Overwriting / Feeling Called Out ;)
So, I tripped over this video just now. The premise is that fanfic writers have "tells" that spill over into original/professional writing - things that need to be fixed. Alexa Donne is interesting and makes good points (does come off a bit preachy but duh... that's the point!)
The breakdown is:
1- Messy Dialog Tags. (Very little use of "said") * meeeee
2- Adverb Abuse (see above, see below) * probably a bit of meeeee
3- Excessive Action Tags
4- Fanon "Draco" characters (Over the top sexy character that acts as no normal human would, and worse the other characters fall for it!)
5- Melodrama. Too much. Throws off story rhythm or doesn't belong.
6- Bond-Villains! Poorly rounded/underdeveloped antagonists.
7- POV character getting bodily reaction tags - like third person character whose point of view it is widening eyes or blushing, which aren't really what the character would experience from the outside. (Huh. Didn't even think of this. Do I do this? Hmm.)
She does close by saying that if you understand why they're not ideal, you can get away with it in moderation. Anyway.
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