Things Authors Seriously Need to Stop Doing
Hi, guys! How are you? I’ve missed blogging this month, but it’s been crazy and I haven’t had time to do much, except read a few books. Since I didn’t quite enjoy them, I decided to write this post on all the things I’m sick and tired of reading in YA books. Please feel free to add your own thoughts on the comments, I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot!
“Multi-genre” POV
Why the quotes? Because more often than not, this ends up backfiring on the author and he/she ends up having two or more characters with the exact same voice, using the same idioms and having the same mind-frame. Or, even worst, you have a teenage boy talking non-stop about the way a girl’s look makes him heart race.
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Perfect Teenagers
Isn’t it kind of obvious by now that human beings are far from perfect? And that teens are supposed to make mistakes, break the rules and feel curious about “the forbidden”? Well, a lot of authors have been writing perfect kids who see a beer or a cigarette and run away from it. I am not saying all characters have to feel the same “curiosity”, but when they are all acting responsibly and don’t even break a curfew, where is the conflict in your story? You just end up having a boooooring book.
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When the Main Character is the Author
Believe it or not, I’ve seen this a lot and it really scares me. If a teen’s favorite band (in a new book, duh!) is the Back Street Boys or they definition of man-candy is Brad Pitt, guess what? That is not cool! When I was a teen, my mom had a crush in Robert Redford and I’m not saying he’s not a great, talented actor, but I certainly wasn’t daydreaming about him! Get real. Seriously.
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What a Terrible Lack of Conflict
Have you noticed that in a lot of books characters get what they want, when they want it because they are that good/talented/lucky? Does that make you feel engaged with the story? That was rethorical. I know it doesn’t! The result? A book we are more likely to put down or give a bad review to than a story we’ll actually enjoy and recommend. For me, these kinds of books show how little understanding of literature the authors have. It’s just sad.
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Living in a Material World
This might be a bit personal, since I’m not a material girl, but even so, I understand that some authors use brands to “describe” their characters and I am all for that. I am aware that if you use certain brands you’re giving him/her a skater, punk, naïve, or you-name-it personality. But there are limits, you know? You certainly don’t need more than three or four brands to make it happen!
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Repetitions
This seriously needs to stop! Why? Why would you tell me five times in a row that your character loves Diet-Coke? I got it the first time, I paid more attention the second time. I got it. Believe me! Or why changing points of view means you need to retell everything from the other character’s point of view? This is soooo last century. Instead of giving insight to the story, it feels like you don’t have much to write, so you repeat scenes from someone else’s perspective. Stop it!
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Well, I’m gonna follow Phoebe’s advice and stop this bitching madness I have going on today. As I said, I’d love to read what you’re sick and tired of, so please feel free to share it in the comments 
