forum Things You Want MORE Of In Books

Started January 21, 2019 by @HighPockets group

tune

One thing I'd really love more of? Myopic characters. As in, GlAsSeS. And not just on the token nerdy dude™

And "popular" characters but they aren't afraid of wearing their glasses

It's glasses talk on the opposite chat as well.

So it is!

Those people that don't know when it's inappropriate to make jokes and make jokes all the gosh darn time even during serious events
So I know that it can seem rude (like if they're making a joke about a terrorist attack or something) but there are those people out there and I love them so much and it's possible to make it obvious that they aren't cruel just clueless

You talking about characters? I mean I agree but…

Yes characters I need more

Oh! I see.

I mean I have many MCs who use humor as a coping mechanism

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I may or may not share this trait

Same

I'm somewhere in there.

I want the kind of prose that you'd see in a D&D conversation between Kris Straub and Jerry Holkins. For those of you who have no frame of reference, it's the kind of prose where you have absolutely no idea what the hell they're saying, but you're so enamored by it that you don't really care and slowly pick up meaning as you continue reading. It's so COOL!

Books where the main character DOESN'T end up with the hot new kid. I don't want to know that they're going to end up together before they even meet

Agreed. Tagging on to that, couples staying together instead of breaking up so Hot Dude can date the MC. (To be fair this is more a movie thing I think.)

m/m friendships! I mean m/f and f/f are important as well but you never get to see any more of m/m

YES

This is a huge deal to me.

• Religious characters who actually practice their religion. I feel like a lot of characters get a religion, but don't actually practice it. Mention them going to mass, or to a temple. Mention them having ashes on their foreheads from Ash Wednesday, or fasting for Ramadan, or not eating meat on Fridays during Lent, or taking breaks to pray/praying before meals, celebrating Hannukah and not Christmas, etc.
• Religious characters who are LGBTQIA+ and don't constantly struggle with being both.

I don't like replying to old comments but…have you read The Conqueror's Saga?

• Religious characters who actually practice their religion. I feel like a lot of characters get a religion, but don't actually practice it. Mention them going to mass, or to a temple. Mention them having ashes on their foreheads from Ash Wednesday, or fasting for Ramadan, or not eating meat on Fridays during Lent, or taking breaks to pray/praying before meals, celebrating Hannukah and not Christmas, etc.
• Religious characters who are LGBTQIA+ and don't constantly struggle with being both.

I don't like replying to old comments but…have you read The Conqueror's Saga?

(I just saw this post so sorry I’m just now replying)
Have you read Magnus Chase? One of the main characters is Muslim and for almost the entire 3rd book she’s fasting for Ramadan. (She was doing everything the others were doing but she was doing it fasting. Sam is a queen)

Yeah I've read MC, it was okay.

I'd like to see more fantasy/sci-fi books set outside European based fantasy worlds, like Children of Blood and Bone or Cinder.

I have that! The main planet is an Asian race. The highest leaders (kings, presidents, etc) are automatically in the planet's representative in the the galaxy's senate (Jeez. It's like a Star Wars fanfic.) class known as Lords but anyone can become one -though it is pretty hard- by gaining the attention of the people for doing something great. The Lords run something like a democracy, but the more popular the Lord is the more power his (or her) vote is. They are supposed to be equal but everyone knows that is not the case, especially as the most esteemed Lord is given the most power.

I'd like to see more fantasy/sci-fi books set outside European based fantasy worlds, like Children of Blood and Bone or Cinder.

I feel like I've talked about exactly this somewhere on this site (maybe even this thread) but I totally agree. Our world is so big and diverse, and full of really cool and unique places that would be a great setting for a fantasy/sci fi novel. Medieval Europe is cool and all, but so are other places and time periods.

I do try to do this with my own stories. My project that I'm currently working on is based more on Victorian England, and I have another one that that is inspire more by different parts of northern Asia (like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, etc.). Then I have one more that is a huge WIP but takes place in a Central America based setting. All of them except for the last one started out as medieval Europe based settings.

I'd like to see more fantasy/sci-fi books set outside European based fantasy worlds, like Children of Blood and Bone or Cinder.

I feel like I've talked about exactly this somewhere on this site (maybe even this thread) but I totally agree. Our world is so big and diverse, and full of really cool and unique places that would be a great setting for a fantasy/sci fi novel. Medieval Europe is cool and all, but so are other places and time periods.

I do try to do this with my own stories. My project that I'm currently working on is based more on Victorian England, and I have another one that that is inspire more by different parts of northern Asia (like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, etc.). Then I have one more that is a huge WIP but takes place in a Central America based setting. All of them except for the last one started out as medieval Europe based settings.

Nice!