Things You Don't Like in Stories

Agreed^

I really dislike that girl names are these unique ones...when in reality they're not even cool.

I really like stories that have spectacular characters, but not too drastic or "busy" chapters. Like for example, where you'd have a character who has no back-up story or emotion and a whole mass of crap that happens to them or something along those lines. If the character isn't written with heart, then there is no story. After all, stories are meant to be parts of your life or your creations told in words that lead to lines, to paragraphs, to chapters and finally a complete story that the writer can be sure proud of.

One thing I don't really care for in romance stories is when one of the lovers start out with a girlfriend/boyfriend. Sometimes this aspect is necessary and is pulled off pretty well, but I tend not to care about it because either the (soon to be) ex is a jerk with no redeemable qualities (making you wonder why they're together in the first place), and/or it just makes the story predictable as hell.

Pandillero:

The special snowflake trooooope xD Oh dear lawdy

This, so much, but then again, considering that most female heroines in published novels that are popular these days fall into that trope, I can't say I'm surprised that online fic mirrors the trend

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I hate when minor characters/plot devices are only used as a means to an end instead of being fully fleshed out or investigated.

For example, the stereotypical cheating whore/evil bitch wife or the asshole boyfriend that are just these obstacles that keep the two main characters from being together and are nothing more than that. Also the pet and/or child that fosters the meeting of the two main characters but then is never mentioned again.

Same goes for plot devices such as pregnancy, rape, or abuse that is so painfully obviously used as a way to get from point A to point B and isn't taken seriously.

@ i saw sparks

i saw sparks:

I hate when minor characters/plot devices are only used as a means to an end instead of being fully fleshed out or investigated.

For example, the stereotypical cheating whore/evil bitch wife or the asshole boyfriend that are just these obstacles that keep the two main characters from being together and are nothing more than that. Also the pet and/or child that fosters the meeting of the two main characters but then is never mentioned again.

Same goes for plot devices such as pregnancy, rape, or abuse that is so painfully obviously used as a way to get from point A to point B and isn't taken seriously.

And don't forget the good ol' killing off parents plot device.

Speaking of abuse, I hate it when a character is abused to the point of it being ridiculous.

I read a poorly written story on here where the OFC went through so much shit it was just unreal. I won't say which story it is, or even say what fandom, but it was absurd.

The OFC was an emo chick with a name like 'Rayne Raven Nightshade' who got physically and mentally abused by her parents, teachers, classmates etc just because she was 'different' and liked rock music. She only had four friends, all of which committed suicide, and she tried to kill herself four times but never succeeded. Her parents disowned her and her classmates tried to kill her for absolutely no reason.

That's just scratching the surface. It's fine to create a character who has suffered from abuse, but the example I posted is overkill.

When the main girl is raped and later on, the guy "becomes good" and she forgives him. Sorry, that would never happen in real life.

Actually, I dislike rape in a story. Sexual harassment and any kind of abuse, as well. If the abuse is written very, very well, then maybe.

@ Crash Thrusts.
I agree with you 1000% on everything you said.
I've never been in the situation of rape or anything related to, but I don't possibly see how someone could rape you and then you forgive them. Like, what? WHAT? WHAT???????

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When everyone in one story has unique names. I mean, if the story is set in say, HP fiction, that's understandable. But in an original story where everyone has unique names? Are there not normal people named Georgia or Bree or Sally or something? I actually have two Georgia's in one story, purely coincedental. Woops

One that's already been posted, but I feel the need to repeat:

Overly gay stories. Cannot stand. When this guy is gay, that guy is gay, his mom is gay, her dad turned gay after his divorce. Everyone's just gay.

No.

Also, I can't stand those obvious moments when the character is entirely too confused. The author I guess wants to make sure that the readers get it, so instead of just having the character put two and two together as the reader does, they have the character ignore the hints for 7 chapters, before finally being like "Oh my gosh, you're a vampire!"

Cliche lines. I'm guilty of using those from time to time.

Repetitive sex scenes. If you can't vary your sexual vocabulary, then don't have sex scenes in every other chapter. Also, unless you story is extremely formal and in a more historical setting, then I see no reason why you should be afraid of using words like "dick." "His length", "his erection", etc... turn off when constantly used.

Extremely long descriptions of appearance/setting. I want to cut myself when I run into those because I can't bring myself to skip over it, even when I know it's pointless to read.

As someone stated before, when characters don't seem to have normal human needs. I don't always incorporate these into my stories, but , for example, when reading the Hunger Games series, I found myself wondering if she ever menstruated, where/if she used the bathroom in the woods (lol), etc.

Yeah, so many more.

May not be the actual story per se, but when people add in author's notes, "I don't know what I'm doing/where I'm going with this,"/"Let's just see where this goes,"/"I don't know what to feel about this," because I'm NOT going to stick around for your roller coaster of a WIP if you don't even know the direction you're taking the story. Don't expect readers and rave reviews (from me, that is) if you're kinda just going with the flow, not knowing where this WIP is going at all.

`

renaenotrenee:

One that's already been posted, but I feel the need to repeat:

Overly gay stories. Cannot stand. When this guy is gay, that guy is gay, his mom is gay, her dad turned gay after his divorce. Everyone's just gay.

No.

There is such thing as a gay community. There is such thing as a straight community. Not everywhere you go are there just gay people throughout the community every so and so amount of people, I'm sure there are places there are more gay people than straight people. Honestly, I don't think it matters if someone wants to write mostly about a gay community. Thinking about what you're saying, I realize you're not the only one who might think that way but why then did The L Word get so big when the majority of the characters, male and female were gay or had been gay at some point?

edit: long story titles, they're really unnecessary I believe.

I really don't like incest, ESPECIALLY twincest. My siblings are twins. I. Just. Can't.

Apex:

edit: long story titles, they're really unnecessary I believe.

This is aimed at The Future: A Guide to Survive and Thrive in the Party District of the Universe, isn't it?

@ herobrine.
It irked me, looking at it when it was longer. Still I think it's really unnecessary and drags.

@ Apex
It's in the style of one of my favourite authors, whose title are also long and rambly and over-detailed, but seeing as most of what I write, it does bother me that it's long.

@ herobrine.
Wasn't trying to call you out or anything, just a preference.

@ Apex
I get it, it's a preference for me to have my titles, long or short, display the mood of the story. The Future is a sci-fi comedy and I want it to seem so; Infinite is more serious.

When people are describing female characters and all they say is "she was beautiful." Okay, "she was beautiful" could mean 134985926847883947 different things. Elaborate. Same with the "he was hot." What? In all honesty, just take those out and let the readers decide who's hot or beautiful or pretty or attractive or whatnot.

When the story takes a title from a music video and everything about it is exactly like the music video.