forum Things You Want LESS Of In Books

Started January 21, 2019 by @HighPockets group

tune

I’ve also seen a similar problem with people using the character’s sexual orientation as an entire personality…
It hurts to look at

I’ve also seen a similar problem with people using the character’s sexual orientation as an entire personality…
It hurts to look at

YEAH and it's like cmon ur doing them dirty they're more than that
(cough cough kurt hummel cough cough)

TEA

One thing I don't see often but still dislike enough to mention is when the author does a big info dump but it's disguised as the main character reading a book about the world (or some aspect of it).

Info dumps ew
Bruh, nowhere in this world have i found a book or web page that tells me ALL i need to know about a certain subject. ever
A book about the world you say? PFFFFF
You'd need a crap ton of encyclopedias just to get a basic idea of the world lol

Oof that makes me wonder…
I explain the whole creation story in a book the character is reading. That's technically not info-dumping since it's one topic, right? A little cliche, maybe, but I'm mostly okay with that, since I'm writing for me.

If its like a scientific study of how the world was created then id say it should be okay, since theoretically you are not directing this info specifically towards the reader like "hey yo, this is plot info, remember this shit ok?"
It's more like the character is reading about creation because its an interest of theirs. Yea, you should be fine

Lol it’s a children’s book and she’s trying to learn how to read.

Oof that makes me wonder…
I explain the whole creation story in a book the character is reading. That's technically not info-dumping since it's one topic, right? A little cliche, maybe, but I'm mostly okay with that, since I'm writing for me.

I'm talking more about author's who incorporate passages from fictional textbooks and whatnot to explain parts of the world if that makes sense. I feel like it's different with things like creation stories (and other myths/legends that are unique to your story) because it's kind of hard to get that across without someone telling/reading the story. But with things like magic systems, beliefs, traditions, unique species/races, etc. there are more interesting and quite frankly less tedious ways to explain things those kinds of aspects without going "MC needed to learn about [topic]. Here are 10 long winded paragraphs from a fictional textbook about [topic] that MC read; some of which may not even be relevant to the story." Hope that made a little more sense?

Like I said, it's not something I run into often, but for some reason I seem to be encountering it more than I would like as of late.

Yeah, that makes sense. It’s just a matter of where the line is drawn I guess. I suppose when it’s forced and obvious the author wants to worldbuild is it. Seriously, if you want people to know EVERYTHING about your world, even the trivial stuff, write a separate part in the back that practically is a little world encyclopedia. I honestly really love it when authors have stuff about their world in places where it isn’t a mandatory read.

Titles with fucking flowers and/or fire in the name.
Kill this trope immediately.

token characters. There's a difference between having representation and going for social points. For example, stating a random character is a gay or using 'subtext' but never having any real representation in the media (cough voltron, harry potter, somanyotherthings).

Okay in Harry Potter she was just forcing "representation" in to seem trendy. But point definitely understood and approved

Titles with fucking flowers and/or fire in the name.
Kill this trope immediately.

Hah, averted!
Barely.
One WIP title has Flame in it, but it's actually relevant.

It's just so cliche now. Like we get the symbolism. Christ

On an unrelated note, I am so far beyond tired of having rapey side characters whose creepy interest in the main girl serves just to make her look ""desirable"", or so the main guy can come in and "save her" by beating the creeper up
(bonus points if that creeper later gets redemption by jumping in to save the main girl in a time of crisis) (bonus bonus points if she then feels conflicted about rejecting his earlier rapey advances)

it's an odd trope that I wish didn't exist but I just read another YA book where it featured prominently and it made me want to bash my head against a wall

On an unrelated note, I am so far beyond tired of having rapey side characters whose creepy interest in the main girl serves just to make her look ""desirable"", or so the main guy can come in and "save her" by beating the creeper up
(bonus points if that creeper later gets redemption by jumping in to save the main girl in a time of crisis) (bonus bonus points if she then feels conflicted about rejecting his earlier rapey advances)

it's an odd trope that I wish didn't exist but I just read another YA book where it featured prominently and it made me want to bash my head against a wall

Y E S

On the topic of titles and symbolism/random words, titles that go A/The Status/Verb/Location of Noun and Noun.
Ex. A Court of Thorns and Roses, House of Sea and Sorrows, Children of Blood and Bone, Girls of Paper and Fire, etc.
I just feel like when ACOTAR got published and sold well that naming style skyrocketed. It worked the first few times, but now it just seems kinda attention-grabby.

On an unrelated note, I am so far beyond tired of having rapey side characters whose creepy interest in the main girl serves just to make her look ""desirable"", or so the main guy can come in and "save her" by beating the creeper up
(bonus points if that creeper later gets redemption by jumping in to save the main girl in a time of crisis) (bonus bonus points if she then feels conflicted about rejecting his earlier rapey advances)

it's an odd trope that I wish didn't exist but I just read another YA book where it featured prominently and it made me want to bash my head against a wall

Ew ew ewwwwww

On the topic of titles and symbolism/random words, titles that go A/The Status/Verb/Location of Noun and Noun.
Ex. A Court of Thorns and Roses, House of Sea and Sorrows, Children of Blood and Bone, Girls of Paper and Fire, etc.
I just feel like when ACOTAR got published and sold well that naming style skyrocketed. It worked the first few times, but now it just seems kinda attention-grabby.

I noticed that a lot too. It's weird to think that there are book fads.
Like when twilight skyrocketed it felt like all the other books in the world were suddenly about vampires.

On the topic of titles and symbolism/random words, titles that go A/The Status/Verb/Location of Noun and Noun.
Ex. A Court of Thorns and Roses, House of Sea and Sorrows, Children of Blood and Bone, Girls of Paper and Fire, etc.
I just feel like when ACOTAR got published and sold well that naming style skyrocketed. It worked the first few times, but now it just seems kinda attention-grabby.

I noticed that a lot too. It's weird to think that there are book fads.
Like when twilight skyrocketed it felt like all the other books in the world were suddenly about vampires.

There's actually a super interesting Bookmarked Book Club video that focuses on book covers, and the guest star goes into detail on some different cover fads, it's really interesting. I think it's the one with CommonSpence as a guest star?
I also recommend their Evolution of YA book club video for more about the trends!

yeah that trend is annoying, especially since there are so many decently good books (children of blood and bone, for one) that I ignore cause the name is the cliche YA romance grab

yeah that trend is annoying, especially since there are so many decently good books (children of blood and bone, for one) that I ignore cause the name is the cliche YA romance grab

Yeah I really enjoyed CoBaB but I'd never have picked it up if I hadn't heard such good things about it first!