Rest assured that this is not just a rant, though it is a personal opinion post. There are plenty of writing-related things that annoy me, so I’ve restricted myself to those. I’ve also limited my list to things I noticed in traditionally published books, so some agents and editors apparently weren’t bothered by the things that made me cringe.
1. Quirks.
I keep reading about the necessity to make our main characters recognizable, identifiable, etc., and having a personal habit or quirk is touted as one way to go about that. But please. Use those quirks in moderation or you will annoy your readers and make them hate your characters rather than identify with them. Here are a few quirks I’ve encountered that have been used enough to become cliché:
Rolling the eyes . Some characters do it so often that I end up rolling MY eyes. Even worse is when more than one character does it. In a book I read recently, it seemed that someone rolled their eyes in every scene. I still enjoyed the story, but it was distracting enough that it inspired this post.
Raising one eyebrow. That may be a unique talent, but it has been overused in books. And every time I read it, I feel challenged to attempt raising a brow of my own. I can’t actually do it, and I know I can’t, so it’s really annoying to read about characters doing it so easily.
Twirling her hair around her finger. Lots of people do that, so how original is it?
2. Deus Ex Machina.
God directly intervening to solve a problem the protagonist couldn’t possibly have figured out, especially when the protagonist doesn’t show any signs of a close relationship with God, is cheating. I want to be able to figure out what happened based on clues in the story, not witness a miracle (actually, I would like to witness a real miracle), but unless the story involves miracles as an integral part of the action, don’t end with one.
3. Explaining the ending.
Ending with page after page of people talking about what happened earlier in the book, even explaining things to minor characters who appear out of nowhere asking personal questions they are not entitled by manners or relationship to ask, is unbelievable. It is obviously a means for the author to reveal what happened in the book—in case the readers didn’t, or couldn’t, figure it out. This is a violation of the basic writing mantra of “show, don’t tell.” A good resolution will tie up loose ends, but shouldn’t have to explain the story.
4. Stupid protagonists.
If the main character repeatedly makes bad decisions, doesn’t use common sense, or behaves like an idiot for no apparent reason, in my opinion she/he is stupid. (A time or two is excusable, as no one likes perfect characters.) We all do dumb things occasionally, but unless it’s a comedy I want protagonists to be people I can respect—even if I don’t like them. When stupidity is the basis for the story conflict, it feels weak and contrived. A good plot won’t need contrived behavior to keep it going.
5. Poor editing.
I love words. I adore sentences that flow smoothly through my mind, leaving a vivid picture behind. But when words are misspelled, or the sentence structure makes it difficult to understand, I’m drawn out of the story and into reality. If I wanted reality, I wouldn’t be reading. So let me enjoy the world you’ve created—edit your work carefully. If you need help editing, get it.
What type of things pull you out of a story? What is your number 1 reading-related annoyance? What type of character quirks do you think are effective, and which ones do you consider annoying? Can you think of any “stupid” protagonists that are not annoying? Do you have any quirks?
The Writing Place 
Do I have any quirks? But of course, not that I’m going to air them publicly. I think the two biggest things that annoy me reading-wise are on your list: characters acting stupid, and poor editing. I see more and more typos, and even jumbled text, in commercially produced novels. Perhaps cost cutting has gone too far?
~jon
Jon, I agree. I think cost cutting in the editing department does affect the quality of published works. It’s understandable as publishers, like many other businesses, are struggling right now, but I think good editing is one thing that has distinguished traditionally published books from the self-pubs in the past. If their editing deteriorates, I think many people may look elsewhere for their reading material.
Hmmm, I can’t blame you for not wanting to publicly share your quirks. I have a couple I won’t admit in public, too, but none writing-related that I can think of.
I get very annoyed by poor editing and have put books down because of it.
I would also say when two characters share a quirk, it strains my belief.
I also dislike long passages of talking without any “action tags.” People don’t just talk; they shift in their seats, they lean forward or back, the jiggle their knees…. I want all that reflected in the passage, not just continuous dialog.
Great post!
Layla, thanks for taking time to comment. I appreciate the encouragement.
I’m in total agreement with your list. I think action tags are helpful for keeping track of who is speaking, and they also help with characterization. The things people do while talking often say alot about them.
I took a quick look at your blog and will be back when I have more time.
Best wishes,
Carol
Thanks for stopping by! 😀
I get annoyed when romantic subplots are unnecessarily thrown into a perfect good mystery. Are dead bodies not enough?
Elizabeth, I agree.
Mixing romance and mystery genres is common, but like you, I prefer mysteries to stick to the mystery. However, I don’t mind a mystery subplot in a romance novel as long as it helps further the relationship.
Thanks for adding to the conversation. 🙂
Carol
LOL, sorry folks but I’m useless when it comes to good editing. 🙂 I write because I enjoy doing so. And I know that much of what I write would drive good editors insane. Hence the reason none of my works will probably ever make it onto the bookstore shelves.
That said my pet-peeves with stories are when there is no real ending. The story just peters out. After investing a big chunk of my time reading a story I want that story to have a clear and definitive ending. And of course when there is way too many fillers like great chunks of unnecessary description. I always fly right over all of that. And let’s not forget the dreaded, it was all a dream ending. Argh! That’s kinda like the miracle one you mentioned Carol.
Great post. I enjoyed mulling these things over. 🙂
Hi, Elizabeth. Un-endings bother me, too, in books and also in movies. We went to see The Hobbit, which was a story on my “to read” list, but the ending was so unsatisfying for me that I doubt I will bother with the book. My family thought it was great, and the action was good, but I need complete closure on a plot.
I liked your post as well, and I agree with you.
But did you not know The Hobbit is only part one of a 3 part series?
there was no ending because you’re only 1/3 through the story!
Hi, Wylee. I don’t mind a series, but I like the characters to achieve the story goal in each section. The Hobbit ended without them accomplishing what they set out to do, so there was no resolution. To fit the whole story into a regular-length film would require leaving out a lot of the action, so I understand why they did it this way–I just would rather not have to wait months to find out what happens next!
Thanks for taking time to comment!
Biggest pet peeve, ” You are a anomaly.”…..
The word is “an”.
“You are AN anomaly.”
I know my grammar isn’t perfect, but that makes me absolutely crazy.