Melissa here. I’m in a Facebook group for readers, and recently someone posted something interesting. They asked what pet peeves everyone has in books. That got me thinking, and yeah…I have a few pet peeves.
- The word “suddenly.” This is almost always lazy writing. Don’t tell me something happened suddenly. Show me. Make me jump out of my chair in surprise.
- Lots of exclamation marks!!!!!! All over the place. All the time. It feels exhausting! They’re okay here and there but not everywhere (maybe 2-3 per book, if that).
- “Bit her lip” to show anxiety. How many people do you know who actually bite their lip when they're anxious?
- Dialogue tags other than “said” and “asked.” You can get away with “whispered” or “yelled” here and there where it’s important to clarify tone, but the vast majority of the time, “said” gets the job done. People kind of read over it, and that’s what you want from a dialogue tag—identify the speaker and disappear.
- Blushed. Who actually blushes? I’m pale, and I have blushed, but I literally can remember one or two instances in my whole 47 years.
- Feeling “bile rise in his throat” to show being upset. Is that even a thing?
- Using very specific color descriptions: cerulean, puce, etc. Let’s just say blue and pink, shall we? Maybe add a qualifier like soft or bright—the reader will understand that and not have to Google cerulean (like I literally just did).
- “Nodded her head.” Just say “she nodded.” What else is she going to nod other than her head?
- Too much use of “ing”. I’ve not finished books because every single sentence is constructed the same way, and it’s often done incorrectly. “Sweeping the floor, she took out the trash.” Those actions most likely did not happen at the same time (unless she has three arms), but that’s what the construction implies.
- The word “balm,” especially “balm to her soul.” It’s an unusual word and used SO MUCH in historical novels. It’s probably irrational, but I just don’t like it.
- ANY overused phrase. If it feels unique, it should be used ONCE in the book. Any non-unique phrasing should still be used sparingly in one book to avoid feeling repetitive. The idea is for the reader to forget they are reading a fictional book. If they notice the writing, that takes them out of suspension of disbelief. Suspension of disbelief allows them to live in the story for a while (in the story, not the writing).
Am I being crazy with any of
these (I do reserve the right to be crazy).
Do you have any other pet
peeves?
Hopefully, I have not used any of your pet peeves in any of my books! (My one allotted exclamation mark for this post.)
Melissa Koslin is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. She and Corey, her husband of twenty-five years, and their young daughter live in Yulee, Florida, where they do their best not to melt in the sun. Find more information on her books at MelissaKoslin.com.
Descended (romantic suspense, borderline speculative)
Ancient bloodlines, secret societies, an attempt on her
life, and a familiar yet enigmatic stranger…
The Lost Library (romantic suspense)
Cali Lebeau and her employer, billionaire recluse Asher
Cross, discover a terrorist organization is searching for the legendary Golden
Library of Moscow in order to use it for nefarious purposes. It was stolen from
them by Calie's ancestor, and she holds a clue to its location. In order to
free herself and Asher, Calie must race against the terrorists, find the
library, and share it with the world.
Dangerous
Beauty (romantic suspense)
Meric Toledan keeps his dark past and his secrets to himself. But when he meets Liliana Vela, a victim of human trafficking, he finds himself ready to protect her at all costs--including asking for her hand in marriage.
Never
Miss (romantic suspense)
A female former sniper saves a man’s life and, with him, falls into a search for the true source of the Ebola virus before it’s used to cripple America, all while discovering the truth about each other and their pasts.
I actually agree with most of these pet peeves, and it reminds me of a very old book considered the gold standard for writing, The Golden Book of Writing by David Lambuth (circa 1929?). Obscurity is not profundity, neither is it art. I have several copies of this book and love his approach.
ReplyDeleteI apologize. I forgot to identify myself for the above comment. ☺️
ReplyDeleteAnachronisms or not catching that the author should have used brake instead of break in a book.
ReplyDeleteLove your list. Maybe here's a couple more you would add.
ReplyDeleteUsing words not within the time frame of the book that essentially don't make any more sense than a word of the time.
Trying to show smarts by using words with 50 letters making the reading think they must really be needed for the story only to look them up to find that a four letter would would have the same meaning and make more sense.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
one of my pet peeves is people who are litterbugs
ReplyDeleteSomething I find distracting in a book is when the wrong pronoun is used for a character, for example, the female main character is referenced but the pronoun says his. Another is when you is used in place of your. I realize it could be a typo but when it occurs more than once, it probably isn't. Words out of order cause me to reread since the sentence didn't flow, for example "goes with on" instead of goes on with. This is an editing issue but still disrupts the reading experience for me.
ReplyDeleteWinking. Do real people wink as much as people in books?
ReplyDeleteHeather Mitchell crhbmitchellfam@duck.com
I hate when people use "your" and "you're" incorrectly! I was raised by an English teacher and it drives me nuts! I also hate reading books where we are TOLD everything that happens in a narrative form instead of during the story and SHOWING us as it happens. THAT will make me stop reading a book!
ReplyDeleteHi, I think over using the word then and the too much. Also when names are too hard to pronounce. All the ones on your list are good ones. Have a Great weekend. Sincerely, Alicia Haney. aliciabhaney(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
ReplyDeleteBooks that over explain. I remember reading a (rare) 5 star book, only to have the last chapter ruining the entire book by 'getting into the weeds'.
ReplyDeleteI try not to judge someone's writing. They are using their talents for the Lord. We all have our own styles and learning curve. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a pet peeve when it comes to books. I just know what I like to read and tell myself there is a book out there for everyone.🥰
ReplyDeleteSherry Brown
ozdot4@sbcglobal.net
Really good list of pet peeves! I'd have to agree about overusing punctuation, especially the comma. Also too much telling and not enough showing; the whole point of a book is to show, not tell.
ReplyDeleteI'm someone who bites my lip a lot when stressed.
ReplyDeleteMy pet peeve is wet sleeve after doing dishes.
ReplyDeleteMine would be people letting their dogs poop on my lawn.
ReplyDelete