Self-insertion is a

literary device A narrative technique (known for literary fictional narratives as a literary technique, literary device, or fictional device) is any of several specific methods the creator of a narrative uses to convey what they want —in other words, a stra ...

in which the author writes themself into the story as a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, Play (theatre), play, Radio series, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or b ...

Forms

In art, the equivalent of self-insertion is the inserted self-portrait, where the artist includes a self-portrait in a painting of a narrative subject. This has been a common artistic device since at least the European Renaissance. This literary device should not be confused with a

first-person narrator A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller, ...

, an author surrogate, or a character somewhat based on the author, whether the author included it intentionally or not. Many characters have been described as ''unintentional'' self-insertions, implying that their author is unconsciously using them as an author surrogate. "X-insert" or "reader-insert" fiction has the reader appear as a character in the story; their name is substituted with "you" or "y/n" ("your name").

Examples

* ''

The Razor's Edge ''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story beg ...

'' by Somerset Maugham. * '' Slaughterhouse-Five'' by Kurt Vonnegut * '' Breakfast of Champions'' by Kurt Vonnegut * '' The French Lieutenant's Woman'' by John Fowles *

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which w ...

in different Marvel comic books and movies * Clive Cussler, author of Dirk Pitt novels, has inserted himself as a

deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( , ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; English "god out of the machine") is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function ...

character in several of his books. * '' Gargantua and Pantagruel'' by François Rabelais, in the chapter "How Pantagruel with his tongue covered a whole army, and what the author saw in his mouth" * '' Milton: A Poem in Two Books'' by William Blake * '' The Divine Comedy'' by

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His '' Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ...

* Randolph Carter in H.P. Lovecraft tales * The title character of the ''Rush Revere'' series by Rush Limbaugh * Bella Swan in the ''

Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this ...

'' novel series by

Stephenie Meyer Stephenie Meyer (; née Morgan; born December 24, 1973) is an American novelist and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire romance series ''Twilight'', which has sold over 100 million copies, with translations into 37 differ ...

* Rayford Steele and Buck Williams in the '' Left Behind'' novel series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins * The title character of ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' by Charlotte Bronte * '' I am the Messenger'' by Markus Zusak * '' Homestuck'' by Andrew Hussie * '' JPod'' by Douglas Coupland * '' The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah'' by

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high ...

* ''

Handbook for Mortals ''Handbook for Mortals'' is a 2017 young adult fantasy romance novel by Lani Sarem, first published by Geeknation Press in 2017 and subsequently mass-printed as a hardcover book. The title received media attention for its placement on ''The New ...

'' by Lani Sarem * '' A Series of Unfortunate Events'' by

Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American author Daniel Handler (born February 28, 1970). Handler has published several children's books under the name, most notably ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'', which has sold over 60 million copies and s ...

* ''

The Map and the Territory ''The Map and the Territory'' (french: La carte et le territoire, ) is a novel by French author Michel Houellebecq. The narrative revolves around a successful artist, and involves a fictional murder of Houellebecq. It was published on 4 Septembe ...

'' by Michel Houellebecq * Frank Owen in '' The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists'' by Robert Tressell * Calvin's father in '' Calvin and Hobbes'' by Bill Watterson * Robert Langdon in the '' Robert Langdon'' book series by Dan Brown * John Barth in the Dunyazadiad segment of John Barth's novel '' Chimera''. * Rohan Kishibe in '' Diamond Is Unbreakable'' by Hirohiko Araki * Louis in the '' Wayside School'' series by Louis Sachar

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Self-Insertion Narratology

Forms

Examples

See also

References