Fanfic Pet Peeve #28: Lazy Author Makes Lazy Character

[lukon_idein]

I've been thinking about posting a series of these for ages and ages, and tonight, ticked off by a short little fic I was reading on the way home, I figured, why not bite the bullet and start one! So, with no previous 27 yet documented, I bring you Pet Peeve #28 - Lazy Author Makes Lazy Character. Blargh

Comments

[elanya]

Ugh, that would be annoying, and yes, lazy >.> I think it is also an aspect of characterization that people don't consider/don't consider important sometimes, in general. But that feels more like "I need her to be at a party... it can be a wedding for someone, it doesn't matter who, go!" Also a good beta should point that shit out, yo.

[lukon_idein]

Good point about the beta! Betas are awesome (**pets you, as Yuletide approaches**) And one of the reasons I'm reluctant to volunteer for beta duty - am always paranoid I will miss something important like that due to my lack of knowledge about or interest in the characters in the story. And I probably shouldn't be too hard on this author, since it was just a 300-word, weekly challenge fic, which most people don't get beta'd

[lil_1337]

Ugh, just ugh for all the reasons you mentioned. I really hate it when good characters happen to bad writers.

[lukon_idein]

Yeah, so frustrating! Even more frustrating because the rest of the story was fine, but it was just this big moment of laziness that took me out of the narrative big time. It was a really good lesson for me, though, as a writer, to try to make sure I don't cut corners even when I'm tired or sick of trying to make things work and all that roadblocky jazz. (Well, if I ever get off my arse and write something again, that is....)