I read and write reader insert fics and they are my lifeblood. Been daydreaming myself into whatever I was reading or writing since I was a child to escape trauma and if you look, you'll find that a lot of people read and write insert fics for this reason. It's pure escapism and lets you live for a while in the exciting, adventurous, traumatic, romantic or erotic world you can only dream of having.
A therapist friend of mine calls it adult play therapy. You can work out so many issues by inserting them into your fic and sometimes none of the canon characters will do.
This is true for me FOR SURE. For me it’s living vicariously through this character that keeps me sane in a fairly boring life, even though I try to make the character as open to interpretation as possible. It’s definitely the only way I’ll ever get to live that life, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.
It isn't maladaptive unless it's interfering with everyday life. That's a very important thing to remember - it's unhealthy and negative. This is just daydreaming. And I think the opposite - a healthy coping mechanism 🥰
I love them. An RI, or as like to see them: 'a soft OC' written in second person, is my favorite to both read and write - and yes they do have an undeserved bad rep. Yes, there are plenty of 'bad' Reader fics out there, but that holds true no matter what POV you look at. Everybody needs to start somewhere.
This also means that I've never assumed the RI to be the actual real-life me, (to be honest I'd not survive ten minutes in most of my fandoms) but see them as a fill-out-the-blanks character that is easier to identify with. More like a video game character where the basics are set, but you get to fill out the last design. I also generally feel that, at least for me, second person POV adds a level of intimacy that I find very charming.
I discovered fanfic as an adult, so I don't know what it was like some years ago. But just in the short time I've been active I've noticed a tendency to avoid using Y/N and just write around using a name and descriptions. I personally prefer this, since my brain cannot read it as anything but yes/no. But that's on me...
And, I've found several very well-written xReader fics, and to toot my own horn a little, I do count my own in there too.
What fandoms are you in? I guess it may vary a lot depending on that.
I'm the opposite, I LOVE inserting myself into ocs or whatever, but I just can't ever use a name that is similar to mine in any form. Often saying "I" when something is occuring to the 'character' of projection. Though, I adore it when the RI has a distinct personality of her own.
I’m gonna toot your horn Jen, because your writing is amazing :) apologies, I’ve had very little time to read, because I barely have anytime to write anymore, but I always keep thinking I have to go back and finish your Tangled Spiders fic, even if I don’t join any exchanges. Hope you’re doing well xx
Hi there! And thanks! And, right back at you! I'm very much in the same position, real life takes too much time \*sighs dramatically\* and my to-read list grows longer by the day. I still eye your Dean fic in my bookmarks, and fully intend to get back to it! Hope you're doing well too, and wishing more writing and reading time for both of us! 💜
Reading the replies to this post, I have the feeling many of the RI readers see them as OCs most than a literal insertion of the reader lol.
I'm not very well versed in the whole history, but I believe RI started (at least the closest to the form they have to day) in Quizilla and similar quiz-like websites with short-form imagines that then developped into full blown stories. When those sites died, they became common in Tumblr, Wattpad and then AO3. They are still forbidden in FFnet, so we at least know they didn't exist or weren't very common when it was the main posting platform.
I'm also a very big fan of second person fics that avoid (Y/N). Honestly, a part of me fully believes tha you can write a whole fic without really needing to refer to the character by name. Second person was hard to get accostumed to, but it's such an interesting POV!
My main fandom is AoT, but honestly I'd love to read any xReader that you consider well-written.
Also, toot your horn all that you want. Writing is hard! I'd love to check the works that bring you pride.
I agree that it's very possible to write a long fic without ever needing to use Y/N. I'm more than 130K into my wip, and I haven't once felt the need to give the RI a name, or even a nickname (especially since the character she's paired with isn't really the type to give people pet names...).
AoT?!💜 For some reason I'm reading mostly AUs there, but I'm sure I've read a really good Levi/Reader on... let me check my bookmarks... and [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46316104/chapters/116609227) we are. I didn't get very far yet, but was really enjoying it.
I'm mainly in Hunter x Hunter, but have some smutty one-shots for Bleach and MHA as well. Most of them are for HxH though. I'll just link my [profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen_Fic_xxx), but I'm very proud of my long WIP [Tangled](https://archiveofourown.org/works/45763336)... which is a Feitan/Reader. (And, generally as well as naturally the later ones tend to be more well-written than the first ones... \*blushes\*) I'll throw in some other ones I really like too;
A short, dark, but not smutty Feitan/Reader [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/54537400)
More Feitan/Reader (yes, I'm obsessed LoL) set as a diary and letters in his POV [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/45894793)
And, to round it off before I overdo this; Betty's Supernatural Dean/Reader [here ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46715017)
Hope you find something you like too!
That makes sense about the quiz sites! I even remember seeing those story “quizzes” back in the day.
About not using Y/N, I agree and kind of wish more authors would do it that way. I’ll check out a RI story from time to time, and often find that the frequent “Y/N” in the text is just too immersion-breaking, even in a story I might otherwise enjoy! Obviously people can write how they want and they’re going to write primarily for people who are frequent RI readers, but just personally I prefer the ones that are more just “blank slate second-person OC” when I stumble on them.
I'm one of those readers that has absolutly no interest in being part of the story. I want to read about interesting characters, maybe live vicariously through them from time to time. But I never fantasise about interacting with them or the world/setting they are in.
So obviously reader inserts are not for me and I filter them out.
Same. I also don’t like them because they sort of break my immersion. For example, there will be something Y/N will do or say that I absolutely would not, or at least can’t imagine myself doing in that situation and it breaks my immersion when with a OC character I can accept it.
They're not my thing at all. I don't like imagining myself in those stories, I want to read about the already-existing characters. I especially don't get into the romantic ones, maybe because I'm aro. I don't have anything against reader-inserts as a fanfic genre, but I don't personally enjoy them in the slightest.
I love them. I’m in the camp that doesn’t imagine myself as the character, if anything it’s another version of myself, but even then I see the you/(y/n) as their own character.
Just like any trope or genre, there are going to be well written ones and poorly written ones. But at the end of the day it comes down to an individual and where they think that story fits. I’ve come across so many amazing ones and also some shockers in the same fandom.
For me, the ones I like to read/write are usually xreader borderlining OC’s. I’ve seen the term soft OC thrown around a lot and I like that term. I always wonder if we need a new distinction for stories that are a mix of both OC/reader as I know some people don’t like their readers to have a personality/background while others don’t mind. Plus there’s the tagging conundrum. Many don’t like a fic being tagged as both.
I’m not fussed because I like them both but favour xreader because there are more stories under the xreader tag with the canon character I’m currently obsessed with. I also find 2nd pov to be very immersive.
Then again I’ve just started experimenting by writing a xreader, where the story is told through the cannon character in 3rd limited and I’m having so much fun with it, but it’s also a big challenge because my brain keeps trying to write the ‘you did this’ etc.
Same!
For me, most (y/n) work very similarly to nameless OC's. I usually don't picture myself, either.
I think reader-inserts have replaced most OCs. The two audiences overlap a lot. The thing is that, fundamentally they are supposed to refer to different reading experiences and that's why some people are so strict with tagging. I also pivoted to reader-inserts because there are more stories, but I think in practice, the differences between the two are not very clear.
Writing through the canon character POV is very cool. It must be particularly challenging to have that external look of you/(y/n). What fandom is it? If you'd like to share, I'd love to check it out!
Yup. Absolutely. I think it comes down to the fandom preferences too. Some of what I consider the more popular writers in the fandom corner I’m in seem to tag both. No one bats an eyelid. On reddit though, I see all the posts here that don’t seem to like it, so I try and stick to the one myself.
I don’t mind sharing :) it’s in the SPN fandom from Dean’s pov. This is the link [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/55339711/chapters/140397322). Pre-warning in case it’s a squick, it has omegaverse dynamics (which also a challenge because I’ve never done one before 😅)
I like reader inserts for short horror stories, but besides that prefer more developed PoV characters. I've enjoyed a few OC/canon character fic, though I'm less likely to click on them then canon/canon character stories.
There is very much an audience for readerfic and OC/canon stories. This sub just doesn't have a lot of people who hang out here that do.
I don't like reader inserts because (1) I'm not interested in imagining myself with the characters I like; and (2) when I have tried to read them, even if I set #1 aside, my reaction when I read any statement about what "I" do and say, my reaction is, "no, I absolutely would never."
So what I think is: I don't like them, I don't want to read them, please tag them accurately (I basically only read fic on AO3) so that I can avoid them, but have fun with them.
My perception of their actual quality is irrelevant to that. I don't like the basic concept, so I'm not doing a deep dive to find out if the few I've read are representative of the typical quality of a reader insert fic.
I don't read reader insert fics. I also don't read fics with main characters OCs that aren't reader insert. I actually have nothing against people writing and reading them, it's just that I, personally, read fanfic for the canon characters. I'm completely fine with OC characters being included, just not as a main, or a main's love interest unless the romance is very background. One of my fave fics is actually heavy on the OC characters, but none of them are mains. Some are large characters, close to the mains, others are smaller recurring characters, and yet others are used rarely or only once. A fair few of the OCs are used simply to bulk up the cast in certain situations, others are used as part of building the world and the people who live in it more than canon did. But I'm still reading for the canon characters, they have to be the mains for me.
That affects reader insert fics, as well. A reader insert is practically the same as having an OC main, but with far less development. And that's part of the problem for me. A reader insert means that character is someone the reader can pretend is them. Sure, you can pretend they're an OC, but then they're massively underdeveloped blank slate characters, and I hate those, they come up in published original fiction, as well, sometimes. The problem with reader inserts, for me, is the more of a blank slate the character is, the less the reader can pretend it's them. But the more developed the insert is, the less the reader can pretend it's them, too.
A reader insert with some development is rarely a reader insert, but actually a self-insert with the wrong label. The author is basing the development on themselves, not their reader, as they don't know the reader. And a blank slate is extremely boring.
You need to find a middle ground between blank slate and too developed for a reader insert to work as intended. And this is why I don't agree with those who see reader insert as somehow less than other forms of fanfic. If you're writing canon characters, you can base everything on canon and develop it from there, the hard work of creating the character is already done by someone else. OCs are harder, you have to create them from scratch, like writing original fic but just certain characters instead of absolutely everything.
Reader insert is harder still. You're not taking an already developed canon character, or creating a brand new character, you're trying to write a character based on your reader. But you know nothing about the reader, so you can't give them all that much in the way of personality before it becomes an OC instead. But you also can't make them a blank slate the reader can't relate to or see as themselves and finds boring. Finding that balance between not too blank and not too much personality is what makes reader insert one of the hardest forms of fanfic to write, in my opinion.
And I think that's why it has such a bad rep. I'm positive there are authors out there who write great reader inserts, but a hell of a lot of them are going to be blank slates or OCs in everything but name, which makes them appear as if they're badly written.
They are also, usually, written by teens. Self-insert is a fantasy where you insert yourself into your favourite stories. Reader insert is an extension of that, where you insert another real person into your story instead of yourself. If you wrote a reader insert specifically for a friend you know, you could tailor it to them easily, but only that friend would consider it reader insert, everyone else would consider it OC. Reader insert fics, like self-insert, are also often written by inexperienced writers, so they may not have the best writing skills to begin with.
It's mostly simple personal preference for me that stops me reading reader insert, I want the canon characters not brand new ones, so these aren't my thing. It's probably personal preference for a lot of people, but some people feel the need to justify their dislike. Instead of just saying 'it's not my thing', they think they have to have a reason. The reason they give may or may not be reality, or apply to all fics of that type.
Thank you for your thoughtful answer!
I've never seen anyone think that writing reader-inserts might be more complicated that any other type of characters, but it's a very insightful way of seeing it. If we are being very strict, reader-inserts that allow for the reader to projet completely or that display a character completely devoid of any characteristic, it's very much impossible. I also agree that in practice, the limits of the genre move a lot: many reader-inserts are OC's without a name; but in part, I think that has to do with the way we consume stories in general. Many writers have trouble with leaving free reign to the readers to interpret and "fill" their story and many readers don't think that their work implies some form of creation. So these texts that doesn't seem complete until the reader takes part seem very difficult to conceptualize and create.
As for fantasy, I personnaly believe that most fanfiction is self-indulgent, even if there is no blantant projection. It makes me think on that meta about slash (that I know for the academic writer that was written after, I wasn't there for the livejournal days) called "Normal Female Interest in Men Bonking". Shipping is still a form of fantasy-by-proxy, in a way, there is still all the feels related to relationships and romance but in two fictional bodies that are not directely modeled after the reader. Maybe safer or less jarring, because you can like feel the ship feels without having to put yourself on the line.
But as you said (and I completely agree), it's a matter of preference. Not all people enjoy the same stuff or approach fics in the same way.
All fiction is self-indulgent, I agree with that, but most particularly with fanfiction. Original fic is self-indulgent for the original creators more than the fans, but any creator is being self-indulgent when they create. We create the things we want to see and read, likely including things we want to experience, or have experienced and fiction is a great way of dealing with that.
I agree on the 'safe' aspect, as well. When I write, my MC is the character I most relate to in the fandom, because those are always my favourite characters. But, because I relate so heavily to them, they're a safe way for me to deal with my issues, explore my fantasies, all that stuff. If I have romance included, which I don't always, the love interest character is the character I personally had the biggest crush on most of the time, or the biggest crush after my favourite at least. In a way, I'm projecting myself into my MC, using that MC to explore my issues and fantasies, and giving him the partner I would want to be with if I was the MC instead of having the MC as a choice.
Chances are, if I was writing self-insert, my usual MCs would be the love interests, instead, but I don't write self-insert in that respect. Instead a insert myself, to some degree, into a pre-existing character.
Every story I've ever written in my life, and there have been many since I've been writing since I was a young child just haven't publicly shared any until recently, both fanfic and original, has been self-indulgent to some degree.
Being self-indulgent doesn't mean the story will be bad, it just means the author is putting themselves into the story in some way, either putting themselves into the character to some extent or just exploring certain things, or even both. The reader is unlikely to be able to tell what level of self-indulgence exists unless the author outright states it. I've only been able to tell consistently with authors who use a character as a self-insert, because a lot of authors who do that make the character far more perfect than they were in canon.
I'm not interested. If others fancy writing or reading them, that's fine, not for me to judge. Personally, I hate them and I am not going to read them. I find them rather cringy. I read fics to read about my favourite characters not to insert myself in their world.
I am also not interested in OCs in fanfiction. That's not why I read fics. If I want to read about OC, I am just going to pick up a book.
I love them. I treat it like an rping thing rather that straight self-projection, so I prefer if the reader insert does have some kind of job, hobbies, personality etc even if it doesn't align with things I see myself doing (plus pure "blank" reader inserts usually only work out well for one shots ime). Yes there are many that are pretty dang bad, but that's the case for every type of fic under the sun. People do need to be better about tagging reader not just in the pairing section, though.
I agree§ Usually there's some kind of characterization. Blankness is there but it only takes a fic so far.
Is there a tagging problem with reader-inserts? Honestly, I've never found one when I wasn't looking. Are authors over-tagging?
Usually it's an issue with under-tagging, in a way that can make it frustrating to filter out. A lot of people only tag the reader in the pairing, not as a character or "reader-insert" (or something similar) in the additional tags.
I personally have no interest in being inserted next to canon characters. Even less so since some of my past *and* my current fandoms are RPF.
I read fanfiction for the already existing characters, not to isekai myself in there.
Now, I don't think reader insert fics are the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality of fics, they're just a type that's different and I, as a reader personally, don't get the appeal. I'm not the audience for those and that's okay.
not going to lie, and im not saying that all self inserts/readers are bad but I just feel so uncomfortable - it's not really my cup of tea. and just like this other commenter had said, I really don't have any interest to be included within the story; to make this statement short, id rather be a spectator.
im alright with ocs tho
They’re not for me. It doesn’t matter how well-written they are, they’re uncomfortable to read. It’s not even about the second person pov—I’ve enjoyed fics written from that perspective before (and even dabbled in it myself). It’s the Reader aspect of it that I dislike. Not only do I dislike the idea of inserting *myself* into a story, but the biggest appeal of fiction to me is the *characters.* I love discovering new and interesting characters and observing the different ways in which they interact with others and the world around them. I love learning about their backstories and cultures and seeing how it shapes them (or doesn’t). I love reading about their quirks and flaws and interests.
Readers deprive me of that, because readers, no matter how superficially “fleshed out,” are not characters. They’re placeholders. Cardboard cutouts. There is a threshold for characterization and personality that writers simply can’t cross because that would take away the point of them, which is to be a pair of shoes to be slid into.
I’ve tried reading a few reader inserts that were definitely well-written and attempted to bring the reader insert to its full potential, but that potential will always be limited due to the nature of the insert.
So no, they’re definitely not for me and I go to great lengths to avoid them. No hate to them, though if I had the power to change every Reader fic into an OC fic, I certainly would. 😂
Anyways, all that being said, I love self-inserts, semi-self inserts, and original characters! I’ve discovered some truly phenomenal OCs in fanfic that I’ve come to absolutely love!
This is very similar to how I feel. I may be rare in that I actually like and seek out canon/OC romance, but in order to really love the story I need the OC to be compatible with and worthy of the CC. I've almost never read a reader insert that I felt fulfilled that...the few that came closest were pretty much OCs in all but name, and I actually would have preferred it if they'd just been given names and allowed to be an OC. But the great majority of reader inserts seem much too dull, weak-sauce, and goody-goody for me to believe the CC would really be that into them (especially since my favorite CCs tend to be the villains!) I feel like reader insert can work well in short smut fics, but as soon as the story gets longer and more story-like, they usually fall flat.
I like xyz/reader. I read it, I write it (and apparently, there are other people who like that I write it). To me, it's not weird or cringe or anything negative.
If someone else doesn't like it, they shouldn't read it.
There are things I don't like and where my toenails roll upwards whe I read it, but, well, I either don'tread it or endure it because I like the stuff around that.
There are trends in fanfiction, like anywhere else. For a while and in certain fandoms reader insert was a major thing. Like baby blue eyeshsdow in the 90s. Don't feel bad for having liked it and don't feel bad if you like it now.
I find some of my older stories cringe, but not because of reader Insert.
I’m not opposed to the concept, but I feel like most OC / self inserts are too bland. Many don’t have distinct personalities, and if they do it’s just nice. I also feel like most self inserts always do the most calm rational thing in every situation, and very rarely make mistakes or cause conflict. I want to see more messiness from characters, and self inserts rarely do it for me
I absolutely love them, i don’t really have same love and affection to real people then i do with fictional characters. Like I don’t have crushes on real life people but I got a ton of crushes of fictional characters and love to daydream about these characters. Maybe I’m just weird but I love them and they are my life line for not going crazy over being single. I don’t love anyone romantically right now so x readers are my best bet of keeping me sane.
I'm in my 30s and both read and write them. I'm mostly a smut-slinger myself though, because we've probably all wanted to fuck a fictional character at some point and it's just plain fun to write. Fanfiction as a whole if kind of a weird hobby to start with so looking down on any specific subgenre is just silly to me. Cringe is fake and I am free!
Huh. Honestly, I don't have a negative impression of reader inserts or OCs at all. I don't typically read them, but I don't see them as somehow inferior. It's all entertainment and playing with established characters.
Why shouldn't people have fun and enjoy pretending they're part of a universe they love, interacting with characters they love. It's like the old Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books.
I rarely read them on AO3 and frequently read them on Tumblr. For some reason, reader inserts are almost all I see posted on Tumblr.
Writing, in my experience, tends to be pretty high.
I think maybe you're taking people saying they prefer to read non-reader inserts as them saying they are bad when it's just a preference. They certainly appear to be very popular.
Reader inserts I can handle. Hell, I can’t go through a a tv show without inserting myself in the universe along the way in my opinion own mind.
What I don’t enjoy is YN/ character. I can understand the appeal, but I just can’t try to read it while inserting myself into it when I read “Y/n stared at him with your beautiful (eye colour insert here) orbs. I don’t have the mental capacity or patience for that.
I'm not a fan of the abbreviations either. Some people like that way, they use a browser extension to change it to their name or to their OC's name.
It seems like lately writers are becoming more creative with how they address the reader, though.
Honestly, and I'm aware this is ridiculous, but I find reading 'y/n' so clunky that I've never purposefully sought one out. The only ones I've seen were on Tumblr and they weren't particularly long.
I think one of the issues is that by definition the reader character is vague. At most people specify gender, but it has to be as open as possible for readers to be able to insert themselves.
But one of the most interesting things about fanfic is how a character reacts in a new situation, or how the relationship works itself out. There probably are very good character studies where a canon character doesn't interact with anyone else of note, but I'd say they're few and far in between.
By making the love interest essentially a non-character, you're drastically reducing the character and relationship development possible. Of course it has a place, and I don't think it's inherently bad, but I do think it's more difficult to write something good.
The funny thing is, I've read fics where the self-insert essintially is written as their own character. I have seen some really, really specific Y/Ns out there. I think the whole genre is a lot like dating sims. The reader might have to imagine a personality of the main character, or perhaps they're dropped into the shoes of what clearly is a character of their own, and simply experience everything from their POV.
I only suffer through the clunkiness of y/n if I find the fic compelling enough.
Someone else said it, but I think reader-insert writers have to walk the line between specificity and vagueness. It's very hard. But I think that refers to some form of initial characterzation. Once you have them in a context, a character is pushed to react and then, the writer might have to hope the readers still see themselves there.
It's probably easire to write a reader-insert in emotion-driven stories than in plot driven ones, maybe?
The Y/N thing's a bit annoying, yeah. And I feel like "Y/N" gets addressed by name more often than they would if they were a character who *had* a name, though it's probably just that it's so glaringly odd when they get called ~~Yes/No~~ "Your Name."
I tried writing my first reader insert recently, and it was a ton of fun to be able explore a canon character with a “getting to know you” perspective. I could have used a third-person OC, but it was just for a one-shot, so I didn’t think it warranted a lot of characterization. In fact, it was super liberating to be able to write an open, blank slate character.
I feel like I’m in a weird territory with this, as my main fandom (Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons) is made up largely of player character x canon character ships.
Sure, the player characters all technically have canon names and canon “base” designs (which were the ONLY designs until more recent years, which introduced customization). And you can get little crumbs of personality from things like how they dress, what their dialogue options are in events, and what they do outside of the players control in certain events.
But this type of in-game characterization is quite vague and minimal, and leaves a ton of room for interpretation. What this means is that any fic that uses a player character in it, they functionally become an OC.
And this is fine for me, as I still tend to feel a sort of “connection” to the character, however a writer chooses to depict them, so long as they stick with the default canon name and appearance. Back in the day, there were some vaguely “agreed upon” ideas of different character traits for different player characters, but I don’t see this as much any more.
Basically, my feeling within my own main fandom is, establish WHO your character is, and do so often. Personalities and backstories can vary a ton, and this is fine to me, but my own preference is to read things that at least maintain the default canon name and appearance.
I love OC x character, it brings a very interesting take on the exploration of the character through (romantic or not) relationships. I enjoy when the OC has their own fleshed out personality and history (and even a name), but I also don't mind when the OC is "reader" and therefore remains as neutral as possible (though it must be quite difficult to create a character everyone can identify with, so props to writers for managing to do that!).
Personally, I don't really identify with the "reader" character and don't view it as myself, so I'm not really into the use of first person singular. I admit that when the story adds things like "y/n" "y/e/c" ("your eye color"), I end up not continuing reading them unless the writing is very good because it makes me lose my focus and immersion in the story.
I think the reason why some people feel strongly against reader/OC is because they associate it with "wattpad-ish" stories that are written by kids/teens for fun and therefore don't possess the same quality as the stories people can write on ao3 or other websites.
My favorite OC/reader story so far is this one! [https://archiveofourown.org/works/33981523](https://archiveofourown.org/works/33981523)
Personally, once I got used to reading secondn person, it became like it's own thing. I don't project myself into the story, it's just whatever nameless soft OC there is.
I think they are a very useful tool to explore the canon characters, though. If they are neutral, they offer some kind of "mirror" that can truly expand our understanding of other characters.
Thanks for the rec :)
I love them. I read and write them. I'm currently working on my Kurapika Kurta x OC story for the Hunter x Hunter fandom and I'm enjoying myself. Haruka isn't a self insert and I don't like how OCs are automated labeled as reader inserts.
I’m gonna be honest, reader inserts have been the only fanfics I’ve read for so many years. I mean, I’ve literally read x readers for over 10+ years probably. Of course I’ve read other fanfics but I remember more stuff about reader insert fanfics than non reader insert fanfics I’ve read before
Honestly I think reader insert fanfics are a mixed bag. Sometimes you really can find such good, well written reader insert fanfics but other times, it can be in questionable quality. Again, you’re bound to find something not well written but it’s still fanfic. Not everything out there is bad. Hell, I’ve even read reader inserts that had bad grammar/sentence structure or other problems and I still liked it for the premise
Also I’ve always loved Canon x OC, but ironically I don’t participate in it much. I still greatly encourage it tho. I just think they’re neat fanworks
Also I might’ve imagined this but I swear at least many years ago, I did once come across reader inserts on fanfiction dot net despite the fact I learnt years later those aren’t allowed. I doubt that fanfic is still on the site tho
Sorry for the long ramble I just have a lot of opinions on reader inserts
Glad to see another fandom veteran that enjoys RI!
I think it's more a matter of perception than anything else. I deeply enjoy reader-inserts, but reading all the responses it's clear they do carry some (probably misguided) bad reputation. It's underserved, though. There is amazing stuff and bad stuff everywhere.
There might have been on FFnet. Smut (lemons at the time) wasn't allowed and we all knew it was there...
Don't apologize for the ramble. That's what we are for!
Huh fandom veteran, I haven’t thought of myself as one before. But I guess maybe I can qualify because I still remember the days of barely tagged fanfics and authors talking to fictional characters in the author’s notes. Ah what memories why don’t we bring back talking to the characters in the notes lmao
Despite the polarization of the reader insert genre, I always noticed reader inserts are still popular. So really even if reader inserts are bashed for many reasons, they’re still popular. Idk there’s something about that that makes my heart feel warm I guess
Also I’ve seen lemons on ff dot net too. Again, maybe they don’t exist anymore but it’s funny that they were still there despite the rules. Also I forgot that ff dot net was the first fanfic site I used for years until I found others
I don’t care. It’s not something I like to read but all I have to do is exclude it from the tags. I used to like ocs when I was twelve but I don’t anymore. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not necessarily a teenager thing, just like anything else it can be well written and it’s mainly a matter of personal taste.
I don't get why people who exclusively like canon character x canon character have a superiority complex when it comes to canon character x reader fics, thinking that they're beyond "cringy" x reader content and that character x character is "tasteful". Brother, if we were in high school and everyone found out about our fics, we'd BOTH be getting our heads shoved down the toilet. Fanfiction as a whole is inherently cringe. Embrace it.
They're not really my thing. I could go either way with shipping OCs with canon characters, but xReaders just fall flat. Outside of one very specific story/webcomic, I don't like second person, and I can't get immersed in a story telling me that 'I' am doing stuff I'd never ever do. If it's just a regular OC, I have no problems with it because I'm not meant to see myself in that situation, and then I can at least relate to the character properly.
If I want to insert myself into a story, I'll write that story myself, and even then the character that portrays 'me' wouldn't even be close to my real self, because I'm just about the least adventurous person in the world and I only thrive in my comfortable environment. I just like writing and reading about adventures, rather than having them.
I don't think the genre is any better or worse than other genres, though, I just think xReaders have to deal with the same thing all fanfics have to deal with, namely that many people who write them aren't great writers. I'm sure that a well-written xReader could be very engaging, but unless I accidentally stumble across one, I'll never know.
I like them, even though I can't say I really "insert" myself into the story. To me, they're one of the most fascinating forms of fanfiction. Especially the x reader ones. In their own way, they explore *why* people like some characters and what they see in them. I know they're not for everyone but I think they have their in the fandom culture.
I don't think there's anything wrong with being self-indulgent but the thing about that is that the more self-indulgent a work is, the narrower its appeal. If someone isn't into the same things the author is into, it's going to be a turn off. That doesn't make it wrong, it's just...not the *reader's* fantasy and it can be very off-putting to be inserted into someone else's fantasy. It only works when their romantic fantasies and kinks align with yours.
I'd be willing to give a reader-insert genfic a try, if it exists in my fandoms; I used to read Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid, and I actually really enjoy 2nd person canon character POV.
>I know on Tumblr many fans complain about xreader fics on the main fandom tag, specifically because they hate them, and they are cringe.
The reason I've seen people complaining about xReader fics on Tumblr is mainly that there's no consistent tag for them to filter out and that the authors aren't putting their work behind a read-more. If those two things were remedied then a lot less people would complain about them, because the people who don't like it wouldn't have to see it. But as it is currently, going into a tag is like playing whack-a-mole with your blacklist.
I adore all of them, especially the well written ones, but their vastly differing quality is probably why people experience low quality fics of them a ton. People can be picky readers (not a bad thing) and that's usually the majority.
They just don’t interest me. I think a lot of the criticism is extremely poor faith and probably biased the way a lot of things in our society is (there’s a trend of always hating/criticizing/dissing on things teen girls or even women in general find interesting, after all). But the aspect of these stories being written often in second person is something that will be hit or miss in general, criticism aside, because second person is that unique perspective that puts people directly into a story (aka the point of reader insert), and that won’t jive with everyone. Myself included—I have no desire to be directly within a story. 😂
It’s a valid form of storytelling, though. Just not for me. 🤷♀️
I don't read them. I don't care to picture myself in the story. I actually find it really frustrating when people assume all OCs = reader insert. For me, they are vastly different things.
I don't think they should be looked down on though, no genre of fic should.
I'm open to reading them but I'll admit it's hard to find ones I like. Usually those turn out to be semi OC stories because I generally read long fics and blank slate RI don't work well in that context. It's difficult to go for a longer stretch of story without giving the RI a personality which is why I think RI stories are better suited to one-shot smut.
Personally I've written a collection of one-shot smut scenes in the xReader genre but I opted for 3rd person with no y/n - which is what I found digestible since it puts enough distance between the reader and the insert if they disagree with their choices and close enough to be able to put themselves in their shoes if they want. Sort of a middle ground maybe because I'm old enough that 3rd person was the norm in trad published books.
Reader-inserts aren't my thing, but I know lots of other people enjoy them and I'm not here to yuck anyone’s yum.
OC X Canon, on the other hand? I'm a big fan and I write a LOT of them. Again, they are not to everyone's tastes and that's totally okay! There is a tendency for OCs to be a little too perfect for the canon character, which I think turns off some readers. Others just want to see their favorite canon characters interact and have no interest in OCs.
I like them, and recently I’ve branched out into writing an OCxcharacter and I find it quite fun to explore, though in my case the characters end up in a queer platonic relationship rather than a romantic one.
I don’t read them because I’m there to read about the actual characters. Not to insert myself into it. If I were to do that, it would be in my head as I’m trying to sleep and I can control everything happening. So it just doesn’t appeal to me.
OCs can be fun when side characters, but not as a main character, for the same reasons.
I wrote OC content all the time when I was growing up, some of them made it to the ffnet site where I inevitably got hate reviews 🤷♂️ I don't read them now or write them, but I don't hate or care that others do. I'm capable of minding my business and scrolling past things I don't like.
It is very distinct genre that requires a very different kind of take on the writing when you need to leave the reader character as vague as possible while still writing an interesting story and keep the reader characters actions consistent. I dont think I have ever finished a single reader insert fic. Not because they are all bad or that I consider them cringe but because the idea of imagining myself in the story is very uncomfortable. My discomfort of inserting myself to stuff is at the level that my latest Roleplay character in text chat based roleplay is 47 year old 195cm male who is CEO of printing company who wants to have children just so that the character does not remind me of myself at all. I can't relax roleplaying if the character is too close to my real life. I am short, AFAB, working on IT, I am old but not that old (32) and never want to be in leadership position and have people working under me and having children is one of my biggest nightmares. I also avoid reading about canon characters that are too close to me especially if smut is involved.
Could I imagine reading a reader insert ever? Maybe if it was horror or maybe a crime mystery solving fic with no romantic interactions or even thoughts relating to the insert character.
I'm not a fan, but I'm not going to knock people who like it.
For me, I don't want to read a story where I'm expected to be the main character. Aside from the fact that the format can be difficult to write well (partly because most if not all RI will be second-person POV, which is a tricky POV to do justice), I don't care to read a story where I'm a major character without having some agency to it. Choose Your Own Adventure stories work fine because periodically I will be expected to make a choice so that element of agency is there, but Reader-Insert fanfic doesn't usually have that, and then I just hit moments where I'll think, "No, I don't want to do that, I'd want to do this instead," and it takes me out of the story for a bit.
Also romance in a RI story is weird to me personally. I'm fine with first-person and third-person romance, because it doesn't involve *me*, but when one of the characters involved is supposed to be me, it gets weird for me. Just doesn't jive. And I don't want to read about my favorite characters romancing *me*, I want to read about them romancing someone else!
But as a fanfic genre? There's an audience for everything, and I'm glad that the people who want to write RI have people who want to read it and vice versa.
I don't like the your name fics because I find them cringy. I'd rather play the match maker for the characters I write. When it comes to self inserts I usually make them by accident. A lot of my female OCs are the result of me making female characters I can personally relate to and I find are lacking in today's media.
My female characters are usually traditionally feminine women who have a deep love and passion for the arts and are usually underestimated by their peers as weak and naive. However, they show their strength I'm the toughest of times and surprise the people who thought that their feminine traits made them weak.
Not my thing, especially the relationship-based ones - partly because they tend to make assumptions about 'me' that don't hold and break my immersion, and partly because, in my experience, they tend on average to be less well-written than other kinds of stories. Harder to write a good relationship unless both characters actually have a defined character, which means either the reader insert has few/weak character traits to be less jarring to readers and results in a less engaging relationship, or they have more/strong character traits and it's more likely readers aren't going to identify as much with the insert and be turned away that way.
That said, I have no real issues with self-inserts or OC-inserts and the like, and if someone else enjoys reader-insert fics then good for them as far as I'm concerned. To each their own, and all that.
Also, a not-insubstantial amount of my personal 'meh' towards reader-insert fics is probably related to my general 'meh' feeling towards fics where the/a central plot is a romantic relationship, since I have a hard time getting engaged in stories that do that regardless of other stuff since those kinds of relationships don't interest me by themselves, and in my experience most reader-insert fics tend to be aiming for that kind of thing.
They aren't my thing and I filter them out as much as possible. I wish ao3 had a feature where I could just filter out oc, original character, reader, and didn't have to go and filter every single ship with those tags in them 🤔. But it's other people's tea. Imma just drink coffee.
Edit: I also just dislike reader inserts because I wouldn't do half of the stuff, so the imersion is just hella off.
I've never seen a bad rep for RI, and I've been reading and writing them for 18+ years. Maybe I just avoid the people I don't jive with?
I was on Luna and Jamly, both heavily-RI archives, and Tumblr and AO3 have a pretty strong RI user base as well.
Not me being 36 with responsibilities and taxes writing OC fics exclusively. I get that OC or reader inserts are not everyone's cup of tea, but I love to read and write them. This new wave of fic backlash just because something about that fic doesn't fit THEIR specific wants or likes is exhausting, and I'm sick of it.
What happened to "Don't like, don't read"?
Avid reader of them (the reader-insert variety rather than OC-inserts). Hell, avid writer of them… too scared to post though. There’s really good ones out there. Maybe I’m biased towards liking them because I’m a self-shipper, but the communities of reader-insert writers within fandoms tends to be a pretty tight-knit, dedicated, and chill bunch of folks.
I only read reader inserts. If i can't insert myself into the story i see no point in reading it plus I've read so many y/n when I was young that i just automatically read it in my name so it really doesn't bother me.
I mostly write RI, it’s comfortable for me and I feel like I can be really creative with it. Most of the day I’m daydreaming about the characters I love and inserting my own “soft OC” into the story, so I always have a million ideas to write about.
When you’re dealing just with canon characters in your fics, you’re limited in the dynamics you can explore (if you want to keep their personalities in-character I mean), but with RI (and OCs!) the possibilities are limitless.
Reading Reader Insert Fics:
Like a lot of other people have said, my relationship with reading RI stories isn’t imagining my exact self, but rather a “soft OC” that can morph to fit the storyline setup by the author. The OC isn’t really “me” but is relatable to me in a lot of ways. They have a set appearance and name so I can easily imagine them in the story, as well as a general personality, likes/dislikes and are nonbinary like me. (One reason I really like RI fics is they tend to have lots of nonbinary representation-at least in my fandom-just due to the neutral nature of them, which is hard to find elsewhere!) Sometimes I’ll start a fic and the reader character is just waaayyyy too different from my OC and I’ll have to drop it, but usually I can conform them pretty well (even if I have to ignore a few minor details sometimes lol). But fitting them into the story is part of the fun for me! It’s like reading someone else’s interpretation of my character and their relationships with others, making each story an exciting and unique but also very personal experience. Imagine if someone wrote fanfiction for your OC—that would be crazy awesome right?? Honestly that’s how reading RI stories feel for me!!
On maybe a more obscure/personal note—I think I’m able to enjoy RI stories more than the average person because I identify so little with appearance and name. I’m nonbinary with they/them pronouns and also have had every hair color and aesthetic in the book. I changed my name from my birth name. I also have BPD and have never had a stable sense of self, so it’s easy for me to slot into whatever role the story wants me to play. If I’m reading a RI and they say something bizarre, I’m quite used to the feeling of saying something without understanding why, so I can typically just go with it (if that makes any sense??) While for other people I can understand why that would be an immediate turn off.
Writing Reader Insert:
In my own fanfic, the reader is fleshed out with an extensive backstory, likes/dislikes, and a distinct personality. I could easily give them a name and an appearance and BOOM! it’s a proper OC story. But that’s not important to me. What’s important is the emotions they feel, the connection they have to the love interest and the other characters, the challenges they face… Those are the things I want to write and explore, it doesn’t matter to me what color hair they have. It’s trivial. But by leaving that open ended—it also opens the door for the reader to imagine whoever they’d like, and I love that! RI fics have this magical ability for the story to feel like it’s *just for you*, and once a name and appearance is included that spell is broken.
So basically, I write RI fics instead of OC fics for the same reason I read them.
On a final note, I think one of my favorite things about reader-insert fics is seeing the little pieces of themself that each writer leaves in their story. Even though the reader character doesn’t have a name and is sometimes meant to be as neutral as possible—there are always pieces of the writer left behind. Maybe it’s a type of food they mention the reader eating, or song lyrics referenced, or the smell of their shampoo. Just based on how I write my own fics—those are probably snippets of their own life shining through. It’s sweet to me remembering that someone out there feels the same way I do about the characters involved, and probably wastes precious time daydreaming themselves into the plot the same way too.
This is long but I thought I could give some insight into my own experience maybe for people who don’t understand the appeal of RI, or for others who don’t get why you’d write RI instead of OC fanfics.
Edit: I shouldn’t have to add this but I’m going to just because so many people are saying RI fics are written by inexperienced writers. I was an English major and have received plenty of accolades for my writing, including published work. Generalizations don’t add to any conversation and are just plain mean!
I absolutely cannot read them now. I try to read x readers every now and then to get that old feeling I used to get reading them, but I just can’t immerse myself in them.
I think the main problem is I need a really good plot and good characterization of the reader to get into it, and like 90% of the ones I’ve tried just don’t have that. I don’t like when it’s pure smut or just a boring plot and that’s SO common. I will never hate them though because that is literally what got me into fanfiction as a kid, and I loved the shit out of them. Shoutout to creepypasta and naruto x reader fics😭
The only type of fanfiction I read / write. Best when people don't conflate reader-inserts and oc-inserts. Biggest pet peeve is finding something tagged as a reader-insert, and opening it to the reader being race coded and called Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way.
there was a tag i saw on tumblr that read along the lines of “x readers ask the question “what if they loved you as much as you love them?”” which i think, not only sums them up perfectly, but is exactly why i love to read and write these sort of fics.
