Looking for a well written Self-insert or "Reading the Books" which is either completed or actively updating.

Not sure if such a thing exists, but if anybody knows one I'd like to read it.

edit: HP stories only please =P

 

Not sure why you would want to read a well-written self-insert, but I guess we all sometimes get strange itches when it comes to fanfiction. (Guilty pleasures and all.)

Not sure what reading the books reference thing is talking about, though. A trope?

As for a self-insert? There are a few in the Evangelion world.

Neon Exodus Evangelion. It's a more Mary-Sue than anything else, but it straddles the line in my opinion. Main character is awesome, everyone loves him, and he's the son of Fox Mulder and Lara Croft. It's completed and not a bad piece of fiction to be honest, melding several worlds and diverging quite realistically into an original concept.

Tenant of Room 404. More in style of a self-insert. Didn't get far into it, lost interest. But guy gets sucked ihto the Eva world and isn't a pilot and doesn't bone a teen. Surprising really, but it may be what you are looking for.

There is one in the HP fandom about an author waking up in Neville's shoes, but I couldn't find it. It may also be something for you to look into.

 

RTB is when characters in the fic literally sit down and read the Harry Potter books. The story goes through the Harry Potter books, usually line by line, with characters providing commentary and reactions. Usually done as a humour or parody fic, but sometimes tried as a serious work where the author has characters change things due to the reading.

I've read a few that were pretty funny, but none were finished. Not actively updating anymore either.

 

Strange itch, indeed. Reading the books is where some plot mechanic allows certain HP characters to read the HP books. This can happen at any point in time, though it generally occurs prior to the ending, obviously.
And yeah I was actually looking for HP stories, I'll edit that in. I'll try to find the Neville story as well.

 

This author has all 7 books completed. http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1847346/jlmill9
The idea of characters reading the books is fairly terrible in my opinion. The way this author did it does not help. The characters essentially just figure out everything that happens in the book before it actually happens. I couldn't read it without facepalming the whole time, but it is probably what you are looking for.

 

The only good use of the RTB I've seen is Twisted Biscuit's story One Flogged Horse, which parodys the genre by having Tom Riddle get hold of the Harry Potter series during his time at Hogwarts. Sadly, she's retired from fanfiction now, so no prospect of updates, but her stuff is well worth a read.

 

I've seen jlmill's work and yeah it was pretty terrible.

I'll check out One Flogged Horse.

 

Haven't read this one, but it's from a ff.net C2 dedicated to "good self inserts"- whatever that's worth.

Marauder's phase by Anmut L. Riddle
She thought her life was over but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, in the Maruader's Era, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible. LILXJAM, OCX-I'm not telling... pairings later on

Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Fantasy/Romance - Chapters: 111 - Words: 199,112 - Reviews: 49 - Updated: 5-28-10 - Published: 2-1-10 - Sirius B. & Remus L.

 

This was one of the first series I read when I first got into HP fanfiction, and I enjoyed it a lot. Of course, I wouldn't touch the story with a 39.5' pole nowadays, but it fits the bill. It's been a while since I read it, but its got the typical makings of a story you wouldn't want to talk about in politer company. It is well written, probably beta'd, etc. Self insert, marysue, and everything that entails. Probably a seer as well, but I don't remember. Pairing is the OC/HP of course, and I think it's in her perspective as well. Couldn't be bothered to double it to be honest.

But I do remember liking the plot. The whole series measures up to like 700k words, so if it interests you, it should keep you busy for a few days.

Auror in Training: Sixth Year
Auror In Training; Seventh Year
Full Fledged Auror

 

If you still want RTB stories, check out this author's fics. They are being updated, last update for the fourth book was last week. I tell you in advance, it was good (for a RTB) until they introduced more characters. I abandoned it before finishing the third book though, so maybe it's improved (don't really think so).

 

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll see if any of them are any good.

 

It took me a few minutes to find it again- this isn't exactly a read-through.

The Detour to Reality

Also on ffnet, but with one less chapter.

The gist is that Harry and Hermione stumble into the 'real world' where a nurse clues them in on the trainwreck to come, so that they can avert a stupid ending. When they return, they've mastered wandless uber-magic by having to find ways to do magic 'here'. Also, trained with guns.

So, why rec it? It started fairly well and added very dark and interesting twists before spinning off into stupidville. Also, it's the best example I've seen of what you're asking for, which should warn you not to have high expectations for stories based on these concepts.

But I understand- sometimes you just want a Big Mac and no better instinct will stop you.

 

I occasionally read RTB fics as a guilty pleasure, but even then they're all pretty much the same anyway.

I'm still waiting for HBP were people at least comment negatively on the way the Ginny and the rest treat Fleur and other such things, but of course it never happens.

 

I found a few C2's of RTB fics. Haven't looked through them but you might find what you're looking for inside.

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/Maurader_and_Lily_read_the_Harry_Potter_Books/38210/3/0/1/

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/The_Books_We_All_Love_They_Read/65957/

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/They_read_the_books_themselves/58083/

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/Stories_about_Characters_reading_their_own_Books/83005/

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/Reading_the_hp_books_and_time_travel/78400/

http://www.fanfiction.net/community/Reading_the_HP_Books/73709/3/0/1/

 

One Flogged Horse was good, but abandoned, and the rest was crap. Thanks anyways, I guess.

 

Wasn't there a self insert of an American student being 'sucked in' to the HP-verse as Neville, and because he knew what was going to happen etc made him into a bad arse? I remember reading a few chapters and it wasn't exactly terrible, just not the sort of thing I enjoyed enough to continue.

 

Do you mean this? It's not bad although it's far from good.
(Link)

 

That's the one; not sure if it's what the OP was looking for, but that is the only type of 'self-insert' I've actually tried to read.

 

This is sorta what you're looking for and it seems moderately lulzy.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5914303/1/Marauders_Read_My_Immortal

 

My god, I can't believe I forgot how amazing My Immortal was.

Gets me every, fucking, time!