tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post7406618400494044908..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: Learning from Bad BooksStephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-49979223031954853512011-09-26T08:46:51.281-05:002011-09-26T08:46:51.281-05:00The 2 things I hate in books are: 1. When the book...The 2 things I hate in books are: 1. When the book is centered around a problem that only lasts one day and, 2. This one's a common problem among us, but when they build something up to happen and then it doesn't happen. And when a character acts unlike their personality (I have a certain scene in mind here!) Like when a character gets all sympathetic and sincere but throughout all the books the character is just the opposite of that. I LOVED that series, by the way, I just hate that part.Abbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02672728633816467884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-85778580690877778072011-09-24T11:38:07.193-05:002011-09-24T11:38:07.193-05:00Hi there! This is my first time commenting on this...Hi there! This is my first time commenting on this blog. I've been following it for a while, and I think it's just awesome!!<br /><br />There are a few pet peeves I run into occassionally: One of them is when a book only has one or two recurring "important" characters. I love a variety of personalities, and only having one or two people mixed up in the plot of a story is somewhat unrealistic and unentertaining.(But at the same time, I don't like it when a bunch of characters are there in the story just for the sake of being characters in a story. Recurring characters ought to have some inmpact on the direction of the story, even if it's only by influencing the main characters decisions.)<br /><br />I think my BIGGEST pet peeve however is when two-or-three kids/teens all the same age go on some adventure together. I find it in a lot of adventure/science-fiction/fantasy novels for teens. It just seems unrealistic when the main characters were brought together by coincidence that they would be the same age. I like when adults, teens, and kids all interact in a story. It's okay if the main characters are the same age for a reason (like in Harry Potter: Ron, Harry & Hermione are all best freinds in the same year.) But some recurring characters can and should be adults or teens of different ages. (In Harry Potter, there's a spectacular variety of adult characters.)<br /><br />I think characters and how they interact is one of the most important aspects in a story, and I think sometimes that writers get so caught up in how "ingenious" their idea is, that the characters in a story don't become as developed as they should be.Jessica S.http://ready-to-start.deviantart.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-3478484930228405602011-09-23T22:31:14.602-05:002011-09-23T22:31:14.602-05:00I can't stand reading bad books like that, and...I can't stand reading bad books like that, and fortunately I've developed a way to tell when something is really bad lol. <br />If I don't get sucked in from the very first page, the book will end up being bad in the end or have nasty content in it. <br />Jenny B. Jones, **Stephanie Morrill**, Colleen Coble, C.S. Lewis, Cornelia Funke... all excellent authors and had me bouncing with anticipation to read more, until the very last word! :D <br />(And I'm honest when I say that Stephanie, :) I loved reading "Me, Just different" I got in trouble for staying up to late reading it lol :D Awesome book!) <br />I'm going to do my best to avoid letting the characters not speak to each other :( That would be sad! I tend to add to many characters, so maybe chopping them some out would help hehe. :)Jazmine~https://www.blogger.com/profile/06246960020080246030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-40861898174058052302011-09-23T05:27:40.585-05:002011-09-23T05:27:40.585-05:00Rachelle, I have read a book with an angel, and I ...Rachelle, I have read a book with an angel, and I know what you mean! It was pretty confusing if it was a dream or reality, especially since what the angel did was a major part of the plot :/<br /><br />PaigeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-46124495803229626202011-09-22T14:14:16.410-05:002011-09-22T14:14:16.410-05:00I've totally enjoyed "listening" to ...I've totally enjoyed "listening" to ya'll rant and rave! I echo everyone! So, so true!<br /><br />I'll add to the list of biggest pet peeves with my biggest: encounters with angels. I've read scenes where it's done well and scenes where it's not, but on general terms it gets on my nerves 'cause it always takes me awhile to figure out whether it's real, the character is dreaming, or I missed something...Grrr. Anyone else hate it when angels show up in books? <br /><br /><br />By they way, have a great weekend, Stephanie!:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06150136011032761640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-39020751962740093632011-09-21T22:05:50.776-05:002011-09-21T22:05:50.776-05:00Paige - Especially because it's SO hard to get...Paige - Especially because it's SO hard to get published and there are so many good writers in the world. How does junk make it through? But somehow it does. And I really hate those "filler" books too. They're the kind that make you want to give up on reading series altogether! (Or that's what you think when you're me and you tend to get a little dramatic about such things.)