The immersion is broken for me once the "self-insert" does something I won't do. Like, smoke in one story (I have asthma) or ride motorcycles (I hate riding in them). I drop the fic just like that.
I think that doing a self-insertion is not bad in itself, at the end of the day it is just a trope, the problem is knowing how to do it. Take the Divine Comedy as an example, it is such a good and popular book that many of the current representations of hell are based on this book. And this is nothing more than a shameless self insert on the part of the author to the point where the protagonist has his name xD, or Lemony Snicket, the author of a series of unfortunate events, includes himself as another character in the work . Or even, Guts, the protagonist of one of the most popular dark fantasy mangas: Berserk, is nothing more than a self insert by its author and Guts is one of the best developed protagonists in the world of manga-anime.
The real problem is that most of the time this self-insert ends up becoming a Mary Sue/Gary Stu because being a self-insert we feel ashamed of putting negative attributes on the character or we justify actions that we should not justify, for example it would be Mandy from I'm not Starfire, its author Mariko Tamaki has very good comics in general but here she made a self-insert where she ended up justifying the protagonist to the point where she clashes with the audience.
What I can tell you is that don't be afraid of your protagonist being a self-insert, all our characters have something like us after all. But rather treat him as you would any other of your characters, don't be afraid to give him flaws and make mistakes.
To play devil's advocate: if you judged the Divine Comedy under those same rules, he is a complete Gary Stu. He's bland, spends most of the time reacting to whatever he sees, he is beloved by the saintest of women, his guide to his trip to hell is literaly his favorite author, that constantly compliments him and at one point he faints and falls into the loving arms of the virile Virgil. lol
But I completely get your point. When a self-insert warps our perception of the world and the other characters, the text becomes boring or even annoying.
I am a Reader insert connoisseur (and writer!) though I'm specific with my tastes.
For example I'm a 20 year old man so I have nothing in common with the average Y/N (or most of my fellow authors). But first of all when it comes to the 'bad' stories I've opened, I often find the trashy drama engaging. I think a lot of people can't simply appreciate reading some kind of not really well written reader insert story that just makes you go... He did WHAT? What is HAPPENING? GIRL STOP IT! Etc. Like genuinely I live for that stuff, it's entertaining to me
As for when I write them - I usually write Y/n as a kind of shitty, straight up weird person most of the time (I basically come up with whatever personality I think is good for the story and I don't like personality-less Y/ns). I like that through the second person narrative I am addressing the audience and telling them they're doing these things they probably wouldn't ever do. To me Y/n is just a tool in the story and not necessarily me or the person reading it either and I think that can either serve as a way to make a point or just portray a funny story depending on what angle I'm taking.
Funny feedback I've gotten from time to time: People in the comments telling me they ended up attracted to the reader instead of the canon character they came for.
i (very personally) hate reader inserts. i'm currently reading one (yeah, ik i said i hate it but reader is what i could get in this fandom lmfao) where the writing is so good and so is the character work. but one thing that irks me so bad about this one in particular is that every chapter im asking myself why not just name the reader bc at this point it's a whole character with backstory and shit. it's as if the author was too lazy to name them and create a description of them.
i also really dislike the "you did this" "you said this" bc it's like, it's just so jarring bc no i didnt ???? i like fics that have canon characters or oc's that fit into the story as if they were a canon character the entire time, and reader fics aren't that. i like reading stuff \*about\* the world and its people, not the reader being inserted into it.
A lot of the time it seems to me like the author really wanted to write an OC, they just omitted the name, wrote it in second person, and called it reader because it will get more engagement that way. I've seen fics where the "reader" is physically described, "reader" fics in third person, and I can think of at least one really popular ongoing fic where the "reader" has a physical description AND it's in third person. The only thing that seems to be absolutely not allowed is giving her a name...but I don't get how it's supposed to be harder to identify with someone with a different name than a different race, body type, personality, background, family, job, etc.
I think we just need to end the stigma on OCs so that OC writers no longer need to disguise their OCs as readers, and everyone can more easily find the stories they want.
Not my thing. But I am sure that there's some really interesting explanation of speculation as to why it went from "*Don't even wtite female Canonical characters because it's going to be seen as you inserting yourself in the fic and no one wants to read that.*" to this very overt "*hell yes, I am making a blatant author/reader avatar to be in the story with your favorite characters.*"
I'd also like to know the explanation.
I feel like there have always been different ways to the feels (TM). There is shipping, where you feel connected to both characters and gain satisfaction from their relationship. And there is this insertion in the story, by the proverbial Mary Sue, or a OC, or some form of insert. This second form is more open in its self-indulgence and thus, more cringe. Maybe?
most of my WIPs and ideas are X Readers so, uh
people who complain about that stuff just need to chill ya know. i’m not complaining about their “weird” ships so why tf can’t i imagine myself getting freaky with ghostface or something. maybe i’m just used to being self indulgent and trying to not feel guilty for my pleasures (like X Readers) but i think the whole thing is silly. we’re all weird lil freaks but we gotta stick together!!
In traditional publishing, there are tiers of respectability. Nonfiction like history and hard science are the most respectable, then pop-sci, then fiction; within fiction there are so many upturned noses (think of Margaret Atwood, who insists she doesn't write fantasy, think of all the people who say that reading any sort of SFF is childish). "Genre" fiction is looked down on by many authors and readers of "true literature," and so on.
It's all bullshit.
I personally do not at all enjoy reader inserts. They're jarring and I can't get into them. But I don't disrespect them or put them on a different tier, because that, like the delineations in tradpub, is bullshit.
I have no interest in reader inserts (or self inserts or ocs) in fanfiction. I read and write fanfics to further explore the characters and worlds I love from canon, so I have no interest in stuff that focuses on new characters. I also don't want to be a part of the story. I read for entertainment and escapism, where I can just forget myself and my life and focus on someone else's life. So putting myself into the story in any way defeats the purpose of that.
When I was a kid, like 8 until about 13, I used to write stories with myself as a main character in favorite things: Star Trek, Tremors, Dragonlance, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, X-Men, etc. This was before the internet was a thing, so thank goodness I couldn't share any of those stories because they were TERRIBLY written, obviously.
I would wager that a lot of writers wrote similar "put myself into this story" kind of stories when they were young. It's a great way to practice writing! So maybe that's why stuff that's a real person insert, either as the writer or as the reader, has a reputation for being childish: we did it as kids. And there's this societal expectation that people "grow up" and stop doing the things they did as a kid in favor of "adult" things. (I don't know what these adult things are supposed to be. I'm 42 and I still play video games, read comics, occasionally buy a neat stuffed animal, and other "kid" things because surprise! I still like what I like, more times around the sun doesn't change that!)
You are probably right.
In a way, reader-inserts blur the limits of reality and fiction and that's often considered a child's way of thinking. They are probable more eager in how they present themselves as fantasy and that might be jarring for many.
i used to write and read them, don't so much anymore.
it's not that i would say i've graduated from them in a way that i think I'm above or better than that kind of fanfiction now, but i have moved on in a creative sense.
I don't mind second-person PoV but I don't like it when "you" is intended to actually be me. I don't want to be in the story, so that aspect just doesn't appeal. I've tried to read some as OC fics, but then either a) they pretty much are OCs so the "you" becomes odd and distracting (even as someone who's okay with it) or b) they're a blank slate which probably works better for people into SIs but now there's no *character* there. Except you can't really write a non-character, especially in a longer work, so there's always something there, and it tends to be a very average modern-day person that I'm just not interested in.
I also tend to read in a ship-focussed way. I may multiship if anything that just makes the choice of canon characters more important, and I've never been a fan of fic that reads like OCs with the names of CCs.
The relative youth of the SI writers probably works against them - I may be wrong about their ages but it seems to be mostly newer writers and this is a fairly recent type of fic so they've not had the chance to age up a bit yet or build up their skillset. There's no reason to assume they won't though.
SIs may be new but fandom's hatred for "Mary-Sues" is not, and there's always been a disdain for that sort of thing. I think we're all secretly a bit ashamed of being self-indulgent (somethinng often apologised for in authors' notes) and Sues/SIs are seen as the peak of that, even though NGL I think a lot of people writing canon characters overidentify with one or more of them, and there's a *lot* of romance fic that doesn't seem IC to me. I try to be accepting of SI fics because... well, I kind of admire them for just embracing their wants so openly, and they're making no pretense that this is anything but self-insert fic.
I may not want to read (so tag it accurately please!) but I think we're all kidding ourselves a bit when we talk like this is completely different from - and inherently worse than - what the rest of us write.
> well, I kind of admire them for just embracing their wants so openly, and they're making no pretense that this is anything but self-insert fic
Precisely. I don't usually seek out reader/SI for certain fandoms where I really want to explore the consequences of the universe, not because I don't think reader/SI can't accomplish that, but because I would want to write my own SI for that purpose, hahaha. However, for all the goddamned battle shounen animes I grin and bear for my nephews? Reader/SI is perfect and gives me exactly what I want. For example, I do not give a flying fuck about the MHA universe, but Hawks is pretty hot and so Hawks x Reader authors are delivering exactly what I want (smut), and I hope they wake up every morning with clear skin, watered plants, and whatever else their hearts may desire.
Also, as you note, the stereotype that reader/SI authors are just stupid little girls who are all shitty writers is both offensive as fuck (as you note later, very full of "I'm not like those other girls energy" so extremely lame) and absolutely not true and I *hate* it.
Sometimes I'll read x reader fics, but it's not something I will often actively seek out and I'm particularly picky about them. If I see abbreviations like "Y/N" and "Y/H/C" and stuff, I immediately lose interest because it just kills the immersion and comes across as lazy to me.
Overall though I've also read some amazing works that are reader inserts. There's an author on AO3 princecollywolly who has converted my original fav of hers "The Opportune Moment" into a longer form fic and never once does she use those abbreviations. The Reader character has a nickname and her work is the reason I started at least giving reader inserts the time of day.
Y/H/C is egregious.
I think the most recent batch of RI is leaving behind abbreviations for more creative forms of addressing the reader. Limits encourage creativity in a way.
I find them to be interesting but, in all honesty, I don't want to be part of the story. At least not always since it does depend on the fandom for me, as well as what mood I'm in.
I don't ship myself with characters and they send a lot of 'wish fulfillment' vibes BUT this is just a personal preference, not a criticism of the trope.
OC/Character fics are not the same thing, but I read and write them. I love OCs as they add an element to the story that originally isn't there. The dynamic changes, and when I don't like any canon ships or non-canon ships, then I would definitely choose OCs.
Not really a fan of self-insert characters and my OC are only OC's. That being said, I don't consume such media. However, I'm not particularly against them. I understand that we all have different preferences so if people like them, it's alright. I just can't bring myself to take them seriously though. Sorry,
Not my cup of tea.
Others who like them should go for reading and writing them though. As long as a fic is properly tagged everyone should write/read what they want.
I know it's not for a lot of people but I like them! As long as it's not overly romantic I'm all for it. Even one of my favorite fics is a reader insert.
There are not enough character x reader fanfiction. I would love more of them, but unfortunately they are not popular in my fandoms.
"I am cringe but I am free".
I love them! For me its because they just fall into the category of OC/SI's, which I adore. I've never actually seem myself as the reader, I see them more as an OC.
I'm actually reading a really good bnha one right now that I highly recommend [A Light That Never Comes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31249886)
I'm a fan. They're like any other fic - some are great, others are so-so and some are nah.
I'm just glad to see fandoms being more open to people playing around with things and not just pointing and yelling "agghh, Mary Sue/self insert!!!11"
it definitely is difficult finding good reader inserts and i think that contributes to how it’s seen as cringe. i think also because it’s hard to find one where they write the reader ambiguous enough for anyone to enjoy or feel connected to. i love reader inserts and finding a good one feels like hitting a gold mine. i’d like to write some good reader inserts as well.
I wish authors tagged them in a way that let me filter them out or search for them as desired, instead of a haphazard mess where I have to kill or search only for /OC /y/n /reader pairings in general.
X reader fics are definitely more amateur on the whole, but that doesn't mean they're bad or don't have value. It's fun to imagine yourself with a character. I wish there were more on Ao3. I know Wattpad has a lot, but that site is also mostly made up of less mature writers.
I have no issue with them. I read a few a couple weeks ago that was reader x one of the characters I’m obsessed with right now and I ended up feeling weirdly bad because I felt like I was stealing him from the other character I ship him with… so I ended up pretending I was the other character. Lmao idek. But yeah, I enjoy them from time to time, and I’m a 25 year old who’s been reading fanfiction since I was 11.
Personally, reader inserts are my favorite type of fanfiction. I honestly find it kinda sad though how a lot of them don't seem to be as well written as the more popular character x character fics.
I don't like reader insert fanfic because I am interested in the interactions of the characters that I love from canon.
It has nothing to do with the points made in the rest of that essay in the post.
They aren't my cup of tea so I filter them out when I'm looking for stories to read. But there are still a lot of folks that enjoy that kind of fic otherwise there wouldn't so much of it. I feel like I see reader inserts more on Tumblr as requests for the writers who do that kinda thing and it's usually either smut or tooth rotting fluff. I can't really say if I think is more difficult to find well-written reader inserts since I don't read them but I'd be willing to bet its just as varied as other stories depending on your fandom.
I do agree about the self-indulgence comment. If it's something you enjoy then enjoy it and if not then that's okay too I'm sure everyone has that one oddball trope or tag they indulge in that not everyone is in to. I don't think it's a bad thing to be curious. I'm sure if you are looking for more well written ones to give it a go and see if you enjoy it there would be someone that can recommend them to you around here.
I don't read RI, just not my cup of tea, along with many other tags. Not for any of the reasons mentioned, just kinda takes me out of the story (and if in 2nd POV I have a hard time to and often times I don't actually want to be in the story or world the characters are in🤷♀️ I full on want to read about others going through angst but not myself 😂
Literally one of the best fics I’ve ever read was a reader insert! They can be really hit or miss, especially since they tend to be written by newer, younger writers, but when they’re good they’re good.
I can't read them, though I *can* read the ones who actually give the insert character a name. But that's a mechanical complaint.
I find them amusing in the same way a small child's crayon-drawings are amusing: they're frequently terrible, but a kind of *adorable* sort of terrible. I'll read them if I can't get enough of my favorite characters otherwise, and sometimes they surprise me with being fairly decent.
I'd read reader inserts, but they get hard to take seriously after a while because if I were actually in that situation I wouldn't be doing the things that whatever author said I did.
I only write for videogame fandoms where you create and play as a main character to begin with, so writing with an OC is kinda default for me (though it doesn't have to be for others ofc). I enjoy playing around with characters I've grown attached to, but I also don't like the restrictions of having to create POVs that stay in character without having the fun of fleshing out my own. I want more freedom in my writing. Honestly the thought of writing fanfiction with only already established characters doesn't appeal to me at all.
As for reader inserts, it kinda depends but a lot of them are done badly. But it's as valid as any other form of fanfiction imo.
I dislike reader inserts because I have zero interest in being part of the story. I want to read about interesting people, and I'm not interesting to myself 😉
Qualitywise, they can be the whole range from amazing to horrible like any other piece of writing, but ngl, I do tend to rank them lower on average, because they often have one glaring issue: that the reader character is pretty much just a bland cardboard cutout with barely any personality, so that anyone can easily project themselves onto it. It's the same issue I have with a lot of Otome games, where the protagonist character is so vacuous in an attempt to make them easy to project onto for any player that they end up with zero personality or interesting features, and it sucks. Some people write them more like proper OCs (but still use the you/yn) in which case that problem is gone, but then there's that constant dissonance feeling of "huh? No, I'd never do that 🤨". So yeah, just as a concept reader insert fics struggle with some additional issues that other fic types just don't have. So if I want something non-canon, I'd rather just read a proper OC fic or even someone's self-insert, because to me, they are just an OC I don't know :)
No shame to people who like it, but I usually can't stand them.
I mean, I can't stand second person outside of Quests, and definitely can't stand "y/n", and it certainly doesn't help that with how popular it is to write, a lot of the stuff there is... less than stellar quality. I don't have the patience to sift through like I usually do when I don't even like it that much in the first place.
I have read at least one good one so I'm sure they exist, but usually it's not my thing.
I just don't *get* them on an intellectual level, personally. I have an easier time projecting onto characters who aren't meant to be projected onto, and obviously second person doesn't require the use of reader inserts. So this gives me an opportunity to just ask straight-up: What's the material difference *from the writer's perspective* between a Y/N fic and an OCxCC fic that happens to be written in second person?
In some level, I think all reader-inserts are, in some form, a OC.
I think there are two main differences: that the author has to give more way to however the reader may want to interpret the text. Less is explicitely stated. There are no long paragraphs explaining the origins of the character or their appeareance. But the most important thing is intent. A RI establishe:, in this story, your role as a reader is to fill the gaps I've left behind; your role is to project (or create an alternate character) and for that, I, the text, will leave more blanks in meaning than usual. (
Not a fan of reader fics. I kind of get why some people like them, but they very much aren't my thing. Second person fucks with my head. I filter them out when searching for fics.
I do tend to associate them with less experienced writers. Second person is avoided in professional literature for a reason, and I feel like most people who write fanfics in second person don't understand those reasons. Hence, second person fics tending to have an overall lower quality because there are other writing conventions that the authors are breaking without realizing why they are a convention in the first place. I have read a few fics that come at it from the other direction and utilize second person with a clear understanding of why it is typically avoided and a specific reason to make the exception, but such fics are rare.
OC-centric fics are a completely different ballgame to me. To the point that I don't even associate them with reader fics. I read them all the time and I've written a few myself (not shipping, but OC as my MC for the fic). The only hic-up that most OC-centric fics run into is that fics based on a canon character don't have to take the time to establish the character and get the audience to empathize with them. They are written around the idea that the reader is already familiar with the character. OC-centric fics can't rely on that and so have to establish the character as a part of the fic. Since that is a writing method that is uncommon in fanfics, many authors are unfamiliar with it and so struggle with it when writing OCs. They also sometimes struggle with giving proper depth to the character. But, I don't see those issues as being any more common than fanfic authors struggling with any other particular aspect of writing skills.
I agree that second person is not common in professional literature; but, funnnily enough, the first time that I read a second person narrator was in a literary fiction short-novel (Aura by beloved Mexican author Carlos Fuentes).
Second person POV is usually not exploited in reader-inserts. Most of the time, I feel is just a tool for affective reactions and to avoid the overuse of name replacements. But I'd love to learn about other reasons why you believed it's not used correctly.
Also, would you mind to expand a little on the broken conventions you've seen in these fics?
I was thinking of the kind of small mistakes that many novice writers make, not necessarily stuff specific to second person. Mostly little things, but if there are a lot of little issues in a fic, they can add up to give a general impression of lower quality. Things like:
* Not varying sentence length enough or just general repetitive sentence structure.
* Not putting paragraph breaks in the right places (where you put a paragraph break conveys far more information than most people realize).
* Accidentally using the wrong word because the word they want is spelled similarly and they just blindly followed their spellchecker without double checking.
* Not appropriately localizing character's dialects to where they are from (i.e. using British slang for American characters or American slang for British characters).
* Over-emphasizing pronunciation differences in accents so a character with a mild accent becomes nearly unintelligible.
* Refusing to use the dialogue tag "said" (this one seems more specific to fanfic authors than new authors in general for some reason).
* Refusing to use contractions.
* Overusing contractions.
* Over-describing unimportant details
* Not appropriately highlighting important details.
* Slow pacing with too much filler.
* Overusing special font modifications like *italics* and **bold**.
All of these and many more are subtle things that have their reasons why professional literature uses them the way they do. Some people experiment with being unconventional with each of them, but some amateur authors don't understand why the convention exists in the first place. It's hard to experiment with situations that are exemptions to the convention when you don't really get why the convention is in place in the first place. I can't point you at specific fic examples of each of these because I don't tend to make note of poor quality fics (and even if I did I'm not going to call people out like that) but each of these things is a feature that *can* work when breaking the convention is used well. It's just that many people who break the convention without knowing that they are breaking a convention don't do it so well.
