What are some things that you hate to see in books?
What are the worst cliches in your opinion?
What about things you love to see?
I am specifically interested in structure. Most people know to try and not over use words, but there are plenty of other things that could take a good book and make it painful read.
Lots of things people don't even know they're doing.
Beyond structure:
Just a general do's and don'ts
People may not want to change up their writing to compensate for someone else's personal preference, but it won't hurt to be aware of them, especially if there's a pattern.
>What are some things that you hate to see in books?
genre fiction
>>7634189
>What are some things that you hate to see in books?
plots
>What are the worst cliches in your opinion?
descriptions of people and places
>What about things you love to see?
despair
>>7634223
>>What are some things that you hate to see in books?
>plots
This.
PLOT HOLES
FURROWED BROW ARCHING BACK AND YA FICTION WITH GR8 POTENTIAL RUINED BY ROMANCE
LOVE TO SEE: UNRELIABLE NARRATORS, SATIRE OF SOCIETY, INTELLECTUAL FEMALE CHARACTERS, HISTORICAL ACCURACY, SHARP PROSE
ALSO TONS OF SCENERY, DESCRIPTIONS OF NATURE, ALLUSIONS
>>7634304
>YA FICTION WITH GR8 POTENTIAL
Such as?
>>7634213
Why?
Gibme fuel gibme fire dibme dats which I desire.
1. If you write something and you've heard it before, and you weren't intentionally writing it because you've heard it before, delete it.
2. Putting creative constraints on yourself, even very constrictive ones, like almost never using adverbs or adjectives when they're not necessary, can force you to write more creatively
3. Really, just never use adverbs
4. Characters should talk like they would talk, not like you'd want them to talk
5. Don't ever use any words other than "said" or "asked" as verbs to describe characters talking. Never.
>>7634379
>People may not want to change up their writing to compensate for someone else's personal preference, but it won't hurt to be aware of them, especially if there's a pattern.
Should I have really wasted my time writing a disclaimer saying "THESE ARE NOT ACTUAL ABSOLUTE RULES I'M TRYING TO OPPOSE ON YOU, BUT I'M WRITING THEM AS SUCH"
Just think for your self and you'll be alright, I'm not baiting
>>7634364
>Characters should talk like they would talk, not like you'd want them to talk
If you'd actually leave the basement you would know how real people talk
>>7634388
impose
>>7634406
*rubs tips of fingers together*
*looks at fingers and sneers and raises one eye*
*puts back of other hand under my armpit*
*says to you without looking up*
heh... i know how people talk... kid...
>>7634304
>intellectual
>female
>"Why, I can't read at all. I've been a retard all along." He says, standing up to peer out the window. The ducks are splashing in little puddles.
What do you think about writing in present tense, like in that example I just shit out. Is it bad to do that? Would past-tense be better?:
>"Why, I can't read at all. I've been a retard all along." He said, and stood to peer out the window. The ducks were splashing in little puddles.
It's probably clear that I'm already a terrible writer to begin with, but I'd really appreciate your opinions.
>>7634460
There is no right or wrong, it all depends on how it fits your prose and the ideas behind your writing.
The novel I'm writing is in present-tense and third person, even though it takes place last year
>>7634466
Nearly all my writing is in present-tense, I've recently started to feel self conscious if it's in poor form to do that. I only noticed this when reading other peoples' writing. Lots of "said", whereas mine everyone "says".
Thanks for the reply, glad to hear someone else does it.
>>7634482
Past-tense is so commonly used because it's traditional, dating back to times of verbal story telling. It's not the "correct" way of doing things, just the fairly conventional one
>>7634482
I know how you are feeling, expect mine is in the past tense. It's first person and there are lots of parts where the main character is in his own head. I keep using stuff like "I had though", "I would have", "I was" it feels wrong.
Then all the dialog is in the present tense. Also I'm not going for that old guy recalling events type thing.
>>7634460
Present tense is fine, though I usually prefer past tense. Plenty of masterpieces are written that way: Gravity's Rainbow, Blood Meridian, other examples I can't think of right now. The only time it really bothers me is when it's combined with first person narration.
>>7634611
Blood Meridian is past tense, only the first paragraph or so was present tense
>>7634611
Oh shit, you just helped me realize that the first and last paragraphs are that book are present tense
God damnit McCarthy, you've done it again you sly dog you
>>7634761
>Blood Meridian
>Better than Suttree
I am never coming back to this fucking board
