What Ticks You Off?

[Malik]

Heheh. I have fun playing with this. Sometimes I have portal fantasy where both sides speak the same language because the people in World 2 (eg. Faerie) were originally from world 1 (eg. Earth), and there is still some back-and-forth between the two, enough that the people of Faerie are (mostly) able to keep up with (a few) evolving languages on Earth. And sometimes I have magical translation in effect, which is pointed out with dialogue like, "How strange, the words you speak don't match the way your lips are moving." "Well, neither do yours." "...Let's leave off trying to explain this for now and just accept that we can communicate."

I'm cool with this. You're at least acknowledging that the situation exists. I explain it in my second book that one reason the characters are able to pick the language up so fast is that originally we came from their world, and while the languages are different, the concepts are the same. (I'm a linguistic structuralist at heart; I believe our ideas shape our languages, and you have to understand how a culture thinks before you can understand how they speak. I did this backwards when I built the Faerie conlang, which gave me a whole new insight as to their thought processes.) The MC learns this as he's trying -- and failing -- to learn Faerie. The elves think differently than we do and it's reflected in their language. He can't wrap his head around their concepts, so he speaks their language like a little kid no matter how hard he tries.

I try to avoid this trope too. In my main WIP the secondary MC is forced to kill in self-defense, and expresses remorse about it (doubly so when he learns that the woman he killed did not even have the hope of an afterlife, due to the nature of Fae souls differing from human souls). The primary MC also kills someone in self-defense, crying and apologizing as she does so.

My MC spends half of the first book trying not to kill anybody; he killed someone on Earth, and while he was acquitted in court, he was crucified in the tabloids and the evening news, which destroyed his career and ruined his life even though

Spoiler: BIG SPOILER

we learn it was self-defense and accidental. Which, if I did it right, makes it even worse and drives home the golden spike of the subtext that we have lost all concept of the utility of violence.

Because of this, he has a tendency to hesitate, and he tries to end things less-than-lethally. (Insert further polemic subtexts about the increasing obsolescence of the warrior caste in modern society and ruminations on the utility of force, but, well, yeah.) Of course, at the climax, he finally yanks the throttles back and . . . well, read it and see.

 

[Peat]

The Kender in Dragonlance were a fantastic example of how to do racial comic relief right.

I think you're the first people I've ever met with anything positive to say about Kender.

 

[Malik]

I think you're the first people I've ever met with anything positive to say about Kender.

I thought Tasslehoff Burrfoot was brilliant. He seemed to me like a way to do and say some of the things that the authors couldn't have a "legitimate" character get away with. I also remember reading about Kender in Dragon Magazine; the article was hilarious. At least, in my memory as a teenager.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

I seem to recall that article... but way too long ago, LOL. I have no idea what I would think of Kender now, loved Tasslehoff then, think he inspired a few characters friends played in college, D&D days. I'd fear to read those books again.

I thought Tasslehoff Burrfoot was brilliant. He seemed to me like a way to do and say some of the things that the authors couldn't have a "legitimate" character get away with. I also remember reading about Kender in Dragon Magazine; the article was hilarious. At least, in my memory as a teenager.

 

[Peat]

Each to their own... just don't say that on a D&D forum. Or do, if you like watching explosions

 

[Guy]

- ****in' vampires.

Yeah, that's another one of my biggies.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

The problem with vampires isn't vampires (I don't want to offend the real bloodsuckers out there, most of them in politics, and who might run the IRS... good folks one and all, please don't audit me) it's how pathetically written they are.

 

[Reaver]

The problem with vampires isn't vampires (I don't want to offend the real bloodsuckers out there, most of them in politics, and who might run the IRS... good folks one and all, please don't audit me) it's how pathetically written they are.

Agreed but with Anne Rice and Tanith Lee being the exception.

 

[Malik]

Writers who don't take the time to step back from their story and see what the really interesting part is; who think that the story they want to tell is the story that needs telling. Included with this are secondary characters who would have made a much better main character because the story was way cooler from their POV.

Great example, from the vampire genre:

 

[Guy]

That would've been so much better.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Anne Rice only wrote one good vampire book... and that's arguable, heh heh. No idea on Tanith Lee, but between the names of those authors you can make my name, so there must be something good about them, LOL.

Agreed but with Anne Rice and Tanith Lee being the exception.

 

[Ireth]

Another thing that irks me: Couples whose names are so similar it sounds contrived. Eg. Victor and Victoria in Corpse Bride.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Aside from making me think they are both Julie Andrews, I think this would again come down to execution for me. Of course it's contrived, it's a novel... and I've met couples with name issues... Don & Dawn, if you want to talk about freaking confusing. And I once dated a woman named Leah and I am Lee, if that had gone on... oh dear. But people tend to end up having fun with it.

Another thing that irks me: Couples whose names are so similar it sounds contrived. Eg. Victor and Victoria in Corpse Bride.