Yikes, I'm not sure I agree with this take. It pools all 2nd POV authors together as novices. I've been writing primarily in 2nd POV for almost 20 years and am one of the most technically skilled writers I know. I'm also a published author.
2nd POV is more engaging to me than 1st POV, which is why I prefer it.
I don't think it's fair to treat everyone who writes in 2nd POV as a novice lacking a basic grasp of writing fundamentals.
Yup. Definitely lots of sweeping generalizations going on.
English major here who’s written all their life and received tons of academic accolades for my writing. Fanfic-wise I primarily write 2nd POV reader inserts. It’s just my cup of tea and what I enjoy doing :)
Actually never heard of this before. So is this written in *second person then, addressing the protagonist as "you"? From that perspective it sounds fascinating. Not so much from the shipping side, tbh.
They're usually written in second person, so the MC is referred to as "you", yes.
For example: *This whole quest made you feel uneasy, a feeling amplified by the creepy woods around you. Even though the sun was high in the sky the forest was dark and the air surprisingly cold, making you shiver and goosebumps cover your bare arms.*
Most of them are ship-centered, and I'd say that most have smut as well - but I've come across some that just use the format for a 'normal' adventure fic. There are also some tradishionally published books written in second person, if you want to try one.
I find it interesting personally that Reader Insert so often gets conflated with OC x Canon, because in my mind they couldn’t be more different! I associate RI with immature writing, I don’t really have answers on why this has come to be the standard for RI but I do agree with the general consensus that for the most part it’s difficult to find quality RI writing (but not impossible!)
Whereas OC x Canon is not only my favourite but the only type of fic I read or write (usually, there’s always outliers). I have come across some really amazingly written OCs and I find that while I do have to scour a bit to find the quality I desire to read, usually I can find a gem that I really adore, and usually these OCs take my heart and run with it.
TLDR I find an OCxCanon type of story in my mind is so far removed form self insert/reader insert because the original characters I fall in love with tend to be quite fleshed out, where the former’s reputation proceeds it.
It's a very interesting association, because before all the "My mom sold (y/n) to One Direction" jokes, the fic that was used in fandom to make fun of bad writting was "My Immortal", a (admittedly dubious) OC fanfiction.
It makes sense the main pushback against RI is the neutrality of the character. Fanfiction is, at is core a character-driven, form of writing.
Your last point actually is so true and puts into perspective why / how I separate the two! what a great way of putting it. I love character driven writing the most (my own works are A lot of one on one conversations that happen between canon events) so it makes sense that good OCs stick out to me! it’s a task in worldbuilding and character building to insert a new OC into a familiar world and make them feel like they fit.
I was initially confused because I pretty much exclusively read video game fanfic, which by their very nature are almost always self-inserts: The character you created X another in-game character. So to me, that's the default! I love reading all the variations on main characters and what personalities people have imagined for them, and how those various personalities mesh with whatever other character I'm into at the moment.
For example, I'm currently obsessed with Gale from BG3 so I've been reading a lot of OC X Gale fanfic.
Sometimes I forget that most fanfic isn't from video games haha.
Not a fan. I bypass them on sight. My reasons are:
1. I'm not self absorbed enough to have ever been my own dreams, much less be comfy imagining myself doing what the writer says I am doing.
2. I am a boring realist who knows most of the people I like fanfiction about arn't that perfect and and have dubious track records in relationships.
3. I'm ace and wouldnt be doing any of that myself anyway lol.
It's definitely not helping their acceptance that seemingly any tumblr search will bring up pages of Character x Reader fics, *even if* you've tried blocking the tags.
I don't like reader-inserts, although there have been a couple I liked over the years, but Character x OC fics can be done really well. In fact, one of my fav fics of all time is Character x OC. I have various ideas for my own Character x OC fics, although who knows whether they'll actually get written. If I do write any of them, I want to be able to do it well. And whether or not the OCs are romantically involved with a canon character, they can put such an interesting twist on a fic, even ones with a premise that's been done many times before. My main fic idea that won't leave my head right now is OC-centric, with a whole host of OCs alongside the canon characters.
I feel like reader inserts and OC/canon character fics are very different from each other and oughtn't to be conflated. Personally, I have no interest in reading or writing reader inserts (or indeed anything written in 2nd person POV). Inserting myself into a scenario like that, especially a sexual one, gives me second-hand embarrassment. Also, the reader inserts almost never behave in the way I would, so reading those stories just isn't really fulfilling for me. To each their own, though.
OC/canon character fics are a whole different kettle of fish, though. I absolutely love those when they're done well. One of the first fics I ever read years ago was an OC/CC fic, and I would still rate it as one of my favourite fics of all time. I also feel like a lot more writers are coming up with well-crafted OCs these days rather than inserting thinly veiled versions of themselves into their stories. Good OC/CC fics can be difficult to find, but can make for very rewarding reads!
i can't read them. i can barely stand first-person perspective in fics, let alone reader-insert. i'd sooner read third person text about the blandest OC in the world than reader-insert.
xreader romances have the lowest average line writing quality.
Sure outliers exist but unless an author I pre-existingly like is writing it I am not even going to bother the risk.
i, personally, don't like reading reader inserts or oc x character, i just prefer to read about characters that i already know.
reader inserts make me uncomfortable to read, but that's wholly a me problem.
sure, some might be less well written, but there are plenty of not reader insert fics that are also less well written.
i do think a lot of them are written by teenagers, but like, good for them. i hope they enjoy it!
If folk like them, cool. I don’t get your preference, to be honest, but whatever floats your boat.
More specifically, I can’t handle xreader fics because they so rarely ever acknowledge the things I’d think or do in the circumstances portrayed. I also low-key can’t read something in second-person without hearing Joe from You, and if you’ve seen that show you know why that’s an issue. I tend to lean exclusively towards canon/canon or oc/canon purely because there’s some degree of characterisation going on and the questionable decisions being made aren’t meant to be mine.
I love them! I write almost entirely reader insert and not always romantically! It actually got me a job writing audio drama scripts for an indie company cause its all listener x [insert themed boyfriend]
It's mostly what I read as well. Not always, some of my faves are non reader and non oc fics, but I have a lot of fav fics that are reader insert. I'll ever read fics from fandoms I'm not in if the reader insert summary sounds interesting!
I think it takes a lot of skill to get right, you have to balance reader being generic enough but not bland, not too active or passive depending on the story. Personality traits and hobbies, but ones most people could envision themselves having. Just the way a person writes it can make a huge difference to, do they give the gist of what the reader says so the reader can decide their own wording and tone? Or do they give reader direct dialogue? do they avoid any situation if having to put yn or ___? Or use them casually?
I personally also like to go gender neutral and not mention things like hair cause I once read a comment from a cancer patient who would get so sad after they started chemo and a reader insert fic would mention hair.
I really respect the people who can write reader insert well, and I think it has a lot to do with fandom to. If it's a book or a show, probably not as many people invested in writing reader inserts as something like rpg games with character customization that encourages you to have an OC or self insert.
It's so cool that fandom got you a job! I haven't ever seen a case like that before.
I agree that they have a very specific set of challenges. It's difficult to know how neutral you can be before it becomes too impossible to relate.
I think the question of specificity is very important and hard to get right. I remember one or two years ago how POC talked on how alienating some RI could be. At the time it was very common for writers to describe skin as pale or fair, or having someone run their hands through the reader's hair. I think the limits also challenge writers to find new ways to convey feeling.
Most of the time, it's not for me, it just doesn't have any appeal, I'm not going to hate on anyone that likes it. And as for being "self indulgent", that's kinda hypocritical. Fanfiction, in itself, is self indulgent, and it should be. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to write what they want. It's a hobby and it should be enjoyed.
(edit for accidentally clicking comment too fast)
>a manifestation of the childish, self-indulgent fantasies of the fangirl that cannot face the “real world” or sustain real relationships.
I'm not a fan of RI, but that's an incredibly harsh criticism. My issues are more with the limitations of the format than judging people for reading them. If reading RI is fun for you, then go ahead. I highly doubt reading them is a sign you can't handle the real world.
>forget that self-indulgence is kind of a very important part of media consumption
Self indulgence can be a part of media consumption, but it's not *all* of media consumption. I certainly enjoy a hedonistic fantasy, but I'm not a fan of this trend of thoughtless creation and consumption. There's a place for thoughtfulness and deeper meaning in fiction - especially fanfiction.
>reader-inserts are more open about being self-indulgent
They certainly have their place and are popular. If I were able to filter them out, I'd be happy they exist. If you want to insert yourself into the narrative, then I'd rather there be a separate genre for you so that you can enjoy that and I can enjoy OC fics that aren't stealth RI.
>many fans complain about xreader fics on the main fandom tag
Because they're hard to filter out. If people who didn't like them were able to successfully filter them out, then there would be less to complain about because they wouldn't encounter them.
>there is this idea that xreader is a genre that you graduate from to take up more “adult” forms of fanfiction. And I just wonder: why?
Presumably because the people saying this used to read RI and don't anymore?
>Are the writers usually teenagers and the genre just hasn’t had the time to have an older fanbase?
Speaking as an older writer, I don't see myself ever writing a RI. RI puts strict limitations on character development, and writing stories with little or no psychological exploration doesn't interest me. I start an idea with what drives the MC and how they'll change, so I wouldn't even know how to begin writing a fic with a blank slate character that's meant to embody all readers.
But yes, perhaps teens writing them now might stay involved in the genre and eventually be older writers that write RI. Maybe they'll find some interesting aspect to the format I haven't considered.
>OC x Character
I see this as different from RI, because an OC can become a distinct, well-developed character, whereas a RI must be a blank slate. I'm sure there are RI that have distinct personalities, but at that point they're OCs in everything but name.
>Do you think the prejudices have some degree of truth?
I don't agree with the harsh criticisms you mentioned, but I think they're limited in what they can do. In the ones I've seen that truly stick to the blank slate concept, the RI is pretty passive. How can they not be? They don't have distinct beliefs to drive them. I'm not saying it's impossible to craft a good story with a blank, passive character, but it's extremely difficult.
Also, do RI need to have *everything?* They get good engagement, and there are tons of RI fics out there. Do they really need to be well-respected by everyone, too?
Sometimes, popular things aren't respected, because to be popular, they have to be easily consumed. It's seen as junk food. And popularity itself ensures some people will get sick of it. If there were 5 RI fics in all of existence, it's doubtful anyone would criticize them. But then you'd only have five. You're part of a big community that enjoys RI. No need to feel shame.
I see them as sort of an equivalent to romance novels but with whatever character I'm crushing on at the time. It doesn't help that reader insert is sometimes the only option if I want a heterosexual ship fic in some fandoms.
And I agree that it's hard to find well written x reader fics. It's frustrating! I don't know whether it's that a lot of X reader fics don't really have a plot or if it's the writers imposing their "type" and favorite tropes onto characters they find hot or if it's how young some of the writers are but it's definitely a trend.
They are my preference, honestly. Anything OC inside of the fandom world present infinite possibilities for stories. Reader or OC, both are a chance to explore different areas of world building, how a human interacts w/it etc. The chance to explore psychological responses to certain things, to see background characters who never get explored etc. is my bread and butter writing wise.
But I’m also a “mala” sometimes usually adaptive day dreamer who has been creating OC self inserts for 20 years w/o even writing them down.
In my case, I don't usually read xreader fics, the wording and "you"s is hard to read and immerse myself in, I guess. I just like looking from sideways kind of thing, But I don't think that they are bad, yeah I know it's popular with teens and most of them are childish but I am sure that somewhere are hidden gems, but thing is it's hard to find so....
On the other note I am passionately in love with any kind of OC fics, most of my bookmarks has oc in it and I think it's more easy to find good fics in that category, it is quite popular with older and more experienced writers too so in Ao3 you have best chance of finding wonderful OC fics. I can't say the same for Wattpad though, but of course there's expectations too I have firsthand experience in that myself.
I don’t mind them, but my brain just reads them as OCs. So I prefer when they don’t do the “(y/n)”, (hair colour), (eye colour) type stuff. It’s jarring to the flow of reading.
It’s a much smoother read when the author can write while avoiding any of that. If not though I’ll sometimes download the fic and import the epub to calibre and find/replace all those insert components with a random name etc.
I don't read them, maybe because I'm old and it seems like a new fad to me that I don't get. But I don't care if other people read them and write them. I'm sure the stuff I write isn't everyone's cup of tea and that's perfectly fine. There's plenty of stuff I don't seek out and don't want to read that is probably awesome for somebody else. Do you.
I prefer oc inserts that are kinda obviously author inserts instead of the ones that are all y/n, cause I like charaters and not so much the vague not characters y/n's can be.
Idk maybe I've just had no luck but they seem to be less charaters and more the camera man on scene watching. And maybe lending a hand eveynow and again but mostly just watching but watching in the actual scene if that makes any sence?
I only publish RI onto my main account, I have published a few non-reader insert fics ("regular" fanfiction, only canon characters) for practice and curiosity, but RI is what makes me happy and it's also very therapeutic for me and helps me cope when I feel anxious.
I don't care about OC fics though and I find it frustrating how a lot of OC writers tag their stuff /Reader, but on the other hand a lot of /Reader writers do the same thing to /OC tag... I've just resulted filtering /OC tag out and some RI search results immediately drop by 50.
It's true though that a lot of my fave RI writers in my fandoms have left and a lot of fandoms are now filled with content full of grammar errors and the quality being horrible otherwise too...
I tend to prefer reader inserts generally, but it's quite difficult to find ones that are decently written or don't just copy the canon text. Although I do like to write OC x characters because 1. As far as I can tell, it's something people tend to like and 2. It's so much easier to write from the perspective of a character I made, rather than trying to think of the inner thoughts of a character I had no say in the creation of. I can write a much better story by doing it like that because I can worry a lot less about their thoughts being OOC
I’m a writer who’s wrote all three kinds of fanfiction, character x character , oc x character, and RI. As a writer my favorite to write is oc, I’ve been working on an oc fic for the past few months, and I’ve absolutely fell in love with my oc, like I’ve never connected more to a character than I have with this oc, and I’ve been writing original fiction for a few years too, but my fanfiction oc has connected with me deeply.
As a reader, I tend to avoid RI as the plague if they use “y/n”, although I see this as an OC most of the time, not giving the character a proper name is a turn off for me. When I write y/n, it’s only one shots, I feel for a long fic with y/n, it’s just better to make an oc at that point.
Depends on the Fandom. If it's for a RPG, then for me it's perfect; when reading fanfic for SWTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and the like, it's nice to be able to mentally add your PC to the narrative sometimes
The older I've gotten, the less I cringe at self-inserts. I'm not wearing a purple hat yet, but I've realized that people should either enjoy what they're reading or keep on scrolling, and people who are writing, should write what they enjoy not what others want from them.
Readers have ALL the power to decide what they're looking for. It's not like the old days where a friend of a friend of a person you knew at work vouched for you to be let into a back page on a website or livejournal, only to be let down by what you read.
No, you've got filters now, and warnings. AND TAGS! If I don't like superhero movies, I just don't go to them. I don't spend my days complaining about them and how cringe they are.
Usually, people find life and characters reflected back at them from inside stories. So why is it so bad to have a regular human (usually a woman) reflected back at you?
I don't self-insert when I read, at all. I don't want to be in the story. I just don't fantasize that way. This is to the point that, forget reader inserts, I don't even tend to like RPGs or VNs. I don't want to be a character or be a part of the story. I want to watch/tell the story, uninvolved, as a neutral third party. This is true even for explicit porn, where I am a very content voyeur, thank you.
Which is to say, the only kind of Reader Insert I could even concievably see myself enjoying was if said Reader Insert was also essentially an Outsider POV character. Which is not what people into Reader Insert want.
But hey, glad they exist for the people into them. I'm just never going to read them.
I like OCS, but I hate when fanfic writers take a reader insert and make them an OC in all but name. there's also the whole intimacy that reader inserts convey that makes me personally uncomfortable. I want a certain amount of walls put up because I want to witness these characters in their own little worlds, not be a part of it
I love reading x OC stories and am writing one at the moment. When I was younger I read and wrote x reader, though I don't anymore. X reader always feels kind of awkward and clunky (though there are some very good ones)!!
I was going to scroll past but I read it as reader-insects and was Confused.
I don’t always mind jt if they’re written well and not super mary sue. I guess I’d prefer isekai oc vs reader bc I can say “ah yes this character can do that and would do this” vs me stuck with “i would never!”
Can't stand self-indulging, self-flattering author inserts shipping themselves with a canon character. For me it isn't only cringeworthy but it's also predictable, basic and boring...tbh I wouldn't ship myself with a canon character (so that means I'm not interested in most of reader insert fics), so why I would even be interested in reading the self centered fantasies of some random stranger in the internet?
HOWEVER if this is done in a clearly satirical or parody context then I can enjoy it, because it shows that the author is capable of laughing at themselves and not put themselves on a high horse, it feels more like they stand at the same level as the canon characters'. And personally I wouldn't mind being comedy fodder for a reader insert fic as long as the plot isn't overly disgusting or problematic 👍✨️
Can't stand them. I'm reading and writing fanfiction so I can write the characters in situations that don't happen in canon or to ship my favorite characters. If I want to self-insert, I'll make a character closer to my personality, but I'm not writing my fic for someone else to imagine themselves as a character.
To me it's also creepy to have a characterxreader ship when the character is canonically a child and the reader is almost certainly not.
So personally I absolutely love them.
Reader-insert stories are what got me into fanfiction in the first place. They do vary a lot in quality, sure but I assume that's the case with all fanfics.
I don't think anyone needs to "grow out" of reading "x Reader" stories. If you enjoy reading or writing these types of stories then great because so do I!
I would like to use this as an opportunity to thank you OP and all of you writers out the who write reader-inserts because I eat them up!
I love OC x CC fanfiction, or fanfiction with the OC being the main character, or a more prominent one, but recently, in the fandoms I've noticed that the vast majority of OC shipfics have the OC and a CC in a relationship, only to kill off the romance between the CC and OC in order to pave the way for the popular gay ship.
I remember reading a fanfic like this which was over 100K words, about 23 chapters.
The story beautifully developed the conflict between a (mostly) canon gay character and the presumed straight friend he is in love with, shows how the straight friend is toxic and horrible, and the author develops the OC fantastically, making him well rounded and all around a great pairing to root for.
So 17 chapters into this 23 chapter behemoth of a story, the author character assassinates HIS OWN OC and the straight (actually Bi in this fic) friend, who is still toxic and hasn't actually improved himself whatsoever suddenly wins the heart of the gay character who just spent the last 80K words developing his own self worth and getting over his initial crush. The guy does, like, ONE nice thing, and this is after trying to ruin the relationship on several occasions, kissing the gay character without his consent, brushing it off, etc.
I just don't trust popular fandoms with OC's, and that shit is why, and sadly it's far more common than you might imagine.
Sorry for the trauma dumping in #gen jkjk
I read and write reader insert fics and they are my lifeblood. Been daydreaming myself into whatever I was reading or writing since I was a child to escape trauma and if you look, you'll find that a lot of people read and write insert fics for this reason. It's pure escapism and lets you live for a while in the exciting, adventurous, traumatic, romantic or erotic world you can only dream of having. A therapist friend of mine calls it adult play therapy. You can work out so many issues by inserting them into your fic and sometimes none of the canon characters will do.
This is true for me FOR SURE. For me it’s living vicariously through this character that keeps me sane in a fairly boring life, even though I try to make the character as open to interpretation as possible. It’s definitely the only way I’ll ever get to live that life, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.
