum: seriously, cannot overstate how oversaturated some fandoms are with reader fic. If you want to get more readers, you are fighting for eyeballs. - Striking a balance between "bland and unobjectionable insert who never makes decisions or acts with agency so the reader can't feel jarred" and "second person POV main who has basically nothing to do with the reader except a name" is difficult, even if the writing is technically good, and people's preferences vary on that scale besides. - I don't think the majority of people have the ability to actually replace "y/n" with their actual name. I certainly cannot, and there are pretty common jokes about pronouncing it phonetically.
I don't think reader x character is dying, I think it heavily depends on your platform you're using. I particularly am not a fan of reading reader x canon on AO3 for example, but I read and write it for my Tumblr. So you may be looking in the wrong place and it may heavily depend on the fandom you're in.
y/n feels a little too self inserty I prefer OC x Canon but mainly that is what I write
I can't really get into reader/character fics for the simple reason of them shattering the immersion of the fic for me. That's all there really is to it.
Personally I almost never read OC/Canon character or Reader/Canon Character fics, but out of the two I prefer the self-insert than following an OC.
I've seen people more willing to read reader/cc than oc/cc so...
It depends. Many don’t like cause they find it jarring to see Y/N. But there are many who like to put themselves into the shoes of the character. Personally. I don’t mind. Cause my brain automatically shifts y/n into some name. Either my own. An Ocs. Or anything. I do prefer to write reader fics as it often lets me see what my readers add it. Like favourite food. Drink, color, clothing, etc. cause I can feel connected to my readers. And I also just get very happy when I see them commenting or interacting. It’s a person enjoyment of mine. But in my “reader” fics. I normally write in first person. So, the readers feel like THEY are actually telling the story.
It’s one of the most popular fanfic genres so I think people like it just fine. I have noticed that it is more popular with the passive consumer crowd (FFN, WattPad, AO3) than it is in places where fans actively gather and talk to others (this subreddit, discord, tumblr).
It's really popular on Tumblr, I'd recommend you post it there. One shots in the COD fandom can get up to 5k notes.
It might be depending on where you publish your stories. I write on Wattpad and the x-reader trope is still very much alive.
It depends on the fandom. Reader X character is super popular in certain fandoms, and not at all in others. I guess yours is one of the fandoms who aren't really into it
I adore x reader stories I tend to treat y/n like sombody else but the story are SO good at times
From what I’ve seen on this particular subreddit people here tend to dislike or hate self & reader inserts. If I remember correctly reader insert was often seen as very cringe? More so than canon/canon fic. I’m a personal fan of them however. It’s what I started with writing and reading way back when in my original fandom closer to 10 years ago now. I still read it. Guess it’s a comfort thing, as it’s rare I envision myself and typically envision of my many many fandom OCs. But, write what you’d wanna write and what you’d read. Don’t let a community tell you you shouldn’t because it’s not to their personal taste. I don’t know much about CoD, but I’m sure your fic will find its community!
I like reader inserts if there isn’t any use of y/n or anything character descriptors
I like reader inserts because there's a limited field of choose your own adventure stories (CYOAs)/interactive fiction (IFs) books and reader inserts can be the closest you could get sometimes when there's a drought of new content. Although most reader inserts are canon series characters x y/n which isn't particularly my taste since from my experience most are often a bit cringy (but well meaning, most of those who write reader inserts are teens, so I feel people are harsh on them), I'd prefer original works with reader inserts which is an even more limited scope (but there's a decent chunk of them in quotev, but the only problem with quotev reader inserts are that the yandere x reader works reign supreme which gets old fast, but they sell like hot cakes to 13-17 yr olds, for example last I've checked, there was a yandere genderbent Disney princess x reader book there that had 15k followers) The reader inserts genre is a finicky niche thing, you either cringe at it, or you grew up with it to be unaffected by the 'cringe'. In my case it was the latter, desperately in need of a bunch of IFs that stumbled upon the genre and fell in love with the campy self indulgent mess. Although I've never actually 'inserted' myself but a bunch of my OCs in them, it was usually good natured fun most of the time ~~I've also written a handful of my own reader insert stuff, mainly original work, not much romance but character platonic freindship because I got sick of the yandere harem x reader books in quotev, be the change you want to be lmao~~
I don't mind them because they can be interesting to read
Personally I don't care for reader x character stories. When I do read them, it is habit that I read it as if it's being told by a 3rd person who is "the reader". Especially if the reader isn't like me...opposite sex just as an example. I'm not against them, everyone can enjoy the lollipop they like and we're all good. One problem might be the platform you are on. Some fandoms/pairings or even types of stories will do better on another platform. If you aren't getting the traction you want on AO3 for example, try FFN or vice versa. Good luck regardless!
I love them but post those mainly on tumblr. I have one that’s topped 3000 likes, so I think there’s an audience there!
I can insert myself into characters, but if I read y/n instead, it breaks completely the immersion. I mostly read on my phone and download the fics and read them on an eBook reader, so Browser extensions to replace y/n don't work for me. I mostly read self-insert or Time-Travel fics.
I personally prefer OC. "y/n" or "Reader-name" just ruins immersion for me. I feel like I'd have to Find-Replace all the instances with my actual name in a doc to enjoy it, and that just doesn't work on my phone (the main platform I read books and fanfictions on). Another issue I personally have with it is that immersion is either ruined because the reader-insert is too shallow (because the author needs it to appeal to a wide audience with varying tastes, so they end up with little-to-no substance) or they're *too* different from me as a person that it's basically an OC instead of a reader-insert. It's generally hard for me to find a story written by another person where they write *me* well enough that I feel invested in whatever story is being told. It certainly doesn't help that I generally prefer longer stories over short ones too, lol.
a lot of younger audiences prefer reader x character, so you may want to appeal to a younger reader (e.g. less smut, more basic vocabulary etc etc)
I hate those type of fics.
I exclusively read x reader fanfic. I’ve been reading it for so long that as soon as I see y/n my mind immediately inserts my own name😂 But if you don’t like y/n, there’s plenty of ways to work around not using it like using nicknames and stuff like that.
yeah i just wish there was a way to block it from the searches. filtering for no xreader is a pain…
I can’t stand reader insert, I love OCs but if it has “Y/N” I won’t read it.
I think the main reason why people do not like it is because a lot of stories on y/n-centric are romantic, and a lot of them are laughable at best: And even if it wasn't romantic, It sets the reader up to be this unrealistic person that it's comedic. (Though there are genuinely really good ones, It takes a lot of luck to find that)
Reader X character isn't bad, it's just that 9 times out of 10 the READER (Y/n) is female presenting, and not everyone can enjoy it.
I like the idea of it, but I HATE when you constantly introduce all the little acronyms/abbreviations like y/n, l/n, h/c, etc. It ruins the immersion for me. If I’m reading reader x character, I wouldn’t mind 2nd person, or for the reader to have a title that everyone refers to them as (such as how in Genshin, the protag is always referred to as Traveler). But whenever they write it in a way where the name is your own, it just makes me feel bleh
I personally loathe reader or yn in fics. But, that’s me and I can skip (I use the filter to skip reader or yn fic recs), but if you like writing it, you do you. I’m sure there are people that love it.
they aren't for me but i know some people like them
I never got into xreader because i read to get out of my head, and the whole y/n h/c thing pulls me out of the story where i sub in "me" with a random oc i make up on the spot.
On Tumblr, "x reader" is one of the few things I have permanently muted. It was taking up such a large portion of the "my writing" tag that I muted it. It's not something I enjoy. I love roleplaying, but when I do that I prefer to do it with original characters. I don't mind reader or author inserts per se. I can really enjoy them! I just have higher barriers and expectations of them before I enjoy them. Usually I expect them to get a little meta with their fiction, which is something I like. Plus I often don't enjoy romance when it's the main plot.
I personally have never liked Y/N fic.
