Novel What are the worse mistakes in novels to you?

Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by Annihilation, Jan 2, 2016.

  1. Selbbin

    Selbbin The Moderating Cat Staff Contributor Contest Winner 2023

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2012
    Messages:
    5,160
    Likes Received:
    4,243
    Location:
    Australia
    Still not a mistake as such. Besides, I read that as 'what do you consider to be the biggest mistakes' not 'what don't you like?'
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2016
  2. Inks

    Inks Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2015
    Messages:
    634
    Likes Received:
    171
    Continuity/geographical errors, characters responding to unsaid thoughts of other characters, and non-comedic hammerspace instances.
     
  3. Masterspeler

    Masterspeler Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2015
    Messages:
    249
    Likes Received:
    83
    Location:
    U.S.
    @Inks I agree with those types of errors, or historical inaccuracies.

    But. whats a non-comedic hammerspace? Im imagining a somber vastness where hammers come from....and also die in...
     
    Cave Troll likes this.
  4. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    7,471
    Likes Received:
    10,216
    Location:
    London, UK
    I see a 'mistake' as anything which turns readers off, so by definition it's personal to each reader. If we stick to universally recognised errors, all we can say is SPAG. And even then you get some people who will break SPAG rules on purpose for effect so... we're left with a tumbleweed thread.
     
    Mckk likes this.
  5. hanger_boy89

    hanger_boy89 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2015
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    1
    My story is a supernatural thriller relating to out-of-body experiences and a murder, told from the perspective of the main character. It's split into two parts, with ten years between them. I think I'm going to stick with first-person present tense :)
     
  6. Inks

    Inks Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2015
    Messages:
    634
    Likes Received:
    171
    Hammerspace is a relative term to pulling out impossible to conceal objects from pockets typically the pants. Someone hiding weapons like swords or wizard staffs and such, but I extend it to carrying a complete alchemy set or other tools of a trade while being completely unable to logically carry or pack such items. For instance a swordsman with a hidden claymore strapped on his back, yet can limbo, backflip and spin around like a pole-dancer.
     
    Masterspeler likes this.
  7. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

    Joined:
    May 20, 2012
    Messages:
    4,620
    Likes Received:
    3,807
    Location:
    occasionally Oz , mainly Canada
    I took the thread to mean 'mistakes' rather than mistakes. The only real mistakes could be SPAG issues, plot holes, continuity errors or errors in judgement ( a writer who makes false claims about a race, job, position, place, religion - they know nothing about. ) Real mistakes. Other than that it's all personal preference. I only picked first person present tense because on writer sites and book sites I see many a good novels getting wrecked through writers not being able to handle that combo. If someone could pull it off with a reasonably likable character I'd be fine with it. Most of the first person present tense characters I've run into have been hugely arrogant, crass, obnoxious, depressingly mean and narrow minded. Now this could still be called personal preference - but is it when you discover the author didn't mean for their character to come off as obnoxious?
     
  8. Aaron Smith

    Aaron Smith Banned Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2013
    Messages:
    1,508
    Likes Received:
    1,641
    I wonder, if you're guilty of all these mistakes, are you a bad writer or just Hubert Selby Jr.?
     
  9. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    7,471
    Likes Received:
    10,216
    Location:
    London, UK
    Probably neither. There isn't a single writer in the world who can please every reader's preference.
     
  10. Annihilation

    Annihilation Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2014
    Messages:
    193
    Likes Received:
    30
    Location:
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Hmm.. What would be an example of a continuity error to you?
     
  11. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

    Joined:
    May 20, 2012
    Messages:
    4,620
    Likes Received:
    3,807
    Location:
    occasionally Oz , mainly Canada
    I've seen it happen more in series fiction than stand alone novels. I've seen mc's ages change - one went from being 16 to 18 years old and back again in a series, I've seen siblings names flubbed - one went from Horace to Harold in between books, even past events can become severely altered.
     
    Annihilation likes this.
  12. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    Leaving actual mistakes aside ...bad grammar, clunky, un-attributed dialogue, totally inept research... here are a few things that make me (usually) dislike a novel:

    1) Self-consciously experimental style. I like to get immersed in a story, and this detracts. For me. (Exceptions: E Annie Proulx and Terry Pratchett)

    2) Characters who don't quite gel. Their behaviour is inconsistent for no good story reason. (Romances can be rife with this sort of thing. A hero who is standoffish one minute, gentle and caring the next, borderline brutal the next ...ooh how exciting. Not.)

    3) Galloping pace. I'm not a person who wants to get to the end of a (good) story as quickly as possible. I want to savour the journey, and remember it later.

    4) A feeling that I've read this story before—when I haven't....

    5) Plot holes. They truly bug me.

    6) Bad transitions. You know the kind. You're reading along, and suddenly realise the author has changed to a different locale, or time, or even different characters, and you didn't realise this till halfway down the page when things totally stopped making sense. Which leads to:

    7) The need to backtrack. The need to constantly go back to check if you missed something, because you're confused as a reader, and don't know what is going on.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2016
    Tea@3 likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice