In your opinions, is it bad to do a self-insertion fanfic?
If it inspires you to write, and you enjoy writing it, then how can it possibly be a bad thing? No-one else ever knows you as well as you know yourself, and once you step into the sort of make-believe associated with self-insertion, you can't help but change yourself slightly too. Even people who know you well will be unlikely to be thinking about the real you while reading the story, so there is little practical difference between self-insertion and standard fan-fic. Most fiction has a degree of self-insertion, if I'm honest, even fan-fic. It's almost impossible to avoid it. We all have our own biases, preferences and world-views. In the end, the piece will stand or fall on its merits as a story, not on whether or not the viewpoint character happens to have the same name as the author or not.
I don't suppose that's much of a description, but does that sound to fans who know the series like an interesting spinoff or a mere excercise in vanity?
Heh. Most writing is an exercise in vanity, particularly stuff that's shown to other people. I'm as guilty as anyone -- I turned professional for the thrill of holding a properly printed copy of something I'd written, and that of seeing my name on a bookshop shelf. I don't know any professional writer who isn't exactly the same. As for what other people think, well, some people will like it, some won't care, and some will hate it. That's always the same, no matter what. Only the ratios vary 8-).
Self-insertion is a bit cheesy. No way round that. After all, you could write the piece, and then simply do a search/replace to swap your own name with a different character name before you show it to anyone. However, plenty of people like a bit of cheese, and most readers will quickly forget that the character is a self-insertion while they're reading anyway.
However, if self-insertion inspires you, you might enjoy playing some RPGs. Seriously. Role-playing is the ultimate in collaborative self-insertion, with the added extra of not being in total control of events. Yes, role-playing games can be childish... if they're done wrong. There's nothing about them that automatically makes them like that, though. A Harry Potter RPG is scheduled for release soon, too...
Tim.
(A prodigal son returns... it's been a few years, but a big "Hi!" to anyone who still remembers me from my last stay here...) -- Imagine there were two of you. Which one would win?
tim@midnight.demon.co.uk