Do you imagine yourself as the protagonist when you read?

BenJepheneT

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I can't. As in, I physically am unable too. I understand myself well and I know that in 90% of the scenarios these protags go through if I were to participate, I'd die. Even if it's a funny haha fluffy slice of life, I'll fucking die. So no, I don't want to die. I don't even want to imagine being the protag.
 

BlackKnightX

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No.
I never imagine myself to become protagonist.

When I think what is protagonist, I'm immediately imagine "someone who had a lot shit happen their life, certainly a winner of life but what they had experience should beyond what I could do actually in real life".

With that said, I see myself as a mob instead, or an observer as I supposed to be. I will symphathy on character, feel their sadness and shit happen on them but as bystander.

Like.. as much I like arifureta, I wouldn't want go through what the mc experienced at first lmao.
That’s why I love wish-fulfillment and power fantasy. The mc is always in control of his shits.
I think this was mostly true until the rise of mmorpgs and the isekai genre. Today web novels are a form of escapism, and there's a lot of people who enjoy wish fulfillment fantasies with "gary/mary sue" mc and characters that are one-dimensional and easy to understand because its like an ideal world thats easy to digest unlike real life which is compicated and sucks.
It’s perfect for a reader like me who always imagine myself as the mc. I wouldn’t want to go through all the shit the mc has to go through in the angst-filled story after all.
Same, except I read all genres as long as the plot bewitches me.
I can read every genre too, but if some story are full of angsts, it’s just stressful. 😂
I can't. As in, I physically am unable too. I understand myself well and I know that in 90% of the scenarios these protags go through if I were to participate, I'd die. Even if it's a funny haha fluffy slice of life, I'll fucking die. So no, I don't want to die. I don't even want to imagine being the protag.
Imagine I have to go through all that… Guess, I’m a spartan now~ 😂
 
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CupcakeNinja

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No, I never immerse myself in the protag's shoes, unless I know it is a wish fulfilment. Though lately I find myself unable to connect to anyone of the fictional characters due to tiredness.

Ah, I remembered that scene well.

I hate it and wrote that part down in my own story, except mine just goes straight to snap the guy's neck. Seriously I think till date, that is the most BS moment.

Fun fact is that the bandit is not a bandit, but a houseless knight (adventurer iirc) who has an asian looking emotionless slave and is basically shit to her as well. God I hate the scene so much that it seared into my memory. I may forget the work's name but the bullshit sticks with me.
yeah it was some tomfuckery right there. iIrc the MC had some kinda...godly "cancel" power? He might've been a negotiator in his previous life? Dunno, the title escapes me too. I just remember that he had the power to cancel things. Or edit things. One of those two.
 

K5Rakitan

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Big YES! I do it when I write, too.
If I can't find at least some small way to identify with the protagonist, I reject the manuscript.
 

BlackKnightX

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Big YES! I do it when I write, too.
If I can't find at least some small way to identify with the protagonist, I reject the manuscript.
You know, it’s kinda weird. When I read, I always imagine myself as the protagonist. It happens automatically and I can’t help myself not to. But when I write, I can write my mc through lots and lots of suffering with no problem at all. Guess, I’m not that connected with my character. 😆
 

NotaNuffian

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yeah it was some tomfuckery right there. iIrc the MC had some kinda...godly "cancel" power? He might've been a negotiator in his previous life? Dunno, the title escapes me too. I just remember that he had the power to cancel things. Or edit things. One of those two.
The entire issue started with him letting his slave (jap and slave, why?) eat like a human being; on the table with him and the black knight is all "you can't do that, let me kill you to teach you a lesson!"

My head hurts, all the issue would be resolve if MC kills him. I hate the passive Jap culture.

Yeah... I think it is the ability to cancel (how shit work?) something... I don't want to recall that shit ever.
 

HokuouTenrou

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Only if it's a fun, easy to self-insert wish-fulfillment story. But then again, it kinda depends on whether I like the story or protagonist too.
 
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I will only imagine myself as the protagonist if the author writes in second person or if I can really relate with the protagonist otherwise no.
 

SternenklarenRitter

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I guess I'm sort of in the middle? Rather than thinking of myself as the protagonist or an entertained but ultimately unattached observer, I tend to think of myself as being there with the protagonist. When I am reading, the protagonist is often like an important friend, or a cute younger sibling to me. It gets really painful to me if the MC starts making bad decisions or succumbs to wrath and vengeance. Interestingly, I find it really easy to identify with the town guards and maybe the MC's parent or teacher.
 
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Deleted member 45782

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Sometimes. Depends how much suffering the protagonist goes through. If thats the case, self insert as character on journey but not mc of whatever story reading unless something switches, but then it becomes different plot or fanfiction.
 
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