Magna Cartas
Curious about what I like and don’t like to read and write about? Because of Chris Baty’s No Plot? No Problem!, I made lists–the Magna Cartas. Magna Carta I is what I do like, Magna Carta II is what I don’t. These lists may change someday. If they do, I will edit them.
Originally posted here.
| MAGNA CARTA I |
MAGNA CARTA II
|
- Complexity
- Diverse characters
- Quirky characters
- GLBTQ characters
- Scary villains and monsters
- Glitter
- Sex
- Sexuality
- Shameless, bold characters
- Magic
- Modern day
- Third person limited POV
- Readable, but not dumbed-down, prose
- Tangible worlds
- Characters overcoming huge, painful obstacles
- Humor
- Unique, true-to-the-characters happy endings
- Characters that feel
- Stories that evoke genuine emotions
- Suspense
- Banter
- Twisted, transformed cliches
- Characters that feel real
- Vulnerable characters
- Antiheroes
- Interesting characters and interesting plots, tightly woven together
- Characters becoming independent
- Love
- Close friendships
- Families
- Characters with connections to other characters
- Troubled pasts
- Wonder
- Sarcastic characters
- Depth
- Little details
- Creepy stuff
- Stuff that makes me cringe in a good way
- Originality
- Creativity
- Badasses
|
- First person, second person, or third person omniscient POV
- Mary Sues & Gary Stus
- Undiluted Romance
- Unnecessarily complex prose
- Ridiculously simple prose
- Solely plot-driven stories
- Solely character-driven stories (I need a tight combination of the two)
- Flat characters
- Flat worlds
- Marriage/Babies Ever After endings
- Historical-themed fiction (with a few exceptions)
- Lit fic
- Purple prose
- Gimmicky stories
- Religious themes and overtones, especially Christian
- Unhappy endings
- Hopelessness
- Characters with no chemistry
- Characters with no connections
- Pathetic, man-dependent heroines
- Untwisted cliches
- Token characters
- Dependent characters (who never become independent)
- Independent characters who become dependent
- Healing Powers of Sex
- Bad romance (unless Lady Gaga’s involved somewhere)
- Twoo Wuv™
- Undiluted ANGST
- Unremitting ANGST
- Children
- Bad writing
- Unnecessary gore
- Unnecessary sex
- Violence being more acceptable than sex
- Big, blinking Messages
- Dumbledore GLBTQs (Word of Author says the character is GLBTQ, but never shown in story)
- Lack of diversity
- Weak, watered-down villains
- Sparklepires and similar weak Nasties
- Stuff that makes me cringe in a bad way
- Didn’t Do the Research-itis
- Slow beginnings
- Slow stories
- Excessively manipulative writing
|
Like this:
Be the first to like this page.
What Others Have Written