Thursday, December 1, 2011

Following Friday (13)

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Oh good, a chance to complain! 

1) Stupid main characters. That TSTL heroine that runs headlong into the dark alley, with no weapon, knowing that there might be monsters? I hope something eats her.

2) Love triangles. Ugh, stop writing these damn things! There are only about three authors that I know of that can write a convincing love triangle, and chances are you are not one of them. So just don't. They come across as a flimsy plot device, they don't lead to meaningful character development, and 90% of the time they make one or all of your characters look like selfish morons. 

3) Characters that fail to earn their happy ending. You know, the heroine who runs away from the hero and is just lucky, really really lucky, that he comes after her? The damsel in distress that never learns to save herself? The selfish/jackass hero that grovels a tiny bit and gets forgiven for all of his wrong doings? Totally kills the book for me. If you expect glowing, eternal love and happiness you should damn well have to work for it. 

30 comments:

  1. Love Triangles are also my pet peeve! I want the character to be with one person not torn between two!

    Happy Friday and check out my follow Friday!
    http://sarahcatchingbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/follow-friday-8.html

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  2. Stupid characters and love triangles are one my list of pet peeve. Great answers!

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  3. Ugh! Blogger swallowed my comment.
    Yes, yes, and YES.
    I LOATHE love triangles. Like it's lazy writing, because the author couldn't manufacture tension from the plot of the book >:/

    Great answers!

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  4. Hahahha 1 crack me up. Characters are sometimes badly written and its really annoying.

    Great answers, I agree with these all.
    Thanks for following me, followed you back!
    x

    ♥Ficbookreviews♥

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  5. Ah, yes. The stupid main character. It is so hard to get into a book when you are constantly thinking, "seriously?"

    New follower: http://ohpaperpages.blogspot.com/

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  6. Hi! Happy follow Friday. I'm a new follower.

    http://readinginthemountains.blogspot.com/

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  7. Hopping through. Who do you know that does good love triangles?
    My Hop

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  8. Uuuggghhh I hat the stupid main character, your right, she should get eaten!! and happy endings should definitely be earned otherwise what the hell was the point?
    Tristan @ Reads With Wreckless Abandon

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  9. I agree with #3. Characters should have to deserve the good things that end up happening to them in a novel. If they've been nothing but selfish, rude and irritating, it just makes you mad that they got everything they wanted in the end.

    Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  10. Swinging by on the blog hop. Have to say my niece would love your blog title. She is a penguin fan.

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  11. *sigh* Stupid main characters. Can I be the monster that eats them? Because most of the time/all of the time, they come out without a scratch. Rinse and repeat.
    :3

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  12. Stupid main characters are SO annoying, aren't they? It's hard for me to get into a story if I'm spending half the time wanting to shout at the protagonist ;)

    Following back :)

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  13. There's always going to be a stupid main character. Which is a shame. On the other hand, I dislike love triangles too . . . since not many authors are writing them well. Again - a shame.

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  14. Urgh! TSTL heroines are breeding like rabbits amongst the YA genre. If I have to read one more line that goes "Part of me knew that there was something strange about [insert predictable hero's name] but I couldn't help myself" I will punch someone!

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  15. I don't care for love triangles yet I have read several books where they did it right!

    Here's my Friday Hops

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower :)

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  16. Yes! Damsel in distress characters kill me! Find a spine & learn to take care of yourself!!

    New follower!

    Have a great weekend :)

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  17. I agree with your answers.

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/12/follow-friday.html

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  18. "There are only about three authors that I know of that can write a convincing love triangle"

    Yeah...it definitely seems like a hard thing to pull off.

    Following you back :)

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  19. I hadn't thought of that one: characters who don't earn their happy endings. Well said and very valid!

    I'm an old follower. :)

    Holiday Foreplay Giveaway

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  20. I'm with you on the happy endings thing. I hated the Twilight series for many reasons, but the ending was definitely one of them. Way too easy. Way too perfect. I'm a new follower. If you'd like to pay me a visit I'm over at http:\\elizabethbaxter.blogspot.com

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  21. Good answer! New follower, thanks for following my blog (eileenlisblog.blogspot.com) Love triangles are actually an okay thing for me, and I can bear it. I totally agree with the other ones, too! If the main character always just got his/her happy ending without having to at least go through some prep work, I think books would be ruined for me.

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  22. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Already a follower. I agree with your answer. I do hate when the main characters don't get their happy endning. Happy FF

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  23. Love triangles are just...*grits teeth* I can't even explain how much I despise them. I can't believe one person can't make up their mind about who they love. It's ridiculous.
    My Follow Friday
    -Roxy

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  24. Thanks for following my blog, I'm following you back! I'm with you one hundred percent on that happy ending thing. I hate it how the character gets such an easy ending sometimes! It's boring and super predictable.

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  25. Excellent peeves! I share them all, so I'm fully qualified to agree. ;)

    Love triangles NEED to go - or rather, 85% of them do. The remaining few - where they are actually well-planned out, full of genuine conflict, and truly belong in the story - they can stay. If they must. ;)

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  26. Number 1 is great!! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I'm a new follower :)

    www.laurengetsliteral.com

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  27. Stupid characters are definitely annoying. Add the whining and selfishness to them and it's no fun! Lol. Great answers! Thanks for stopping by!

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  28. I'm not the biggest fan of triangles either. I always feel bad for the person that is left out. Why can't they get a HEA too?

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Old follower
    Danielle @Ramblings From This Chick

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  29. Hello!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog! Sorry, but I'm a few days late!

    And you tell 'em, girl! lol One of my biggest pet peeves that you listed is love triangles. The are so stupid! :-D

    Happy Blog Hop!

    Lisa Jo @ Once Upon A Chapter

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  30. Yep, love triangles are romance's bread and butter. I mean how many people find themselves in this situation in real life?

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Thoughtful comments are appreciated! I always respond to them, and I usually return the favor! Happy reading!

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