#1 YES! THANK YOU! Why can't we have some female protagonists who are confident in themselves and are okay with how they look? I swear, it's just an excuse for the love interest to have that cliched "No, you're beautiful!" dialogue with them.
Biggest pet trope peeve. When a book starts with an interesting female protagonist and a strong plot line and then.....the romantic interest shows up and the rest of the novel is basically a romance novel. I feel like it's every single time. Is it just me? Killing me, YA. Killin me. Or the protagonist is "brave and reckless" but is actually just really stupid and has to be rescued consistently by said romantic interest. Sorry, rant over. lol
Love triangles: Will Millie choose between the guy she has known her whole life and has an obvious connection and need for or the other guy who's just kind of there and took the blame for her fart once. Hmm i dunnoo - team other guy!
I filmed a bookish pet peeves video today, and I talked about how I didn't like "the chosen one" trope, too! I don't like when they find out they're more than human, and they're like, "no, I'm not. I'm an ordanairy girl." If someone told me I was some otherworldly being I'd accept that real quick.
you know a book i want? a book where the "chosen one" dies before the story starts and the surronding people have to fend off a threat even the gods dont think they will succseed at... that is a premise that would bring a lot of tension
Emma Swan the idea of a bunch of nobodies fighting off a horde intended for a sacred chosen one is an idea that i cant beleive no one has ever seemed to use... power fantasies are just too good to pass up these days i guess...
Yes! I loved what you said about "strong" women. I really feel like I can never relate to those girls because i am a very emotional person, and I do let people in. Like does that mean I'm just weak? Idk. And also, they are literally always "short and petite"
+Sandra Emilie Johnsen Yeah, it's quite telling when the best female characters are the ones on TV, especially in obscure shows like _The Buzz on Maggie_ or _CJ the DJ_, which pretty much *no-one* remembers. Generally, when I think of "strong female characters", *that's* what I think of - a bright young woman who just wants to be herself and do her own thing, and not giving a shit about societal expectations. But *apparently*, Hollywood execs don't buy into that crap, and only in recent years, with films like _Inside Out_, are these types of heroines starting to see the light of day. It's sad, really. :(
Literally yes to everything you said. Especially with the reasons you gave for why you didn't like these particular tropes. I was nodding along and laughing out loud. I love your videos, you always put me in a good mood :)
I agree with all of these things! & with the thing about the girl being extremely beautiful & thinking she's mediocre & no one will ever love her - it pisses me off too bc then a guy comes around (or should I say two guys come around because there's aLWAYS GOTTA BE THE DAMN LOVE TRIANGLE!...ahem) & they're like oh you're perfect & they have that moment where she goes "no I'm not I'm ugly that's why I'll never be loved" & he'll be like "no bb ur perfect. 4 realz" & she is like 'wow no other guy has ever said this to me or made me feel this way before I AM CURED! all self esteem issues are now fixed bc this dude thinks I'm hot!' like no it does not work that way! & Jesus Christ that type of dialogue is so over done we rly don't need any more of that!
Ibuki Mioda There's sort of a "love conquers all" mentality in fiction. You're addicted to drugs? Just get a significant other and it will be fine! You're depressed? Time for a relationship! Your parents recently died? I'm sure a boyfriend will make you feel better.
sarawithoutanH right! not only is that completely silly to me but it really downplays the seriousness of the issues they had before hand. like if all it takes for them to get over things is finding a cute guy to make out with it clearly wasn't important in the first place lol
Exactly! When I was younger, I was mostly exposed to the "bright, spunky heroine who's willing to be herself and is just optimistic about life" - in other words, a "strong" female character who's generally got a kind, positive demeanour. I honestly don't get why we can't have more of those.
"Zoom, zoom, zoom! Make my heart go boom, boom, my supernova girl." I sing that every time you zoom... And I love it. And can you finish that new version of Les Mis? I would like to hear it. Thanks.
I hate that "I'm so strong! I never cry! I exhibit what's seen as typically "masculine" traits like hunting and fighting well! That makes me strong!" NO. JUST NO. STOOOOOOOOOP.
+Ao-No ichi I honestly don't get why writing female characters is so hard. Like, can't you just write a well-rounded character who just happens to be female?
