Sorry for the long rant. What bothers you?

As for anime names, those are only good when the story is actually set in Japan, or the character is actually Japanese. Or there an elf. I always thought Japanese sounds elfin. (yeah, I'm wierd.)

Haha.... can you pass the crayons!!

In one of my stories, an old lover from one of the characters' pasts comes back and old feelings are revived, even though said character already has a boyfriend. They end up cheating with one another (briefly) but it doesn't last long, nor go very far, and never once is what they do "right." Now stories where the guys are all promiscuous and sleeping around and stuff all the time, and it's all supposed to be "alright," then its wrong.

This is kind of random but... I typed in www.fictionpress.com and it sent me to fanfiction.com ...

"The big white dog barked loudly from the back of the long red truck. The skinny man at the wheel turned sharply and swore under his breath."

I didn't make that up--it was actually in a story I read (not on this site, thank the gods).

"Random" adjectives are almost as bad.

"The malnurished shell of a police officer threw himself at the mafia brutes".

What? Why malnurished? What does that have to do with anything? (real example, again.)

Okay, that's my rant for the day. :-)

Maybe the explanation comes later, or maybe the villain is only PRETENDING to be good.

Michael

Even if you don't get tingly fingers when your hero is getting the thumbscrews, you should at least feel a bond with them. It's like having another little person all of your own, and when you lose them... I dunno about you, but for me it's terrible. If you can kill of your characters without a second thought, you don't deserve to be a writer. That's just my opinion.

I understand that there are actually people out there who are pretty, but there is a shortage of plain girls with ugly freckles, glasses as thick as their heads, and oversized ears. That is all. *bow*

I try not making my characters flawless and I try not over describing how they look because it'd be just like posting a picture and saying "Here you go now imagine this guy running away" or something.

I LOATHE 'anime' names, even if it is set in Japan. Having a Japanese name is one thing, but having those ultra-long mystical-sounding anime names is another. Plus, there's always a little 'chan' or 'kun' or 'san' after them, even if it's in English.

Fanfiction does have bad Marysues, but so does this site. I used to read a lot of 'abuse' stories but I gave up, because all of them featured a rather beautiful/plain but 'slender' main GIRL CHARACTER, who eventually fell in love with a guy with slate-grey eyes.

I almost always have somebody homosexual in my stories (even though I only have one story here) because it adds some angst and everything. I don't like making them the main character, though, because it's kind of cliche. Plus, I find that stricly heterosexual stories tend to piss me off, because those are the ones that have the Mary S/t/ues.

I don't like fiction that takes itself too seriously either. If the author is in a good mood, they shouldn't try writing a sad scene, because they usually throw something 'Random' in there. I HATE 'Random' stuff.

That's all I can think of right now.

What do you mean by long and mystical. Many actually japanese names are fairly long. I don't know what you mean as mysticall.

As for 'San's and 'Kun's and 'Chan's, those are honorifics, and if the story is set in Japan (even if the story is written in English) they're essential to culture. What honorifics one uses to refer to another person determines their relationship with that person; if you don't use an honorific it is either very intimate or very insulting. A character refering to themselves with an honorific, (Ei, introducing themselves as Kiki-chan or whatever) is just wierd. As for having honorifics when none of the characters are Japanese, nor is the story set in Japan . . . *Shudders*.

Sorry for the long post!

1. Bad grammar and/or spelling. I really don't think there's any excuse, regardless of how good the storyline is. I mean, I've come across very intriguing storylines on this site that could have benefited from a good beta reader, clearly didn't have that beta reader and consequently these interesting plots were about an inch away from being absolutely unreadable.

2. Obvious and avoidable anachronisms in a historical, or inaccuracies in a story that's set in a foreign environment or culture. I mean I was reading this story set in India -- on this site -- ages ago. The author had put her main character in a sari, which is fine, because if you're setting something in India you're probably going to have somebody wearing something that looks like a sari. (I'm allowed to generalize that way, I am Indian.) Now, in one of her chapters this author started talking about "a sexy sari with a split down one side all the way up to the top of the thigh" etc. etc. and I was going -- a SARI is a 6-foot piece of decorated cloth that is wrapped in a set way around the female body! There's no WAY you can tie one of these things with a slit all the way up one side to the thigh! I posted a review saying just that, in much more polite terms, obviously, and the reply I got was basically: "F-k off. I don't know what a sari looks like. If you want to read something authentic don't read this." And my point basically was that, well, if you're posting a story in the Historical section, or are setting it in a culture foreign to your own, do your research before you write the thing! It's inappropriate and offensive to tout a story set in a foreign environment (a foreign Earth environment, obviously, you can do whatever you want if you're setting your piece on a different planet) if you're not prepared to do enough research to make that environment believable and realistic.

