Is it a little conceited to name a character in a book you're writing after

Question: Is it a little conceited to name a character in a book you're writing after yourself!?

Do you know any writers that name the main characters after themselves!? Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I know many authors who base characters off themselves or give them maybe a nickname they have, but I don't know of any who actually use their own name, just at the risk of sounding conceitedWww@QuestionHome@Com

There's no real reason not to, except you run the risk of everyone who reads the book being sure that every single thing in the book is something that's true in your life!. That's gonna happen anyway, but I suppose most writers try to save a little headache by changing the name some!.

Even Kafka -- whose name was Franz Kafka -- named his character Josef K!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In Lunar Park Brett Easton Ellis pretends he is the protagonist in the story, like it's autobiographic, which I doubt!.

I think the way he did it had a rather nice effect on the experience of reading the book!. However, I agree that unless the book's autobiographic, it feel a little conceited!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Darren Shan did it!.

You could name a character after yourself!. I like to put myself in my stories as a background character!. I'll be called out on the register in class, or I'll write that book that my main character is reading for school!. Maybe I'll be a relative or a friend of a friend!.

Oh, and please help me with my writing questions!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Jane Austen did it- Jane Bennet, anyone!?
Of course, Jane was not the main main character, but she was pretty much in the forefront!.
But I think this was because of how common the name Jane was back in the Regency, and not a measure of how conceited Austen was!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

i havent heard of any!. As an author myself, I'd find it extremely awkward to make myself a character!.
I usually base my characters off of people ive met, songs ive heard, or (for some) traits i admire/hateWww@QuestionHome@Com

It is not too conceited, but if you do the readers will think it is you!. It is better to use a name similar, but not the same!. Keep your real name for your biography!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The narrator of J!. G!. Ballard's novel *Crash* is a man called James Ballard!. He's a scientist, though, not an author!.

However you interpret the motive, I doubt conceit comes into it!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There's a book called Cracks in which the author features as a secondary character!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Kafka named one of his main characters "K!."!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i don't think it's conceited if it's like a true story that happened to you or
like a fantasyWww@QuestionHome@Com

no, i do it all the timeWww@QuestionHome@Com

No but I'm sure there are loads!.Www@QuestionHome@Com