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Pet Peeves
Sep. 28th, 2011 01:28 amThere are always going to be things that I don't like about a book. There is no way that any author can write something so perfect that I can't find fault with it. This is probably true for all readers, but I can only speak for myself.
There are no perfect books, but some are less perfect than others. And there are some tidbits that make me want to scream no matter who the author is or how much I might otherwise love the book. I've decided to write a partial list of some of the these things that drive me nuts in fiction.
1. Ridiculous names. Just because your book is a fantasy doesn't meant your characters have to have names with 7 consonants in a row and a couple of apostrophes thrown in just for grins. Pick something that a reader can actually read, for goodness sake. Some of the best/most popular fantasy books and movies have characters with 'normal' names: Harry (Potter or Dresden, take your pick), Mat, Richard, Eric, Louis...the list goes on and on.
2. Misuse of words. Don't call tights a leotard. Don't describe a tropical setting as a savanna. If you're not sure of a word's meaning, look it up. Also, find a good proofreader who will catch these errors.
3. Adverbs. Not all 'ly' words are adverbs, and not all adverbs are evil - but please, please, please use them wisely. Most of the time, they do not contribute much (if anything) to the sentence. "Obediently, she sat at the table" works much better, for example, as, "She hurried to sit at the table as her father commanded, eager to please him with her obedience" or some such thing.
4. Overuse of trite phrases. The one that comes to mind is "completed the outfit." If you really must describe what someone is wearing, do not under any circumstances use this phrase! It's dull as dirt and overused to the point that it makes me want to punch a wall anytime I read it.
5. Lack of proofreading. This is becoming all too common even in mainstream, traditionally published books. A typo or two is to be expected, I suppose, but I can not stress enough how important it is to edit your work, have someone else look it over, and then edit it again. Polish it until the rough corners go away and the whole thing shines.
6. Breaking the 4th wall. This happens most often with first-person POV stories. I also call it 'dear reader' syndrome. It's that horrible circumstance where the narrator stops telling a story and starts to chat up the reader. "Have you ever had one of those days" or "You try to do such-and-such" are a couple of examples of how I've seen this happen. It drives me bonkers.
7. Unrealistic dialogue. If your story is set in Regency England, then something shouldn't be 'rad' (I've never seen this done, thank goodness). If your story is set in England, then your male lead probably won't wear suspenders - unless he happens to be a transvestite. No one calls people 'dearie' (at least no one under the age of 100 or so). When in doubt, read your dialogue out loud. If sounds fake or forced, it probably needs work.
All right...I've shared a few of my pet peeves. What are some of yours?
There are no perfect books, but some are less perfect than others. And there are some tidbits that make me want to scream no matter who the author is or how much I might otherwise love the book. I've decided to write a partial list of some of the these things that drive me nuts in fiction.
1. Ridiculous names. Just because your book is a fantasy doesn't meant your characters have to have names with 7 consonants in a row and a couple of apostrophes thrown in just for grins. Pick something that a reader can actually read, for goodness sake. Some of the best/most popular fantasy books and movies have characters with 'normal' names: Harry (Potter or Dresden, take your pick), Mat, Richard, Eric, Louis...the list goes on and on.
2. Misuse of words. Don't call tights a leotard. Don't describe a tropical setting as a savanna. If you're not sure of a word's meaning, look it up. Also, find a good proofreader who will catch these errors.
3. Adverbs. Not all 'ly' words are adverbs, and not all adverbs are evil - but please, please, please use them wisely. Most of the time, they do not contribute much (if anything) to the sentence. "Obediently, she sat at the table" works much better, for example, as, "She hurried to sit at the table as her father commanded, eager to please him with her obedience" or some such thing.
4. Overuse of trite phrases. The one that comes to mind is "completed the outfit." If you really must describe what someone is wearing, do not under any circumstances use this phrase! It's dull as dirt and overused to the point that it makes me want to punch a wall anytime I read it.
5. Lack of proofreading. This is becoming all too common even in mainstream, traditionally published books. A typo or two is to be expected, I suppose, but I can not stress enough how important it is to edit your work, have someone else look it over, and then edit it again. Polish it until the rough corners go away and the whole thing shines.
6. Breaking the 4th wall. This happens most often with first-person POV stories. I also call it 'dear reader' syndrome. It's that horrible circumstance where the narrator stops telling a story and starts to chat up the reader. "Have you ever had one of those days" or "You try to do such-and-such" are a couple of examples of how I've seen this happen. It drives me bonkers.
7. Unrealistic dialogue. If your story is set in Regency England, then something shouldn't be 'rad' (I've never seen this done, thank goodness). If your story is set in England, then your male lead probably won't wear suspenders - unless he happens to be a transvestite. No one calls people 'dearie' (at least no one under the age of 100 or so). When in doubt, read your dialogue out loud. If sounds fake or forced, it probably needs work.
All right...I've shared a few of my pet peeves. What are some of yours?
