Fiction Pet Peeves

Long a fan of fiction, I began devouring novels in elementary school, methodically reading my way through The Boxcar Children series. I still hold dear the novels penned by Carol Ryrie Brink. And Mr. Popper’s Penguins will forever remain on my most-loved list. I moved to the biography room of our school library when the retellings in story-like form of men and women from the past called to me. Through middle school and high school, I often juggled two books at a time, one for pleasure and another specific to an assignment.

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

The love of reading followed me into adulthood. I was heartbroken when extreme all day “morning sickness” while pregnant with my daughter made reading nearly impossible. By this time, I was reading as much non-fiction as fiction. While I’d always loved immersing myself deep into a story, a number of little things began to irritate me, sort of like a prickly tag on a comfortable t-shirt rubs a spot on your neck. 

In the next few years, I commenced a journey to learn the craft of fiction. As I learned and wrote, what I liked and didn’t like in the novels I toted home from the library jettisoned to the surface with alarming clarity. A list of pet peeves fell into place and reading fiction became less satisfying.

I’d become a critic whose internal editing pen refused to be idle. I missed the days of reading with nary a thought to story structure and voice and characterization. And don’t even get me started on the suspension of disbelief. I get that fiction is, you know, fiction, but pa-leeze! I still miss those days.

Topping the really-gets-under-my-skin list then and now—

• ·        plotline details that materialize out of thin air
• ·        relationships that flourish with not a drop of effort OR fade into the horizon with nary a word or thought
• ·        important-to-the-story concepts that get dropped into the action with not one word of explanation, often resulting in a severe case of whiplash for the reader
• ·        characters who act, react or say something totally out of character because it’s convenient to the story—that’s a biggie
• ·        and the resolution/mystery/dilemma getting wrapped up in a paragraph or even a page—seriously? An invested reader deserves a more complete and satisfying conclusion!

I once read a book by a well-known author who had spent chapters detailing an elaborate mystery-filled story only to attempt to tie up the numerous loose ends in a half page of vaguely strung together, unsatisfying details. I felt robbed and never read another of this author’s dozens of titles. I suspected a pre-established word count may have been a contributing factor. A topic for another day . . .

The same list of pet peeves applies when I watch movies or a television series. Apparently, my husband’s objectives when viewing a televised drama/thriller/comedy are clearly different than mine. He is perfectly capable of watching—and enjoying—without fussing over what may be missing, unclear, contrived, too farfetched, or just does NOT make sense. He appears genuinely content to not question the WHO or WHY or HOW of unexplained, sudden, or out-of-character happenings. I must note that he is, generally speaking, paying attention as it’s not uncommon for him to figure out whodunit before I do.

But when I bring up a particularly troubling-to-me matter from the previous episode as we prepare to view the next installment, he has nothing to offer. Neither sympathy nor empathy for my distress. No words of comfort or even a brief discussion about the matter. It’s possible, though, that he’s already tuned me out in anticipation of the murmured questions and mumbled grumblings that will inevitably be part of the viewing experience for me, and hence him, in the adjacent recliner. Currently, we are deeply engaged in a series that, so far, has given me little to fuss about, that allows me to simply watch and relax. Ah, so nice . . .

Now it’s back to work on the final book in my YA series. As I strive to bring the cast of characters and their individual stories to an end, my lengthy list of fiction/storytelling pet peeves insists on traipsing through my mind. But that’s okay because I do not want in any way to confuse my readers with out-of-nowhere plot details, portray unrealistic relationships, or ruin the carefully crafted characters I’ve spent hours and hours developing. And that satisfying conclusion the readers are clamoring for? Hmm .  . . That could well be what’s drawn out this long-awaited third book far longer than I’d hoped. My readers are anxious for a satisfying ending. One that does not give them whiplash or leave a dozen questions but is deserving of the time they’ve invested in the story. And I most certainly want to deliver.

What about you? What things gets you steamed when reading fiction? What would make you walk away from a book? Please share in the comments. Inquiring minds want to know . . . 

 

Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

 As a genetic genealogy enthusiast, she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com.