forum Things You Want MORE Of In Books

Started January 21, 2019 by @evastardust groupRRAAAARRL

tune

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!

I want to see more Protags that are not immediately liked by everyone. Protags that are a little awkward and 'dark' so most people distrust or keep their distance.

I have a few that are like that and it is interesting to work around and focus on deeper development between characters, especially if they are a leader/ will become a leader.

Y E S Y E S Y E S!!!!!!

Agreed! The empathy would be great!

Also "instantly liked" is on the Mary Sue checklist.

Having charisma is one thing. Like I have a character that is a smooth talker and a great leader, but she's feared because of her darkness and tendency to be brutal and iron-hearted.

But to just be that person that everyone instantly gets along with and will follow at a drop of a hat is insanity.

Indeed!

I also have a sweet boy that is treated badly because of his darkness powers.

Me too! Sort of, anyway. In my old WIP, I had a guy with shadow powers who was literally taken away from his family by his father because he was believed to be dangerous, but he's actually a cinnamon roll. Then in my newer story, there aren't powers exactly, but my protagonist is a devout follower of a death goddess. Rumor has it he's a necromancer (which he's not, but if he was, that's usually considered a very bad thing). He gets really irritated every time he has to explain it to someone.

What's worse is that it's the leader of the good guys Sorace that my boy Alec looks up to. Sorace is also the protag to the first two books.

I have smooth-talking characters, and the ones that come to mind are a con artist and a 17 year old trying to run a massive entertainment center, and both are viewed as irritating (because they won't shut up) and very much an acquired taste.

I like the 17 year old dude already.

Thanks, he's a walking disaster named Stephen.

Cool.

Thanks, he's a walking disaster named Stephen.

i relate

Characters that are hard-core procrastinators like
"Come on, the rebellion's literally tomorrow we need to make a plan"
"Well if it's tomorrow we can make a plan tomorrow. I'm trying to watch Netflix right now bye"

It's one thing to say 'if we attack right now, we will be nearly wiped out, we need to wait for allies' or 'our troops need more training before we can take on the enemy', but if your character is being like 'Meh, I don't feel like strategy right now'….just no.