Week 3 - Protagonists embodying the authors

We've all heard that it's best to write what you know. To this end, it's hardly surprising that a number of authors inject much of themselves into their protagonists. The reasoning is, of course, that it's easier to use one's own personality, or at least an emulation of it, than to conjure up a unique character from nowhere. But if a protagonist embodies the flaws and weaknesses of the writer, does that distract from the narrative?

Such a general question makes it hard to give a conclusive answer. Consider, for instance, that an author may not consciously give a protagonist elements of their own mindset or ethics. Certainly, there have been times when I've written something and only realised upon reading it that a slice of myself has slipped between the cracks, especially in the case of first-person pieces.

Yet is this somehow detrimental? I do sometimes worry that a character might seem a little too eager to discuss certain topics, for example. Even so, if the end result is a distinct and interesting protagonist, I feel the risk is worth it. After all, surely only an audience that went to the lengths of researching an author would be especially likely to notice similarities between the creator and the creation? Beyond overtly political texts such as Animal Farm, I personally don't often raise an eyebrow at a given protagonist's manner.

No doubt there are exceptions, but I would generally conclude that protagonists benefit from sharing traits with the author.