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-30828075733724826922011-09-21T22:03:28.319-05:002011-09-21T22:03:28.319-05:00Emii - UGH! So frustrating. The worst is when it&#...Emii - UGH! So frustrating. The worst is when it's your favorite author. With one of mine, her book quality is really slipping in my opinion. (Meanwhile her sales go up, so I'm really starting to doubt my judgment!)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-89294419980604864632011-09-21T22:01:34.279-05:002011-09-21T22:01:34.279-05:00Faye, I'm with you - I don't need my endin...Faye, I'm with you - I don't need my ending to be hunky-dory. I prefer it (don't we all?) but so long as it makes sense and the author has drawn SOME kind of happiness or satisfaction out of the conclusion, I'll will feel content when I close the book. <br /><br />Twilight is an example of this for me. Bella didn't choose the guy I like and it caused some inner grumbling, but her choice made sense with the rest of the series. I can deal with that.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-82549763214995530512011-09-21T21:57:56.601-05:002011-09-21T21:57:56.601-05:00JA - there is grace for cliches in blog comments :...JA - there is grace for cliches in blog comments :) That's a seriously annoying ending. I hate it when the "relationship carrot" is dangled in front of the reader, but there's no pay off. <br /><br />I suppose this is why genres end up having rules. Like how I told you guys that for it to be a romance, the couple MUST end up together at the end. It's because dedicated romance readers don't want to deal with a relationship carrot being taken away.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-49662465417657682492011-09-21T21:55:08.239-05:002011-09-21T21:55:08.239-05:00Alyson, I'm always amazed when those things sn...Alyson, I'm always amazed when those things sneak past an editor. Something similar happened in this series where the main character went to visit someone and when she arrived she learned he'd enlisted in the military. At first I didn't pay much attention, and then later as I was thinking about it, I'm like, "Wait - he left early from the group trip they were on together. At no point during the trip home was she like, 'Hey, where'd Ted go?'"Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-43463309604296045012011-09-21T21:53:10.870-05:002011-09-21T21:53:10.870-05:00Tonya - YES, Dean would've definitely done tha...Tonya - YES, Dean would've definitely done that. We saw that in season one when he told Rory he loved her, she didn't say it back, and he broke up with her.<br /><br />I don't know why, I just completely adore Jess. Even when he was wrong for her and treated her poorly, I really wanted things to work out. And I think they might have had he not be cast in Heroes :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-47370887213938068942011-09-21T21:49:37.335-05:002011-09-21T21:49:37.335-05:00Alana - Yeah, I really don't know anyway aroun...Alana - Yeah, I really don't know anyway around using Jake's POV. And I liked it once I adjusted. I especially liked how even his chapter titles sounded like Jake versus Bella. Not sure how Edward people feel about it, though. It makes me laugh about how unconventional it is to use 2 POVs in a series, the heroine and NOT the hero, but rather her male best friend who would've been soul mate had she not fallen in love with this vampire guy.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-66177380372280235822011-09-21T21:46:30.962-05:002011-09-21T21:46:30.962-05:00Jyllenna - I so agree. A little goes a long way wi...Jyllenna - I so agree. A little goes a long way with slang. I feel that way with swearing in movies. I know I sound like a total mom when I say this, but there are some movies that leave me thinking who on earth uses THAT many F-words in their real life?Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-18788530444475759652011-09-21T20:15:36.575-05:002011-09-21T20:15:36.575-05:00Ah, I suppose everyone has had their fair share of...Ah, I suppose everyone has had their fair share of bad books. I wonder why some of them even got published! Some books that I've read have terrible endings - If they had worked a little more on the ending, I'm sure the books would be a LOT more famous.<br />I also hate it when books in a series have nothing much happen for basically the whole book and hardly anything is achieved, and you have to "Buy the next book to find out what such-and-such will do." It just makes me feel like I've wasted my time.<br /><br /><br />- PaigeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-65511897139976370522011-09-21T17:30:11.852-05:002011-09-21T17:30:11.852-05:00I read a book a couple of weeks ago that I wasted ...I read a book a couple of weeks ago that I wasted about an hour reading -- and then I was like, "What IS this?" I skipped to the end -- and to my horror, absolutely nothing had happened. And this was by an author that has written some amazing books -- weirdly enough, also some terrible books. In my opinion, anyway. I don't get how some plots can be so great, with such great things to learn and read about -- and some are the most materialistic, pointless, plotless books. I mean, this one I was reading reminded me of a really bad copy of another book she'd written which I'd actually quite liked.emiihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02042164350910286833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-85947193302600021492011-09-21T17:01:11.089-05:002011-09-21T17:01:11.089-05:00I've read books that didn't seem to make t...I've read books that didn't seem to make that much sense before, so i can relate. I'm beginning to think that I might be seriously guilty of writing such things. BUt ocassionally I'll enjoy a not-so-happy-ending if there was hope at the end or I totally didn't expect it, but after much thought it made more sense logically. But there are times when things just don't make sense.Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03150290024386704712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-63195660751938092082011-09-21T16:11:19.439-05:002011-09-21T16:11:19.439-05:00I read this book that had the lamest ending in my ...I read this book that had the lamest ending in my opion, The guy and girl finally had a chance to get their relationship going and then the book ended. And it isn't even continued in another book!<br />I also read another book where the author didn't seem to fully understand their topic. They just sorta beat around the bushes (sorry if that's too cliche). It bugged so bad.<br /><br />JAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-83300850689298378912011-09-21T16:04:04.140-05:002011-09-21T16:04:04.140-05:00I hate in when there are logical contradictions in...I hate in when there are logical contradictions in a book especially in mysteries. I hate it when something physically impossible happens and it ruins the whole story. I really think through story lines (well everything for that matter) and when something doesn't fit, it drives me nuts. In realistic books not fantasy. I expect that in fantasy. <br /><br />AlysonAlyson Schrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10985230257033740736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-39072595390187927732011-09-21T15:04:49.717-05:002011-09-21T15:04:49.717-05:00I meant- I see how sometimes first loves need to e...I meant- I see how sometimes first loves need to end.Tonyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14500897912581589616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-72378600343473124982011-09-21T14:59:56.781-05:002011-09-21T14:59:56.781-05:00I agree! There are some guys that come across as t...I agree! There are some guys that come across as though they'll never get married but would be happy to have a long term relationship, like living together- Logan is one of those guys. <br />I think Dean is more of a guy to say "we get engaged or end it"<br />Jess, idk? I think he's more the type to only get married if it's reallt the right girl.<br /><br />For a long time I was totally team Dean but as I've gotten older (lol) I see the whole seer first love thing and how that so,stokes need to be let go of and also how painful that is but Jess has grown on me! He's not a bad guy and would probably have taken care of Rory even though outsiders didn't necessarily see itTonyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14500897912581589616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-25445634099473242612011-09-21T14:47:02.824-05:002011-09-21T14:47:02.824-05:00Hmmm. How should I approach this? First off, I lik...Hmmm. How should I approach this? First off, I liked how in Breaking Dawn we switched into Jake's point of veiw because how boring would it be to stay with Bella because she's laying down and watching people stand around and stare at her until Jacob comes along. No I think that Jake's point of veiw had a lot more action in it than Bella would've. <br /> Now you've given me an idea on how to get my leading guy and girl together to have some QT even with them both in a war.Alanahttp://writerspagenikki.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-66726384816498118502011-09-21T14:34:29.882-05:002011-09-21T14:34:29.882-05:00I'm reading a book right now that uses WAY too...I'm reading a book right now that uses WAY too much slang. I seriously have to read through each sentence slowly to figure out what they're saying. I usually like a little slang, but not to the point where I have to interpret it.Jyllennahttp://christiancentre.publishpath.com/Default.aspx?shortcut=teen-ministrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-42509914401027130142011-09-21T13:48:32.904-05:002011-09-21T13:48:32.904-05:00Tonya, I knew you'd be up for discussing GG wi...Tonya, I knew you'd be up for discussing GG with me :) I'm a Jess girl, so it certainly didn't bother me when Rory turned Logan down, but it really didn't seem to flow with the storyline. I suspect they just didn't want to end the series with everyone all matched up.<br /><br />Not only did her reasons seem un-Rory-like ("I just want to leave things undecided...") I never really understand when things get written like "We either get engaged or we end this now." That never rings true for me. The ultimatum Lorelai gave Luke I totally understood, but I don't get why Logan thought they needed to be engaged or be nothing.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-13584967050597870512011-09-21T13:42:49.785-05:002011-09-21T13:42:49.785-05:00Becki, when you're so close to a project, it&#...Becki, when you're so close to a project, it's easy to overlook those kinds of things. Happens to the best writers out there! That's why writing partners can be SO helpful.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-84167150719326167242011-09-21T13:41:14.768-05:002011-09-21T13:41:14.768-05:00Micah, it's funny how everybody is so differen...Micah, it's funny how everybody is so different about books. While I thought the Hunger Games series would have been strengthened by better writing (some cardboard characters and lots of telling rather than showing) I thought they were highly creative and entertaining. I really enjoyed the series, though I liked the first one the best and had some issues with the way it all ended. <br /><br />Of course my series has sold, like, 9 books and Ms. Collins' has sold about 9 bajillion. So... :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.com