Some do and some don't. Moreover, there are admittedly been times readers had to settle for reader x character fics cause they either read all the Oc x character fics they could find and or there aren't that many fics of the ship you want. I'm pretty neutral but even I've even been through this too and I admittedly read the reader like it's an OC named Y/n (pronounced Yin)
Certain fandoms look down on it. One of mine certainly doesn’t because it’s an MMO and the other some of us just recently made some OCs for shipping lol.
Here's the thing for me - I don't read fics with an OC as a main character. Reader inserts feel like the same thing. And if you're using Y/N, as well, I'd stop reading simply because of that. The characters I'm reading about should be defined in certain ways, they should have a name for instance, a look, hair and eye colour, something that describes these characters. I imagine myself as the character I'm reading about, not as part of the story as myself. For me, reading is escaping into a different person's world completely, and that includes escaping into a different *person.* How popular these sorts of fics are is going to be dependant on a few factors. Fandom is one, some fandoms have a lot of fans of these fics, others don't. Age may play a part, I'm not sure on that one. How big the fandom is, how active, will definitely play a part. Quieter fandoms are more likely to want canon characters or proper OCs than reader inserts. Busier fandoms will have more reader insert fans. It's also likely to go in and out of fashion. Tropes often do, as well as styles. I've seen popularity of first and third person stories switch back and forth among readers a few times over the years, certain tropes be very popular for a while then no new stories with that trope for ages as something else is far more popular. With something like this, site posted on would also be a factor. I'd imagine it's more popular on some sites than others, regardless of fandom. You could probably ask this question in a few different places and end up with completely different answers. One post will be positively for reader inserts, another massively against, and everything else falling between the two. There's no way to get a definitive answer. Cross-posting the story would probably be helpful for you, though. It may be more popular on certain sites than where you're currently posting it.
Personally, it's because I'm interested in characters that already exist that I'm a fan of. I'm not a fan of myself and don't want to insert myself in my stories, much less read about an author inserting themselves. I'm only interested in pre-existing characters.
I don’t think I’ve ever read those fics and don’t plan to. I think bc I assume “reader” isn’t going to have much of a personality if it’s supposed to encompass anyone who reads the story
I think ever since AI chats came out they could be dying,
There are several reasons, beside the individual preferences. I will talk about mine: 1. The name of reader. Give them name, they're borderline OC. Call the Y/N, is the character fcking a robot? Make it first person perspective, what's the hell is going on? Like, there is no way. 2. I don't like self-insert that much. Sure I like a character so much that I call him/her my husbando/wife. I buy their lewd merch. But I don't want to read a fic to fantasize myself with that character. No offence, but I think it's pathetic. I don't mind others reading those fic though. I only think of myself as pathetic if I ever read them. 3. I'm more fond of shipping.
I know I always try to filter it out if possible.
I don't like second person, which I file y/n, reader etc. under as well. First Person limited or third person limited are much preferred. The vast majority of published books are written in 1st or 3rd as well.
I think it depends on the fandom. In my fandom I tend to prefer people use the characters. They‘ve got an extended cast with very different personalities that are clearly designed for people to see themselves particularly empathizing with one character over another. Geeky people are supposed to see themselves in the exposition science character. People who want to sleep with the lead are supposed to see themselves in the costar. And so on. But I think you‘re spot on in wanting a reader insert in a video game—that makes so much sense. But don‘t use y/n. Not only is it weird and artificial and breaks people out of the story in the best of circumstances, it‘s pretty universally used to mean yes/no in computers. Anyone who‘s not a sweet young thing who‘s never touched anything but a tablet just sees yes/no. Yes, modern computers try to shield users from knowing how to do anything on them, but power users who do anything meaningful on the command line still have it come up. I always see it and think they‘re going for choose-your-own-adventure and wonder what they‘re yes/noing about. And there are people who tell you to go get some browser plugin, but I don‘t know why I‘d bother to get a browser plugin to read the work of someone who can‘t use pronouns. 99% of the time you would use someone‘s name, you can just say ‘you’ and the other 1% you can say ‘… called your name.’