+Ao-No ichi I know, and it's quite sad, really. I just want girls to have characters they can relate to, you know? That's why I really like the film _Inside Out_ - it actually has a well-rounded and relatable female protagonist who actually has flaws and conflict. But still - like, if one is a female writer, shouldn't she at least be able to write a good female character, since she herself actually has experience in being female? Now, that's not to say men can't write female characters - speaking as a male myself - but women are obviously better at it, since, well, they happen to be part of that group. And speaking of male writers, yes, they do often tend to pull the "men can't write female characters" card - which really pisses me off, because I'm an aspiring writer who happens to be male, and I actually have an idea for a cartoon show about a young girl with Asperger's Syndrome, and how she overcomes the obstacles of her daily life. I'll get to that later, but as for that excuse, there have existed other male writers like Lewis Carroll, Dave Polsky, Hayao Miyazaki etc., who have proven that excuse wrong. (Dave Polsky created a show called _The Buzz on Maggie_, which was about an anthropomorphic preteen girl fly, living in a town of anthropomorphic insects in a garbage dump, who dreamed of becoming a rock star, and always had clever schemes to circumvent the hardships of her life, only for them to horribly backfire and induce zany hijinks, and for the protagonist to learn her lesson in the end.) Seriously, though, the more men who use that excuse, the more I feel like I'm going to blow a gasket at how insulting that excuse is. And you know what it reminds me of? It reminds me of autistic people using their autism as an excuse for dumb behaviour - and as someone on the autism spectrum, I personally feel insulted when they do that, just as I feel insulted (as a male writer) when male writers pull the gender card. And yes, I actually aspire to make cartoons about a girl with Asperger's, and essentially, it'll be based on my personal experiences as a child on the spectrum, albeit with liberties taken here and there to make for an entertaining story (i.e. so it's not just another _Caillou_ or _Punky_, where it's too realistic, and hence kinda boring). So yeah, I want to create a relatable protagonist that any kids, whether they be boys, girls, autistic, neurotypical, American, Australian or whatever, can identify with. It just blows my mind that it comes naturally to me, a young writer with virtually no experience, and yet it's a chore for a lot of professionals who do this for a living. Now, I'm not acting like creating characters is easy, because trust me, I had trouble conceiving the character at first - in fact, she was originally a Mary Sue, mainly because she was, at the time, a side character in a _South Park_ fan fiction that never really went anywhere - but as I developed her more and more, I thought I'd give her her own story, and just go from there. In fact, I'm actually considering writing a pitch bible so that my show might get picked up one day - and after reading articles on *how* to write it, yeah, there's a lot of hard work, but I'm willing to put myself through that if I want my show to see the light of day. I honestly don't understand why applying these principles to *female* characters is such a chore, when all that's different is the sex - and it really disheartens me to think that this is the world our girls live in. In fact, I actually saw a post on Ask.fm from a girl who identifies more with *male* characters because she doesn't find many females to be that interesting - and I just feel sorry for her, that she's practically denouncing her own gender because this is the world she lives in. I'm not pretending that I'm the first person to write an interesting female character, but I'm striving to at least have mine immortalised on TV, or the Internet, or perhaps even in a movie someday, so that at least I'll know I've done my part. Anyway, those are my thoughts. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :)
MusicBooksTV doing That lets the authors communicate to the readers that something is really wrong when your emotionally cut off and “I never cry” protagonist is on her knees bawling
Yessssssss i agree so much with everything XD Especially number 4 OMG that is my most hated trope. I feel like YA has a limited view on what makes a strong female character. Beating people up and having masculine characteristics aren;t the only things that can make someone a strong person.
I am writing a book and she's very emotionally available. She's very open and she's kinda adorable. Though she needs to grow up a little. But she doesn't loose that piece of her.
HA, YOUR REACTION TO LOVE TRIANGLES WAS HILARIOUS! (should warn you that shatter me has a love triangle ;) but you already knew that). There was so much sass in this video, i love it. and yes, we definitely need to be above the worlds standards of beauty. YES, THE SPECIAL POWER THING. Like honestly,why is it that all main characters have a power or a trait that makes them seem ten times more better or powerful than any other character? I want to see an MC who has a really stupid general power who uses it in a different way to save the world. #perspective
The Book Leo i know! i want to see characters who struggle with vulnerability but push themselves to do it anyway. let's have characters we can actually emulate!
I agree so much with the chosen one trope. I hate when the universe basically bends around the main character -- all of the best looking guys in the world are in love with them, they are the smartest, the strongest etc. Its so boring because its unrealistic.
loved watching this! some of the faces you made, had me laughing so much. I totally agree with you on all the tropes you mentioned. especially about the 'average girl'. just- NOOO. so annoying
faeriedrugs the average girl one is THE WORST! i'm like oh look maybe we can relate and then the character is like OH AND MY HAIR TUMBLES IN TOUSLED CURLS TO MY WAIST and i'm like o ok nvm
Your least favorite trope (#1) is called a plain Jane. Also that happens in real life. My sister, for example, has beautiful icy blue eyes, her haircut looks great on her, she can rock any outfit she puts on, and her skin is really clear (she never gets pimples). But she doesn’t think she’s pretty, or rather she won’t accept it.
