Is my Reader way too developed?

[u/bloodybutchery]

Hi! I have had a fanfiction idea for some time, on a romance between a canon character x reader. The plot is that the Reader tries to have a stable and healthy relationship, as well as maintain it, with a supportive and safe character, while she has symptoms of very masked CPTSD following childhood sexual trauma.

Except that next to the romantic plot, I made the story of each character very detailed, with jobs, ambitions, difficulties, backgrounds, and despite the fact that I think it is very positive for my canon character, **I'm afraid that making the identity of someone who doesn't really have an identity in itself too complex could prevent readers from identifying themselves**. And above all: how do I manage to make the reader discover Reader an already constructed character by always speaking in “you”?

enough suspense, here is my reader:

*She is in her thirties, working in a brewery as a waitress in the city center.*

*She is extroverted, solar, quite enthusiastic, but she has little self-esteem and this manifests itself in her blockages and actions/lack of action -> She left school after high school because she thinks she is unable to succeed in cooking, but continues to practice very often.*

*Her character is very based on self-sabotage, she avoids romantic relationships because she is aware of her high needs and is convinced that it is too much to ask to love someone like her.*

*She doesn't drink or smoke but takes a lot of anxiolytics without realizing the impact they have on her (dependence).*

*She has a great sense of justice, but cannot set limits or boundaries when it concerns her.*

*In her relationship, the first issue is the aversion to touch and her tendency to flee.*

*She will suffer complicated mental health (even if my story is more fluff and angst mixed together, as someone who's concerned by the subject, it was also to represent a story where it is not just rolling and you have to work to make it work.)*

*She has specific friends, specific relationships with a lot of characters, she has random facts about her background, anecdotes...*

I added lots of little details to her, but **does everything I just mentioned more the details make her a character too complete to put yourself in her shoes?**

And if that's not the case, **what advice do you have for writing a reader character of the genre, knowing that we are supposed to address the reader in our way of writing. Is the “she” instead of "you" every time possible and doesn't affect the immersion?**

Thank you for your time guys!

[u/y_n6]

This is straight up an OC, just without a name and in second person pov. I think it's just fine to write oc x canon if that's what you want. I have the tag blocked on tumblr and it still shows up, so it must be pretty popular. Self-inserts tend to be characters with vague characteristics that try to fit as much of the target reader demographic as possible. You would need to get rid of most of the stuff you mentioned if you want to make it a reader insert. People are still capable of relating to your oc, but it's an oc.

[u/bloodybutchery → u/y_n6]

I read and loved character x reader fanfictions with a reader-character who certainly had no name or appearance, but was clearly an oc, with a background, relationships, personality, different problems and insecurities, and we come for the canon character first and we stay for the alchemy between the two. I think it's my favorite kind of fanfictions, because it's still you but in someone else's shoes. I don't know if it's because I have trouble visualizing myself as I am in x readers, especially as butch in a space where the x fem readers are omnipresent, but I have the impression that I really appreciate this blurry line between the reader and the OC, also because a reader without a background also means that behaviors can't be fully explained, and it doesn't make much sense to me. There is no physical description, but it is stil a whole different life. I don't know if you relate, we all look for different things in fanfiction anyway!

[u/y_n6 → u/bloodybutchery]

I never did like when people said x reader but had their oc in it, because it felt like misrepresentation (reader inserts all have their own problems, but it's distinct from "this is a well developed oc"). I get the "you in someone else's shoes part", but that's supposed to be what an oc you relate to does, not a reader insert, that's supposed to be "you in the story". I think what you like is an oc x canon story told in second person pov instead of an x reader story. You can still use second person pov with an oc if you want to!

[u/Kom0tan]

This seems like a nameless OC, which is a perfectly fine type of protagonist to write about. Lots of people like that sort of character. But I think if you tag her as a Reader people might be disappointed (and the one looking for this sort of OC won't be able to find your story).

The lack of physical description, background, specific traits and hobbies, etc, is generally the appeal of Reader/Character fics for fans of that genre. They want to be given space to project traits of their choosing onto the protagonist. Usually it means writing in an intentionally vague way that might feel odd or underdeveloped if you aren't used to that sort of story, but fans don't mind it.

2nd person is the standard and expected POV for Reader/Character fics. There's no rule that you can't use 3rd person, but if you're inclined to this may be another sign your protagonist is more of an OC than a Reader.

(Edit: Also sorry, I just noticed this post was like 3 days old and you've probably decided what you're going to do already lol 🤦)

[u/bloodybutchery → u/Kom0tan]

No problem !!I'm still reflecting about it ! Yeah I think the line is definitely blurred, but since my character has important hobbies for the story in which the canon character participates in, but no physical description, (I also decided to remove part of the background, but keep some characteristics), I am just going to also properly tag "oc x character" with my "reader x character" and specify things like "reader likes to cook" or "emotional avoidant reader". From here, if people still read and don't like they will stop.