Writers: Pet Peeves When Reading Novels

[ForestDweller]

When you read a novel, what are things you hate so much from other authors that you try not to include from your own work?

Awfully indecisive and dense male lead in a harem novel.

Mary Sue and Gary Stu MCs who don't get challenged whatsoever and everyone around them worships them day and night.

Stories that don't really go anywhere.

 

[MintiLime]

What makes a good antagonist? One that makes the team good seem like the bad guy. Yeah, they may be murderers but if the protagonist tribe has blood on their hands too then who really has the moral high ground?

Instructions unclear, fell in love with my antagonist. The protagonist may not win this one.

 

[Leti]

Stories that get needlessly extended because of popularity even after the main plot ended.

 

[MintiLime]

Sympathetic villains. Why does every villain nowadays need to be redeemable? Why can't we have more glorious bastards we love to hate? They always spoil the mood by having a tragic backstory they need to spill just when things are getting good.

Because I can’t manage to write about someone I truly hate… ?

He can and had intervened- such as raising people from the dead, causing the rotation of the earth to stop for a day while Israelites wage war, and is legally entitled to because he still owns the universe.
But he cannot mind-control or influence our choices, leading to the only way to get rid of evil being the end judgement. That's somewhat offtopic, but I enjoyed reading the answer, so I thought I'd comment on it :3.

I think this is also why so many stories need a Big Bad who has arguably more influence over characters than the Holy One. For example, devil characters can express hedonism, free will corrupted, and a stance that shows Why the Creator may limit interference. For example, when the Good interferes, so can the Evil. Etc etc. Evil is more easily apparent in human societies and can become really morally interesting.

New pet peeve: when devils are the good guys and angels are bad because he’s a rebel and I wanna date him. It’s so cliche at this point.

I get the others, but why amnesia stuff?

For me, because it usually means all the character development beforehand was for nothing. Or, alternatively that now they are interacting with a “clean slate” that acts like a completely new character. It can lead to yucky stuff like “you were always hot but too stubborn. Now that you lost your independence and rely on me for everything, I totally love you.”

 

[bulmabriefs144]

"I get the others, but why amnesia stuff?"
For me, because it usually means all the character development beforehand was for nothing. Or, alternatively that now they are interacting with a “clean slate” that acts like a completely new character. It can lead to yucky stuff like “you were always hot but too stubborn. Now that you lost your independence and rely on me for everything, I totally love you.”

What about stories where they get their memory back later? Or where they are faking having amnesia? Or their amnesia is kinda a way to block their awesome power or something?

 

[melchi]

Lean on amnesia too much and it becomes like a soap opera.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

People actually thought Mind Control was fine when good intentions?! Da fuq?

That was one of my main gripes. To the point that the ending of the first part of the superhero villain book I've been structuring ends with it. Because he's a villain. He's bad. Evil. It doesn't matter he's a doting father for his adorable daughters. He's going to use the female antagonist as a replacement mom and a cumsock for killing his bros. If the wonton murdering didn't give that away already.

Another that is more nitpicky to all hell and back is:
Not thinking through the civilization's history to justify the cultural norms. I know it's unrealistic but, a bunch of novels from the more modern sword and sorcery and game-esque stories, that don't seem to understand that all wars would be less Crusades and more WW1. I get why. No one will want to use up that much time making alt-history. The seas would be impossible to traverse with how killing+stats work in such a world; creating behemoths within weeks of the beginning of time. No one will want to touch how men and women are base line exactly the same with stats and skip out on commentary between the sexes. The duality of scarcity of magic and/or abundance with respects to economy of defense vs offence equipment.

Characters becoming brain dead after their use has been exhausted.

Less agregious and I tend to forgive since I'm fine with it all the same:

People not being people but slots to fill in character traits.

People having some type of power and not using it at all. I don't mean being good/evil but also, neutral. Everyday life type of stuff. Just because they can.
P.S. Soap Opera's are amazing

 

[MintiLime]

What about stories where they get their memory back later? Or where they are faking having amnesia? Or their amnesia is kinda a way to block their awesome power or something?

Hmm faking amnesia is more interesting since the character is taking initiative, not losing themself.