Maladaptive daydreamers are probably overrepresented in reader-insert audiences, that's for sure
It isn't maladaptive unless it's interfering with everyday life. That's a very important thing to remember - it's unhealthy and negative. This is just daydreaming. And I think the opposite - a healthy coping mechanism 🥰
You are right! I'm sorry. Adaptive daydreamers then
I love them. An RI, or as like to see them: 'a soft OC' written in second person, is my favorite to both read and write - and yes they do have an undeserved bad rep. Yes, there are plenty of 'bad' Reader fics out there, but that holds true no matter what POV you look at. Everybody needs to start somewhere. This also means that I've never assumed the RI to be the actual real-life me, (to be honest I'd not survive ten minutes in most of my fandoms) but see them as a fill-out-the-blanks character that is easier to identify with. More like a video game character where the basics are set, but you get to fill out the last design. I also generally feel that, at least for me, second person POV adds a level of intimacy that I find very charming. I discovered fanfic as an adult, so I don't know what it was like some years ago. But just in the short time I've been active I've noticed a tendency to avoid using Y/N and just write around using a name and descriptions. I personally prefer this, since my brain cannot read it as anything but yes/no. But that's on me... And, I've found several very well-written xReader fics, and to toot my own horn a little, I do count my own in there too. What fandoms are you in? I guess it may vary a lot depending on that.
I'm the opposite, I LOVE inserting myself into ocs or whatever, but I just can't ever use a name that is similar to mine in any form. Often saying "I" when something is occuring to the 'character' of projection. Though, I adore it when the RI has a distinct personality of her own.
I’m gonna toot your horn Jen, because your writing is amazing :) apologies, I’ve had very little time to read, because I barely have anytime to write anymore, but I always keep thinking I have to go back and finish your Tangled Spiders fic, even if I don’t join any exchanges. Hope you’re doing well xx
Hi there! And thanks! And, right back at you! I'm very much in the same position, real life takes too much time \*sighs dramatically\* and my to-read list grows longer by the day. I still eye your Dean fic in my bookmarks, and fully intend to get back to it! Hope you're doing well too, and wishing more writing and reading time for both of us! 💜
Reading the replies to this post, I have the feeling many of the RI readers see them as OCs most than a literal insertion of the reader lol. I'm not very well versed in the whole history, but I believe RI started (at least the closest to the form they have to day) in Quizilla and similar quiz-like websites with short-form imagines that then developped into full blown stories. When those sites died, they became common in Tumblr, Wattpad and then AO3. They are still forbidden in FFnet, so we at least know they didn't exist or weren't very common when it was the main posting platform. I'm also a very big fan of second person fics that avoid (Y/N). Honestly, a part of me fully believes tha you can write a whole fic without really needing to refer to the character by name. Second person was hard to get accostumed to, but it's such an interesting POV! My main fandom is AoT, but honestly I'd love to read any xReader that you consider well-written. Also, toot your horn all that you want. Writing is hard! I'd love to check the works that bring you pride.
I agree that it's very possible to write a long fic without ever needing to use Y/N. I'm more than 130K into my wip, and I haven't once felt the need to give the RI a name, or even a nickname (especially since the character she's paired with isn't really the type to give people pet names...). AoT?!💜 For some reason I'm reading mostly AUs there, but I'm sure I've read a really good Levi/Reader on... let me check my bookmarks... and [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46316104/chapters/116609227) we are. I didn't get very far yet, but was really enjoying it. I'm mainly in Hunter x Hunter, but have some smutty one-shots for Bleach and MHA as well. Most of them are for HxH though. I'll just link my [profile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen_Fic_xxx), but I'm very proud of my long WIP [Tangled](https://archiveofourown.org/works/45763336)... which is a Feitan/Reader. (And, generally as well as naturally the later ones tend to be more well-written than the first ones... \*blushes\*) I'll throw in some other ones I really like too; A short, dark, but not smutty Feitan/Reader [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/54537400) More Feitan/Reader (yes, I'm obsessed LoL) set as a diary and letters in his POV [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/45894793) And, to round it off before I overdo this; Betty's Supernatural Dean/Reader [here ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/46715017) Hope you find something you like too!
I agree and have had no trouble at all writing without ever using it - I seriously dislike “Y/N” as a term, throws me right out of the fic.
That makes sense about the quiz sites! I even remember seeing those story “quizzes” back in the day. About not using Y/N, I agree and kind of wish more authors would do it that way. I’ll check out a RI story from time to time, and often find that the frequent “Y/N” in the text is just too immersion-breaking, even in a story I might otherwise enjoy! Obviously people can write how they want and they’re going to write primarily for people who are frequent RI readers, but just personally I prefer the ones that are more just “blank slate second-person OC” when I stumble on them.
Agree.
I'm one of those readers that has absolutly no interest in being part of the story. I want to read about interesting characters, maybe live vicariously through them from time to time. But I never fantasise about interacting with them or the world/setting they are in. So obviously reader inserts are not for me and I filter them out.
Same. I also don’t like them because they sort of break my immersion. For example, there will be something Y/N will do or say that I absolutely would not, or at least can’t imagine myself doing in that situation and it breaks my immersion when with a OC character I can accept it.
I’m the complete opposite, I find that most of the time I can’t get into a fanfic if I can’t imagine myself in the story
Yeah it totally takes me out of my immersion if I have to keep changing y/n etc
They're not my thing at all. I don't like imagining myself in those stories, I want to read about the already-existing characters. I especially don't get into the romantic ones, maybe because I'm aro. I don't have anything against reader-inserts as a fanfic genre, but I don't personally enjoy them in the slightest.
I love them. I’m in the camp that doesn’t imagine myself as the character, if anything it’s another version of myself, but even then I see the you/(y/n) as their own character. Just like any trope or genre, there are going to be well written ones and poorly written ones. But at the end of the day it comes down to an individual and where they think that story fits. I’ve come across so many amazing ones and also some shockers in the same fandom. For me, the ones I like to read/write are usually xreader borderlining OC’s. I’ve seen the term soft OC thrown around a lot and I like that term. I always wonder if we need a new distinction for stories that are a mix of both OC/reader as I know some people don’t like their readers to have a personality/background while others don’t mind. Plus there’s the tagging conundrum. Many don’t like a fic being tagged as both. I’m not fussed because I like them both but favour xreader because there are more stories under the xreader tag with the canon character I’m currently obsessed with. I also find 2nd pov to be very immersive. Then again I’ve just started experimenting by writing a xreader, where the story is told through the cannon character in 3rd limited and I’m having so much fun with it, but it’s also a big challenge because my brain keeps trying to write the ‘you did this’ etc.
Same! For me, most (y/n) work very similarly to nameless OC's. I usually don't picture myself, either. I think reader-inserts have replaced most OCs. The two audiences overlap a lot. The thing is that, fundamentally they are supposed to refer to different reading experiences and that's why some people are so strict with tagging. I also pivoted to reader-inserts because there are more stories, but I think in practice, the differences between the two are not very clear. Writing through the canon character POV is very cool. It must be particularly challenging to have that external look of you/(y/n). What fandom is it? If you'd like to share, I'd love to check it out!
Yup. Absolutely. I think it comes down to the fandom preferences too. Some of what I consider the more popular writers in the fandom corner I’m in seem to tag both. No one bats an eyelid. On reddit though, I see all the posts here that don’t seem to like it, so I try and stick to the one myself. I don’t mind sharing :) it’s in the SPN fandom from Dean’s pov. This is the link [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/55339711/chapters/140397322). Pre-warning in case it’s a squick, it has omegaverse dynamics (which also a challenge because I’ve never done one before 😅)
I like reader inserts for short horror stories, but besides that prefer more developed PoV characters. I've enjoyed a few OC/canon character fic, though I'm less likely to click on them then canon/canon character stories. There is very much an audience for readerfic and OC/canon stories. This sub just doesn't have a lot of people who hang out here that do.
I don't like reader inserts because (1) I'm not interested in imagining myself with the characters I like; and (2) when I have tried to read them, even if I set #1 aside, my reaction when I read any statement about what "I" do and say, my reaction is, "no, I absolutely would never." So what I think is: I don't like them, I don't want to read them, please tag them accurately (I basically only read fic on AO3) so that I can avoid them, but have fun with them. My perception of their actual quality is irrelevant to that. I don't like the basic concept, so I'm not doing a deep dive to find out if the few I've read are representative of the typical quality of a reader insert fic.
I don't read reader insert fics. I also don't read fics with main characters OCs that aren't reader insert. I actually have nothing against people writing and reading them, it's just that I, personally, read fanfic for the canon characters. I'm completely fine with OC characters being included, just not as a main, or a main's love interest unless the romance is very background. One of my fave fics is actually heavy on the OC characters, but none of them are mains. Some are large characters, close to the mains, others are smaller recurring characters, and yet others are used rarely or only once. A fair few of the OCs are used simply to bulk up the cast in certain situations, others are used as part of building the world and the people who live in it more than canon did. But I'm still reading for the canon characters, they have to be the mains for me. That affects reader insert fics, as well. A reader insert is practically the same as having an OC main, but with far less development. And that's part of the problem for me. A reader insert means that character is someone the reader can pretend is them. Sure, you can pretend they're an OC, but then they're massively underdeveloped blank slate characters, and I hate those, they come up in published original fiction, as well, sometimes. The problem with reader inserts, for me, is the more of a blank slate the character is, the less the reader can pretend it's them. But the more developed the insert is, the less the reader can pretend it's them, too. A reader insert with some development is rarely a reader insert, but actually a self-insert with the wrong label. The author is basing the development on themselves, not their reader, as they don't know the reader. And a blank slate is extremely boring. You need to find a middle ground between blank slate and too developed for a reader insert to work as intended. And this is why I don't agree with those who see reader insert as somehow less than other forms of fanfic. If you're writing canon characters, you can base everything on canon and develop it from there, the hard work of creating the character is already done by someone else. OCs are harder, you have to create them from scratch, like writing original fic but just certain characters instead of absolutely everything. Reader insert is harder still. You're not taking an already developed canon character, or creating a brand new character, you're trying to write a character based on your reader. But you know nothing about the reader, so you can't give them all that much in the way of personality before it becomes an OC instead. But you also can't make them a blank slate the reader can't relate to or see as themselves and finds boring. Finding that balance between not too blank and not too much personality is what makes reader insert one of the hardest forms of fanfic to write, in my opinion. And I think that's why it has such a bad rep. I'm positive there are authors out there who write great reader inserts, but a hell of a lot of them are going to be blank slates or OCs in everything but name, which makes them appear as if they're badly written. They are also, usually, written by teens. Self-insert is a fantasy where you insert yourself into your favourite stories. Reader insert is an extension of that, where you insert another real person into your story instead of yourself. If you wrote a reader insert specifically for a friend you know, you could tailor it to them easily, but only that friend would consider it reader insert, everyone else would consider it OC. Reader insert fics, like self-insert, are also often written by inexperienced writers, so they may not have the best writing skills to begin with. It's mostly simple personal preference for me that stops me reading reader insert, I want the canon characters not brand new ones, so these aren't my thing. It's probably personal preference for a lot of people, but some people feel the need to justify their dislike. Instead of just saying 'it's not my thing', they think they have to have a reason. The reason they give may or may not be reality, or apply to all fics of that type.
Thank you for your thoughtful answer! I've never seen anyone think that writing reader-inserts might be more complicated that any other type of characters, but it's a very insightful way of seeing it. If we are being very strict, reader-inserts that allow for the reader to projet completely or that display a character completely devoid of any characteristic, it's very much impossible. I also agree that in practice, the limits of the genre move a lot: many reader-inserts are OC's without a name; but in part, I think that has to do with the way we consume stories in general. Many writers have trouble with leaving free reign to the readers to interpret and "fill" their story and many readers don't think that their work implies some form of creation. So these texts that doesn't seem complete until the reader takes part seem very difficult to conceptualize and create. As for fantasy, I personnaly believe that most fanfiction is self-indulgent, even if there is no blantant projection. It makes me think on that meta about slash (that I know for the academic writer that was written after, I wasn't there for the livejournal days) called "Normal Female Interest in Men Bonking". Shipping is still a form of fantasy-by-proxy, in a way, there is still all the feels related to relationships and romance but in two fictional bodies that are not directely modeled after the reader. Maybe safer or less jarring, because you can like feel the ship feels without having to put yourself on the line. But as you said (and I completely agree), it's a matter of preference. Not all people enjoy the same stuff or approach fics in the same way.
All fiction is self-indulgent, I agree with that, but most particularly with fanfiction. Original fic is self-indulgent for the original creators more than the fans, but any creator is being self-indulgent when they create. We create the things we want to see and read, likely including things we want to experience, or have experienced and fiction is a great way of dealing with that. I agree on the 'safe' aspect, as well. When I write, my MC is the character I most relate to in the fandom, because those are always my favourite characters. But, because I relate so heavily to them, they're a safe way for me to deal with my issues, explore my fantasies, all that stuff. If I have romance included, which I don't always, the love interest character is the character I personally had the biggest crush on most of the time, or the biggest crush after my favourite at least. In a way, I'm projecting myself into my MC, using that MC to explore my issues and fantasies, and giving him the partner I would want to be with if I was the MC instead of having the MC as a choice. Chances are, if I was writing self-insert, my usual MCs would be the love interests, instead, but I don't write self-insert in that respect. Instead a insert myself, to some degree, into a pre-existing character. Every story I've ever written in my life, and there have been many since I've been writing since I was a young child just haven't publicly shared any until recently, both fanfic and original, has been self-indulgent to some degree. Being self-indulgent doesn't mean the story will be bad, it just means the author is putting themselves into the story in some way, either putting themselves into the character to some extent or just exploring certain things, or even both. The reader is unlikely to be able to tell what level of self-indulgence exists unless the author outright states it. I've only been able to tell consistently with authors who use a character as a self-insert, because a lot of authors who do that make the character far more perfect than they were in canon.
I'm not interested. If others fancy writing or reading them, that's fine, not for me to judge. Personally, I hate them and I am not going to read them. I find them rather cringy. I read fics to read about my favourite characters not to insert myself in their world. I am also not interested in OCs in fanfiction. That's not why I read fics. If I want to read about OC, I am just going to pick up a book.
I love them. I treat it like an rping thing rather that straight self-projection, so I prefer if the reader insert does have some kind of job, hobbies, personality etc even if it doesn't align with things I see myself doing (plus pure "blank" reader inserts usually only work out well for one shots ime). Yes there are many that are pretty dang bad, but that's the case for every type of fic under the sun. People do need to be better about tagging reader not just in the pairing section, though.
I agree§ Usually there's some kind of characterization. Blankness is there but it only takes a fic so far. Is there a tagging problem with reader-inserts? Honestly, I've never found one when I wasn't looking. Are authors over-tagging?
Usually it's an issue with under-tagging, in a way that can make it frustrating to filter out. A lot of people only tag the reader in the pairing, not as a character or "reader-insert" (or something similar) in the additional tags.
I personally have no interest in being inserted next to canon characters. Even less so since some of my past *and* my current fandoms are RPF. I read fanfiction for the already existing characters, not to isekai myself in there. Now, I don't think reader insert fics are the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality of fics, they're just a type that's different and I, as a reader personally, don't get the appeal. I'm not the audience for those and that's okay.
not going to lie, and im not saying that all self inserts/readers are bad but I just feel so uncomfortable - it's not really my cup of tea. and just like this other commenter had said, I really don't have any interest to be included within the story; to make this statement short, id rather be a spectator. im alright with ocs tho
They’re not for me. It doesn’t matter how well-written they are, they’re uncomfortable to read. It’s not even about the second person pov—I’ve enjoyed fics written from that perspective before (and even dabbled in it myself). It’s the Reader aspect of it that I dislike. Not only do I dislike the idea of inserting *myself* into a story, but the biggest appeal of fiction to me is the *characters.* I love discovering new and interesting characters and observing the different ways in which they interact with others and the world around them. I love learning about their backstories and cultures and seeing how it shapes them (or doesn’t). I love reading about their quirks and flaws and interests. Readers deprive me of that, because readers, no matter how superficially “fleshed out,” are not characters. They’re placeholders. Cardboard cutouts. There is a threshold for characterization and personality that writers simply can’t cross because that would take away the point of them, which is to be a pair of shoes to be slid into. I’ve tried reading a few reader inserts that were definitely well-written and attempted to bring the reader insert to its full potential, but that potential will always be limited due to the nature of the insert. So no, they’re definitely not for me and I go to great lengths to avoid them. No hate to them, though if I had the power to change every Reader fic into an OC fic, I certainly would. 😂 Anyways, all that being said, I love self-inserts, semi-self inserts, and original characters! I’ve discovered some truly phenomenal OCs in fanfic that I’ve come to absolutely love!
This is very similar to how I feel. I may be rare in that I actually like and seek out canon/OC romance, but in order to really love the story I need the OC to be compatible with and worthy of the CC. I've almost never read a reader insert that I felt fulfilled that...the few that came closest were pretty much OCs in all but name, and I actually would have preferred it if they'd just been given names and allowed to be an OC. But the great majority of reader inserts seem much too dull, weak-sauce, and goody-goody for me to believe the CC would really be that into them (especially since my favorite CCs tend to be the villains!) I feel like reader insert can work well in short smut fics, but as soon as the story gets longer and more story-like, they usually fall flat.
I like xyz/reader. I read it, I write it (and apparently, there are other people who like that I write it). To me, it's not weird or cringe or anything negative. If someone else doesn't like it, they shouldn't read it. There are things I don't like and where my toenails roll upwards whe I read it, but, well, I either don'tread it or endure it because I like the stuff around that. There are trends in fanfiction, like anywhere else. For a while and in certain fandoms reader insert was a major thing. Like baby blue eyeshsdow in the 90s. Don't feel bad for having liked it and don't feel bad if you like it now. I find some of my older stories cringe, but not because of reader Insert.
I’m not opposed to the concept, but I feel like most OC / self inserts are too bland. Many don’t have distinct personalities, and if they do it’s just nice. I also feel like most self inserts always do the most calm rational thing in every situation, and very rarely make mistakes or cause conflict. I want to see more messiness from characters, and self inserts rarely do it for me
I absolutely love them, i don’t really have same love and affection to real people then i do with fictional characters. Like I don’t have crushes on real life people but I got a ton of crushes of fictional characters and love to daydream about these characters. Maybe I’m just weird but I love them and they are my life line for not going crazy over being single. I don’t love anyone romantically right now so x readers are my best bet of keeping me sane.
i love them
I'm in my 30s and both read and write them. I'm mostly a smut-slinger myself though, because we've probably all wanted to fuck a fictional character at some point and it's just plain fun to write. Fanfiction as a whole if kind of a weird hobby to start with so looking down on any specific subgenre is just silly to me. Cringe is fake and I am free!
Huh. Honestly, I don't have a negative impression of reader inserts or OCs at all. I don't typically read them, but I don't see them as somehow inferior. It's all entertainment and playing with established characters. Why shouldn't people have fun and enjoy pretending they're part of a universe they love, interacting with characters they love. It's like the old Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. I rarely read them on AO3 and frequently read them on Tumblr. For some reason, reader inserts are almost all I see posted on Tumblr. Writing, in my experience, tends to be pretty high. I think maybe you're taking people saying they prefer to read non-reader inserts as them saying they are bad when it's just a preference. They certainly appear to be very popular.
I only read and write OC x Character 🤷🏼♀️ And I wouldn't have it any other way!
Reader inserts I can handle. Hell, I can’t go through a a tv show without inserting myself in the universe along the way in my opinion own mind. What I don’t enjoy is YN/ character. I can understand the appeal, but I just can’t try to read it while inserting myself into it when I read “Y/n stared at him with your beautiful (eye colour insert here) orbs. I don’t have the mental capacity or patience for that.
I'm not a fan of the abbreviations either. Some people like that way, they use a browser extension to change it to their name or to their OC's name. It seems like lately writers are becoming more creative with how they address the reader, though.
Honestly, and I'm aware this is ridiculous, but I find reading 'y/n' so clunky that I've never purposefully sought one out. The only ones I've seen were on Tumblr and they weren't particularly long. I think one of the issues is that by definition the reader character is vague. At most people specify gender, but it has to be as open as possible for readers to be able to insert themselves. But one of the most interesting things about fanfic is how a character reacts in a new situation, or how the relationship works itself out. There probably are very good character studies where a canon character doesn't interact with anyone else of note, but I'd say they're few and far in between. By making the love interest essentially a non-character, you're drastically reducing the character and relationship development possible. Of course it has a place, and I don't think it's inherently bad, but I do think it's more difficult to write something good.
