Writing Pet Peeves

[Pandastrophic]

I have so many and I think one of the main ones is the main villain killing his followes/people who work for him/etc because of small mistakes. Like we already know he's evil there is no need to have him kill his followers to prove he's evil. It just looks so one-dimensional to me, it's much more interesting to have a villain who's a jerk to the heroes but actually values their followers.

[AnnaLandin]

Oh, there are a few that irk me. These are things that might work just fine for other people - I just can't stand them personally.

• Dumb, brash, rush-into-danger heroes. Maybe it's because I'm no longer a teenager, maybe it's because I've played too many JRPGs where this is a thing, but when the hero is dumb as a brick and rushes headlong into danger even though they should know better, I roll my eyes hard. Once or twice is fine, but when it happens ALL the time? Grargh. (yes I'm looking at you, LLoyd from Tales of Symphonia).
• Crowbar romances. I'm sure you've seen this happen - in the middle of a story about other things (adventures, maybe, or saving the world!), the hero strikes up a romantic relationship with one of the female characters because she's there. Not because they have any chemistry, not because the romance builds naturally, but because boy exists in the same geographical location as girl MUST MEAN ROMANCE. The romance is crowbared into a story where it didn't need to exist simply so the writer can tick a box.
• "Cute" mascot characters. You know the ones; they exist only to be adorable balls of fluff that add nothing to the story, distract from the main storylines, and are frequently just annoying idiots.
• Info-dumps/Wall-o-texts. Plonking down a big, heaping pile of information - or a giant wall of text prologue explaining your entire setup in detail - is a quick way to make my eyes glaze over and get me to stop reading. Explanations are important, but you can do them bit by bit. You don't need a seven-page prologue explaining the entire foundational backstory of your imaginary world - we can find out as we go along!
• Pity-me MCs. MCs who whine and whine and cry and feel sorry for themselves and everyone hates them and they're never happy boo-hoo-hoo - and that's their entire thing. They have no personality, they have no driving force, they're just pitiable. It's not a genuine portrayal of depression or domestic abuse; a lazy writer's shorthand to get the readers in the MCs corner. It doesn't work on me, because there's no character to care about. They have no personality beyond "I'm sad, feel sorry for me", they have no function beyond being the target of terrible things. I need something to cheer for, some personality to care about, not just a bundle of sadness. Give me moments in which this character gets to do what they love! Give me moments in which they get to hope and dream! Just give me something that isn't woe-is-me-for-I-am-sad.

[mariusthered]

Dumb, brash, rush-into-danger heroes.

I have one of those! but it's written for him to learn the hard way!

[Tanisha]

When a girls needs to be saved each and every time and even if the saves herself, she just ends up getting stolen AGAIN or just makes things worst for the people around her?? Like why...even bother make her look like she can handle things herself when your just going to make these series of events happen each time!

Another one is when after a story is all when and done, the heroes save the world or something, it's time for the girls to kiss the guys and the guys to kiss the girls. Even if their relationship with each other isn't developed properly or there isn't a relationship between them at all, just make them kiss cuz this is the end. I don't mind some, but it gets ridiculous when two characters ya know, barely know each other but, just kiss cuz that what people want??

[MissMagicGirl]

@nessiefynn I agree! I hate love at first sight! Probably my biggest pet peeve

Another thing I hate is "tuff girls" who says "they are not girly girls" or says "Don't be such a girl!" to the guys. It really bothers me because its keeping old gender roles and stereotypes alive. It also says that being a girl is bad and that in order to be cool a girl has to be less feminine . That one really annoys me >_<

[KSlinger]

I'm watching One Piece right now-- it's sick-- but, much as Luffy is cool, it kind of irritates me that every single one of his statements/actions is always the right one. Most of the time he doesn't have any idea what's going on (because he chooses not to listen or isn't involved) and comes out with the stupidest stuff, yet everything he says and does is met with 'omg such wisdom! how could I be so blind?!'.

He has some serious Forest Gump shit going on, which I appreciate and enjoy to some extent, but when a character is incapable of making genuine mistakes things get really boring.

[LCT_m_a_d]

Too much description. For me the fun of reading is being able to use your imagination to tell the story. When I read something that commands an impression I lose interest.

