Things You Hate in Stories

Post away.

Things you don't like/hate in stories.
Do not bash specific stories or authors.
Adhere to the board rules.
Have fun.

Link to the first thread for reference.

Let's do a dedication for fun.
I want to dedicate this to Jinxeh and Lacey Mosely.
I see them in the thread the most and they always have interesting things to say, even if I might disagree.

To start with:

I don't like it when contractions are never used. Obviously, this matters based on time period and if someone must speak without contractions. This also goes for both dialogue and narration. I realize it's "proper" to not use contractions in narration, but sometimes it disrupts the flow for me. Fan fiction and books.

I thought chat threads were only meant to be started again at 200 pages. :think:

Ah well.

I don't always use contractions. I do for dialogue. But for description I've realised that I tend to not use them as much. :think:

vonny:

I thought chat threads were only meant to be started again at 200 pages. :think:

They restarted Pimping & Reccing when it got to two hundred.
So I just assumed it meant everywhere.
... there's no cute innocent shrug smiley.
But it's there in spirit.

:tehe:

Yeah, for some reason I'm thinking it was only every topic in the Off Topic forum that restarts after 200, and the Pimp/Recc thread 'cause that's not discussion.

But I'm not 100%. I'm asking. :shifty

[/offtopic]

Thanks, druscilla. :cute: I know we disagree on things a lot in this thread (especially when it's you and me talking :XD) but that's part of the reason I enjoy it so much. None of us are afraid to stick to our guns about what we like and don't like in writing.

druscilla; mermaid.:

I don't like it when contractions are never used. Obviously, this matters based on time period and if someone must speak without contractions. This also goes for both dialogue and narration. I realize it's "proper" to not use contractions in narration, but sometimes it disrupts the flow for me. Fan fiction and books.

And yes, I agree. It makes the characters sound like robots in my head, and seriously disrupts the flow. I once stopped reading an overall okay story because the characters kept doing that. "Let us go to the mall." "All right, but I can not drive. My car is not running right now." And so on and so forth. And it was the same in the narration. I'm completely with you when I say that no, it might not be "proper" to use it in narration, but I'd rather have my narration flowing nicely while being improper than sounding like a robot wrote it.

Dialogue that just isn't realistic is another pet peeve of mine. I realize that writing dialogue isn't the easiest thing to do, but that's one of the ways we really get to know the characters. Making all of the characters talk the same way, use the same slang, and generally just sound like clones of one another is very irritating, too.

I've recently developed a pet peeve for cliche description.
I know I've used them when I first started writing, since that's what I garnered from other stories I've read, but time went on and I began to invent my own metaphors, my own ways to create imagery.

Some people, though, prefer to stick to the conventional and not even bother to make their own. Examples:

"deep blue eyes"
"porcelain skin"
"inhale her scent"
"their tongues battled for domination"
"the ghost of a smile" --depends on the context
"hot salty streams poured down her cheeks"

[more later, maybe]

T_T

The Way:

I've recently developed a pet peeve for cliche description.
I know I've used them when I first started writing, since that's what I garnered from other stories I've read, but time went on and I began to invent my own metaphors, my own ways to create imagery.

"deep blue eyes"
"porcelain skin"
"inhale her scent"
"their tongues battled for domination"
"the ghost of a smile" --depends on the context
"hot salty streams poured down her cheeks"

[more later, maybe]

It's even worse when they use imagery cliches when writing sex scenes. I know I've said this before, but the words "throbbing manhood" are more likely to make me think that the guy should see a doctor instead of having sex.

Jinxeh:

It's even worse when they use imagery cliches when writing sex scenes. I know I've said this before, but the words "throbbing manhood" are more likely to make me think that the guy should see a doctor instead of having sex.

HAHA every time I read something and that phrase is used... it just makes me feel like giggling insanely. No, not in the immature way, but just the fact that it's so overused, ridiculous, and takes away any mood that was set up for the scene.

When ninety-percent of a story is lyrics. Whether it's copy-pasted into it, or worked into dialogue... it just doesn't work.

Having every verse and chorus simply copy-pasted into it is just as awful as every spoken line being lyrical. It looks really messy, and often takes a lot away from the story.

Probably an awful explanation, but yeah. :shifty

Pesticide.:

When ninety-percent of a story is lyrics. Whether it's copy-pasted into it, or worked into dialogue... it just doesn't work.

Having every verse and chorus simply copy-pasted into it is just as awful as every spoken line being lyrical. It looks really messy, and often takes a lot away from the story.

Probably an awful explanation, but yeah. :shifty

And when... let's say, Gerard Way looks at the female character and says, "You know, when I saw a young boy, my dad took me to a city to see a marching band. And he told me that one day he'll leave me a phantom..." blahblahblah. :| oh my god. totally freaking agony for me.

-wants to post on first page-
When people re-use a movie, and just change the characters.
If I wanted to know that story, I'd watch the movie. -.-
I like it when things are changed up, or it's modernized.

cipher;:

Pesticide.:

When ninety-percent of a story is lyrics. Whether it's copy-pasted into it, or worked into dialogue... it just doesn't work.

