My pet peeves about writers and their stories
You know what really pisses me off - people who can’t write a Fanfiction story correctly.
There are so many things that author’s do that aren’t right.
1. “I suck at summaries”
I see this all the time when I’m searching through the archives of a fandom. Newly registered authors do this all the time, it is really annoying and I don’t even bother reading the story. A summary is just a sum up of the story or it could be a line from the story. Get creative people!
2. Point of view
P.O.V is really starting it annoy the shit out of me. It’s in every story I read. You don’t change point of view in the middle of a story with the words “(name’s) P.O.V”. You either put a divider in or you just keep writing that particular persons point of view. Amateurs just really need to learn.
3. Setting out dialogue
Even though you don’t find it often, there are some writers who don’t know how to write dialogue properly. This is what I sometimes find:
“Hey, Joey. How are you today?” she asked.
“Hello, Mandy. I’m fine. You?” he asked.
“I’m good.” She said.
That is not the way you write it! Where’s the emotion? It looks so messy when it’s not spaced out. This is how it should be written:
Mandy saw Joey coming towards her. “Hey, Joey,” she said. He stopped and looked at her with a smile on his face. “How are you today?”
“Hello, Mandy,” he replied, still smiling. “I’m quite fine today. How about yourself?”
“I’m great,” she told him.
Also, the way the authors add punctation in is wrong. And this is what I find:
“What are you doing?”, she asked.
“Nothing of your concern.” She replied.
It’s absolutely horrifying.
4. CAPITALS TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS
This is not the way to express emotions in a story. Use descriptions. It’s sometimes ok to capitalise two or three words but that’s the max. It makes the story look untidy.
5. Character transitions
Let’s say you have a two people who hate each other for years, kay? They went to school with each other, and then many, many years later the meet again and the just instantly fall in love.
This is not acceptable. You need to have a reason why these to people fell in love. What’s the story behind it? How did they get over the hateful attitudes towards each other? Do not just write a story saying “I hate you”, then later “I love you, I want to marry you, and have your babies”.
Or you have a guy who is a real bad ass in a book, TV show or movie, and then in some ones story is a softie at heart. Do not change the characters. Ugh, get your facts straight peoples!
Authors do not get this at all. They need to understand the characters and how they walk, talk, ect.
6. “Dis is tha wy 2 tlk”
The example above is NOT the way to write a story.
There are so many teenagers writing Fanfiction these days, and it’s getting the point where shortening words are appearing in stories by people who do not know how to write a proper story.
I, myself, am a teenager, and I know better not to do this. The people who do that need some writing lessons.
7. Swearing is unnecessary
You have these T-M rated stories floating around that include swearing, but you didn’t think it was in every sentence. It’s completely stupid that someone would have a character swear word after word.
A few curses in a chapter is good, but if you think you’re up yourself and want to look cool by swearing, then that is just juvenile.
8. Authors notes in the middle of a story
If I see one more A/N in the middle of a story, I might crack!
People who do this are so stupid. You always either have your say at the start or at the end of a chapter.
9. Technology
If you are writing a story set from the nineties and backwards, please get technology up to date with the time frame you’re setting your story in.
I have read stories that are set in the eighties and the author just added iPod’s to the scene.
10. Spelling correctly is a must
If you spell your word incorrectly then I think you should go back to school.
Basic spelling is what you learnt in grade one. There are many people you use the wrong words for the wrong reasons, like this:
“Over they’re, you can see their playing with there toys.”
It’s supposed to be: “Over there (a place), you can see they’re (they are) playing over with their (something you own) toys.”
The words “two, to, and too” mean totally different things. If you want more information on homophones, Google it or ask a teacher.
11. “This is my first fic, so please don’t flame”
Are you desperate or something? Why would you write that in your summary?
These kinds of people do not understand the ways of writing stories. If your story is good enough, then no one is going to give you a bad review, but if have done all the things that are featured on this truthful list of mine, of course you are going to get a really bad, awful and unpleasant review.