I also hate it when an author just starts giving it all away at the very beginning in long-winded explanatory paragraphs. Once I see that, you can guarantee that I'll skip over all of it until I see something interesting. Writing is not about--pardon my language--literary-masturbating to prove how wide your imagination and vocabulary are. It's about the audience, and making them believe what you have to say. So draw them in, with an interesting scene or some dialogue. Anything. Just stop describing her "raven black, silky hair and stunning, piercing blue eyes" like it's a screenplay.

I also can't stand it when the author uses Japanese names or names that clearly have waaaaay too much thought put into them. And--although it's popular here--I don't like fantasy at all, mostly because fantasy authors tend to do all or most of the things that I've mentioned.

Sorry to be harsh. I guess today is a complaining day.

And that's another thing that I can't stand: authors who beg for reviews and then get mad when you point out something that's not perfect or is incorrect, especially when the critique is done nicely. They have no right to be defensive when the reviewer is honestly trying to help them improve. When an author does that I don't take them seriously at all, they're just review whores.

I've had people pointing out weaknesses in my work and it doesn't bother me. Often they're pointing out things such as plot holes that I didn't bother to fix before posting or querying how I'm portraying certain character's reactions to events. If people are doing the latter, I actually find it pretty flattering as it means they've been paying enough attention to what I'm writing to notice that certain stuff doesn't fit (whether deliberately on my part or due to sloppiness).

Aside from that, I despise rape as a plot device to get two characters together. Overused - especially in slash works and with no thought as to repercussions from the act; the characters seem to recover the next morning and realise they love their attacker really. It makes me want to vomit and then kill the writer. It's not a turn on people, it's violent assault.

Anyway, about the rape thing, people react in different ways. Maybe not in an, "ohmigod, I so totally am really in love with Joe, good thing that he raped me!" kind of way, but in a "this isn't the real Joe, he used to be so loving, all he needs is a push in the right direction," way. I'm not sure about the turn-on thing...people are turned on by strange, strange things, even violent assault. (S/M, anyone?)

Right. Off subject.

I don't like it when characters have massive personality changes like, right away because the author got bored writing about the original personality. Like one minute, the heroine was the best friend of a really popular girl, then said popular girl dies (due to some tragic accident) and then the heroine becomes leader of the little clique or whatever...

But then again, I would have to see the situation, wouldn't I?

Hm.

I apologize for the profanity.

but actually with "said", when used properly...as in, once or twice in a long (i.e. page-long) chunk of dialogue, it can be an improvement over people using descriptors all the time.

Regarding the comments where you get characters interacting that would never happen socially in real life; I have to agree. Especially when writers put their main character through collossal amounts of angst just so the reader feels sorry for them. So you'll be reading about a character who's "a really nice, good-looking even if they don't realise it, intelligent and caring person" and they'll have abusive friends, cheating dates and the family from hell and the bleeping character just sits there and takes it all with a benevolent smile. Crying on the inside? Puking at your lack of backbone, darling. I realise collecting pity points seems like an easy way to win sympathy, but the character's action are rarely justified rationally in these cases and so all it does is cause disgust. At least in me who was brought up with the whole stiff upper lip thing.

Oooh, this is cathartic!

And about the girls without any backbone in stories, I dislike those too. It bothers me, but I've accepted that those types of people exist in reality. Sometimes characters who act illogically are the most realistic of all, since no one makes logical decisions all of the time. If every character was strong willed and acted rationally, then that would be as unrealistic as a story where everyone was weak-minded and foolish.

Which leads to what I really hate. I can't stand stories where you can see that the author doesn't understand the value of balance. Flawless characters and overly flawed characters are both horrible. And too many bad things happening to one character is just silly. The moon should not drop from space to crush your main character for no appearant reason. Just because a character has the title of "main" doesn't mean the whole universe should revolve around him or her.

