You will never see the word "guffaw" in any of my manuscripts. There's something so mocking, condescending, and coarse about the word, I hate it.
I'm just as adamant about the word "feisty" when applied to a book's heroine. I find it a patronizing, belitting word, and I see red each time it leaps out at me in print.
And don't get me started on overly-precocious kiddies with "adorable" lisps. Or badly-rendered Scottish brogues and wimpy, "dust-mote" heroines, who listlessly float through their own lives. Argh!
So why am I beginning this fine Tuesday with a list of my pet peeves? Mostly, it's because, although they're sort of silly (I'm sure there have been some great stories out there that feature a guffawing, villainous Scotsman, a feisty heroine, and her adorably-lisping, precocious kid brother) they prejudice me so severely, there's no way for me to see through to the story.
Readers, agents, and editors all have their pet peeves as well. Although I've seen descriptions of a character "fighting his demons" on many a cover flap and novel I've enjoyed, agent Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel) can't stand this particular phrase. Though I enjoy a good prologue (as do many editors and readers, when they're well done) agent incognito Miss Snark hates 'em. Other agents and editors can't see past characters bearing certain overused names ("Bella" springs to mind, though I can't recall which agent said that) or names that trigger painful memories. ("Yowza!" I picture some editor exclaiming, "My hideous brother-in-law, who chews off his toenails and spits them into teacups, is named Jason! I can't stand this story!")
The point is, you can never know when you're going to tread upon some reader's pet peeves, and you absolutely can't control it. Everyone has hot buttons - quirky personal triggers. It's really the luck of the draw whether you end up pushing one or not.
That said, you can increase your odds of success by avoiding common pet peeves. Within my genre, many readers are completely cool with a villain offing a busload of nuns, but show an "on-screen" episode of animal or child abuse, and you'll be snowed in by a blizzard of irate-o-grams for sure. (Don't ask me how I learned this. I admit to nothing.) Many romance readers hate long separations between the hero and heroine, protagonist with teenaged children (babies and toddlers are preferred), and even the slightest whiff of infidelity. Violate these "taboos" at your own risk, or if you choose to do it, realize what you're up against.
When it comes to the enjoyment of a story, prejudices and readers' genre expectations can play a very strong part. What are some of your pet peeves, either words, character traits, or plot lines that yank you out of the reading experience completely?
I'm just as adamant about the word "feisty" when applied to a book's heroine. I find it a patronizing, belitting word, and I see red each time it leaps out at me in print.
And don't get me started on overly-precocious kiddies with "adorable" lisps. Or badly-rendered Scottish brogues and wimpy, "dust-mote" heroines, who listlessly float through their own lives. Argh!
So why am I beginning this fine Tuesday with a list of my pet peeves? Mostly, it's because, although they're sort of silly (I'm sure there have been some great stories out there that feature a guffawing, villainous Scotsman, a feisty heroine, and her adorably-lisping, precocious kid brother) they prejudice me so severely, there's no way for me to see through to the story.
Readers, agents, and editors all have their pet peeves as well. Although I've seen descriptions of a character "fighting his demons" on many a cover flap and novel I've enjoyed, agent Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel) can't stand this particular phrase. Though I enjoy a good prologue (as do many editors and readers, when they're well done) agent incognito Miss Snark hates 'em. Other agents and editors can't see past characters bearing certain overused names ("Bella" springs to mind, though I can't recall which agent said that) or names that trigger painful memories. ("Yowza!" I picture some editor exclaiming, "My hideous brother-in-law, who chews off his toenails and spits them into teacups, is named Jason! I can't stand this story!")
The point is, you can never know when you're going to tread upon some reader's pet peeves, and you absolutely can't control it. Everyone has hot buttons - quirky personal triggers. It's really the luck of the draw whether you end up pushing one or not.
That said, you can increase your odds of success by avoiding common pet peeves. Within my genre, many readers are completely cool with a villain offing a busload of nuns, but show an "on-screen" episode of animal or child abuse, and you'll be snowed in by a blizzard of irate-o-grams for sure. (Don't ask me how I learned this. I admit to nothing.) Many romance readers hate long separations between the hero and heroine, protagonist with teenaged children (babies and toddlers are preferred), and even the slightest whiff of infidelity. Violate these "taboos" at your own risk, or if you choose to do it, realize what you're up against.
When it comes to the enjoyment of a story, prejudices and readers' genre expectations can play a very strong part. What are some of your pet peeves, either words, character traits, or plot lines that yank you out of the reading experience completely?
Comments
That's not to say I have a problem with the reverse, which is why I drag Nancy B. to Twilight movies. LOL
I get why some authors do that, but to me as a reader, it feels inhospitable and haughty. Rules are meant to be beautifully broken, of course, but I love the structure of our language. It makes for a civil, welcoming environment when we all agree to abide by a few basic traffic laws.
Tessy
And I love a good historical, but the overuse of the labels rake and rogue to describe the misunderstood hero in the titles and cover blurbs drives me nuts.
I have compassion for a character's pain, but I want them to come past it. I want to go with them on their journey and to be there at the end when they have triumphed.
And finally anything that is hopelessly cliche.
LOL Suzan.
and
an emotionally weak character will get under my skin...
A good post, Colleen!
I'm esp. annoyed by the quotation mark thing, which seems so very snooty.
Another thing that really bugs me is the deus ex machina ending, where characters are saved by any stroke of blind luck -- but your comment about the discovery of unexpected powers, Suzan, amounts to the same darned thing.
Sigh.
Oh, and I'm worried I have a "snow ex machina" ending, although nobody on my committee thought so. But it worries me. Then again, right now everything worries me.