[TheVoidchildProject]

The perfect priss character everybody "loves" and there's even a love triangle plot over, and yet they continuously think they're a "clutz" or clumsy.

I'll add another dimension to this and that's when this character is supposed to be likable but instead becomes so incredibly boring because they're only traits are that they're "good-looking" and "nice". The perfect example is Lana Lang from Smallville. Gawd, I couldn't stand how inoffensive and dull she was...

[indagold]

love interests love interests. I hate these hamfisted characters you know are going to just marry in the end anyway. They start off as friends and then you know some romance plot is gonna happen even if the characters hate each other. Usually it's the token chick that spawns this. Token chick gotta date their friend if everyone's a dude that's just how the world works.

Bros. Anything with two gnarly dudes having an epic adventure skating, surfing, rapping, high fiving... basically any bromance that hasn't escaped the 90s. I never saw the appeal of this, I think it's trying to relate to teens but mixing pop culture of today with pop culture of the 90s. It doesn't make any sense and it's just unbearable.

Girl power characters. I absolutely loathe the whole girl power thing, it even bothered me as a kid. People try to write up female characters to be all powerful and cool and not some lame barbie type despite being equally as vapid. It just felt so boring though, like they are some soulless attempt to appeal to girls but they are never interesting. They do nothing new compared to the "girly" competition they try so hard to compete against. There's a difference between trying to write female characters as real people and writing female characters as some way to drive a point down. I don't know how girls are suppose to look up to a character that has no personality outside of being strong.

[Kayke]

The only thing that really bugs me is the whole WALL OF TEXT thing. I love reading books, but I don't want to have to read a book to understand a comic.

Also huge casts of characters who are introduced all at once. There's nothing wrong with having a big cast, but I just like having time to get used to the story without having to know 10 people's names and personalities immediately. Introduce me to them so I can get to know them.

[miseryhunting]

The line or any version of it: "We're such idiots, aren't we?"
THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU LOOK ENDEARING IN THE SLIGHTEST...This must be the most overused line I've ever read - especially after characters get together. Yes, you're dumb, now stop saying this...

[J.Z.Castillo]

Dumb, brash, rush-into-danger heroes.

Pity-me MCs.

I kind of like idiots who rush into danger... specially when they're paired up with a smarter character. I don't like them all the time and they have to be done the right way for it to work. PITYFUL MCs! OH. MY. GOD. That can really set me off and definitely falls into the example I gave. It's really annoying.

Like why...even bother make her look like she can handle things herself when your just going to make these series of events happen each time!

SWORD ART ONLINE!! Goddammit, Asuna was such an amazing character but she then became so stupid and helpless following Kirito around. I hated that so much. SO MUCH!

It really bothers me because its keeping old gender roles and stereotypes alive. It also says that being a girl is bad and that in order to be cool a girl has to be less feminine .

I hate that, too! If anything these women should be more pro-woman than everyone else in the entire narrative! It always makes me go, "HHUUUUHHH???"

He has some serious Forest Gump shit going on, which I appreciate and enjoy to some extent, but when a character is incapable of making genuine mistakes things get really boring.

HAHAHA, I have really huge problems with those big-name anime (Bleach, One Piece, Naruto, Fairy Tail) but that's a really good way to put it! I really don't like the "idiot savior" archetype either. It's too easy to write but really difficult to like.

[shatterjure]

Cliches... i hate cliches...

[blackopsracing321]

My biggest pet peeve is the teaser prologue. When a story starts at a random scene from the middle (or end) of the plot, then cuts to the REAL beginning of the story. It bothers me because it's like the creator is saying "here's what the story will be like if you just make it through the super boring beginning" which I feel is really misleading. Now don't get me wrong it's not a complete deal breaker and I've seen some stories do this well (dead pool movie), but it does send up a red flag.

Like Morty says

You should start your story where it begins not where it gets interesting.