All of these tropes need to stop. It's so annoying when you pick up yet another book where the main character knows nothing about a surreal world where they find out they have a special place in. And oh, they also are a natural at the world's magic and happen to be the most magical and special of them all. It's predictable and overused and doesn't make any sense. How can the main character automatically be super powerful in a world they were just introduced to? Also love triangles. Why are they everywhere? How often do people fall in love with two people at the same time in real life? Lastly (almost done with the rant) I agree with your number one trope and want to read about a character with noticeable physical flaws (that sounds weird). But honestly every main character just happens to be extraordinarily beautiful.
a love triangle where, due to the female's shitty indecisiveness, both of the guys are like "well... while we're waiting for this bitch... lets just hook up lol" then in the end the guys get together to the girls demise muahahahaa
Girl, you rocking that T Swizzle vibe today ;) OMG THE YOLO STRONG GIRL - seriously, Tris was positively suicidal in Insurgent & it was portrayed as brave and selfless. And yes, the 'completely average, nothing special girl who suddenly has 10 000 guys after her' - totally realistic. AHAHAHA YOUR RESPONSE TO THE 'NOT GOOD LOOKING BUT ACTUALLY A VS MODEL' TROPE xD
This is why I use photo inspiration for my character. My main character Persephone looks like Emily Rudd cause even though she's pretty she's not overly gorgeous to a point its annoying well at least I hope so
jaliyah white I didn't know who Emily Rudd was so I googled it and she is insanely beautiful. Like, I would kill to look like her. I mean, I wouldn't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a good looking protagonist, so long as they don't bang on about it every three pages / receive constant compliments for said beauty. That's a little annoying...
My biggest trope pet peeve is one that isn't even in a lot of books it's just in a lot of fandoms, which is Draco in Leather Pants. People castrating all the evil and awesome out of a character so they can play shipping games with them.
Kyle Bray The thing people do that pisses me off is prettifying Severus Snape. Hell no! He's perfect just the way he is. I will admit my taste in men is weird and snarky bastardry is a feature, not a bug in my mind, but leave the poor guy alone! Hasn't he suffered enough already? Rhetorical question, I take this way too seriously. 😁
omg I'm so glad I followed you! Your personality too *bows down* And all of your hated tropes were so spot on, I couldn't agree more Alright well now its time to go watch more videos on things you don't like xD
Girl Against the World! that's at least one empowering theme for women in fiction. YA seems to be bad for women. that may be oversimplifying things, but YA authors it seems really don't make women independent and relatable from these tropes that run amok in the genre. -Josh
Sometimes, if the MC is overpowered, I just have to brush it away like "okay but would I rather read about their sidekick?" Probably not, so there's a reason we gotta read about this MC... no matter how powerful or annoying... sigh.
YESSS!!! the freaking love triangle trope!!!! Is so formulaic, crusty and stale, geez! What you said about it making the main character make annoying selfish decisions is so true lol Sorry for commenting too much I'm just having a few hallelujah moments over here XD
I agree with all of these so much. Especially the one where the girls call themselves average. Also there should be a lot more body positivity in books. Because I have been reading quite a bit of books where the ladies don't like themselves. This was so great. The sass was real.
Talking about the realest stuff. I love when you talk about the things you hate. I don't know why, you just have such fervor. Love, love , love it. One of my biggest peeves is definitely the one with the girls who are like insanely gorgeous, but think they're totally average. Like, girl, bye. You are a 10/10. Nobody thinks you're average. The boys don't talk to you because you're too bodacious.
"strong woman = stubborn and unemotional" Yes! I absolutely hate that. 8 really want to film a video like this but there are so many it would probably be half and hour long.
Yes I have! I really enjoyed it. I was a Psych major so I loved the writing style, I thought was a good representation of her mental state. I had to kind of adjust my perception of what the story was really about (more character growth, less dystopian world) but overall I enjoyed it! Which book are you on now?
I just finished Unravel Me! I feel similar. Love the writing style and really enjoyed the character development. The dystopian stuff is definitely more a back burner thing. But I really like it overall!
I don't like the girl (or guy) against the world trope either!! And I HATE the "girls are strong because they're emotionally unavailable" trope. Haha I love your last one!