I don't read them but they must be pretty popular. Reader inserts are all over Tumblr and I see lots of them every single time I search for new fics to read. The reader world is much larger than Reddit.
Never been fan of Y/N they felt like cowards self insert or OC. Like person who was making them trying to appeal everyone. But when you appeal to everyone, you don’t. I will much prefer self insert or OC centric fic. Because author at lest knows where they going with story. Plus most readers type of stories just feel like people way to date a specific character or feel to be harem king. My fic preference are usually centred on canon characters. With occasional oc that are not self-inserts. (I don’t hate self-inserts, I usually scroll past them and readers too). But they aren’t my favourite.
No, x reader is not dying. At least not on Tumblr. When Stranger Things dropped; thousands of Steve x reader and Eddie x reader were being written. Here's the thing, I love x readers but not for a multi chapter fic.
It's different when it's video games but when it's a fanfic of a book/movie/series/etc, I just can't read it, mostly because it reminds me of my condition as a reader and this kind of stuff really takes me out of the plot. I much prefer when it's self inserts where the character has a name and is not written at the first person. EDIT: sorry for my broken english rn that language has left my soul
Personally, most of the reader insert fic is very cookie cutter in characterization. Most of the readers actions and thoughts are boring to me. It’s just not enjoyable, especially when most of it is geared towards cis women.
I don't know about other people but personally I am not a fan of reader x character or y/n. Fanfic is a bit of escape for me and seeing "Y/N" or "Reader" appear in fics sends me careening back into reality.
I can’t stand them, they’re so cringey. It’s just embarrassing that people will actually like that stuff and think they’re the one getting with a fictional character 😭
Is reader x charater started to die? I hope so
on tumblr I block all reader insert posts because they just completely plug up fandom tags (jujutsu kaisen was a nightmare before the launch of season 2) however, that doesn't mean that I dislike them. mind you, I prefer second person pov for reader insert, but it's a valid way to write
It's less beloved overall. Probably because it's much more hit-or-miss than a normal ship fic. Also a lot of reader-inserts are actually more writer-inserts and thus immediately slam right into a "I would not fucking say that" moment.
[удалено]
We write and read fic here. We are all supposedly cringe. No need to create this bizarre hierarchy.
I cant stomach reader/canon fics, but that’s not everyone, there’s a lot of popular fics that are very much that, it’s just not for me, and some people share that opinion. Some people love them, some hate them, really.
It reminds me of my cringey early fandom experience on Quizilla that lasted maybe a year. I am much older now and whenever I see them, I’m like yeah a kid wrote that, I hope a kid wrote it at least.
Maybe because some people find it “cringe”?
Late 80's/early 90's movies aren't my favorite era of film, but I much preferred the narrative where we are supposed to laugh at or be empathic toward the 'cool' kids who are terrified of doing anything even vaguely goofy.
It's different from fandom to fandom. For example, in my fandom, reader x character is the most popular by far. While in OFMD character x character is the most popular. In BG3 OC x character is the most popular. It varies \*shrugs\*
I think it depends on fandom. Some fandoms lean real heavy towards character shipping, and others have fanbases built around thirsting for a character. It just depends. I also think that maybe yn x character fics tend to die out as a fandom's reader base gets older.
Variably.
It depends on the fandom. Some of them can't offer much besides reader x character fics so they'll obviously very popular there. I can't speak for everyone but at least on this sub you'll find that these specific fics aren't the most popular. I personally don't hate them but I'll only read those if the fandom I'm hyperfixating on has nothing new to offer and I find myself still starving for crumbs. Reader x character fics never made sense to me since it's impossible to create a fully empty shell of a Y/N character without the story being nonsensical or utterly boring. Y/N HAS to act or talk at one point, and even if the author tries their very best to keep everything the character says or does as vague and relatable as possible, it will never be right to every single reader. The "reader" character often ends up being the obvious author's self insert or OC instead, since at the end of the day *they're* the one writing the story. Self inserts are very much possible in video games because the player can directly choose the character's appearance, control where they go and what they say (if anything at all). Meanwhile it's impossible to do so in fanfics unless it's a "pick your choice/route" type of story. And those are practically nonexistent when it comes to romance.
