Writer's Fallout Shelter

Shakespeare did use it. Much Ado About Nothing with Beatrice and Benedick. Two characters who had such pride that they nearly hated the other person and then came together at the end through outside forces. Although, that one was through a trick whereas Austin used natural progression in friendship and events.

What I meant with Austin not cutting it in this time was with the language used and how nothing seems to happen in her novels, though Austin fans would disagree. She was, after all, completely satire. She may have just made the concept popular for Romanticism and Romance in general. I'm more wondering if there are other famous authors that got away with a self-insert. Mitch Albom may be a self insert (Tuesdays with Morrie, etc.) and yet he might not, I was always confused when it came to him. Are there any others?

Putting yourself into the story is commonly done with beliefs and such, yes. Then there are others, Jennifer Robinson (Sword Series), for example, who write ideas and claim, "They are the characters' beliefs, not mine. I don't promote this activity." Even if you're going to put yourself as a side character, you have to be careful. Self-indulgent or no, the thing about putting yourself into a story is making your life better in that world than this one. So you tend to be special in some way. Jane in PnP was special because she was the prettiest, one of the smartest, the most amiable (heh), the calmest, etc. The best, aside from Elizabeth. If she placed herself as Charlotte, I would've been impressed.

I guess the problem comes with conveying the difference between a self insert and a completely made up character. How would one go about writing it for both? HA! See, it all comes full circle. ^_^