Comments on: Little Did She Know

By: Jess

Jess — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:49:12 +0000

What you said and what Valerie said. I hate moments that just throw me out, it’s usually poor editing – something wasn’t integrated earlier in the book as well as it should have. And poor POV handling. I read my early stuff and it’s SO awful with POV but my later stuff – I can’t remember when I “got” it but now it drives ME batty to read poor POV.

There is ONE book I enjoyed that the first-person heroine had a secret, and yes it was a matter of withholding info, but the clues were there and it tied up SO nicely and everyone got what they deserved – Patry Francis’s The Liar’s Diary.

By: Joely

Joely — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:11:25 +0000

MsValerie, I’m with you on the WTF moments. Hate ‘em!

Ann, not at all. This was a published book and the entire excerpt read like a clunker, so my annoyance level was already high. If you ever did “little did she know” I don’t remember it! I know I did it once or twice myself a long time ago.

Oh, Sis, I hate those sort of books too. “I hate you!” for 399 pages and “I loved you all along” on page 400. Gag.

Cheryl, I guess I haven’t read too many “Sermon” stories yet but that would bug me too.

Travis, you should read Martin’s third book in that series. Bloodiest wedding ever. I’ve joked that I can’t even remember if any of the original characters are still alive (they are). Martin taught me how to kill even the most beloved character. I love that no one is safe in his books. Absolutely no one.

By: Travis

Travis — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:25:38 +0000

One of my biggest peeves is when an author takes the bloody rampage too far. That’s why I set aside
the Martin books. He took his hatchet to so many main characters in the first book, and was on the same
path in the second book. It’s much too unsettling to me to keep doing that. I lose the plot and the
reason for all the death much too quickly.

Friends constantly tell me to go back and give it another go. But I got to the point that every time a new
character came along, I was waiting for him or her to be killed off. That severely dulled my interest.

By: cherylp

cherylp — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:38:37 +0000

My pet peeve? Thinly disguised sermons. People are going to write about what they think is right or wrong, and they’re going to have moral stances–you can’t write in a vacuum, after all—but don’t use your book to shove your ideas down my neck. If the character takes the same stand you do, fine, but make your plot a logical extension of the character’s stance, not an example of some sermon you want to preach under the guise of telling a story.

By: GutterBall

GutterBall — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:59:19 +0000

My hugest pet peeve? “I hate you, you beast! Now ask me to marry you so I can admit I loved you all along!”

Seriously. I mean, a talented and skillful writer can make me enjoy even that, but seriously. I can stand initial dislike. And I love distrust. Good conflict then. But I hate you until the plot requires me to love you? Geez!

By: Ann

Ann — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:28:34 +0000

Do I need to be apologizing right about now? I have a confession to make, I don’t for the most part read exerpts. If it’s really good, I want to read the rest of the book then, because most times I will forget what I was looking for when I actually get to the bookstore.
P.S. And yes, you do have me curious as to the title of whatever exerpt brought this on.

By: MsValerie

MsValerie — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Yep…that’s a BIG peeve! I’m annoyed by the basics…really poor editing, those TSTL “heroines” and, really, anything that makes me stop reading (the WTF moments) and have to go back and check something.