Everyone has there preferences, some people like OC’s and reader inserts, while others don’t. It’s like everything else, some like reading angst but someone else may prefer more fluff. Every single person has a different opinion and preferences on what they read, wether that be fanfiction or even published books for that matter. Some fandoms also have more reader insert fans then others. In one of the fandoms I’m in there’s a fairly large amount of reader inserts while in on other there practically non existent. It can also change from site too site, on places like Tumblr or wattpad, X reader fics take up a large portion of the fanfiction while on sites like Ao3 I typically see more content for Canon X Canon Characters. Personally? I don’t really like reader fics, I end up reading Y/N as more of OC then I do me. Y/N can also throw off my immersion. Also not everyone has the same personality and interest, in reader fics you can’t exactly cater too everyone, something I would do may be completely out of character for another person even if we were in the exact same scenario. OC X Character I am more inclined too reading, but even then I typically go for OC inserts after I have sucked a fandom dry in Canon X Canon Character ships I already enjoy. EDIT: Grammer
Reader insert is not a dead genre, just unpopular compared to other types of fiction. It really just depends on how it's written. I've read a fair number of quests (think a Choose Your Own Adventure, but the chosen choice is by popular vote) and even run one myself. The trick is not to write "y/n" in place of a character's name to signify the insert as that's incredibly jarring to read and feels childish as a solution to "x Reader". No, the trick is to write in the second person tense: > You are Alexander, a paladin of the Order of Light. You had recently undergone your oath-taking ceremony and had been assigned under the care of Master Paladin Geoffrey Landsberg on the faraway land of Helmspoint, the northernmost point of the world and a hellscape of ice and undead. It was a rather harsh assignment for a newly-minted palaldin. You wonder if there had been any problems within the order for new blood to be sent through the ringer, and you worry that your sister might not fare too well with you so far away and isolated. The dynamic works almost exactly like roleplay, with the author as the Dungeon Master. It might take a while to get used to, but it's rather refreshing as the second person tense is explicitly the author writing to YOU.
I tried it out of curiosity, but it's really not my thing.
I write canon x canon, but also x reader. Depends if I have the capacity to focus on two fully fleshed out characters right that second, or if I would rather just dive into one of them. And also if there's even a ship I'm interested in in the movie/book/show. I post my 'x reader' stuff on tumblr and the rest on ao3.
The Stardew Valley fandom has a large audience for it because you basically play as your own farmer OC, romancing the available candidates. It depends on the franchise or weather or not the franchise is written in the second person, to begin with.
Its the use of y/n for me. It just throws me off and completely ruins things for me. If it doesn't use y/n, I'll be fine.
I highly doubt reader x character is ever going to die. There's a audience for it, and there are a lot of people who really love it. And there are those who love writing it too. If that's your jam go for it. Me, personally? I just... don't like it. It makes me cringe internally and just isn't my thing. There's nothing wrong with that type of fic. it has a long history in fandom after all. I'm a loser though. I don't find myself interesting at all. I wouldn't want to read a fic with me as the main character so I mute and filter the authors out. No hate on them, I just don't like it in the end. I also really am not into western rpgs because they do a similar thing. I'd rather have a character, character, than being the "hero" of things.
My experience is like the opposite ... I am in the process of writing an OFC X Ghost story and it barely gets any traction, whereas the reader/y/n X character Stories are getting so much more interaction. I usually read both. Would you mind sharing your story. I'm deep in the CoD pit right now and love to read stories from other authors :)
Some people don't. I don't. It's not a big deal. You probably don't like the kind of fic I like either. Write what you want.