Having every verse and chorus simply copy-pasted into it is just as awful as every spoken line being lyrical. It looks really messy, and often takes a lot away from the story.

Probably an awful explanation, but yeah. :shifty

And when... let's say, Gerard Way looks at the female character and says, "You know, when I saw a young boy, my dad took me to a city to see a marching band. And he told me that one day he'll leave me a phantom..." blahblahblah. :| oh my god. totally freaking agony for me.

Or like, a karaoke contest, and they just copy paste the song from a lyrics website. I try to use as little lyrics as possible, and only put them in if I feel it really contributes to /explains the mood of the scene. I also cut out the second chorus or any repetitions. It's only proper.

-

Jon Walker.:

-wants to post on first page-
When people re-use a movie, and just change the characters.
If I wanted to know that story, I'd watch the movie. -.-
I like it when things are changed up, or it's modernized.

:cheese: EXACTLY.
Same with books.
They get the exact lines, same plot... and just change the names T_T

I hate it when a story ends with the main character dying, for no reason at all. It's like the author can't come up with a decent ending so they just kill the character and then it's over. When that happens you don't even know if it's supposed to be sad or happy because there's no emotion in the death, more than the "Finally, it's over!" from the author.

When that happens i like to ignore the last chapter and come up with some other really happy cliché ending for myself. :tehe:

I hate endings where the main character dies, even for a good reason, since I am a sick romantic and believe in happy endings? XD Which is pretty hypocritical since I have a habit of killing main characters off. ._. I can't help it though, they tell me they need to die >_<

I usually hate in stories when everyone and their mother is gay. Like, especially in band fiction. Okay, fine, Frank and Gerard are gay. But Mikey? Now we are pushing it. And Ray and Bob to? Woah, now this is overkill. And then Bert, and Quinn and Jepha, and Pete Wentz, and the guy at the store, and Britney Spears. I usually will stop readng a story if everyone is gay, unless it is woven in the story where it is believable.

Usually the stories I run into, in which every,single.band.member.is.gay aren't written well at all. There's only a few authors I know that can pull it off and I can't name them all. Druscilla is one that comes to mind, but she does it in a way where it doesn't seem cheap.

Sardonic Grin:

I usually hate in stories when everyone and their mother is gay. Like, especially in band fiction. Okay, fine, Frank and Gerard are gay. But Mikey? Now we are pushing it. And Ray and Bob to? Woah, now this is overkill. And then Bert, and Quinn and Jepha, and Pete Wentz, and the guy at the store, and Britney Spears. I usually will stop readng a story if everyone is gay, unless it is woven in the story where it is believable.

Usually the stories I run into, in which every,single.band.member.is.gay aren't written well at all. There's only a few authors I know that can pull it off and I can't name them all. Druscilla is one that comes to mind, but she does it in a way where it doesn't seem cheap.

Ugh, I know! I mean, I make a point to not really read slash in the first place, but every once in a while a friend will tell me, "Just give this one a try - you might like it!" and I will...and everyone is gay. Everyone. It's like in those stories, straight people don't even exist. (Which they don't need to anyway, since everyone reproduces by means of MPreg.)

I also don't like MPreg.

Jinxeh:

I also don't like MPreg.

Me neither. Unless there's a really, REALLY good explanation.
Like, 1) the main character undergoes some believable sex change operation, 2) he's pregnant with like... an alien.

Mpreg freaks me out. I'm sorry...but...just no. I can't even explain why I don't like it. I am sure there's well-written Mpreg, but the whole concept freaks me out. I don't think it is even physically possible for something like that to happen. Not to mention, the imagery I get from it just doesn't sit right. I don't want to see Frank Iero pregnant. I think Gerard has a better chance of getting pregnant anyway >_>

The Way:

Me neither. Unless there's a really, REALLY good explanation.
Like, 1) the main character undergoes some believable sex change operation, 2) he's pregnant with like... an alien.

It's a strange world when the incorporation of alien fetuses is the only thing that can make the average slash story believable.

Jinxeh:

The Way:

Me neither. Unless there's a really, REALLY good explanation.
Like, 1) the main character undergoes some believable sex change operation, 2) he's pregnant with like... an alien.

It's a strange world when the incorporation of alien fetuses is the only thing that can make the average slash story believable.

XD tis a sad a sad truth.

And since we are on the topic of pregnancies. I hate how in fanfiction, when there's an poriginal character (I use original loosely) she always gets pregnant by the apathetic lead singer (that's you Gerard) and soemthing tragic always happens that she loosees the baby. But magically she is emotionally stable after the death of her unborn child and her and apathetic lead singer are re-united with no hurt feelings.

Sardonic Grin:

And since we are on the topic of pregnancies. I hate how in fanfiction, when there's an poriginal character (I use original loosely) she always gets pregnant by the apathetic lead singer (that's you Gerard) and soemthing tragic always happens that she loosees the baby. But magically she is emotionally stable after the death of her unborn child and her and apathetic lead singer are re-united with no hurt feelings.

I hate that storyline. Gerard Way does, too. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. Have I mentioned that I hate it? Because I hate it.