Mikki.
There are so many things that author’s do that aren’t right.
1. “I suck at summaries”
I see this all the time when I’m searching through the archives of a fandom. Newly registered authors do this all the time, it is really annoying and I don’t even bother reading the story. A summary is just a sum up of the story or it could be a line from the story. Get creative people!
2. Point of view
P.O.V is really starting it annoy the shit out of me. It’s in every story I read. You don’t change point of view in the middle of a story with the words “(name’s) P.O.V”. You either put a divider in or you just keep writing that particular persons point of view. Amateurs just really need to learn.
3. Setting out dialogue
Even though you don’t find it often, there are some writers who don’t know how to write dialogue properly. This is what I sometimes find:
“Hey, Joey. How are you today?” she asked.
“Hello, Mandy. I’m fine. You?” he asked.
“I’m good.” She said.
That is not the way you write it! Where’s the emotion? It looks so messy when it’s not spaced out. This is how it should be written:
Mandy saw Joey coming towards her. “Hey, Joey,” she said. He stopped and looked at her with a smile on his face. “How are you today?”
“Hello, Mandy,” he replied, still smiling. “I’m quite fine today. How about yourself?”
“I’m great,” she told him.
Also, the way the authors add punctation in is wrong. And this is what I find:
“What are you doing?”, she asked.
“Nothing of your concern.” She replied.
It’s absolutely horrifying.
4. CAPITALS TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS
This is not the way to express emotions in a story. Use descriptions. It’s sometimes ok to capitalise two or three words but that’s the max. It makes the story look untidy.
5. Character transitions
Let’s say you have a two people who hate each other for years, kay? They went to school with each other, and then many, many years later the meet again and the just instantly fall in love.
This is not acceptable. You need to have a reason why these to people fell in love. What’s the story behind it? How did they get over the hateful attitudes towards each other? Do not just write a story saying “I hate you”, then later “I love you, I want to marry you, and have your babies”.
Or you have a guy who is a real bad ass in a book, TV show or movie, and then in some ones story is a softie at heart. Do not change the characters. Ugh, get your facts straight peoples!
Authors do not get this at all. They need to understand the characters and how they walk, talk, ect.
6. “Dis is tha wy 2 tlk”
The example above is NOT the way to write a story.
There are so many teenagers writing Fanfiction these days, and it’s getting the point where shortening words are appearing in stories by people who do not know how to write a proper story.
I, myself, am a teenager, and I know better not to do this. The people who do that need some writing lessons.
7. Swearing is unnecessary
You have these T-M rated stories floating around that include swearing, but you didn’t think it was in every sentence. It’s completely stupid that someone would have a character swear word after word.
A few curses in a chapter is good, but if you think you’re up yourself and want to look cool by swearing, then that is just juvenile.
8. Authors notes in the middle of a story
If I see one more A/N in the middle of a story, I might crack!
People who do this are so stupid. You always either have your say at the start or at the end of a chapter.
9. Technology
If you are writing a story set from the nineties and backwards, please get technology up to date with the time frame you’re setting your story in.
I have read stories that are set in the eighties and the author just added iPod’s to the scene.
10. Spelling correctly is a must
If you spell your word incorrectly then I think you should go back to school.
Basic spelling is what you learnt in grade one. There are many people you use the wrong words for the wrong reasons, like this:
“Over they’re, you can see their playing with there toys.”
It’s supposed to be: “Over there (a place), you can see they’re (they are) playing over with their (something you own) toys.”
The words “two, to, and too” mean totally different things. If you want more information on homophones, Google it or ask a teacher.
11. “This is my first fic, so please don’t flame”
Are you desperate or something? Why would you write that in your summary?
These kinds of people do not understand the ways of writing stories. If your story is good enough, then no one is going to give you a bad review, but if have done all the things that are featured on this truthful list of mine, of course you are going to get a really bad, awful and unpleasant review.
Mikki.