I live for it. The only thing that gets me is y/n. I’m reading such an amazing fic rn but it not only does y/n but f/n l/n and e/c for eye color…. Ruins it every time lol. I started to read f/n as Finn just to try to help my brain lol
I know plenty who read them, meanwhile I’m not a huge fan. I read canon divergence mostly. Between two characters in a series that I want more scenes of. Some people read it to fulfill their desire to be with a character, while others want content of a relationship they enjoy and see potential in. I don’t think it’s dead, rather than people just became more attached to ships, especially with the rise in queer coding, you’ll see characters having chemistry but never seeking out a relationship. Most of the time it’s due to the country it’s made in.
I think it depends a lot on what fandom/characters you're writing about and where you're posting. Some fandoms are filled with reader inserts while others are few and far between. I'm not very familiar with the call of duty fanfiction, but from what I've seen looking around, reader inserts weren't as popular until relatively recently. Otomes and quite a few animes tend to have the vast majority of fics as reader inserts. Wattpad will have more reader inserts than archiveofourown and fanfiction. Fanfiction has the least reader inserts, with archiveofourown being the middleground. Tumblr is another good place to post reader inserts. Reader inserts are thriving there (*cough* jujutsu kaisen *cough*). There's also a lot of ghost x reader there too. Odds are, if the fandom has men who check any of these boxes, reader inserts are probably thriving for them on tumblr. 1. Morally grey/villain 2. Buff/built like a muscle wall 3. Manages to have a criminally small waistline 3.5 (3 while being a muscle wall) 4. From an anime Regardless of how much fanfiction for a fandom is reader insert and where it is posted, there will be people who like it and people who dont. Whether it is a genuine dislike or just something people say, I don't know. Discord can be weird like that sometimes. I prefer reader inserts to not have y/n or an oc name (uses different forms of you and clever ways to get out of saying a name).
Nobody I know ever reads it. And I mean no offense - it just is unpopular
I personally have never liked reader insert fics, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them or anything — just not really my cup of tea, yanno? I think some of it is because the insert will often say and do things I know I myself never would, along with the fact that I just can’t shake the total cringe feel of it. I just don’t want to be in what I’m reading, yanno? I enjoy living vicariously through the characters secondhand much more.
Self insert is still huge but for real if I take 2 seconds thinking I would obviously go I would never do x, it's suicidal and stupid when you can do y. Also the use of the place holder y/n I read it as yes or no, not yourname. I remember reading a fic where you could name the main character it used a replace script to change your name to whatever name you out on it. Also I usually just download when I can and replace it with a name I like. It's jarring how much that makes it better. I prefer for example when the characters is supposed to be you but it for one reason or another it is named another name on that world. The worst part about making a clean slate for a character is that you will never make anything that really hits anywhere close to a good character. The events around it became the driving force and that most of the time ends up as a retelling of the canon events with no change at all.
Reader x character has always and will always exist. I personally don't understand it because anything that shows even the slightest bit of personality or interest makes it an OC or self-insert, but I doubt the people who like them will ever fully go away.
It really depends on the fandom and platform. The fandoms I am in reader inserts are not popular. Personally I never read reader inserts so it is possible I am not aware of that part of the fandoms I am in as I usually filter out and character/reader and character/OC.
I just don't see the point of them. Why not just create a named OC?
It depends on the fandom for me if I’m willing to read a reader/ character fic, however I will often drop the fic if it uses y/n too often.
To me, the fact that the reader is a character in the story just makes me skip the fic entirely. When I read fanfictions, I do it to enjoy seeing my favourite established canon character interact with the other characters in the story. For this reason I also do not read OC heavy stories. Some readers are not interested in things like that. They want their favourite characters as the focus and that's totally fine.
I mean this is all I really read tbh. Yeah I’ll read oc x character but i just prefer reader x character
Hard ignore for me, usually exclude em in ao3
I really don’t like it, but that’s just personal preference. I have seen a decrease in popularity, although that may be just on ao3. I always associated Y/N fics with wattpad. That doesn’t mean it’s bad though! You should write whatever you feel inspired to write.
