self-insert

plural self-inserts

1. slanglifestyleA character in a story who represents the author's own person.

   [Joss Whedon] loves sexualizing her, like […] making her fall for his self-insert Bruce Banner.

   2018 July 13, Kate Gardner, “HBO Greenlights a New Joss Whedon Show, Critics Immediately Groan”, in The Mary Sue

2. slanglifestyleA character in a story who the reader/viewer is meant to identify with.

   The female character has to be likable. She's a self-insert for the female viewers so she probably won't be unique, but watching her interact with other characters can't be frustrating.

   2015 October 7, Lynzee Loveridge, “The Fall 2015 Anime Preview Guide: Dance with Devils”, in Anime News Network

3. slanglifestyleAn original character created by a fan to represent how they imagine themselves in a particular fictional universe.

present singular third person self-inserts · participle present self-inserting · participle past self-inserted · past self-inserted

1. To insert oneself.

   For centuries, the commonest forms of implant had either been grown in situ or were designed to self-insert painlessly via existing orifices […]

   2000, Alastair Reynolds, Revelation Space

2. To insert something into one's own body.

   In Oregon, a group called Ceek Women's Health has begun clinical trials for a series of new devices—including […] a speculum that patients can self-insert.

   2018 October 5, Arielle Pardes, “The Speculum Finally Gets a Modern Redesign”, in Wired

3. slanglifestyleTo insert one's own person into a story as a character.

   The character looks like Goldman and is voiced by him, so critics said he was self-inserting himself into a romantic situation with an underage character.

   2017 June 1, Beth Elderkin, “This Creepy Powerpuff Girls Theory Isn't True, Thank God”, in Gizmodo, archived from the original on 27 Sep 2018