Pet peeves

[Ttbb]

What do you hate most when reading creative writing? Is it slow plot development? A lack of description about finer details? Took much dialogue? Use of the second person? Non-linear plots?

My pet peeves as a writer are

Lack of considered structure.
The structure of a novel should be important and part of the overall experience.

Lack of a proper plot.
I don't mind if it's slow but it must have shape.

Lack of characterisation.
I need to connect with your characters. All of them. Even the bit part actors. Tell me about them. But only interesting things and by interesting I don't necessarily mean exciting. Just an 'in'.

Lack of crafted dialogue.
Yes of course listen to how real people speak, but please don't replicate it. Give me crafted dialogue that sounds credible and authentic. Read the writer's who do it best.

Whenever you read, ask yourself what works and why. Make positive decisions as a writer.

Writers. Apostrophe rogue!!!

As a reader, I hate too much hyperbolic description. I want precise, accurate writing. I want words to speak for themselves (so to speak), as overdescription kills the narrative for me. I like every word to feel like it is supposed to be there, not unnecessary padding. It's very irritating when a writer describes every minute detail in a scene, its too much unless they are James Joyce 😁. It's annoying when there is too much description or use of 'olde' words and the novel ends up sounding like a badly written Bronte.

Basic errors in punctuation, which, I'm sad to say, I see too often, and not just in self published books.

Lack of research. There's no excuse for it these days, when everyone has the internet at their fingertips. If you're writing about members of the nobility, find out the proper way to refer to them.

Attempts to write accents. Lots of apostrophes to represent dropped 'h's and so on is just distracting.

A weak central character. The central character should be the one driving the action.

Ttbb, I'm interested that you suggest 'too much dialogue' as a pet peeve. What do you consider too much? I like writing dialogue, and don't like to have too long a stretch without any. I'm always looking to see whether a scene can be improved by adding some. That said, dialogue must have a purpose, of course - to move the story along, or reveal character.

Oh I just hate stuff that has been written in an accent. When I buy a book in English I do want to be able to read it.

Some books cone across more like plays relying mostly on dialogue resulting in a failure to use imagery, setting etc. It's not sonething I cone across often but then again a lot of the books I've read can go for chapters without any. But I have heard people complain of it so I guess it came to mind.

Writing accents is a real skill. You need the ear for it and then the skill to craft it (absolutely don't replicate 'real' speech).

Zadie Smith is a master at this.

I agree with Where hyperbolic descriptions kill me. So do poor characterisations. I hate one dimensional characters, I want subtext too!