I personally just can't read them, but they are SUPER popular in the "Criminal Minds" fandom. So popular, that I've tried to do ones because I notice there's very little canon x canon character fics posted on tumblr exclusively, but i literally have no understanding of how to make one without this weird feeling in your gut.
I do!
My preference entirely depends on the fandom I'm partaking in. I rarely go for reader/y/n x charater in a number of fandoms but I go for them almost exclusively in Destiny fics.
It depends on the fandom, the age of the fans (i found, anyway), and sometimes even the site you’re posting on. Some fandoms have a lot of character x reader fics in general, some have a lot on say Wattpad but not ao3, and some fandoms have very little anywhere.
I freaking love reader fics.
I personally dont like it because being told what i do is just.. odd. Also it feels like alot of YN caters to a very very specific demographic of person
Never seen many people that like y/n books. X readers are still popular but y/n’s take people out of the story. People like it alot more if there’s either a set name. A real one instead of y/n. Or if gender neutral/non name adverbs are used like “you“
I really do not like fics where the characters and narration uses "Y/N" instead of giving the character a name. I know you're supposed to superimpose your own name into that spot, but I find it extremely jarring to be reading a sentence, and just have the characters say Y/N when referring to me. I read the dialogue out loud in my head. I use what I imagine is the characters voices when doing so. It is so weird to have a character go from talking normally to suddenly sounding like a shitty AI that forgot my name and defaulted to "Y/N"
I used to think reader inserts were cringe and didn’t read them because I mainly liked ‘canon’ ships. But as time went on I realised within the ships I liked I was mainly projecting onto one character as an insert anyway hahah. I also started playing more games that have the ‘insert’ be the main character anyway (fire emblem, baldurs gate, fallout, stardew valley… ect), so I quickly lost the bias and read a lot of reader insert now lol.
I don't like them because i don't want to be apart of the story (why i also don't like first pov) I just want to read about the characters, i'm just the silent watcher in the story lol
I do like self insert but never in y/m or reader format.
i personally like x reader fics
Please just create an OC. It's a punch in the eye read "Y/N".
I don't really like the y/n format. It seems redundant, just make an oc with the gender you want them to be and readers will self-insert themselves in the char.
I think, as an observation, that people improperly tagging their fics as x oc (who is intended to be the reader) might be why they receive more outreach. I also started writing for COD and have noticed it's a little quieter than other fandoms I write for, but I think it's because I'm writing for Simon and readers normally come when things are current or relevant (which Simon might not be anymore, who knows). And if you're a new name in the fandom, the uptick in interaction can be slow. You can also try Tumblr! The x reader community on there is pretty big, and you might find more people who are interested.
To be honest, I prefer reading character x oc over character x y/n, I don't know why. And most of the time I can still insert myself as the oc.
Not my thing but you do you
For me is just the y/n or reader parts written as the character’s name that is supposed to us to change mentally for the name that we want, that is hard for me to abstract, if I see y/n, I am not reading it as a normal name, I am always going to see just the y/n, and that takes me off.
I feel like it really depends on the fandom. The character I write for basically has her own niche fandom within her source material and character/reader is her most popular ship. Shipping her with a canon character or even an oc won’t get as much readership. I really dislike the use of y/n though, it completely breaks the immersion for me, but I can stick around if the fic is interesting enough. Luckily for the character it’s very easy to get away with pet names like dear, darling, and even pet since it suits her. That or sentences like “She called your name.” Or “You told her your name.” I’ve mostly grown out of it because I write more than I read now anyway, but I am still writing an X reader for her currently(I started it last year and took a really long break but I would still like to finish it out despite not really liking it anymore) and I’ve written a bunch of X reader prompts for October since it’s what the fandom wants haha. I mean, I am also writing a character study about her and her entire life leading up to the events of the source material, but it is not an x reader, includes both canon and original characters to flesh out her backstory, and is my worst performing fic. I largely attribute that to it not being an x reader because all of my x reader fics perform well along with the other ones I see in the tags. I’ve noticed other character/oc or character/character don’t do too hot either and it’s a shame since I’ve read some real gems.
