What sort of Self-Inserts are annoying

[TheMonotonePuppet]

I wouldn't say someone saying they don't want to read something is shiitake mushroom talking?

Shiitake mushroom talking is more like "wow I hate all these bland mushrooms, they're boring and pointless and don't deserve to exist-- unlike shiitake, which dried or fresh, are a great part of any dish! such a burst of flavor!" and then someone else bicycles in front of them and turns to the camera and says "this ad brought to you by the shiitake mushroom producers council"

...

I don't like harems too.

Especially if MC does not get to fuck them.

...
I know... Ohohohohoho!
Mwahahaha...
Bye!

 

[SailusGebel]

...
I know... Ohohohohoho!
Mwahahaha...
Bye!

 

[HungrySheep]

@SailusGebel @Hans.Trondheim @NotaNuffian @sanitylimited someone is talking shiitake mushrooms about your protagonists or protagonists you like reading about.

I like wholesome, committed relationships where two people devote their hearts wholly to one another. I don't see it too much nowadays :(

 

[SailusGebel]

I like wholesome, committed relationships where two people devote their hearts wholly to one another. I don't see it too much nowadays :(

Bruh.

 

[Succubiome]

I like wholesome, committed relationships where two people devote their hearts wholly to one another. I don't see it too much nowadays :(

Monogamy is a valid fetish!

...I was gonna say I have one story you should read, but then I saw the "wholesome".

 

[Deleted member 54065]

@SailusGebel @Hans.Trondheim @NotaNuffian @sanitylimited someone is talking shiitake mushrooms about your protagonists or protagonists you like reading about.

Nah. I'm confident with my story and don't take the opinions of those who don't like them.

 

[SailusGebel]

Nah. I'm confident with my story and don't take the opinions of those who don't like them.

supremely based TeddyBruh

 

[Deleted member 54065]

supremely based TeddyBruh

Well, if I listen to everyone's opinions--even those who don't even read or plan to read my stuff--it won't be helpful to my development as a writer, so I choose my feedbacks.

 

[SailusGebel]

Well, if I listen to everyone's opinions--even those who don't even read or plan to read my stuff--it won't be helpful to my development as a writer, so I choose my feedbacks.

You might've assumed that it was a joke or I wasn't serious... I was serious and it wasn't a joke. You are based in a good sense of that slang.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

You might've assumed that it was a joke or I wasn't serious... I was serious and it wasn't a joke. You are based in a good sense of that slang.

Well, it's also what I teach to my fellow writers (and students at school), so they can get out of the 'rut' they're in. Many newbies are afraid to take a brave step forward on their words because of fear of being shit upon by naysayers and people who don't even like their stories.

 

[Lloyd]

Depends on what effect you're aiming for.

The only clear-cut things that would annoy me would be...

POLITICALLY INCORRECT RANT INCOMING

First of all hypocrisy without self-awareness (that is, author made a very hypocritical and amoral character while the story lauds them as a flawless hero and playing the hero's "virtues" completely seriously).

And also that one weird trope where a 'gentleman' character will bend over backwards to simp over and protect every remotely pretty (adult/teenage) female character they come across like they're made of porcelain (oftentimes at the detriment of themselves and others), but then at the drop of a hat will have no qualms mistreating, hitting, molesting and 'disciplining' small children (generally males, but sometimes females as well, the second of which sends a VERY weird message about how one should treat a girl based on how old she is eg. what age does "noble, honorable discipline" suddenly turn into domestic abuse and harassment?

How curvy does she have to be for it to suddenly become sexual and bad, in the case of molestation and groping? If a woman remains flat-chested and has a small ass after adulthood, can I still hit and spank her unprovoked like you would a toddler, is it less sexual like that? What are the minimum BWH measures? What about an adult man? Is that okay?).
Anyway, stuff like that really irks me, and I've come across it WAAAY more often than I would like.

Like geez, what a noble, totally not creepy and abusive """"gentleman"""" you are, my guy. Such a role model.

Oh, and one other thing, 'calm, collected and logical MC' and 'impulsive serial killer without the slightest bit of empathy but weirdly awkward and puritanical about sexual matters for no reason' are not direct synonyms, contrary to recent popular belief on many novel sites.

It would do most authors good to keep up a bit of logical coherency, depending on the type of work. The more dramatic and tragic you make it, the more coherent it will have to be.

Aside from that, anything can work, really.

I can bet most of the things people have and are going to complain about in this thread could be perfectly fine with the right tone.

OP MC who's always right about everything? If you're aiming at an epic fantasy with classic-esque heroes, that might be annoying, yes, but if you make it a black comedy that boosts those very traits up to 11 and bases some jokes around it, you can make it very fun.

The difference between something like One Punch Man and, say, the hundredth OP so edgy MC anime is purely in the details.

And most of all, it's important to have fun. It's not like it's wrong to do all these things I just pointed out and make a fully deranged, hypocritical MC be treated like a hero. But I don't like them and personally would not want to read something with them in it.

That's all, guys. Take care.

Coal

 

[HungrySheep]

Bruh.

It's a real mood

 

[bulmabriefs144]

Hello all! Write what you know is common advice, write for yourself is common advice. If you do both poorly, you pretty much end up with a self-insert character with a victim complex.

What are the hallmarks of an annoying self-insert character for you as a reader?

"Hello, I'm (insert name here). I'm just an ordinary salarymen. In fact, I'm a loser who is better off dead..."
(Gets hit by truck)
"Hello, I'm God/System/Angel. Here's your status screen, these are your cheats, and here's your harem."

Authors take notice.

Stop doing this crap! Any variation you can think of is welcome.

Better yet, make the MC actually have a reason to return back from the isekai, for added tension.

 

[HungrySheep]

Well, it's also what I teach to my fellow writers (and students at school), so they can get out of the 'rut' they're in. Many newbies are afraid to take a brave step forward on their words because of fear of being shit upon by naysayers and people who don't even like their stories.

That's a good mindset to have, especially when most of the negative feedback usually comes from individuals who aren't a work's target audience. I think the smut novel hustle is certainly respectable as you gotta do what you gotta do to put food on the table, but I'm definitely not the target audience and wouldn't have anything constructive to say about novels of such genres.

While I tend to remain silent and refrain from leaving comments, reviews, or ratings on things I know I won't like, some people enjoy going out of their way to leave nasty feedback which really sucks for authors. I feel like this is more of a rarity on Scribblehub compared to RoyalRoad though which is what makes me enjoy this site a lot more.

"Hello, I'm (insert name here). I'm just an ordinary salarymen. In fact, I'm a loser who is better off dead..."
(Gets hit by truck)
"Hello, I'm God/System/Angel. Here's your status screen, these are your cheats, and here's your harem."

Authors take notice.

Stop doing this crap! Any variation you can think of is welcome.

Better yet, make the MC actually have a reason to return back from the isekai, for added tension.

I share the same sentiments, but this is what sells... Somehow.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

That's a good mindset to have, especially when most of the negative feedback usually comes from individuals who aren't a work's target audience. I think the smut novel hustle is certainly respectable as you gotta do what you gotta do to put food on the table, but I'm definitely not the target audience and wouldn't have anything constructive to say about novels of such genres.

While I tend to remain silent and refrain from leaving comments, reviews, or ratings on things I know I won't like, some people enjoy going out of their way to leave nasty feedback which really sucks for authors. I feel like this is more of a rarity on Scribblehub compared to RoyalRoad though which is what makes me enjoy this site a lot more.

Most of the time, it's just to feel superior, or they think they are cool by being nasty.

Any case, I understand that not everyone wiĺl like my work, so I adopted the 'laissez faire' attitude.