Self-insertion

Self-insertion is a literary device in which a character who is the real author of a work of fiction appears as a character within that fiction, either overtly or in disguise.

The device should not be confused with a first-person narrator, or an author surrogate, or a character somewhat based on the author, whether intentionally or not. Many characters have been described as unintentional self-insertions, implying that their author is unconsciously using them as an author surrogate.

Examples

• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
• Stan Lee in different Marvel comic books and movies.
• Clive Cussler author of Dirk Pitt novels, has inserted himself as a deus ex machina character in several of his books.
• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
• 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.
• The title character of the Rush Revere series by Rush Limbaugh.

Music

In "The Return of Jackie and Judy", a song written by New York punk group The Ramones, they write:

Jackie is a bookie, Judy's taking loans; They both came up to New York, Just to see the Ramones

See also

• Self-reference

External links

• tvtropes: Author Avatar