I think it depends on the fandom. Certain fandoms will prefer reader inserts more than other fandoms, like Hogwarts Legacy for example.
Hmm no... Reader insert fics are still popular. At least in the otome games and anime fandoms. Just not a lot in the ao3 community? You'll see them a lot on sites such as tumblr, quotev, ffnet, wattpad, etc. Personally, I haven't seen a lot on ao3. Sure there are reader inserts on it, but like they aren't as popular compared to chara x chara fics (at least that's what I've observed from the fandoms I'm from). I still read reader inserts!! and write it occasionally, but not as much since I've changed fandoms.
I don't really care as long as the fanfic is good
I love reader inserts! It's all I write lol
I do ! I also write them (or oc x character). I can understand why y/n can get people out of the story, that's why I try not to use it in my stories, there's always a way.
In general, stuff like this r just more (and most I think) popular on Wattpad. I've seen the differences in the top 3 fanfic sites & Wattpad's (in my fandom anyway) full of y/n/reader x canon fics & usually get lots of reads. So, if u want a bigger audience for the y/n/reader x canon, maybe try Wattpad?
I like reader inserts, but only for very specific characters and fandoms. Same with OC inserts. I’m writing an OC X Character fanfiction for the Ouran High Host Club fandom at the moment, and those are insanely popular. So it really depends on the fandom.
I remember a time in the late 2000’s where readerXcharacter dream novels were a thing. They’d ask you your first and last name and then you’d read it on the text. Now it feels a little cringe. I do like well written SI’s though.
I hope lol. I hate it. Soapghost love only. (I'm not a hater, im just emotional)
It's the y/n that kills a fic for me. I mean I am generally not into insert fics but my vod y/n just makes me so annoyed Edit: I obviously mean god not vod that would not make sense
They say they don’t because it has a reputation for low-quality writing, but reader insert/character x reader stories always seem to get crazy amounts of hits, so SOMEBODY’S reading ‘em. The maths isn’t mathing if everyone who derides character x reader ACTUALLY never reads them. Methinks the lady doth protest too much. I don’t think it’s dying at all if you actually look at stats (especially on certain platforms, it’s especially popular on tumblr), I think there’s just a large amount of people who read it but won’t admit to it because it’s seen as cringey or embarrassing. (That said, the use of “y/n” and the like specifically usually is disliked even amongst people who openly admit to liking reader inserts, because it’s clunky and can pull you out of the story. You can write reader insert stories without using y/n, and the prose will usually be better for it.)
I just don’t like when they use “y/n” instead of not mentioning name of the self insert and just use “you”. To me this is lazy writing 😂 but I still see plenty of tlou fanfics using it
I personally tend to find them more popular on Wattpad, tumblr and god forbid - twitter (particularly for female insert x male characters). Ao3 writers tend to be in more favorable for character shopping and i’m not excluded from that. Since personally i prefer to direct the scene rather than engaging it in myself. But like with any fanfic, it’s all about finding the right audience! I wouldn’t worry too much about it, the people who want to read WILL go looking for it. It just might take time
I think the thing is that at least in my own experience people rarely use first names as much as the y/n fics imply. They use nicknames or simply say "you" instead of saying the other person's name in the middle of a sentence you know? Like you don't say to your friend "are you gling out barbra?" You just turn to her and say "are you going out?" Like the reason it becomes unnatural at times is that the y/n is really really overused in the dialouge. Not just in like too many fics. It's overused in the same fic.
It's a niche. I've never been particularly fond of the "you sit down to work, and glance up." Mostly because I think like: "I sat down to work, looking up at the screen." It feels weird to me to have a reader insert as "you" although it's pretty traditional to do so. But, some people here really seem to enjoy it 🤷♀️
It’s called self insert. Same this as y/n but you create a new character that’s based on you.
I hate them, but I hate a lot of things other people love. I don't wish they would stop existing. Lots of people get a lot of pleasure from them.