Plot devices in stories that causes one to frown?

[Poleg]

Does anyone else have these? I guess this is sorta me venting as a reader too but it is good to know that perspective as an author too and avoid doing something that as a reader would turn myself off to the story.

Lately, my number one annoyance is the insta-gank scenario.

Someone sitting in town -> bound and gagged in less than paragraph.

Wait... what?

No foreshadowing... not change in perspective to that of an kidnapper... no,zero,nadda, just one sentence gank and defeat.

It is frustrating, like playing a video game where the very first fight you die in. What game developer does that?

Please eloberate.

 

[M.G.Driver]

Please eloberate.

I think he means he hates opening scenes where you're thrown into a battle for no apparent reason.

Something like how Halo:Combat Evolved started with the human ship suddenly under attack from the Covenant, but you're not sure why and you suddenly have to escape a burning ship? Yea that kind of insta-gank i think.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

 

[razack69]

For me, I started to hate 'system' or leveling (Litrpg) stuff. It's too much already.

Since I'm fanfic reader and author so I know that most of this story is SI and Wish fulfilment, but sometimes I want male protagonist other than Tall and Handsome. So I make trap (alfonso appearance protagonist that not shy away wearing girl uniform.)

And I have been wondering why there no tags Trap protagonist (is that offensive?) Someone gave me bad rating because the MC is trap. Lol...

I think there is some good trap protagonist I read.
Like Rui wa Tomo o Yobu or KoiTate.
I don't think Trap need to be always meek guy.

Ah, also I hate it when MC tried to make money and it's usually feel like instantly. Come on! Even you tried to make game from our world to alternative world. It's still make time right? Make novel, okay instant rich. Hello... I wish that easy.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

I think he means he hates opening scenes where you're thrown into a battle for no apparent reason.

Something like how Halo:Combat Evolved started with the human ship suddenly under attack from the Covenant, but you're not sure why and you suddenly have to escape a burning ship? Yea that kind of insta-gank i think.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Or maybe what melchi means is the first chapters/episodes of the story where the author just shows the capabilities of the character by writing unnatural events, one example is the 'sudden gank' scene.

 

[Iamnotabot]

Don't know if this even count but when a guy see a woman naked, she decied to hit him for seeing her naked. Like in any scenario:
" oh no i accidently show you my boobs now i gotta fucking kill you" is just irritate me to the next f-ing levels man.

Now i don't know about you but normal woman don't just pull out a 50 cal when a man accidently see her naked.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Don't know if this even count but when a guy see a woman naked, she decied to hit him for seeing her naked. Like in any scenario:
" oh no i accidently show you my boobs now i gotta fucking kill you" is just irritate me to the next f-ing levels man.

Now i don't know about you but normal woman don't just pull out a 50 cal when a man accidently see her naked.

Not to mention, why the fuck would you leave a changing room open? At least, if the room or cubicle has no lock, either leave it and look for other rooms to change in, or once someone tries to open, let that person know you're in there by directly telling so, or slamming the door back.

For the other person, learn to fucking knock and assume that every room might've a person inside. It's basic human courtesy.

 

[LuoirM]

Not to mention, why the fuck would you leave a changing room open? At least, if the room or cubicle has no lock, either leave it and look for other rooms to change in, or once someone tries to open, let that person know you're in there by directly telling so, or slamming the door back.

For the other person, learn to fucking knock and assume that every room might've a person inside. It's basic human courtesy.

This usually occures when the first person assumes no one would be there because no one is suppose to be. The latter person got the wrong path

 

[NotaNuffian]

i just don't like it when they go typical 'power will always corrupt' as seen in the ending of geneforge, when the MC turns into a monster after inheriting a great strength. why can't they depict one who gain power to be benevolent for once?

Extending from your "hating power corrupts" point, I kind of hate the whole BS where bad guys are rewarded while good guys go suck dicks when they tried to attain more power. The logic is always "getting more power is evil, you're evil for wanting more" when the weak and powerless are getting pressed onto the asphalt by bullies.

Also, I hate the whole good mentor has to die in order to motivate MC trope ffs. I had dropped works where the authors are like "whelp, the old fart has teached everything to MC, time for him to die to further the fucking plot". Note that it is always a "him", because if it was a her and she's hot, MC will add her into his bloody harem. There was a time where I read a work had done, not once, not thrice but five fucking times where the old guys are there to die for MC.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Oh! I suddenly remembered that trope in romcom mangas...

You know that friend or set of friends the MC has and they keep going like monkeys in methamphetamine, telling the MC every time they appear, "FMC IS GREAT! FMC IS PRETTY! FMC IS ALL THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR LIFE!" or, "GIRLS! WE NEED GIRLS! WE NEED GIRLFRIENDS!" then goes, "WHY THE HECK ARE YOU WITH THE FMC? KILL THE TRAITOR! HANG, DRAWN AND QUARTER HIM!"

Even going as far as interrupt the MMC and FMC in their dates.

They're annoying. As simple as that.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Oh! I suddenly remembered that trope in romcom mangas...