[spadesart]

hmmmmmmm probably super rushed romance where the characters have had little time to develop chemistry (i.e. the movie Strange Magic which i hate with all my being) and romances where its drawn out too long and just feels like it's stalling but no chemistry is formed as a result (and the characters have been advertised/made obvious to be a couple). and love triangles ew. something outside story though would be script style writing. like, unless it's interaction via chatroom it has no place.

also characters who are overly sad to the point where it's their only character trait. like it's just perpetual angst and hatred and i hate it.

another would be along the same lines but with comic relief. characters that exist only to provide humor without any sense of complexity (you can have someone be a humorous character and also give them a well rounded personality!!!)

characters who only serve as love interests and nothing else. also Girl Power(TM) characters since they're often interchangeable :/ (I.E. STRANGE MAGIC, IN WHICH I HATE WITH ALL MY BEING)

[NickRowler]

I really dislike the smart token girl sidekick. She super smart and just sprouts random smart sounding lines and rolls her eyes at how stupid the male MC is compared to her. However, she has no personality beyond being the "smart one" and her flaw is people aren't as smart as her or don't understand the "challenges" of being smart.

Anyone who's character flaw is the actions of someone else instead of personal issues. Like "people don't accept her" or "parents were abusive to her" or even like the one above "people aren't as smart a her". It just makes the character sound like a Mary Sue.

"Anxiety is kawaii moe"....no it isn't.

Romeo and Juliet, fall madly in love in a short period of time, romances. I understand people having feelings for someone on the first few days, but my issue is more the straight into making out, sex, and marriage.

Where are the parents? They are not dead, where are they? I was watching a PreK show today and I was thinking this is whole time. If a character is 17 or younger and the parents are alive, then they should have some presents in the story UNLESS it is a major plot point that they are missing.

[Cherry_sama]

One major pet peev is that whenever a characters come up with a plan. I've noticed that whenever the plan is said on screen, before the character execute it, the plan will always fail in some "unexpected" way. On the flipside, if they come up with a plan and they don't reveal it until after or during the execution of said plan, then the plan will always succeed. All for the name of drama. (Though, granted, I have no idea how to write around this cliche. XD)

I have plenty more pet peevs, but they're escaping me right now, so I might come back to this post later to vent a bit more.

[joannekwan]

Oh, info dump, not in the prologue, not in a separate glossary, but IN THE MIDDLE of a story! Like you have normal comic pages, then the next episode is a bulleted list of notes about how aspects of the world works, then back to normal comic pages.

[AnnaLandin]

I'm watching One Piece right now-- it's sick-- but, much as Luffy is cool, it kind of irritates me that every single one of his statements/actions is always the right one.

I won't lie - I love One Piece to the point where it's ridiculous - but I can see why this would annoy you, yeah. Luffy rarely gets to make mistakes, and when he does, they're hardly ever the kind he suffers permanent consequences for.

Usually that would annoy me too, but I think One Piece just has me so busy punching the air and cheering him on to be bothered by it in this particular instance. Which might partly have to do with the fact that I started watching it as a teenager; nostalgia makes me forgive a lot of stuff.

[El_Psy_Congroo]

Dumb, brash, rush-into-danger heroes. Maybe it's because I'm no longer a teenager, maybe it's because I've played too many JRPGs where this is a thing, but when the hero is dumb as a brick and rushes headlong into danger even though they should know better, I roll my eyes hard. Once or twice is fine, but when it happens ALL the time? Grargh. (yes I'm looking at you, LLoyd from Tales of Symphonia).

UGH Snow Villiers from FFXIII was the worst example of this character for me. Dumb as a brick, and ought to be hit by one too.

Romances without chemistry - added in usually just for the reason that the "hero always gets the girl/guy".

Unless your main character is truly fascinating, I might suggest not really having a main at all. I'm so tired of characters simply having "main character personality". Usually a naive or unwitting person thrust into larger than life events to finds that they are braver than they thought. I think even Harry Potter falls into this. Even though I loved the books as a kid, looking back the only character really given a lot of depth was Snape. I mean, I get it, its the journey of Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces but our culture is so inundated with these kinds of stories that to really appeal to one's attention you have to make characters as much if not more interesting than the "stuff that happens to them".
I think if you have several well developed characters whom you bounce off each other and whom drive the plot (so not in a Hermione and Ron sidekick kind of way, but where each is developed and equally shares the role of main characters) then both the story and characters become engaging.