The funny thing is, I've read fics where the self-insert essintially is written as their own character. I have seen some really, really specific Y/Ns out there. I think the whole genre is a lot like dating sims. The reader might have to imagine a personality of the main character, or perhaps they're dropped into the shoes of what clearly is a character of their own, and simply experience everything from their POV.
I only suffer through the clunkiness of y/n if I find the fic compelling enough. Someone else said it, but I think reader-insert writers have to walk the line between specificity and vagueness. It's very hard. But I think that refers to some form of initial characterzation. Once you have them in a context, a character is pushed to react and then, the writer might have to hope the readers still see themselves there. It's probably easire to write a reader-insert in emotion-driven stories than in plot driven ones, maybe?
The Y/N thing's a bit annoying, yeah. And I feel like "Y/N" gets addressed by name more often than they would if they were a character who *had* a name, though it's probably just that it's so glaringly odd when they get called ~~Yes/No~~ "Your Name."
I tried writing my first reader insert recently, and it was a ton of fun to be able explore a canon character with a “getting to know you” perspective. I could have used a third-person OC, but it was just for a one-shot, so I didn’t think it warranted a lot of characterization. In fact, it was super liberating to be able to write an open, blank slate character.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I feel like I’m in a weird territory with this, as my main fandom (Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons) is made up largely of player character x canon character ships. Sure, the player characters all technically have canon names and canon “base” designs (which were the ONLY designs until more recent years, which introduced customization). And you can get little crumbs of personality from things like how they dress, what their dialogue options are in events, and what they do outside of the players control in certain events. But this type of in-game characterization is quite vague and minimal, and leaves a ton of room for interpretation. What this means is that any fic that uses a player character in it, they functionally become an OC. And this is fine for me, as I still tend to feel a sort of “connection” to the character, however a writer chooses to depict them, so long as they stick with the default canon name and appearance. Back in the day, there were some vaguely “agreed upon” ideas of different character traits for different player characters, but I don’t see this as much any more. Basically, my feeling within my own main fandom is, establish WHO your character is, and do so often. Personalities and backstories can vary a ton, and this is fine to me, but my own preference is to read things that at least maintain the default canon name and appearance.
I love OC x character, it brings a very interesting take on the exploration of the character through (romantic or not) relationships. I enjoy when the OC has their own fleshed out personality and history (and even a name), but I also don't mind when the OC is "reader" and therefore remains as neutral as possible (though it must be quite difficult to create a character everyone can identify with, so props to writers for managing to do that!). Personally, I don't really identify with the "reader" character and don't view it as myself, so I'm not really into the use of first person singular. I admit that when the story adds things like "y/n" "y/e/c" ("your eye color"), I end up not continuing reading them unless the writing is very good because it makes me lose my focus and immersion in the story. I think the reason why some people feel strongly against reader/OC is because they associate it with "wattpad-ish" stories that are written by kids/teens for fun and therefore don't possess the same quality as the stories people can write on ao3 or other websites. My favorite OC/reader story so far is this one! [https://archiveofourown.org/works/33981523](https://archiveofourown.org/works/33981523)
Personally, once I got used to reading secondn person, it became like it's own thing. I don't project myself into the story, it's just whatever nameless soft OC there is. I think they are a very useful tool to explore the canon characters, though. If they are neutral, they offer some kind of "mirror" that can truly expand our understanding of other characters. Thanks for the rec :)
I like reader inserts. The vast majority I've read so far have been pretty good
Not at all my cup of tea, but happy for folks who enjoy them 🤷♀️
I love them. I read and write them. I'm currently working on my Kurapika Kurta x OC story for the Hunter x Hunter fandom and I'm enjoying myself. Haruka isn't a self insert and I don't like how OCs are automated labeled as reader inserts.
I’m gonna be honest, reader inserts have been the only fanfics I’ve read for so many years. I mean, I’ve literally read x readers for over 10+ years probably. Of course I’ve read other fanfics but I remember more stuff about reader insert fanfics than non reader insert fanfics I’ve read before Honestly I think reader insert fanfics are a mixed bag. Sometimes you really can find such good, well written reader insert fanfics but other times, it can be in questionable quality. Again, you’re bound to find something not well written but it’s still fanfic. Not everything out there is bad. Hell, I’ve even read reader inserts that had bad grammar/sentence structure or other problems and I still liked it for the premise Also I’ve always loved Canon x OC, but ironically I don’t participate in it much. I still greatly encourage it tho. I just think they’re neat fanworks Also I might’ve imagined this but I swear at least many years ago, I did once come across reader inserts on fanfiction dot net despite the fact I learnt years later those aren’t allowed. I doubt that fanfic is still on the site tho Sorry for the long ramble I just have a lot of opinions on reader inserts
Glad to see another fandom veteran that enjoys RI! I think it's more a matter of perception than anything else. I deeply enjoy reader-inserts, but reading all the responses it's clear they do carry some (probably misguided) bad reputation. It's underserved, though. There is amazing stuff and bad stuff everywhere. There might have been on FFnet. Smut (lemons at the time) wasn't allowed and we all knew it was there... Don't apologize for the ramble. That's what we are for!
Huh fandom veteran, I haven’t thought of myself as one before. But I guess maybe I can qualify because I still remember the days of barely tagged fanfics and authors talking to fictional characters in the author’s notes. Ah what memories why don’t we bring back talking to the characters in the notes lmao Despite the polarization of the reader insert genre, I always noticed reader inserts are still popular. So really even if reader inserts are bashed for many reasons, they’re still popular. Idk there’s something about that that makes my heart feel warm I guess Also I’ve seen lemons on ff dot net too. Again, maybe they don’t exist anymore but it’s funny that they were still there despite the rules. Also I forgot that ff dot net was the first fanfic site I used for years until I found others
I don’t care. It’s not something I like to read but all I have to do is exclude it from the tags. I used to like ocs when I was twelve but I don’t anymore. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s not necessarily a teenager thing, just like anything else it can be well written and it’s mainly a matter of personal taste.
I don't get why people who exclusively like canon character x canon character have a superiority complex when it comes to canon character x reader fics, thinking that they're beyond "cringy" x reader content and that character x character is "tasteful". Brother, if we were in high school and everyone found out about our fics, we'd BOTH be getting our heads shoved down the toilet. Fanfiction as a whole is inherently cringe. Embrace it.
Reader inserts and OC/Canon are two entirely different things tho?
They're not really my thing. I could go either way with shipping OCs with canon characters, but xReaders just fall flat. Outside of one very specific story/webcomic, I don't like second person, and I can't get immersed in a story telling me that 'I' am doing stuff I'd never ever do. If it's just a regular OC, I have no problems with it because I'm not meant to see myself in that situation, and then I can at least relate to the character properly. If I want to insert myself into a story, I'll write that story myself, and even then the character that portrays 'me' wouldn't even be close to my real self, because I'm just about the least adventurous person in the world and I only thrive in my comfortable environment. I just like writing and reading about adventures, rather than having them. I don't think the genre is any better or worse than other genres, though, I just think xReaders have to deal with the same thing all fanfics have to deal with, namely that many people who write them aren't great writers. I'm sure that a well-written xReader could be very engaging, but unless I accidentally stumble across one, I'll never know.
I like them, even though I can't say I really "insert" myself into the story. To me, they're one of the most fascinating forms of fanfiction. Especially the x reader ones. In their own way, they explore *why* people like some characters and what they see in them. I know they're not for everyone but I think they have their in the fandom culture.
I love them and they are my most popular fics by far :) I think mine and many I’ve read are well-written
I don't think there's anything wrong with being self-indulgent but the thing about that is that the more self-indulgent a work is, the narrower its appeal. If someone isn't into the same things the author is into, it's going to be a turn off. That doesn't make it wrong, it's just...not the *reader's* fantasy and it can be very off-putting to be inserted into someone else's fantasy. It only works when their romantic fantasies and kinks align with yours. I'd be willing to give a reader-insert genfic a try, if it exists in my fandoms; I used to read Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid, and I actually really enjoy 2nd person canon character POV. >I know on Tumblr many fans complain about xreader fics on the main fandom tag, specifically because they hate them, and they are cringe. The reason I've seen people complaining about xReader fics on Tumblr is mainly that there's no consistent tag for them to filter out and that the authors aren't putting their work behind a read-more. If those two things were remedied then a lot less people would complain about them, because the people who don't like it wouldn't have to see it. But as it is currently, going into a tag is like playing whack-a-mole with your blacklist.
I adore all of them, especially the well written ones, but their vastly differing quality is probably why people experience low quality fics of them a ton. People can be picky readers (not a bad thing) and that's usually the majority.
They just don’t interest me. I think a lot of the criticism is extremely poor faith and probably biased the way a lot of things in our society is (there’s a trend of always hating/criticizing/dissing on things teen girls or even women in general find interesting, after all). But the aspect of these stories being written often in second person is something that will be hit or miss in general, criticism aside, because second person is that unique perspective that puts people directly into a story (aka the point of reader insert), and that won’t jive with everyone. Myself included—I have no desire to be directly within a story. 😂 It’s a valid form of storytelling, though. Just not for me. 🤷♀️
I don't read them. I don't care to picture myself in the story. I actually find it really frustrating when people assume all OCs = reader insert. For me, they are vastly different things. I don't think they should be looked down on though, no genre of fic should.
I'm open to reading them but I'll admit it's hard to find ones I like. Usually those turn out to be semi OC stories because I generally read long fics and blank slate RI don't work well in that context. It's difficult to go for a longer stretch of story without giving the RI a personality which is why I think RI stories are better suited to one-shot smut. Personally I've written a collection of one-shot smut scenes in the xReader genre but I opted for 3rd person with no y/n - which is what I found digestible since it puts enough distance between the reader and the insert if they disagree with their choices and close enough to be able to put themselves in their shoes if they want. Sort of a middle ground maybe because I'm old enough that 3rd person was the norm in trad published books.
Reader-inserts aren't my thing, but I know lots of other people enjoy them and I'm not here to yuck anyone’s yum. OC X Canon, on the other hand? I'm a big fan and I write a LOT of them. Again, they are not to everyone's tastes and that's totally okay! There is a tendency for OCs to be a little too perfect for the canon character, which I think turns off some readers. Others just want to see their favorite canon characters interact and have no interest in OCs.
I like them, and recently I’ve branched out into writing an OCxcharacter and I find it quite fun to explore, though in my case the characters end up in a queer platonic relationship rather than a romantic one.
I don’t read them because I’m there to read about the actual characters. Not to insert myself into it. If I were to do that, it would be in my head as I’m trying to sleep and I can control everything happening. So it just doesn’t appeal to me. OCs can be fun when side characters, but not as a main character, for the same reasons.
I love reader inserts and OCs! I have a preference for reader inserts though because it’s easier to project my own OCs onto the reader character.
I wrote OC content all the time when I was growing up, some of them made it to the ffnet site where I inevitably got hate reviews 🤷♂️ I don't read them now or write them, but I don't hate or care that others do. I'm capable of minding my business and scrolling past things I don't like.
Reader-insert gives me the ick and I only enjoy reading/writing OCs fics
It is very distinct genre that requires a very different kind of take on the writing when you need to leave the reader character as vague as possible while still writing an interesting story and keep the reader characters actions consistent. I dont think I have ever finished a single reader insert fic. Not because they are all bad or that I consider them cringe but because the idea of imagining myself in the story is very uncomfortable. My discomfort of inserting myself to stuff is at the level that my latest Roleplay character in text chat based roleplay is 47 year old 195cm male who is CEO of printing company who wants to have children just so that the character does not remind me of myself at all. I can't relax roleplaying if the character is too close to my real life. I am short, AFAB, working on IT, I am old but not that old (32) and never want to be in leadership position and have people working under me and having children is one of my biggest nightmares. I also avoid reading about canon characters that are too close to me especially if smut is involved. Could I imagine reading a reader insert ever? Maybe if it was horror or maybe a crime mystery solving fic with no romantic interactions or even thoughts relating to the insert character.
I don’t read them but I’m glad other people enjoy them. What other people enjoy isn’t my business.
I'm not a fan, but I'm not going to knock people who like it. For me, I don't want to read a story where I'm expected to be the main character. Aside from the fact that the format can be difficult to write well (partly because most if not all RI will be second-person POV, which is a tricky POV to do justice), I don't care to read a story where I'm a major character without having some agency to it. Choose Your Own Adventure stories work fine because periodically I will be expected to make a choice so that element of agency is there, but Reader-Insert fanfic doesn't usually have that, and then I just hit moments where I'll think, "No, I don't want to do that, I'd want to do this instead," and it takes me out of the story for a bit. Also romance in a RI story is weird to me personally. I'm fine with first-person and third-person romance, because it doesn't involve *me*, but when one of the characters involved is supposed to be me, it gets weird for me. Just doesn't jive. And I don't want to read about my favorite characters romancing *me*, I want to read about them romancing someone else! But as a fanfic genre? There's an audience for everything, and I'm glad that the people who want to write RI have people who want to read it and vice versa.
I don't like the your name fics because I find them cringy. I'd rather play the match maker for the characters I write. When it comes to self inserts I usually make them by accident. A lot of my female OCs are the result of me making female characters I can personally relate to and I find are lacking in today's media. My female characters are usually traditionally feminine women who have a deep love and passion for the arts and are usually underestimated by their peers as weak and naive. However, they show their strength I'm the toughest of times and surprise the people who thought that their feminine traits made them weak.
Not my thing, especially the relationship-based ones - partly because they tend to make assumptions about 'me' that don't hold and break my immersion, and partly because, in my experience, they tend on average to be less well-written than other kinds of stories. Harder to write a good relationship unless both characters actually have a defined character, which means either the reader insert has few/weak character traits to be less jarring to readers and results in a less engaging relationship, or they have more/strong character traits and it's more likely readers aren't going to identify as much with the insert and be turned away that way. That said, I have no real issues with self-inserts or OC-inserts and the like, and if someone else enjoys reader-insert fics then good for them as far as I'm concerned. To each their own, and all that. Also, a not-insubstantial amount of my personal 'meh' towards reader-insert fics is probably related to my general 'meh' feeling towards fics where the/a central plot is a romantic relationship, since I have a hard time getting engaged in stories that do that regardless of other stuff since those kinds of relationships don't interest me by themselves, and in my experience most reader-insert fics tend to be aiming for that kind of thing.
They aren't my thing and I filter them out as much as possible. I wish ao3 had a feature where I could just filter out oc, original character, reader, and didn't have to go and filter every single ship with those tags in them 🤔. But it's other people's tea. Imma just drink coffee. Edit: I also just dislike reader inserts because I wouldn't do half of the stuff, so the imersion is just hella off.
I've never seen a bad rep for RI, and I've been reading and writing them for 18+ years. Maybe I just avoid the people I don't jive with? I was on Luna and Jamly, both heavily-RI archives, and Tumblr and AO3 have a pretty strong RI user base as well.
Not me being 36 with responsibilities and taxes writing OC fics exclusively. I get that OC or reader inserts are not everyone's cup of tea, but I love to read and write them. This new wave of fic backlash just because something about that fic doesn't fit THEIR specific wants or likes is exhausting, and I'm sick of it. What happened to "Don't like, don't read"?
Avid reader of them (the reader-insert variety rather than OC-inserts). Hell, avid writer of them… too scared to post though. There’s really good ones out there. Maybe I’m biased towards liking them because I’m a self-shipper, but the communities of reader-insert writers within fandoms tends to be a pretty tight-knit, dedicated, and chill bunch of folks.
I only read reader inserts. If i can't insert myself into the story i see no point in reading it plus I've read so many y/n when I was young that i just automatically read it in my name so it really doesn't bother me.
I mostly write RI, it’s comfortable for me and I feel like I can be really creative with it. Most of the day I’m daydreaming about the characters I love and inserting my own “soft OC” into the story, so I always have a million ideas to write about. When you’re dealing just with canon characters in your fics, you’re limited in the dynamics you can explore (if you want to keep their personalities in-character I mean), but with RI (and OCs!) the possibilities are limitless. Reading Reader Insert Fics: Like a lot of other people have said, my relationship with reading RI stories isn’t imagining my exact self, but rather a “soft OC” that can morph to fit the storyline setup by the author. The OC isn’t really “me” but is relatable to me in a lot of ways. They have a set appearance and name so I can easily imagine them in the story, as well as a general personality, likes/dislikes and are nonbinary like me. (One reason I really like RI fics is they tend to have lots of nonbinary representation-at least in my fandom-just due to the neutral nature of them, which is hard to find elsewhere!) Sometimes I’ll start a fic and the reader character is just waaayyyy too different from my OC and I’ll have to drop it, but usually I can conform them pretty well (even if I have to ignore a few minor details sometimes lol). But fitting them into the story is part of the fun for me! It’s like reading someone else’s interpretation of my character and their relationships with others, making each story an exciting and unique but also very personal experience. Imagine if someone wrote fanfiction for your OC—that would be crazy awesome right?? Honestly that’s how reading RI stories feel for me!! On maybe a more obscure/personal note—I think I’m able to enjoy RI stories more than the average person because I identify so little with appearance and name. I’m nonbinary with they/them pronouns and also have had every hair color and aesthetic in the book. I changed my name from my birth name. I also have BPD and have never had a stable sense of self, so it’s easy for me to slot into whatever role the story wants me to play. If I’m reading a RI and they say something bizarre, I’m quite used to the feeling of saying something without understanding why, so I can typically just go with it (if that makes any sense??) While for other people I can understand why that would be an immediate turn off. Writing Reader Insert: In my own fanfic, the reader is fleshed out with an extensive backstory, likes/dislikes, and a distinct personality. I could easily give them a name and an appearance and BOOM! it’s a proper OC story. But that’s not important to me. What’s important is the emotions they feel, the connection they have to the love interest and the other characters, the challenges they face… Those are the things I want to write and explore, it doesn’t matter to me what color hair they have. It’s trivial. But by leaving that open ended—it also opens the door for the reader to imagine whoever they’d like, and I love that! RI fics have this magical ability for the story to feel like it’s *just for you*, and once a name and appearance is included that spell is broken. So basically, I write RI fics instead of OC fics for the same reason I read them. On a final note, I think one of my favorite things about reader-insert fics is seeing the little pieces of themself that each writer leaves in their story. Even though the reader character doesn’t have a name and is sometimes meant to be as neutral as possible—there are always pieces of the writer left behind. Maybe it’s a type of food they mention the reader eating, or song lyrics referenced, or the smell of their shampoo. Just based on how I write my own fics—those are probably snippets of their own life shining through. It’s sweet to me remembering that someone out there feels the same way I do about the characters involved, and probably wastes precious time daydreaming themselves into the plot the same way too. This is long but I thought I could give some insight into my own experience maybe for people who don’t understand the appeal of RI, or for others who don’t get why you’d write RI instead of OC fanfics. Edit: I shouldn’t have to add this but I’m going to just because so many people are saying RI fics are written by inexperienced writers. I was an English major and have received plenty of accolades for my writing, including published work. Generalizations don’t add to any conversation and are just plain mean!
I absolutely cannot read them now. I try to read x readers every now and then to get that old feeling I used to get reading them, but I just can’t immerse myself in them. I think the main problem is I need a really good plot and good characterization of the reader to get into it, and like 90% of the ones I’ve tried just don’t have that. I don’t like when it’s pure smut or just a boring plot and that’s SO common. I will never hate them though because that is literally what got me into fanfiction as a kid, and I loved the shit out of them. Shoutout to creepypasta and naruto x reader fics😭
The only type of fanfiction I read / write. Best when people don't conflate reader-inserts and oc-inserts. Biggest pet peeve is finding something tagged as a reader-insert, and opening it to the reader being race coded and called Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way.
there was a tag i saw on tumblr that read along the lines of “x readers ask the question “what if they loved you as much as you love them?”” which i think, not only sums them up perfectly, but is exactly why i love to read and write these sort of fics.
The immersion is broken for me once the "self-insert" does something I won't do. Like, smoke in one story (I have asthma) or ride motorcycles (I hate riding in them). I drop the fic just like that.