Saj Ali "i'm so basic i have long tousled midnight black hair that tumbles down my back and boring pale skin like porcelain and i have an annoying smattering of freckles dusted across my nose and my eyes are a boring shade of indigo" JUST GET OUT
Definitely agree with your list here. I'm trying to avoid these tropes and many others in the book I'm writing now. Love Triangles was on my list too, but I was thinking about how they have entered queer fiction too. It's just as bad when the triangle is a guy not being able to choose between two guys or between a girl or a guy.
i agree with all of your tropes espically the more than human one, im getting sick of love triangles i have only ever like two love triangles the heart of betrayal and the one in throne of glass i cant really think of any other love triangles i liked
Omg I absolutely love Throne of Glass so much but the love triangle annoys the living daylights out of me xD Literally I'm almost beginning to hate Chaol because he got in the way haha. But I love Throne of Glass!!!! Ahhhhh! Anyways I loved your video, so funny! Yes I really wanna hear about more things you hate haha ;D
FeathersandFaith Unfortunately I'm one of the few people who doesn't really like TOG. :( Love triangles really need to go! And thanks for watching and thinking I'm funny :D
sarawithoutanH Whaaaaat? Noooooooo! ToG is soooo gooood! ♡ Haha no problem, we've got pretty similar humour especially in how we do our videos I guess lolz :3
I said chosen ones too ughh so annoying! I'm weirdly not bothered by triangles IF they're done well, which is a rare find. If they're actually somewhat viable, I'm okay with it. If it's a triangle for the sake of "omg i'm writing YA so I have to include a triangle!" ...no. I really like the point you made with your number 1 trope. It's so true. I hate when obviously beautiful girls don't realize they're beautiful, and why does everyone have to be so goddamn beautiful? jeez
Pink Lemonade Reads Rainbow Rowell is one of the only YA authors I know of that writes normal looking characters. like they're attractive people but they're not drop dead gorgeous. they're realistic.
Literally I agree with all of those! I was going to do this video but you know school so I couldn't vent my frustrations. I really fucking hate the "my whole life I had no idea I was the worlds best magic power person thing and then suddenly I'm thrown into this world and I'm so amazingly badass and cool and hot and perfect and everyone loves me because I'm such a great person!" Like no fuck off Oh also the thing where the lead is like "No I will sacrifice myself to save the whole world i don't care if I lead people to depression or cry until there is nothing left because I am gone" Aaahhh now I can breath
Kirstin Reads I always pre-film my videos on the weekend because I'm so0o0oo busy during the week. I usually film like 3 videos at once and just change my shirt and then I edit throughout the week and you're so right. we need more characters who don't know what the heck they're doing
hmm i haven't read that ( might read it now that you said that ) but i really liked the love triangle in the infernal devices series, that's partly why it's one of my favourite books
side note, I thought I'd comment on how much I like your new thumbnails. MUCHO AESTHETIC GOODNESS. I also dislike how love triangles are always two guys one girl. MIX IT UP AUTHORS.
Clockworkitten thank you! i really did need affirmation because finding a thumbnail aesthetic is HARD I'm reading An Ember in the Ashes right now and it seems like it might be a love square. A girl with two guys but also a guy with two girls? But like a venn diagram because some overlap? It's definitely not instalove so it's hard to tell right now
Probably because of Twilight or something. Maybe YA authors fear that we will get bored if there's one love interest? It's just super annoying. I've noticed that contemporary books have it a lot less
I really love both Eleanor & Park and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Also, anything written by E. Lockhart. To be honest, I can't think of many more??? I used to read them in high school way more but I'm mostly into paranormal, fantasy, etc. now.
sarawithoutanH I'm writing a book myself so I'm sort of biased with my own love triangle (I'm making it as tasteful as possible I swear! And its really more of a square than a triangle lol) but my favorites are Jem Will and Tessa and Cealena (I can never spell it) Dorian and Chaol in the first book after that my otps just disintegrate and it makes me mad
I love your list! I can't stand your number 5&4 tropes, as soon as a book manifests a girl who had to overthrow the government with her super powers I stop reading.
I agree with basically everything you said, YA tropes make me so mad, especially as someone who's trying to write in that genre. Side note, you look a lot like Noora Sætre from Skam
I do! (Most of the time at least) The only time I don't is when it's extremely obvious who the character is going choose and yet she still obsesses over it
Omg I HATE that one overly annoying feminist protagonist that won't let a soul help her but then like go sobs to her boyfriend *cough cough* Tris *cough*
Am I the only one that enjoys a really well done love triangle? Like I hate ones that are just...there. But if they are well done I enjoy them.
My #1 pet peeve is when characters master a skill in .2 seconds.
