forum Things You Want LESS Of In Books

Started January 21, 2019 by @GoodThingGoing group

tune

Did I mention that plot armor is actual trash?

I think we can all agree.

I hate it when an author mentions a fact that is completely irrelevant to the plot like no I don't want to know how the soup tastes I want to know how the Main Character is going to sneak out of the kitchen not how the soup tastes, this is not to be confused with cool fun facts. Also throwing around terms and phrases and plot points and not giving an explanation, like, Oh ya this character can shape shift now, moving on, NO, If this character can shape shift, then why didn't they use it to escape the prison cell two chapters ago!

I actually like that stuff. (Like what you want.) C. S. Lewis wrote like that and it added to the feel that there was a narrator telling you a story.

I hate it when an author mentions a fact that is completely irrelevant to the plot like no I don't want to know how the soup tastes I want to know how the Main Character is going to sneak out of the kitchen not how the soup tastes, this is not to be confused with cool fun facts. Also throwing around terms and phrases and plot points and not giving an explanation, like, Oh ya this character can shape shift now, moving on, NO, If this character can shape shift, then why didn't they use it to escape the prison cell two chapters ago!

Well, writers do this to connect the read to the world, making the reader feel like they’re apart of the world… having details like that just adds to the scenery, making it more realistic in some situations…

It really depends on the situation. Like Relsey said, not to be confused with fun facts. Sometimes extraneous and boring details are introduced and waste space. One or two here and there are good, but too much? It gets annoying. Would a realistic narrator notice everything about a scene? Probably not, unless they're omniscient. Even then, when sharing cool details becomes info dumping, it can become a mess.

You’re right, but having some is great. It’s better then having nothing, then it’s very boring… I should know, I used to have no details, and I would even get tired of writing it,

Yup, 100% agree. If I can't see, hear, feel, and smell where the character is, I'm likely to get bored. That's something I'm still working on as a writer, though.

Same, I’m not good at it what so ever, but at least I try…

I feel like fun facts and stuff are cool but not when they're the focus and not what's actually happening

Okay I remembered something!
I don't know the name of it, but it's something my dad does a lot when talking to me about a school project, grades, etc. where he'll say something and I'll understand and tell him I get it, but he just keeps going and asking me again/telling me unnecessary details.
So like when an author needs to point out every little detail about something.

GOD JUST NO MORE PLOT ARMOR! UUUUGGGGGHHHHH

I hate it when people dumb things down excessively for children. I get that most children are dumb, but you don’t have to explain the meaning of every single word to them. If my 11-year-old self could figure out how to use Krita, an 8-year-old should know the definition of the word “assist”, it’s not that difficult

Yeah it's 1 thing if it's like say Martha Speaks, where the point is to teach vocabulary to kids, but in random books it's just ugh

For the Christian peeps: VBS am I right? ^

Unfortunately you are

I hate that with a loathing passion. Why don't people understand they are just not completely developed humans! They are not idiots! Why do we do this! Stupid David Howie. I hate you forever.

I hate it when people dumb things down excessively for children. I get that most children are dumb, but you don’t have to explain the meaning of every single word to them. If my 11-year-old self could figure out how to use Krita, an 8-year-old should know the definition of the word “assist”, it’s not that difficult

"Little Timmy played with a ball. A round object that you come on and slam onto the ground, similar to how your father would beat you."

oh my god

I hate it when people dumb things down excessively for children. I get that most children are dumb, but you don’t have to explain the meaning of every single word to them. If my 11-year-old self could figure out how to use Krita, an 8-year-old should know the definition of the word “assist”, it’s not that difficult

"Little Timmy played with a ball. A round object that you come on and slam onto the ground, similar to how your father would beat you."

What the actually fuck? I’m so confused…

• MC = Mary Sue
• Edgy bad boys, with a heart of gold
• MC's romantic relationship with her childhood friend/crush from school/guy she's never seen before, who comes out of nowhere
• Over explaining everything that's happening with the five senses- I agree with ppl above, if it's important to the plot, that's okay. If it isn't, don't do it.
• Mental illness = character. 'Hi, my name is [Generic Character], and I have [mental illness]! This is the only thing that defines me from [Other Generic Character]!'
• 'The [Important Thing] happens only on [celestial event]. Oh what a coincidence! That's tonight!'
• Token diversity, with their race being the only thing important about them.
• Sex coming out of nowhere. Sex without a point to move the plot forward. I don't like sex scenes, but if it moves the story forward or establishes something about a character, okay. If it's just filler, then stop.

^^^I agree. ESPECIALLY the last one!

• Sex coming out of nowhere. Sex without a point to move the plot forward. I don't like sex scenes, but if it moves the story forward or establishes something about a character, okay. If it's just filler, then stop.

Ok so I have to add to this part because of fanfictions. I have read multiple fanfictions in my past time. And well there could be a character that was just raped then like 5 minutes later they are having sex with the other character. It just annoys me.

Or when a character goes through something very traumatic (usually sex related in this case) but has no symptoms of PTSD and 3 pages later is banging the Perfect Love Interest TM. Bonus DoneTM points if he's the one who did it to them.

NO FILLER GOD WHY DOES FILLER EXIST!