You know that friend or set of friends the MC has and they keep going like monkeys in methamphetamine, telling the MC every time they appear, "FMC IS GREAT! FMC IS PRETTY! FMC IS ALL THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR LIFE!" or, "GIRLS! WE NEED GIRLS! WE NEED GIRLFRIENDS!" then goes, "WHY THE HECK ARE YOU WITH THE FMC? KILL THE TRAITOR! HANG, DRAWN AND QUARTER HIM!"

Even going as far as interrupt the MMC and FMC in their dates.

They're annoying. As simple as that.

That is just jealously played for laughs, but they overexaggerated it as usual.

Ps. Thanks to the whole dressing room shit, my habit of knocking on closed doors had been fully reinforced.

Also, I got shitted on by folks when I opened the door or failed to lock the door. So yeah.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

That is just jealously played for laughs, but they overexaggerated it as usual.

True. But it grinds my gears >.< It's not even funny anymore.

Ps. Thanks to the whole dressing room shit, my habit of knocking on closed doors had been fully reinforced.

Also, I got shitted on by folks when I opened the door or failed to lock the door. So yeah.

Yeah, it's for safety on your part (the one entering) as well.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Yeah, it's for safety on your part (the one entering) as well.

Well, after a certain incident that involved death of a loved one in the locked toilet, I have the tendency to NOT lock the toilet door when at home.

I don't have that mental cap when I am living in hotel/ hostel.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Well, after a certain incident that involved death of a loved one in the locked toilet, I have the tendency to NOT lock the toilet door when at home.

I don't have that mental cap when I am living in hotel/ hostel.

Well, one can also learn how to knock, even if the place isn't locked. Saves a lot of misunderstandings and court cases, really.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Well, one can also learn how to knock, even if the place isn't locked. Saves a lot of misunderstandings and court cases, really.

Tell that to the other people.

I at least knock.

Also, one more gripe I forgot to state. OP MC from the start. Because unlike Saitama, most authors, be they KR or CN, will fuck it up for the readers.

They grind my gears even more because I feel that I can't even self insert myself in the wish fulfilment. Mainly because I am shit.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Tell that to the other people.

I at least knock.

I do tell them, combined with a flying kick to the door for them to remember it. I may be fat, but my roundhouse packs a punch...or kick.

Also, one more gripe I forgot to state. OP MC from the start. Because unlike Saitama, most authors, be they KR or CN, will fuck it up for the readers.

They grind my gears even more because I feel that I can't even self insert myself in the wish fulfilment. Mainly because I am shit.

Well, I'm 'so-so' at this one. If written well, I read. If not, combined with one-dime charas, I drop.

 

[HelloHound]

memory loss and overuse of tsundere tactics

 

[NotaNuffian]

I do tell them, combined with a flying kick to the door for them to remember it. I may be fat, but my roundhouse packs a punch...or kick.

Dude, as a fatfuck myself, you aren't (that) fat.

Kudos on you still able to do a flying kick, I can't even do a double step staircase run without my lower body screaming.

Well, I'm 'so-so' at this one. If written well, I read. If not, combined with one-dime charas, I drop.

If well written you mean giving the living nuke some character growth, then it is still readable. Sadly, most of the works don't do that and instead going ham on how OP the authors' self insert is.

memory loss and overuse of tsundere tactics

Holy, old tropes.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Dude, as a fatfuck myself, you aren't (that) fat.

Well, 110kg on a 165cm Height? Everyone's telling me I'm fat, though I'm pretty much active nowadays. (Trying to recall my old martial arts move in high school)

(Can still move pretty fast, though age is catching up. I'm 33.)

Kudos on you still able to do a flying kick, I can't even do a double step staircase run without my lower body screaming.

If well written you mean giving the living nuke some character growth, then it is still readable. Sadly, most of the works don't do that and instead going ham on how OP the authors' self insert is.

Every author is always excited to get to the most exciting parts and will sleep on the boring ones. They (I mean, most) forget that one element of a good story is a nice build-up.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Well, 110kg on a 165cm Height? Everyone's telling me I'm fat, though I'm pretty much active nowadays. (Trying to recall my old martial arts move in high school)

(Can still move pretty fast, though age is catching up. I'm 33.)

... Ok, you are fat.

Keep up the good work.

Every author is always excited to get to the most exciting parts and will sleep on the boring ones. They (I mean, most) forget that one element of a good story is a nice build-up.

... *groans*

I suck up building up.

Dammit.

 

[melchi]

I think he means he hates opening scenes where you're thrown into a battle for no apparent reason.

Something like how Halo:Combat Evolved started with the human ship suddenly under attack from the Covenant, but you're not sure why and you suddenly have to escape a burning ship? Yea that kind of insta-gank i think.

If I'm wrong, please correct me.

Nah that is not terrible. Lots of start out with people fighting. If the main content is ship battles it makes sense.

Shipcore starts out with an epic battle where an armada is fighting a giant ai entity for example as the prologue. Then the mc is introduced waking up in a failing ship floating around a debris field. The two events fit together well.

I just don't like the whole walking down the street and someone gets captured by nameless people in two sentences with nothing leading up to it. I guess the space opera version would be the past 5 chapters are a mining arc and then suddenly a fleet of hostile ships has the protag surrounded turns their ship into swiss cheese, scoops up the escape pod all of the span of one paragraph.