#1 YES! THANK YOU! Why can't we have some female protagonists who are confident in themselves and are okay with how they look? I swear, it's just an excuse for the love interest to have that cliched "No, you're beautiful!" dialogue with them.
so true! I'm reading Angelfall right now and I noticed that Susan Ee never really gave a description of Penryn. I kind of like that though!
Biggest pet trope peeve. When a book starts with an interesting female protagonist and a strong plot line and then.....the romantic interest shows up and the rest of the novel is basically a romance novel. I feel like it's every single time. Is it just me? Killing me, YA. Killin me. Or the protagonist is "brave and reckless" but is actually just really stupid and has to be rescued consistently by said romantic interest. Sorry, rant over. lol
Yes! This trope has destroyed me. Too many books with great premise that fizzles as soon as a love interest appears.
*cough cough* Evermore *cough cough*
Love triangles: Will Millie choose between the guy she has known her whole life and has an obvious connection and need for or the other guy who's just kind of there and took the blame for her fart once. Hmm i dunnoo - team other guy!
Art3mis literally Katniss choosing between Peeta and Gale. Bitch, just marry Gale already! Peeta threw bread at you once, that’s literally it!
I filmed a bookish pet peeves video today, and I talked about how I didn't like "the chosen one" trope, too! I don't like when they find out they're more than human, and they're like, "no, I'm not. I'm an ordanairy girl." If someone told me I was some otherworldly being I'd accept that real quick.
gracewithabookinherface seriously, if I found out I had cool powers I'd be like let's do this
you know a book i want? a book where the "chosen one" dies before the story starts and the surronding people have to fend off a threat even the gods dont think they will succseed at... that is a premise that would bring a lot of tension
The Wabbajackle WRITE A BOOK!!!
Emma Swan matter a fact i am
Emma Swan the idea of a bunch of nobodies fighting off a horde intended for a sacred chosen one is an idea that i cant beleive no one has ever seemed to use... power fantasies are just too good to pass up these days i guess...
Hhhhhh
Amazing that's a book i will gladly read finally some originality
In this video, Sara describes the YA industry.
Malia Marie lololol
preach!
Yes! I loved what you said about "strong" women. I really feel like I can never relate to those girls because i am a very emotional person, and I do let people in. Like does that mean I'm just weak? Idk. And also, they are literally always "short and petite"
Exactly! What's wrong with having a bright spunky heroine who's generally positive and is willing to be herself?
+ARC the Clarinet Master one of the reasons why i loooovelovelovelove Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, though that's a TV-series
+Sandra Emilie Johnsen Yeah, it's quite telling when the best female characters are the ones on TV, especially in obscure shows like _The Buzz on Maggie_ or _CJ the DJ_, which pretty much *no-one* remembers. Generally, when I think of "strong female characters", *that's* what I think of - a bright young woman who just wants to be herself and do her own thing, and not giving a shit about societal expectations. But *apparently*, Hollywood execs don't buy into that crap, and only in recent years, with films like _Inside Out_, are these types of heroines starting to see the light of day. It's sad, really. :(
Literally yes to everything you said. Especially with the reasons you gave for why you didn't like these particular tropes. I was nodding along and laughing out loud. I love your videos, you always put me in a good mood :)
Chantal Casutt I'm glad you thought my reason were good XD thanks for watching!
I agree with all of these things! & with the thing about the girl being extremely beautiful & thinking she's mediocre & no one will ever love her - it pisses me off too bc then a guy comes around (or should I say two guys come around because there's aLWAYS GOTTA BE THE DAMN LOVE TRIANGLE!...ahem) & they're like oh you're perfect & they have that moment where she goes "no I'm not I'm ugly that's why I'll never be loved" & he'll be like "no bb ur perfect. 4 realz" & she is like 'wow no other guy has ever said this to me or made me feel this way before I AM CURED! all self esteem issues are now fixed bc this dude thinks I'm hot!' like no it does not work that way! & Jesus Christ that type of dialogue is so over done we rly don't need any more of that!
Ibuki Mioda There's sort of a "love conquers all" mentality in fiction. You're addicted to drugs? Just get a significant other and it will be fine! You're depressed? Time for a relationship! Your parents recently died? I'm sure a boyfriend will make you feel better.
sarawithoutanH right! not only is that completely silly to me but it really downplays the seriousness of the issues they had before hand. like if all it takes for them to get over things is finding a cute guy to make out with it clearly wasn't important in the first place lol
Yes!! Yes!! I hate that to be considered, "strong," you have to be stubborn and often just plain rude. THANK YOU for voicing that. :)
Exactly! When I was younger, I was mostly exposed to the "bright, spunky heroine who's willing to be herself and is just optimistic about life" - in other words, a "strong" female character who's generally got a kind, positive demeanour. I honestly don't get why we can't have more of those.