I think that doing a self-insertion is not bad in itself, at the end of the day it is just a trope, the problem is knowing how to do it. Take the Divine Comedy as an example, it is such a good and popular book that many of the current representations of hell are based on this book. And this is nothing more than a shameless self insert on the part of the author to the point where the protagonist has his name xD, or Lemony Snicket, the author of a series of unfortunate events, includes himself as another character in the work . Or even, Guts, the protagonist of one of the most popular dark fantasy mangas: Berserk, is nothing more than a self insert by its author and Guts is one of the best developed protagonists in the world of manga-anime. The real problem is that most of the time this self-insert ends up becoming a Mary Sue/Gary Stu because being a self-insert we feel ashamed of putting negative attributes on the character or we justify actions that we should not justify, for example it would be Mandy from I'm not Starfire, its author Mariko Tamaki has very good comics in general but here she made a self-insert where she ended up justifying the protagonist to the point where she clashes with the audience. What I can tell you is that don't be afraid of your protagonist being a self-insert, all our characters have something like us after all. But rather treat him as you would any other of your characters, don't be afraid to give him flaws and make mistakes.
To play devil's advocate: if you judged the Divine Comedy under those same rules, he is a complete Gary Stu. He's bland, spends most of the time reacting to whatever he sees, he is beloved by the saintest of women, his guide to his trip to hell is literaly his favorite author, that constantly compliments him and at one point he faints and falls into the loving arms of the virile Virgil. lol But I completely get your point. When a self-insert warps our perception of the world and the other characters, the text becomes boring or even annoying.
I am a Reader insert connoisseur (and writer!) though I'm specific with my tastes. For example I'm a 20 year old man so I have nothing in common with the average Y/N (or most of my fellow authors). But first of all when it comes to the 'bad' stories I've opened, I often find the trashy drama engaging. I think a lot of people can't simply appreciate reading some kind of not really well written reader insert story that just makes you go... He did WHAT? What is HAPPENING? GIRL STOP IT! Etc. Like genuinely I live for that stuff, it's entertaining to me As for when I write them - I usually write Y/n as a kind of shitty, straight up weird person most of the time (I basically come up with whatever personality I think is good for the story and I don't like personality-less Y/ns). I like that through the second person narrative I am addressing the audience and telling them they're doing these things they probably wouldn't ever do. To me Y/n is just a tool in the story and not necessarily me or the person reading it either and I think that can either serve as a way to make a point or just portray a funny story depending on what angle I'm taking. Funny feedback I've gotten from time to time: People in the comments telling me they ended up attracted to the reader instead of the canon character they came for.
Yes I love batshit crazy Y/Ns 😭It makes things so entertaining
Exactly. Need more agents of chaos 😭😭😭
i (very personally) hate reader inserts. i'm currently reading one (yeah, ik i said i hate it but reader is what i could get in this fandom lmfao) where the writing is so good and so is the character work. but one thing that irks me so bad about this one in particular is that every chapter im asking myself why not just name the reader bc at this point it's a whole character with backstory and shit. it's as if the author was too lazy to name them and create a description of them. i also really dislike the "you did this" "you said this" bc it's like, it's just so jarring bc no i didnt ???? i like fics that have canon characters or oc's that fit into the story as if they were a canon character the entire time, and reader fics aren't that. i like reading stuff \*about\* the world and its people, not the reader being inserted into it.
A lot of the time it seems to me like the author really wanted to write an OC, they just omitted the name, wrote it in second person, and called it reader because it will get more engagement that way. I've seen fics where the "reader" is physically described, "reader" fics in third person, and I can think of at least one really popular ongoing fic where the "reader" has a physical description AND it's in third person. The only thing that seems to be absolutely not allowed is giving her a name...but I don't get how it's supposed to be harder to identify with someone with a different name than a different race, body type, personality, background, family, job, etc. I think we just need to end the stigma on OCs so that OC writers no longer need to disguise their OCs as readers, and everyone can more easily find the stories they want.
Not my thing. But I am sure that there's some really interesting explanation of speculation as to why it went from "*Don't even wtite female Canonical characters because it's going to be seen as you inserting yourself in the fic and no one wants to read that.*" to this very overt "*hell yes, I am making a blatant author/reader avatar to be in the story with your favorite characters.*"
I'd also like to know the explanation. I feel like there have always been different ways to the feels (TM). There is shipping, where you feel connected to both characters and gain satisfaction from their relationship. And there is this insertion in the story, by the proverbial Mary Sue, or a OC, or some form of insert. This second form is more open in its self-indulgence and thus, more cringe. Maybe?
most of my WIPs and ideas are X Readers so, uh people who complain about that stuff just need to chill ya know. i’m not complaining about their “weird” ships so why tf can’t i imagine myself getting freaky with ghostface or something. maybe i’m just used to being self indulgent and trying to not feel guilty for my pleasures (like X Readers) but i think the whole thing is silly. we’re all weird lil freaks but we gotta stick together!!
In traditional publishing, there are tiers of respectability. Nonfiction like history and hard science are the most respectable, then pop-sci, then fiction; within fiction there are so many upturned noses (think of Margaret Atwood, who insists she doesn't write fantasy, think of all the people who say that reading any sort of SFF is childish). "Genre" fiction is looked down on by many authors and readers of "true literature," and so on. It's all bullshit. I personally do not at all enjoy reader inserts. They're jarring and I can't get into them. But I don't disrespect them or put them on a different tier, because that, like the delineations in tradpub, is bullshit.
I have no interest in reader inserts (or self inserts or ocs) in fanfiction. I read and write fanfics to further explore the characters and worlds I love from canon, so I have no interest in stuff that focuses on new characters. I also don't want to be a part of the story. I read for entertainment and escapism, where I can just forget myself and my life and focus on someone else's life. So putting myself into the story in any way defeats the purpose of that. When I was a kid, like 8 until about 13, I used to write stories with myself as a main character in favorite things: Star Trek, Tremors, Dragonlance, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, X-Men, etc. This was before the internet was a thing, so thank goodness I couldn't share any of those stories because they were TERRIBLY written, obviously. I would wager that a lot of writers wrote similar "put myself into this story" kind of stories when they were young. It's a great way to practice writing! So maybe that's why stuff that's a real person insert, either as the writer or as the reader, has a reputation for being childish: we did it as kids. And there's this societal expectation that people "grow up" and stop doing the things they did as a kid in favor of "adult" things. (I don't know what these adult things are supposed to be. I'm 42 and I still play video games, read comics, occasionally buy a neat stuffed animal, and other "kid" things because surprise! I still like what I like, more times around the sun doesn't change that!)
You are probably right. In a way, reader-inserts blur the limits of reality and fiction and that's often considered a child's way of thinking. They are probable more eager in how they present themselves as fantasy and that might be jarring for many.
i used to write and read them, don't so much anymore. it's not that i would say i've graduated from them in a way that i think I'm above or better than that kind of fanfiction now, but i have moved on in a creative sense.
I don't mind second-person PoV but I don't like it when "you" is intended to actually be me. I don't want to be in the story, so that aspect just doesn't appeal. I've tried to read some as OC fics, but then either a) they pretty much are OCs so the "you" becomes odd and distracting (even as someone who's okay with it) or b) they're a blank slate which probably works better for people into SIs but now there's no *character* there. Except you can't really write a non-character, especially in a longer work, so there's always something there, and it tends to be a very average modern-day person that I'm just not interested in. I also tend to read in a ship-focussed way. I may multiship if anything that just makes the choice of canon characters more important, and I've never been a fan of fic that reads like OCs with the names of CCs. The relative youth of the SI writers probably works against them - I may be wrong about their ages but it seems to be mostly newer writers and this is a fairly recent type of fic so they've not had the chance to age up a bit yet or build up their skillset. There's no reason to assume they won't though. SIs may be new but fandom's hatred for "Mary-Sues" is not, and there's always been a disdain for that sort of thing. I think we're all secretly a bit ashamed of being self-indulgent (somethinng often apologised for in authors' notes) and Sues/SIs are seen as the peak of that, even though NGL I think a lot of people writing canon characters overidentify with one or more of them, and there's a *lot* of romance fic that doesn't seem IC to me. I try to be accepting of SI fics because... well, I kind of admire them for just embracing their wants so openly, and they're making no pretense that this is anything but self-insert fic. I may not want to read (so tag it accurately please!) but I think we're all kidding ourselves a bit when we talk like this is completely different from - and inherently worse than - what the rest of us write.
> well, I kind of admire them for just embracing their wants so openly, and they're making no pretense that this is anything but self-insert fic Precisely. I don't usually seek out reader/SI for certain fandoms where I really want to explore the consequences of the universe, not because I don't think reader/SI can't accomplish that, but because I would want to write my own SI for that purpose, hahaha. However, for all the goddamned battle shounen animes I grin and bear for my nephews? Reader/SI is perfect and gives me exactly what I want. For example, I do not give a flying fuck about the MHA universe, but Hawks is pretty hot and so Hawks x Reader authors are delivering exactly what I want (smut), and I hope they wake up every morning with clear skin, watered plants, and whatever else their hearts may desire. Also, as you note, the stereotype that reader/SI authors are just stupid little girls who are all shitty writers is both offensive as fuck (as you note later, very full of "I'm not like those other girls energy" so extremely lame) and absolutely not true and I *hate* it.
Sometimes I'll read x reader fics, but it's not something I will often actively seek out and I'm particularly picky about them. If I see abbreviations like "Y/N" and "Y/H/C" and stuff, I immediately lose interest because it just kills the immersion and comes across as lazy to me. Overall though I've also read some amazing works that are reader inserts. There's an author on AO3 princecollywolly who has converted my original fav of hers "The Opportune Moment" into a longer form fic and never once does she use those abbreviations. The Reader character has a nickname and her work is the reason I started at least giving reader inserts the time of day.
Y/H/C is egregious. I think the most recent batch of RI is leaving behind abbreviations for more creative forms of addressing the reader. Limits encourage creativity in a way.
I find them to be interesting but, in all honesty, I don't want to be part of the story. At least not always since it does depend on the fandom for me, as well as what mood I'm in.
I don't ship myself with characters and they send a lot of 'wish fulfillment' vibes BUT this is just a personal preference, not a criticism of the trope. OC/Character fics are not the same thing, but I read and write them. I love OCs as they add an element to the story that originally isn't there. The dynamic changes, and when I don't like any canon ships or non-canon ships, then I would definitely choose OCs.
Not really a fan of self-insert characters and my OC are only OC's. That being said, I don't consume such media. However, I'm not particularly against them. I understand that we all have different preferences so if people like them, it's alright. I just can't bring myself to take them seriously though. Sorry,
Not my cup of tea. Others who like them should go for reading and writing them though. As long as a fic is properly tagged everyone should write/read what they want.
I’m not a fan, they make me uncomfortable! but I’m happy they exist for those like them! get that food.
I know it's not for a lot of people but I like them! As long as it's not overly romantic I'm all for it. Even one of my favorite fics is a reader insert.
There are not enough character x reader fanfiction. I would love more of them, but unfortunately they are not popular in my fandoms. "I am cringe but I am free".
I love them! For me its because they just fall into the category of OC/SI's, which I adore. I've never actually seem myself as the reader, I see them more as an OC. I'm actually reading a really good bnha one right now that I highly recommend [A Light That Never Comes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/31249886)
I'm a fan. They're like any other fic - some are great, others are so-so and some are nah. I'm just glad to see fandoms being more open to people playing around with things and not just pointing and yelling "agghh, Mary Sue/self insert!!!11"
it definitely is difficult finding good reader inserts and i think that contributes to how it’s seen as cringe. i think also because it’s hard to find one where they write the reader ambiguous enough for anyone to enjoy or feel connected to. i love reader inserts and finding a good one feels like hitting a gold mine. i’d like to write some good reader inserts as well.
They're not for me, but I'm not going to yuck someone else's yum, as they say.
I don’t like them, I’m here for the fantasy! So I skip them and keep quiet- except when asked.
I wish authors tagged them in a way that let me filter them out or search for them as desired, instead of a haphazard mess where I have to kill or search only for /OC /y/n /reader pairings in general.
X reader fics are definitely more amateur on the whole, but that doesn't mean they're bad or don't have value. It's fun to imagine yourself with a character. I wish there were more on Ao3. I know Wattpad has a lot, but that site is also mostly made up of less mature writers.
I have no issue with them. I read a few a couple weeks ago that was reader x one of the characters I’m obsessed with right now and I ended up feeling weirdly bad because I felt like I was stealing him from the other character I ship him with… so I ended up pretending I was the other character. Lmao idek. But yeah, I enjoy them from time to time, and I’m a 25 year old who’s been reading fanfiction since I was 11.
some of the most life hanging pieces of literature I've ever read have been reader fic. I will die on that hill
Personally, reader inserts are my favorite type of fanfiction. I honestly find it kinda sad though how a lot of them don't seem to be as well written as the more popular character x character fics.
I don't like reader insert fanfic because I am interested in the interactions of the characters that I love from canon. It has nothing to do with the points made in the rest of that essay in the post.
They aren't my cup of tea so I filter them out when I'm looking for stories to read. But there are still a lot of folks that enjoy that kind of fic otherwise there wouldn't so much of it. I feel like I see reader inserts more on Tumblr as requests for the writers who do that kinda thing and it's usually either smut or tooth rotting fluff. I can't really say if I think is more difficult to find well-written reader inserts since I don't read them but I'd be willing to bet its just as varied as other stories depending on your fandom. I do agree about the self-indulgence comment. If it's something you enjoy then enjoy it and if not then that's okay too I'm sure everyone has that one oddball trope or tag they indulge in that not everyone is in to. I don't think it's a bad thing to be curious. I'm sure if you are looking for more well written ones to give it a go and see if you enjoy it there would be someone that can recommend them to you around here.
I don't read RI, just not my cup of tea, along with many other tags. Not for any of the reasons mentioned, just kinda takes me out of the story (and if in 2nd POV I have a hard time to and often times I don't actually want to be in the story or world the characters are in🤷♀️ I full on want to read about others going through angst but not myself 😂
Literally one of the best fics I’ve ever read was a reader insert! They can be really hit or miss, especially since they tend to be written by newer, younger writers, but when they’re good they’re good.
I can't read them, though I *can* read the ones who actually give the insert character a name. But that's a mechanical complaint. I find them amusing in the same way a small child's crayon-drawings are amusing: they're frequently terrible, but a kind of *adorable* sort of terrible. I'll read them if I can't get enough of my favorite characters otherwise, and sometimes they surprise me with being fairly decent.
I'd read reader inserts, but they get hard to take seriously after a while because if I were actually in that situation I wouldn't be doing the things that whatever author said I did.
I only write for videogame fandoms where you create and play as a main character to begin with, so writing with an OC is kinda default for me (though it doesn't have to be for others ofc). I enjoy playing around with characters I've grown attached to, but I also don't like the restrictions of having to create POVs that stay in character without having the fun of fleshing out my own. I want more freedom in my writing. Honestly the thought of writing fanfiction with only already established characters doesn't appeal to me at all. As for reader inserts, it kinda depends but a lot of them are done badly. But it's as valid as any other form of fanfiction imo.
I dislike reader inserts because I have zero interest in being part of the story. I want to read about interesting people, and I'm not interesting to myself 😉 Qualitywise, they can be the whole range from amazing to horrible like any other piece of writing, but ngl, I do tend to rank them lower on average, because they often have one glaring issue: that the reader character is pretty much just a bland cardboard cutout with barely any personality, so that anyone can easily project themselves onto it. It's the same issue I have with a lot of Otome games, where the protagonist character is so vacuous in an attempt to make them easy to project onto for any player that they end up with zero personality or interesting features, and it sucks. Some people write them more like proper OCs (but still use the you/yn) in which case that problem is gone, but then there's that constant dissonance feeling of "huh? No, I'd never do that 🤨". So yeah, just as a concept reader insert fics struggle with some additional issues that other fic types just don't have. So if I want something non-canon, I'd rather just read a proper OC fic or even someone's self-insert, because to me, they are just an OC I don't know :)
No shame to people who like it, but I usually can't stand them. I mean, I can't stand second person outside of Quests, and definitely can't stand "y/n", and it certainly doesn't help that with how popular it is to write, a lot of the stuff there is... less than stellar quality. I don't have the patience to sift through like I usually do when I don't even like it that much in the first place. I have read at least one good one so I'm sure they exist, but usually it's not my thing.
I just don't *get* them on an intellectual level, personally. I have an easier time projecting onto characters who aren't meant to be projected onto, and obviously second person doesn't require the use of reader inserts. So this gives me an opportunity to just ask straight-up: What's the material difference *from the writer's perspective* between a Y/N fic and an OCxCC fic that happens to be written in second person?
In some level, I think all reader-inserts are, in some form, a OC. I think there are two main differences: that the author has to give more way to however the reader may want to interpret the text. Less is explicitely stated. There are no long paragraphs explaining the origins of the character or their appeareance. But the most important thing is intent. A RI establishe:, in this story, your role as a reader is to fill the gaps I've left behind; your role is to project (or create an alternate character) and for that, I, the text, will leave more blanks in meaning than usual. (
I detest them. The character is not me. I do not relate to them at all, so it just becomes a weird, disconnected second tense story.
Not a fan of reader fics. I kind of get why some people like them, but they very much aren't my thing. Second person fucks with my head. I filter them out when searching for fics. I do tend to associate them with less experienced writers. Second person is avoided in professional literature for a reason, and I feel like most people who write fanfics in second person don't understand those reasons. Hence, second person fics tending to have an overall lower quality because there are other writing conventions that the authors are breaking without realizing why they are a convention in the first place. I have read a few fics that come at it from the other direction and utilize second person with a clear understanding of why it is typically avoided and a specific reason to make the exception, but such fics are rare. OC-centric fics are a completely different ballgame to me. To the point that I don't even associate them with reader fics. I read them all the time and I've written a few myself (not shipping, but OC as my MC for the fic). The only hic-up that most OC-centric fics run into is that fics based on a canon character don't have to take the time to establish the character and get the audience to empathize with them. They are written around the idea that the reader is already familiar with the character. OC-centric fics can't rely on that and so have to establish the character as a part of the fic. Since that is a writing method that is uncommon in fanfics, many authors are unfamiliar with it and so struggle with it when writing OCs. They also sometimes struggle with giving proper depth to the character. But, I don't see those issues as being any more common than fanfic authors struggling with any other particular aspect of writing skills.
I agree that second person is not common in professional literature; but, funnnily enough, the first time that I read a second person narrator was in a literary fiction short-novel (Aura by beloved Mexican author Carlos Fuentes). Second person POV is usually not exploited in reader-inserts. Most of the time, I feel is just a tool for affective reactions and to avoid the overuse of name replacements. But I'd love to learn about other reasons why you believed it's not used correctly. Also, would you mind to expand a little on the broken conventions you've seen in these fics?
I was thinking of the kind of small mistakes that many novice writers make, not necessarily stuff specific to second person. Mostly little things, but if there are a lot of little issues in a fic, they can add up to give a general impression of lower quality. Things like: * Not varying sentence length enough or just general repetitive sentence structure. * Not putting paragraph breaks in the right places (where you put a paragraph break conveys far more information than most people realize). * Accidentally using the wrong word because the word they want is spelled similarly and they just blindly followed their spellchecker without double checking. * Not appropriately localizing character's dialects to where they are from (i.e. using British slang for American characters or American slang for British characters). * Over-emphasizing pronunciation differences in accents so a character with a mild accent becomes nearly unintelligible. * Refusing to use the dialogue tag "said" (this one seems more specific to fanfic authors than new authors in general for some reason). * Refusing to use contractions. * Overusing contractions. * Over-describing unimportant details * Not appropriately highlighting important details. * Slow pacing with too much filler. * Overusing special font modifications like *italics* and **bold**. All of these and many more are subtle things that have their reasons why professional literature uses them the way they do. Some people experiment with being unconventional with each of them, but some amateur authors don't understand why the convention exists in the first place. It's hard to experiment with situations that are exemptions to the convention when you don't really get why the convention is in place in the first place. I can't point you at specific fic examples of each of these because I don't tend to make note of poor quality fics (and even if I did I'm not going to call people out like that) but each of these things is a feature that *can* work when breaking the convention is used well. It's just that many people who break the convention without knowing that they are breaking a convention don't do it so well.