And stories lacking or having too much description both cause me to stop reading. Instantly. It doesn't have to have too much imagery, just enough to keep me interested. And if you're throwing in random, useless details to make your paragraphs longer... the answer is no, I still won't read it. If a car crashes in front of the main character at night, I really don't care what the stars or moon looked like. Nor do I care if the main character's long, flowing hair had (heavens forbid) a strand out of place. I've literally fallen asleep reading boring, overly described stories.

I also can't stand stories that aren't going anywhere. If by the end of chapter 3 something very important hasn't happened, you may want to stop and try again. Another thing is, I can't stand it when people skip ahead in time without telling you. Its confusing in a bad way. And if the author ever asks (in mid-story) what the readers want to happen next, I stop reading. That usually means that there's a gigantic hole in the plot and that ship's sinking fast. Unlike the band in Titanic, I don't hesitate to jump ship.

I truly can't stand it when manga writers mix japanese and english into their stories. Its one thing to have a character speak a different language, but you should at least be consistent with it. I don't want to see a random -- and probably misused -- japanese word appear every five paragraphs.

I read way too many stories with that happening for no reason. It's obvious the author is just doing it to make you feel bad too which sickens me a little. I want some bad things to happen to my characters but not to the point where it's just too redundant and annoying almost.

I agree. I watch a show called 'Naruto'. It has three main characters, and so the show focuses a lot on them. But it's also got many other characters that it stills gives attention to. Also, the side characters still have well thought out histories and personalities and they stick to those personalities. There are TONS of fanfiction on fanfiction.net where they are WAAAY out of character. I, myself, I am sad to say, once wrote a story that is currently on there where a bright and cheery girl (to the point where it can get annoying, at least in the beginning of the plot. She slowly becomes more...mature, but not so fast that it's inhuman) and a brooding, dark boy with a painful past's personalities were COMPLETELY switched. I don't read that story anymore. . I'm just sad to say that people hardly get ANY critisicm on there and plenty of my reviews were agreeing with my sidenote of 'they are way out of character, I know, I'm sorry' but still saying that it was adorable. It seemed like they didn't mind! I pretty much hate that story.

Anyywayy . . .

I'd like to add that not just 'said' getting reused is bad. I hate it when a writer uses a one adjetive/adverb/verb 10 or so times in one chapter. Or when an author discribes one thing over and over and over again. Yes, you can say the main characters eyes are emerald green once. You don't have to tell us that a million times over.

Of course, I've done that before. *Hangs head in shame* But I really try not to just because it annoys me so.

How about this...

I read a story, where the MC's eyes...CHANGED COLORS! Amazing, I know.

Also, in a story that will remain nameless, the writer kept spelling the MC's name differently... I just remembered that and found it...funny and sad at the same time.

Anyway, personally i don't like it when an author asks the readers who they want the main character to have sex with/end up with/live with/kill etc etc. The author is supposed to have control of the story, not the readers.

I have to agree that too much description is overkill but i really can't invest myself in stories that don't have enough description, or where things happen too fast. Something like by the second chapter a girl is a vampire werewolf princess hybrid who's been married to and raped by the big evil who she then ends up loving by chapter five. That's a huge story right there that's been squashed into less then 40,000 words!

Or when people are writing about someone and they say "She was the typical punk girl blah blah blah" and then, randomly, they start going into the music that character likes and their opinions on bands. I was reading something exactly like that and I was thinking "Damn this isn't myspace shut up."

Off topic:

I was just thinking about this after reading something. I don't like when the writer describes the character within the first few paragraphs of the story... I mean I used to that when I was in grade school, it's annoying. I can't remember if I said that already.

The book Survivor, the author didn't really describe the main character until it was midway through. It made me happy to find out that he wasn't the typical "Ken" or whatever.

I HATE punk-dressing MC's, but I don't mind if they have a punk, anti-establishment attitude. That's how a lot of the teenage population is, anyway, but just don't make it so typical. I also agree with the myspace thing, I must have read twenty stories exactly like that...where the author is obviously writing about her/himself instead of inventing a character creatively.

Making the MC really twisted makes me want to read a story, too. It makes the author look more knowledgeable about personality and writing than if the author just started writing another story about a VICTIM, the VICTIM of the actions, the VICTIM of abuse instead of focusing on the initiator.

Probably because people like to associate themselves with victims.

That's all I have to say about that.

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