ARC the Clarinet Master I know. Le sigh.
my main female MC is mute from birth...
LOL definitely agree with the love triangles haha. And OMG yes last one is sooo true!!! Great video Sara!
BookGeekMovieFreak love triangles have gotta go! they're so overused
I agree with everything you said. I was just nodding my head in agreement and loudly saying OMG YES and EXACTLY to my computer screen.
^^ lmao I completely did the same thing
"Zoom, zoom, zoom! Make my heart go boom, boom, my supernova girl." I sing that every time you zoom... And I love it.
And can you finish that new version of Les Mis? I would like to hear it. Thanks.
fantanna If I could sing I would finish it XD
I seriously need to invest in a lighting kit! these lighting changes are the worst
I completely agree especially with the last one. Like all these people in most of these books look nothing like real people do.
I hate that "I'm so strong! I never cry! I exhibit what's seen as typically "masculine" traits like hunting and fighting well! That makes me strong!" NO. JUST NO. STOOOOOOOOOP.
i can think of so many YA female protagonists that fit that right now lolol
+Ao-No ichi I honestly don't get why writing female characters is so hard. Like, can't you just write a well-rounded character who just happens to be female?
+Ao-No ichi I know, and it's quite sad, really. I just want girls to have characters they can relate to, you know? That's why I really like the film _Inside Out_ - it actually has a well-rounded and relatable female protagonist who actually has flaws and conflict.
But still - like, if one is a female writer, shouldn't she at least be able to write a good female character, since she herself actually has experience in being female? Now, that's not to say men can't write female characters - speaking as a male myself - but women are obviously better at it, since, well, they happen to be part of that group.
And speaking of male writers, yes, they do often tend to pull the "men can't write female characters" card - which really pisses me off, because I'm an aspiring writer who happens to be male, and I actually have an idea for a cartoon show about a young girl with Asperger's Syndrome, and how she overcomes the obstacles of her daily life. I'll get to that later, but as for that excuse, there have existed other male writers like Lewis Carroll, Dave Polsky, Hayao Miyazaki etc., who have proven that excuse wrong. (Dave Polsky created a show called _The Buzz on Maggie_, which was about an anthropomorphic preteen girl fly, living in a town of anthropomorphic insects in a garbage dump, who dreamed of becoming a rock star, and always had clever schemes to circumvent the hardships of her life, only for them to horribly backfire and induce zany hijinks, and for the protagonist to learn her lesson in the end.) Seriously, though, the more men who use that excuse, the more I feel like I'm going to blow a gasket at how insulting that excuse is. And you know what it reminds me of? It reminds me of autistic people using their autism as an excuse for dumb behaviour - and as someone on the autism spectrum, I personally feel insulted when they do that, just as I feel insulted (as a male writer) when male writers pull the gender card.
And yes, I actually aspire to make cartoons about a girl with Asperger's, and essentially, it'll be based on my personal experiences as a child on the spectrum, albeit with liberties taken here and there to make for an entertaining story (i.e. so it's not just another _Caillou_ or _Punky_, where it's too realistic, and hence kinda boring). So yeah, I want to create a relatable protagonist that any kids, whether they be boys, girls, autistic, neurotypical, American, Australian or whatever, can identify with. It just blows my mind that it comes naturally to me, a young writer with virtually no experience, and yet it's a chore for a lot of professionals who do this for a living. Now, I'm not acting like creating characters is easy, because trust me, I had trouble conceiving the character at first - in fact, she was originally a Mary Sue, mainly because she was, at the time, a side character in a _South Park_ fan fiction that never really went anywhere - but as I developed her more and more, I thought I'd give her her own story, and just go from there. In fact, I'm actually considering writing a pitch bible so that my show might get picked up one day - and after reading articles on *how* to write it, yeah, there's a lot of hard work, but I'm willing to put myself through that if I want my show to see the light of day. I honestly don't understand why applying these principles to *female* characters is such a chore, when all that's different is the sex - and it really disheartens me to think that this is the world our girls live in. In fact, I actually saw a post on Ask.fm from a girl who identifies more with *male* characters because she doesn't find many females to be that interesting - and I just feel sorry for her, that she's practically denouncing her own gender because this is the world she lives in. I'm not pretending that I'm the first person to write an interesting female character, but I'm striving to at least have mine immortalised on TV, or the Internet, or perhaps even in a movie someday, so that at least I'll know I've done my part.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :)
MusicBooksTV doing That lets the authors communicate to the readers that something is really wrong when your emotionally cut off and “I never cry” protagonist is on her knees bawling
Yessssssss i agree so much with everything XD Especially number 4 OMG that is my most hated trope. I feel like YA has a limited view on what makes a strong female character. Beating people up and having masculine characteristics aren;t the only things that can make someone a strong person.
this is obviously off-topic, but you REALLY look like kirsten dunst
I get that a lot :)
i was just about to comment this 😬
This was hilarious. I agree with just about all of them--I think--I forgot one. Characters described as 'perfect' are so ugh.