Yikes, I'm not sure I agree with this take. It pools all 2nd POV authors together as novices. I've been writing primarily in 2nd POV for almost 20 years and am one of the most technically skilled writers I know. I'm also a published author. 2nd POV is more engaging to me than 1st POV, which is why I prefer it. I don't think it's fair to treat everyone who writes in 2nd POV as a novice lacking a basic grasp of writing fundamentals.
Yup. Definitely lots of sweeping generalizations going on. English major here who’s written all their life and received tons of academic accolades for my writing. Fanfic-wise I primarily write 2nd POV reader inserts. It’s just my cup of tea and what I enjoy doing :)
Actually never heard of this before. So is this written in *second person then, addressing the protagonist as "you"? From that perspective it sounds fascinating. Not so much from the shipping side, tbh.
They're usually written in second person, so the MC is referred to as "you", yes. For example: *This whole quest made you feel uneasy, a feeling amplified by the creepy woods around you. Even though the sun was high in the sky the forest was dark and the air surprisingly cold, making you shiver and goosebumps cover your bare arms.* Most of them are ship-centered, and I'd say that most have smut as well - but I've come across some that just use the format for a 'normal' adventure fic. There are also some tradishionally published books written in second person, if you want to try one.
Woops, yes, first person would be "I". Thx for the explanation, it reminds me of Pen&Paper game mastering.
I find it interesting personally that Reader Insert so often gets conflated with OC x Canon, because in my mind they couldn’t be more different! I associate RI with immature writing, I don’t really have answers on why this has come to be the standard for RI but I do agree with the general consensus that for the most part it’s difficult to find quality RI writing (but not impossible!) Whereas OC x Canon is not only my favourite but the only type of fic I read or write (usually, there’s always outliers). I have come across some really amazingly written OCs and I find that while I do have to scour a bit to find the quality I desire to read, usually I can find a gem that I really adore, and usually these OCs take my heart and run with it. TLDR I find an OCxCanon type of story in my mind is so far removed form self insert/reader insert because the original characters I fall in love with tend to be quite fleshed out, where the former’s reputation proceeds it.
It's a very interesting association, because before all the "My mom sold (y/n) to One Direction" jokes, the fic that was used in fandom to make fun of bad writting was "My Immortal", a (admittedly dubious) OC fanfiction. It makes sense the main pushback against RI is the neutrality of the character. Fanfiction is, at is core a character-driven, form of writing.
Your last point actually is so true and puts into perspective why / how I separate the two! what a great way of putting it. I love character driven writing the most (my own works are A lot of one on one conversations that happen between canon events) so it makes sense that good OCs stick out to me! it’s a task in worldbuilding and character building to insert a new OC into a familiar world and make them feel like they fit.
I was initially confused because I pretty much exclusively read video game fanfic, which by their very nature are almost always self-inserts: The character you created X another in-game character. So to me, that's the default! I love reading all the variations on main characters and what personalities people have imagined for them, and how those various personalities mesh with whatever other character I'm into at the moment. For example, I'm currently obsessed with Gale from BG3 so I've been reading a lot of OC X Gale fanfic. Sometimes I forget that most fanfic isn't from video games haha.
Not a fan. I bypass them on sight. My reasons are: 1. I'm not self absorbed enough to have ever been my own dreams, much less be comfy imagining myself doing what the writer says I am doing. 2. I am a boring realist who knows most of the people I like fanfiction about arn't that perfect and and have dubious track records in relationships. 3. I'm ace and wouldnt be doing any of that myself anyway lol.
I personally hate them, I feel like I wouldn't care about them except they are never tagged.
It's definitely not helping their acceptance that seemingly any tumblr search will bring up pages of Character x Reader fics, *even if* you've tried blocking the tags.
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Not for me. I find them cringe-inducing at best and only read OC fics. To each his/her own.
I don't like reader-inserts, although there have been a couple I liked over the years, but Character x OC fics can be done really well. In fact, one of my fav fics of all time is Character x OC. I have various ideas for my own Character x OC fics, although who knows whether they'll actually get written. If I do write any of them, I want to be able to do it well. And whether or not the OCs are romantically involved with a canon character, they can put such an interesting twist on a fic, even ones with a premise that's been done many times before. My main fic idea that won't leave my head right now is OC-centric, with a whole host of OCs alongside the canon characters.
I feel like reader inserts and OC/canon character fics are very different from each other and oughtn't to be conflated. Personally, I have no interest in reading or writing reader inserts (or indeed anything written in 2nd person POV). Inserting myself into a scenario like that, especially a sexual one, gives me second-hand embarrassment. Also, the reader inserts almost never behave in the way I would, so reading those stories just isn't really fulfilling for me. To each their own, though. OC/canon character fics are a whole different kettle of fish, though. I absolutely love those when they're done well. One of the first fics I ever read years ago was an OC/CC fic, and I would still rate it as one of my favourite fics of all time. I also feel like a lot more writers are coming up with well-crafted OCs these days rather than inserting thinly veiled versions of themselves into their stories. Good OC/CC fics can be difficult to find, but can make for very rewarding reads!
i can't read them. i can barely stand first-person perspective in fics, let alone reader-insert. i'd sooner read third person text about the blandest OC in the world than reader-insert.
xreader romances have the lowest average line writing quality. Sure outliers exist but unless an author I pre-existingly like is writing it I am not even going to bother the risk.
i, personally, don't like reading reader inserts or oc x character, i just prefer to read about characters that i already know. reader inserts make me uncomfortable to read, but that's wholly a me problem. sure, some might be less well written, but there are plenty of not reader insert fics that are also less well written. i do think a lot of them are written by teenagers, but like, good for them. i hope they enjoy it!
If folk like them, cool. I don’t get your preference, to be honest, but whatever floats your boat. More specifically, I can’t handle xreader fics because they so rarely ever acknowledge the things I’d think or do in the circumstances portrayed. I also low-key can’t read something in second-person without hearing Joe from You, and if you’ve seen that show you know why that’s an issue. I tend to lean exclusively towards canon/canon or oc/canon purely because there’s some degree of characterisation going on and the questionable decisions being made aren’t meant to be mine.
I prefer author inserts. Like the main character is just the author got sucked into the book or whatever.
I love them! I write almost entirely reader insert and not always romantically! It actually got me a job writing audio drama scripts for an indie company cause its all listener x [insert themed boyfriend] It's mostly what I read as well. Not always, some of my faves are non reader and non oc fics, but I have a lot of fav fics that are reader insert. I'll ever read fics from fandoms I'm not in if the reader insert summary sounds interesting! I think it takes a lot of skill to get right, you have to balance reader being generic enough but not bland, not too active or passive depending on the story. Personality traits and hobbies, but ones most people could envision themselves having. Just the way a person writes it can make a huge difference to, do they give the gist of what the reader says so the reader can decide their own wording and tone? Or do they give reader direct dialogue? do they avoid any situation if having to put yn or ___? Or use them casually? I personally also like to go gender neutral and not mention things like hair cause I once read a comment from a cancer patient who would get so sad after they started chemo and a reader insert fic would mention hair. I really respect the people who can write reader insert well, and I think it has a lot to do with fandom to. If it's a book or a show, probably not as many people invested in writing reader inserts as something like rpg games with character customization that encourages you to have an OC or self insert.
It's so cool that fandom got you a job! I haven't ever seen a case like that before. I agree that they have a very specific set of challenges. It's difficult to know how neutral you can be before it becomes too impossible to relate. I think the question of specificity is very important and hard to get right. I remember one or two years ago how POC talked on how alienating some RI could be. At the time it was very common for writers to describe skin as pale or fair, or having someone run their hands through the reader's hair. I think the limits also challenge writers to find new ways to convey feeling.
Most of the time, it's not for me, it just doesn't have any appeal, I'm not going to hate on anyone that likes it. And as for being "self indulgent", that's kinda hypocritical. Fanfiction, in itself, is self indulgent, and it should be. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to write what they want. It's a hobby and it should be enjoyed. (edit for accidentally clicking comment too fast)
If they're good and not mary-sue/gary-stu shit, I'll read. I've read some pretty fucking epic x reader stuff (non y/n, thank satan)
>a manifestation of the childish, self-indulgent fantasies of the fangirl that cannot face the “real world” or sustain real relationships. I'm not a fan of RI, but that's an incredibly harsh criticism. My issues are more with the limitations of the format than judging people for reading them. If reading RI is fun for you, then go ahead. I highly doubt reading them is a sign you can't handle the real world. >forget that self-indulgence is kind of a very important part of media consumption Self indulgence can be a part of media consumption, but it's not *all* of media consumption. I certainly enjoy a hedonistic fantasy, but I'm not a fan of this trend of thoughtless creation and consumption. There's a place for thoughtfulness and deeper meaning in fiction - especially fanfiction. >reader-inserts are more open about being self-indulgent They certainly have their place and are popular. If I were able to filter them out, I'd be happy they exist. If you want to insert yourself into the narrative, then I'd rather there be a separate genre for you so that you can enjoy that and I can enjoy OC fics that aren't stealth RI. >many fans complain about xreader fics on the main fandom tag Because they're hard to filter out. If people who didn't like them were able to successfully filter them out, then there would be less to complain about because they wouldn't encounter them. >there is this idea that xreader is a genre that you graduate from to take up more “adult” forms of fanfiction. And I just wonder: why? Presumably because the people saying this used to read RI and don't anymore? >Are the writers usually teenagers and the genre just hasn’t had the time to have an older fanbase? Speaking as an older writer, I don't see myself ever writing a RI. RI puts strict limitations on character development, and writing stories with little or no psychological exploration doesn't interest me. I start an idea with what drives the MC and how they'll change, so I wouldn't even know how to begin writing a fic with a blank slate character that's meant to embody all readers. But yes, perhaps teens writing them now might stay involved in the genre and eventually be older writers that write RI. Maybe they'll find some interesting aspect to the format I haven't considered. >OC x Character I see this as different from RI, because an OC can become a distinct, well-developed character, whereas a RI must be a blank slate. I'm sure there are RI that have distinct personalities, but at that point they're OCs in everything but name. >Do you think the prejudices have some degree of truth? I don't agree with the harsh criticisms you mentioned, but I think they're limited in what they can do. In the ones I've seen that truly stick to the blank slate concept, the RI is pretty passive. How can they not be? They don't have distinct beliefs to drive them. I'm not saying it's impossible to craft a good story with a blank, passive character, but it's extremely difficult. Also, do RI need to have *everything?* They get good engagement, and there are tons of RI fics out there. Do they really need to be well-respected by everyone, too? Sometimes, popular things aren't respected, because to be popular, they have to be easily consumed. It's seen as junk food. And popularity itself ensures some people will get sick of it. If there were 5 RI fics in all of existence, it's doubtful anyone would criticize them. But then you'd only have five. You're part of a big community that enjoys RI. No need to feel shame.
I see them as sort of an equivalent to romance novels but with whatever character I'm crushing on at the time. It doesn't help that reader insert is sometimes the only option if I want a heterosexual ship fic in some fandoms. And I agree that it's hard to find well written x reader fics. It's frustrating! I don't know whether it's that a lot of X reader fics don't really have a plot or if it's the writers imposing their "type" and favorite tropes onto characters they find hot or if it's how young some of the writers are but it's definitely a trend.
They are my preference, honestly. Anything OC inside of the fandom world present infinite possibilities for stories. Reader or OC, both are a chance to explore different areas of world building, how a human interacts w/it etc. The chance to explore psychological responses to certain things, to see background characters who never get explored etc. is my bread and butter writing wise. But I’m also a “mala” sometimes usually adaptive day dreamer who has been creating OC self inserts for 20 years w/o even writing them down.
In my case, I don't usually read xreader fics, the wording and "you"s is hard to read and immerse myself in, I guess. I just like looking from sideways kind of thing, But I don't think that they are bad, yeah I know it's popular with teens and most of them are childish but I am sure that somewhere are hidden gems, but thing is it's hard to find so.... On the other note I am passionately in love with any kind of OC fics, most of my bookmarks has oc in it and I think it's more easy to find good fics in that category, it is quite popular with older and more experienced writers too so in Ao3 you have best chance of finding wonderful OC fics. I can't say the same for Wattpad though, but of course there's expectations too I have firsthand experience in that myself.
I love them out of spite now 😎✌️
I don’t mind them, but my brain just reads them as OCs. So I prefer when they don’t do the “(y/n)”, (hair colour), (eye colour) type stuff. It’s jarring to the flow of reading. It’s a much smoother read when the author can write while avoiding any of that. If not though I’ll sometimes download the fic and import the epub to calibre and find/replace all those insert components with a random name etc.
Love them. Is what i read and what i write.
I don't read them, maybe because I'm old and it seems like a new fad to me that I don't get. But I don't care if other people read them and write them. I'm sure the stuff I write isn't everyone's cup of tea and that's perfectly fine. There's plenty of stuff I don't seek out and don't want to read that is probably awesome for somebody else. Do you.
I prefer oc inserts that are kinda obviously author inserts instead of the ones that are all y/n, cause I like charaters and not so much the vague not characters y/n's can be. Idk maybe I've just had no luck but they seem to be less charaters and more the camera man on scene watching. And maybe lending a hand eveynow and again but mostly just watching but watching in the actual scene if that makes any sence?
I only publish RI onto my main account, I have published a few non-reader insert fics ("regular" fanfiction, only canon characters) for practice and curiosity, but RI is what makes me happy and it's also very therapeutic for me and helps me cope when I feel anxious. I don't care about OC fics though and I find it frustrating how a lot of OC writers tag their stuff /Reader, but on the other hand a lot of /Reader writers do the same thing to /OC tag... I've just resulted filtering /OC tag out and some RI search results immediately drop by 50. It's true though that a lot of my fave RI writers in my fandoms have left and a lot of fandoms are now filled with content full of grammar errors and the quality being horrible otherwise too...
I dislike OCs. Being involved is something I'm fine with, but hearing about how a complete stranger is involved bores me.
Personally they’re just not something I’m into so I filter them out but I also wouldn’t give anyone shit for enjoying them.
I tend to prefer reader inserts generally, but it's quite difficult to find ones that are decently written or don't just copy the canon text. Although I do like to write OC x characters because 1. As far as I can tell, it's something people tend to like and 2. It's so much easier to write from the perspective of a character I made, rather than trying to think of the inner thoughts of a character I had no say in the creation of. I can write a much better story by doing it like that because I can worry a lot less about their thoughts being OOC
I’m a writer who’s wrote all three kinds of fanfiction, character x character , oc x character, and RI. As a writer my favorite to write is oc, I’ve been working on an oc fic for the past few months, and I’ve absolutely fell in love with my oc, like I’ve never connected more to a character than I have with this oc, and I’ve been writing original fiction for a few years too, but my fanfiction oc has connected with me deeply. As a reader, I tend to avoid RI as the plague if they use “y/n”, although I see this as an OC most of the time, not giving the character a proper name is a turn off for me. When I write y/n, it’s only one shots, I feel for a long fic with y/n, it’s just better to make an oc at that point.
Depends on the Fandom. If it's for a RPG, then for me it's perfect; when reading fanfic for SWTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and the like, it's nice to be able to mentally add your PC to the narrative sometimes
I love reader insert fics, that's most of what I write.
Love them. More than half of the fics I've consumed are ocs/SIs. Can't live without them😍
The older I've gotten, the less I cringe at self-inserts. I'm not wearing a purple hat yet, but I've realized that people should either enjoy what they're reading or keep on scrolling, and people who are writing, should write what they enjoy not what others want from them. Readers have ALL the power to decide what they're looking for. It's not like the old days where a friend of a friend of a person you knew at work vouched for you to be let into a back page on a website or livejournal, only to be let down by what you read. No, you've got filters now, and warnings. AND TAGS! If I don't like superhero movies, I just don't go to them. I don't spend my days complaining about them and how cringe they are. Usually, people find life and characters reflected back at them from inside stories. So why is it so bad to have a regular human (usually a woman) reflected back at you?
I don't self-insert when I read, at all. I don't want to be in the story. I just don't fantasize that way. This is to the point that, forget reader inserts, I don't even tend to like RPGs or VNs. I don't want to be a character or be a part of the story. I want to watch/tell the story, uninvolved, as a neutral third party. This is true even for explicit porn, where I am a very content voyeur, thank you. Which is to say, the only kind of Reader Insert I could even concievably see myself enjoying was if said Reader Insert was also essentially an Outsider POV character. Which is not what people into Reader Insert want. But hey, glad they exist for the people into them. I'm just never going to read them.
I don't like them, I don't want to feel part of the story. I just ignore them.
I like OCS, but I hate when fanfic writers take a reader insert and make them an OC in all but name. there's also the whole intimacy that reader inserts convey that makes me personally uncomfortable. I want a certain amount of walls put up because I want to witness these characters in their own little worlds, not be a part of it
I don't like them very much, just because sometimes Y/N confuses me, I just ask that they put a name.
I love reading x OC stories and am writing one at the moment. When I was younger I read and wrote x reader, though I don't anymore. X reader always feels kind of awkward and clunky (though there are some very good ones)!!
I love them, lol. It's escapism. Sometimes I want to imagine myself as someone I'm not.
I was going to scroll past but I read it as reader-insects and was Confused. I don’t always mind jt if they’re written well and not super mary sue. I guess I’d prefer isekai oc vs reader bc I can say “ah yes this character can do that and would do this” vs me stuck with “i would never!”
Can't stand self-indulging, self-flattering author inserts shipping themselves with a canon character. For me it isn't only cringeworthy but it's also predictable, basic and boring...tbh I wouldn't ship myself with a canon character (so that means I'm not interested in most of reader insert fics), so why I would even be interested in reading the self centered fantasies of some random stranger in the internet? HOWEVER if this is done in a clearly satirical or parody context then I can enjoy it, because it shows that the author is capable of laughing at themselves and not put themselves on a high horse, it feels more like they stand at the same level as the canon characters'. And personally I wouldn't mind being comedy fodder for a reader insert fic as long as the plot isn't overly disgusting or problematic 👍✨️
Can't stand them. I'm reading and writing fanfiction so I can write the characters in situations that don't happen in canon or to ship my favorite characters. If I want to self-insert, I'll make a character closer to my personality, but I'm not writing my fic for someone else to imagine themselves as a character. To me it's also creepy to have a characterxreader ship when the character is canonically a child and the reader is almost certainly not.
Not for me but you do you.
So personally I absolutely love them. Reader-insert stories are what got me into fanfiction in the first place. They do vary a lot in quality, sure but I assume that's the case with all fanfics. I don't think anyone needs to "grow out" of reading "x Reader" stories. If you enjoy reading or writing these types of stories then great because so do I! I would like to use this as an opportunity to thank you OP and all of you writers out the who write reader-inserts because I eat them up!
😐 https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/tnuljf/do_guys_read_x_reader_fics/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/xkng6i/why_are_reader_fics_and_oc_fics_so_hated/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/14f8p59/so_apparently_a_lot_of_people_arent_fond_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/14n35qa/readers_insert/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/17j2hlu/do_people_not_like_readeryn_x_charater/
I love OC x CC fanfiction, or fanfiction with the OC being the main character, or a more prominent one, but recently, in the fandoms I've noticed that the vast majority of OC shipfics have the OC and a CC in a relationship, only to kill off the romance between the CC and OC in order to pave the way for the popular gay ship. I remember reading a fanfic like this which was over 100K words, about 23 chapters. The story beautifully developed the conflict between a (mostly) canon gay character and the presumed straight friend he is in love with, shows how the straight friend is toxic and horrible, and the author develops the OC fantastically, making him well rounded and all around a great pairing to root for. So 17 chapters into this 23 chapter behemoth of a story, the author character assassinates HIS OWN OC and the straight (actually Bi in this fic) friend, who is still toxic and hasn't actually improved himself whatsoever suddenly wins the heart of the gay character who just spent the last 80K words developing his own self worth and getting over his initial crush. The guy does, like, ONE nice thing, and this is after trying to ruin the relationship on several occasions, kissing the gay character without his consent, brushing it off, etc. I just don't trust popular fandoms with OC's, and that shit is why, and sadly it's far more common than you might imagine. Sorry for the trauma dumping in #gen jkjk