deird_lj

I could have used this article when I first started out. I created two Mary Sue characters for some of my Buffy stories (well, one Gary Stu) and could never figure out why everyone seemed to like them when they were obviously based on me and my daughter (at least, originally). Then someone pointed out to me that they were actually self-inserts; if I'd known the difference at the time I wouldn't have worried about it so much.