I am writing a book and she's very emotionally available. She's very open and she's kinda adorable. Though she needs to grow up a little. But she doesn't loose that piece of her.
HA, YOUR REACTION TO LOVE TRIANGLES WAS HILARIOUS! (should warn you that shatter me has a love triangle ;) but you already knew that). There was so much sass in this video, i love it. and yes, we definitely need to be above the worlds standards of beauty. YES, THE SPECIAL POWER THING. Like honestly,why is it that all main characters have a power or a trait that makes them seem ten times more better or powerful than any other character? I want to see an MC who has a really stupid general power who uses it in a different way to save the world. #perspective
ReadLikeWildFire that would be the best book plot! "my power is bending spoons with my mind... somehow i'll save the world with this?"
HA YES. Evil villains: Here comes the evil poison on this metal spoon. MC: NOT TODAY ANTAGONIST. *bends spoon so evil villain eats it instead*
ugh yes, since when is being rude and stubborn being considered as "strong"
The Book Leo i know! i want to see characters who struggle with vulnerability but push themselves to do it anyway.
let's have characters we can actually emulate!
The amount of sass in this video is overwhelming. :D
I agree so much with the chosen one trope. I hate when the universe basically bends around the main character -- all of the best looking guys in the world are in love with them, they are the smartest, the strongest etc. Its so boring because its unrealistic.
girl, i love your editing!
provocativetalkative thanks! :D that means a lot bc i spend so long deciding on the zooms lolol
I AGREE WITH ALL OF THEEESEEE
. . .
AND MY SERIES HAS NONE OF THEEEESEEE!!! XD
stiqula you have dared to go where no author has before - ORIGINAL CONTENT WITH NO CLICHES!
Watching your videos is always entertaining xD and i totally agree with your opinionssss xo
loved watching this! some of the faces you made, had me laughing so much. I totally agree with you on all the tropes you mentioned. especially about the 'average girl'. just- NOOO. so annoying
faeriedrugs the average girl one is THE WORST! i'm like oh look maybe we can relate and then the character is like OH AND MY HAIR TUMBLES IN TOUSLED CURLS TO MY WAIST and i'm like o ok nvm
sarawithoutanH hahah yeah. my top hated trope is instalove, I just immediately dislike a book so much more when instalove is involved
100% agree with all of these especially the chosen one trope omg!!! this is a great video!!!
Your least favorite trope (#1) is called a plain Jane. Also that happens in real life. My sister, for example, has beautiful icy blue eyes, her haircut looks great on her, she can rock any outfit she puts on, and her skin is really clear (she never gets pimples). But she doesn’t think she’s pretty, or rather she won’t accept it.
All of these tropes need to stop. It's so annoying when you pick up yet another book where the main character knows nothing about a surreal world where they find out they have a special place in. And oh, they also are a natural at the world's magic and happen to be the most magical and special of them all. It's predictable and overused and doesn't make any sense. How can the main character automatically be super powerful in a world they were just introduced to?
Also love triangles. Why are they everywhere? How often do people fall in love with two people at the same time in real life?
Lastly (almost done with the rant) I agree with your number one trope and want to read about a character with noticeable physical flaws (that sounds weird). But honestly every main character just happens to be extraordinarily beautiful.
a love triangle where, due to the female's shitty indecisiveness, both of the guys are like "well... while we're waiting for this bitch... lets just hook up lol"
then in the end the guys get together to the girls demise muahahahaa
Girl, you rocking that T Swizzle vibe today ;) OMG THE YOLO STRONG GIRL - seriously, Tris was positively suicidal in Insurgent & it was portrayed as brave and selfless. And yes, the 'completely average, nothing special girl who suddenly has 10 000 guys after her' - totally realistic. AHAHAHA YOUR RESPONSE TO THE 'NOT GOOD LOOKING BUT ACTUALLY A VS MODEL' TROPE xD
I can always trust you to know where I'm coming from ;D
Love triangles are definitely one of my top most hated tropes. It's so frustrating and makes me want to rip the book in half or something xD
sandyreadsalot I'm just so so so so tired of them. like no more. please. noooo moooore.
literally just found your channel today and you're pretty much my spirit animal
i've never been anyone's spirit animal before!!! this iS A GREAT HONOR
:D
This is why I use photo inspiration for my character. My main character Persephone looks like Emily Rudd cause even though she's pretty she's not overly gorgeous to a point its annoying well at least I hope so
jaliyah white I didn't know who Emily Rudd was so I googled it and she is insanely beautiful. Like, I would kill to look like her.
