forum What are your biggest writing/plot/genre/worldbuilding pet peeves?
Started by @Cadeverek group
tune

people_alt 63 followers

@Cadeverek group

Pretty much what the title says! What are some things you hate in other's works? Your least favorite tropes? Writing gimmicks and mannerisms that just grind your gears? Worldbuilding conveniences that make you roll your eyes in disappointment?

Well, I have the belief that knowing what not to do is just as important as what to do. So yeah, tell me as many pet peeves as you'd like!


If you don't know where to start, here are some questions/prompts to help, you don't have to answer them all (or any of them at all), they're just to give you some direction. I'm doing this because I personally hate trying to answer vague questions because I never know where to start so there you go, a little kick-start :)

  1. What are your least favorite character stereotypes/tropes?
  2. A writing style that you hate? (For example, I personally hate when writers use short sentences too much, the constant stopping makes me feel out of breath, like the prose is a bit too rhythmic. Sure, it's good to build suspense, but I read a book once that was written ENTIRELY like this. IT WAS A FINANCE BOOK. I DIDN'T NEED TO FEEL SUSPENSE. THERE WAS NO PLOT WTF)
  3. A worldbuilding thing that you think is overused? Example, races used way too often, there's always this one "special object" or something like this
  4. What are your least favorite relationship dynamics?
  5. A kind of representation you're tired of seeing. For example, as an ace who has indigenous ancestry, I hate how asexual characters are always written as awkward and how indigenous characters are always written as this "exotic creature" or very archaic people.
  6. What writing/worldbuilding tropes do you hate in specific genres? Worst tropes in fantasy? In noir? In cyberpunk?

@Masterkey

I'm tired of Fae in the fantasy genre… And I haven't even actually read any books about them. Sue me! I've watched sooo many videos detailing the plots of the most popular YA fantasy books and stuff for years and I'm just done already, I need something new haha.

(To be fair, it may be that since I haven't read any of them myself that my dislike doesn't count, but I trust the YouTubers I watch who go to great lengths to describe the plots for me.)

Mt. G router

(OMG +1 to fae!!)

One more general thing that gets on my nerves is when writers use plot twists just for the sake of having a twist, instead of making it organic and fitting within the story. And I find it expecially frustrating (and a double-whammy) when writers use deus ex machina to resolve these twists or conflicts; it just screams lazy writing.

@Cadeverek group

@Masterkey
YES I TOTALLY AGREE like man, there are so many other cool fantasy creatures to choose from????? And if your still wanted to include fae, how about fae from other cultures to freshen up a bit, yk? And don't worry, I also love long form content reviewing films, shows or books so you're good to go lmao


@Mt. G100% agree. If you want the writing to sound smart and complex, maybe, idk, make the twist make sense? So many people just slam a "somehow Palpatine returned" and run with it. It doesn't make the writing smart if you literally just duct tape "a wizard did it" or "somehow it happened" to fix a plot point. SHERLOCK SPOILERS AHEAD:

Deleted user

  • Killing off mentor figures, it just happens so often

  • Primarily male cast then one or two female characters with little personality just so its not all guys

  • Insanely strong little kids (when it comes to powers and stuff), it can be funny sometimes I guess but its just setting up for yet another "chosen one" thing, which personally isn't my favorite

  • Either when the two best friends (tm) get married or something at the end (if it does that thing where it shows the far future), or at the end its like a whole unprecedented romantic attraction in the last few pages that show up absolutely NOWHERE ELSE in the book; I think romance is fun but more than that I think we, as a whole, need to appreciate friendship more often. Doesn't really apply to the romance genre though

  • I dislike characters/plots that center around a character that is regarded as strong but the only reason they are is because of some powerful object they carry, and they didn't have to work or practice using it or anything. I like seeing characters getting stronger as opposed to just being told that they became strong.

  • Bully to lover feels weird to me. Especially if the bully did something to hurt their future lover and it isn't addressed, and especially if the bully has a crush on their victim WHILE they are hurting them. There are just better ways to write romance and hurting the person the character likes just doesn't do it for me

(sorry this is so much)