 

[Ragnar]

Being able to tell how a character is feeling by their eyes! I. HATE. THIS. SO. MUCH. "I saw the pain in his eyes." "Anger flashed through his eyes." "His eyes lit up with happiness." "His eyes darkened." "The look in his eyes told everything." I have NEVER seen a person's eyes actually change color based on their emotions. Neither have I ever looked into someone's eyes and seen *insert emotion here* 'in' them. What is that even supposed to mean? What is it supposed to look like? I have seen characters conjecture about how a character is feeling and then make life-changing decisions based upon it JUST BY LOOKING INTO THEIR EYES. Do a person's eyes actually show emotion? I typically read people's emotions based on their voice and body language. I mean, my eyes look greenish when i've been crying, so i guess there i something to be said about it, but...

I get what you mean here. While I haven't seen anyone's eyes actually change, I've had people tell me one when I got really really mad about something, more then one person said my eyes turned red. Yea, it sounds crazy. I didn't look at my eyes, but that's what they said.. I have seen peoples eyes light up, as in happiness or delight. But I think it was their whole face expressing happiness more so then just their eyes. Usually when I've seen it it's in women, because I don't tend to look at guys eyes, or their faces closely

What gets under my skin is obviously pushing some sort of propaganda through their stories. Taking something and using the topical "facts" to back up a conclusion that's not even their own, it's something that's pushed. I've seen people do this as a way to add content to their stories and when it's obvious that they didn't bother to really think about the issue, it annoys the crap out of me

I kind of know what you mean about elves and dwarves. I used to play D&D, so I'm used to other races. But when they just use human characters attributes and demeanor, it's annoying. To me elves and dwarves are quite foreign. Unless one is raised around humans, they are likely to be really foreign and not have the same viewpoint or goals as human characters. I'd use the word "alien" because their difference, their actions and goals should be very different from human characters. That's just my thought.

I also agree with hat you said about people that put so many different creatures in one area. They pack them in like sardines!

 

[Demesnedenoir]

What gets under my skin is obviously pushing some sort of propaganda through their stories. Taking something and using the topical "facts" to back up a conclusion that's not even their own, it's something that's pushed. I've seen people do this as a way to add content to their stories and when it's obvious that they didn't bother to really think about the issue, it annoys the crap out of me

Along with the propaganda... it's almost a hand in hand thing, is the straw man argument. Bad enough having to put up with politicians and their straw man arguments, when they hit fiction and run 100k words it's a real gagger. Fitting in with these, they tend to anyhow, are razor crisp archetypes.

 

[Lunaairis]

-Being able to tell how a character is feeling by their eyes! I. HATE. THIS. SO. MUCH. "I saw the pain in his eyes." "Anger flashed through his eyes." "His eyes lit up with happiness." "His eyes darkened." "The look in his eyes told everything." I have NEVER seen a person's eyes actually change color based on their emotions. Neither have I ever looked into someone's eyes and seen *insert emotion here* 'in' them. What is that even supposed to mean? What is it supposed to look like? I have seen characters conjecture about how a character is feeling and then make life-changing decisions based upon it JUST BY LOOKING INTO THEIR EYES. Do a person's eyes actually show emotion? I typically read people's emotions based on their voice and body language. I mean, my eyes look greenish when i've been crying, so i guess there i something to be said about it, but...

Are any of you who don't see emotion in eyes perhaps autistic? I know my little brother is, and he struggles with reading peoples facial emotions due to the minuet details that can be seen in the muscles around the eyes, and not making the connection that those little details play into expression.

Try reading these expressions;

As for your eye's changing color. Normally what is meant is that the white of the eye may become pink/redish, when a person is being overly emotional. regardless if they are happy, sad or sacred.

(answers)

Surprise
Happyness
fear
anger

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Oooh, I'll give it a try! (From the top.)

1 - Help! I'm Julie Andrews, get me out of here!
2 - Hell no Julie! I'm Victor and you're staying!
3 - Victor don't be a buzz kill, Take some more cammomile tea. (Victoria)
4 - Damn - the voices are back!!! (me)

(Oh dear - I may be autistic!)

Cheers, Greg.

 

[A.J.]

I often take issue with characters, or group traveling together, that have no job or trade. They are just "adventurers." Some writers have done this well, but it's only because they provide proper backstory on the characters past, home, or reason for their nomadic way of life. Without it, you're really just reading an RPG.

 

[Peat]

I often take issue with characters, or group traveling together, that have no job or trade. They are just "adventurers." Some writers have done this well, but it's only because they provide proper backstory on the characters past, home, or reason for their nomadic way of life. Without it, you're really just reading an RPG.

I actually just discovered this ticks me off as well. Hell, just having a character refer to themselves as an adventurer annoys me, even if it actually make sense.

In fact, anything that makes them sound like someone's unashamed D&D murderhobo.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

I have no problem with eyes mentioned in fiction and reading emotions. Some people are extremely good at this, others clearly aren't. But, using shorthand for facial expressions, including eyes, is just fine with me.

Are any of you who don't see emotion in eyes perhaps autistic? I know my little brother is, and he struggles with reading peoples facial emotions due to the minuet details that can be seen in the muscles around the eyes, and not making the connection that those little details play into expression.

Try reading these expressions;

As for your eye's changing color. Normally what is meant is that the white of the eye may become pink/redish, when a person is being overly emotional. regardless if they are happy, sad or sacred.

(answers)

Surprise
Happyness
fear
anger