What do you hate in a story?

[Hypoxia]

I've been guilty of head-hopping, but rarely within a single chapter. What usually happens is that I write a story with no plans for a sequel, but when the idea for the sequel happens, I find that it's more interesting from a different character's POV. Even then, I'll stick to that POV for the duration of that chapter.

I've done that with a couple of series now, all with three incestuous players, all with just a bit of narrative overlap. A similar trick: write versions of a scenario with flipped genders and explore the different dynamics. I have one such set posted and am working on more. But yes, I keep the same 1st-person POV throughout a chapter or episode.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Confounding is when all the evidence and events explain two different outcomes. Its classic plot twist. Recall the old song, MY GIRL BILL. But I just read a tale with a major twist (confounding) where the core axis is a round peg and a square hole. The victim/villain has no reason to be where she was, if both constructs are logical. It aint 6 OF ONE, AND A HALF DOZEN OF THE OTHER.

 

[bashfullyshameless]

Shaming. I hate shaming. I want everyone to have a good time and not feel bad about it. I want every character to have VALUE and AGENCY, whether they're subs or doms or promiscuous or exclusive, and especially regardless of sex/gender/identity.

I'm really sick of seeing characters get crushed by the narrative, as if it's preordained, for what they choose to do with their naked funtime *even when everything's consensual.*

...also I'm kinda sick of the presumption that a woman is FOREVER TAINTED if she fucks the wrong guy. Sweat and semen wash off, folks. People get over relationships and hook-ups and move on. Unless we're in a magical land where sex imprints things BECAUSE MAGIC, this whole presumption is ridiculous.

...also, add me to the folks who get tired of hearing measurements. I'm all for non-numeric superlatives. Tell me it's huge or thick or buxom or whatever, but usually when I see numbers I start wondering if the writer has ever looked at an actual ruler (or has any idea how women's clothes are sized).

Last year at a panel on smutty writing at Norwescon, we panelists were all asked, "What's one thing you want all erotica writers to know?"

I held up a sheet of paper and said, "THIS is ELEVEN INCHES. THIS is EIGHT AND A HALF INCHES. Is it possible? Yes! Sure! But probably not for the whole football team!"

 

[Ruchnids]

I am going to play Devil's Advocate and say I don't mind women with big breasts or men with big dicks with sizes written like that, but my two stories are about actual porn stars so I get around it. However, a dick as thick as a Coke can might be a bit too much (long as one I wouldn't mind though)

My turnoffs are...
- Incest
- Underage
- Animals
- Ones based on child-targeted media (Pokemon, Frozen, How to Train Your Dragon, etc.)
- Bodily fluids that aren't saliva or cum
- Harry Potter and Divergent. Their authors stated they don't like smut in their stories. That said, I don't mind if it's an AU (e.g. Characters named Hermione Granger or Beatrice Prior that have nothing to do with HP or Divergent, even if they look like Emma Watson or Shailene Woodley)
- Rape/non-con

I think there's more but that's all I have now.

 

[trigudis]

Tense Confusion and extremes/superlatives

I can usually read from any category and enjoy the story for what it is. Gay male stories don't turn me on, but there are quite a few with noteworthy style of writing and presentation. I can certainly appreciate a story for that.

A story with poop/piss and certain other things tied closely with fetish are the borderline for me. I've seen and been around worse, so it isn't sickening but it isn't something I'd call a good time for personal pleasure. Extremely bad grammar is a turn-off but fortunately a lot of that crap is moderated.

So --

Be it a particular kink, writing style, plot or certain elements like bra-size/cock-size, what is that thing which you absolutely hate reading in a story?

This thread has no statistical purpose whatsoever, so don't censor yourselves.


And Happy New Year to you all.

Newbie writers often mix their tenses, confusing and annoying the reader. And, a pet peeve here, 12 inch dicks and twats a herd of elephants could pass through. You get the idea.