I mean, I wouldn't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a good looking protagonist, so long as they don't bang on about it every three pages / receive constant compliments for said beauty. That's a little annoying...
Erin Voysey thanks
You literally brought a tear to my eye because I was laughing so much
My biggest trope pet peeve is one that isn't even in a lot of books it's just in a lot of fandoms, which is Draco in Leather Pants. People castrating all the evil and awesome out of a character so they can play shipping games with them.
Kyle Bray The thing people do that pisses me off is prettifying Severus Snape. Hell no! He's perfect just the way he is. I will admit my taste in men is weird and snarky bastardry is a feature, not a bug in my mind, but leave the poor guy alone! Hasn't he suffered enough already? Rhetorical question, I take this way too seriously. 😁
omg I'm so glad I followed you! Your personality too *bows down* And all of your hated tropes were so spot on, I couldn't agree more
Alright well now its time to go watch more videos on things you don't like xD
Lindsays Books thank you for subscribing and watching! it means a lot :)
YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I CAN TOTALLY RELATE TO IT!!!
Girl Against the World! that's at least one empowering theme for women in fiction.
YA seems to be bad for women. that may be oversimplifying things, but YA authors it seems really don't make women independent and relatable from these tropes that run amok in the genre. -Josh
***** I'm hoping YA authors will realize we don't want to read about these cliches anymore!
Sometimes, if the MC is overpowered, I just have to brush it away like "okay but would I rather read about their sidekick?" Probably not, so there's a reason we gotta read about this MC... no matter how powerful or annoying... sigh.
YESSS!!! the freaking love triangle trope!!!! Is so formulaic, crusty and stale, geez! What you said about it making the main character make annoying selfish decisions is so true lol Sorry for commenting too much I'm just having a few hallelujah moments over here XD
I agree with all of these so much. Especially the one where the girls call themselves average. Also there should be a lot more body positivity in books. Because I have been reading quite a bit of books where the ladies don't like themselves. This was so great. The sass was real.
picket fenced yes, more body positivity please!
and i always try to keep the sass alive ;)
Talking about the realest stuff. I love when you talk about the things you hate. I don't know why, you just have such fervor. Love, love , love it.
One of my biggest peeves is definitely the one with the girls who are like insanely gorgeous, but think they're totally average. Like, girl, bye. You are a 10/10. Nobody thinks you're average. The boys don't talk to you because you're too bodacious.
Sean Hector I'm better at disliking things than I am at liking them XD
Really loved the way you explained why you didn't like these tropes. I was giggling like a 12 year old school girl :)
thejordanjournals i'm glad i could bring out the adolescent girl in you lolol
What about Tanith Lee? Just a thought.
"strong woman = stubborn and unemotional" Yes! I absolutely hate that. 8 really want to film a video like this but there are so many it would probably be half and hour long.
Maryam Ishaq I was only revealing the tip of the iceberg with the things that make me cringe! haha
shes hilarious.
This is definitely a trailer for your eventual review of the Shatter Me series, haha! :)
Between Chapters haha
have you read the shatter me series? what did you think of it?
Yes I have! I really enjoyed it. I was a Psych major so I loved the writing style, I thought was a good representation of her mental state. I had to kind of adjust my perception of what the story was really about (more character growth, less dystopian world) but overall I enjoyed it! Which book are you on now?
I just finished Unravel Me! I feel similar. Love the writing style and really enjoyed the character development. The dystopian stuff is definitely more a back burner thing. But I really like it overall!
I can't wait to hear what you think about the final book.
I don't like the girl (or guy) against the world trope either!! And I HATE the "girls are strong because they're emotionally unavailable" trope.
Haha I love your last one!
Little Word Weaver yes! strong does not mean emotionally unavailable! i'd like to see a well adjusted strong female character!
This is the best video I've ever seen on this topic.
Your Cat ears look so pretty on you!
The love triangles...ugh. I'm with you!
they gotta stop!!
+sarawithoutanH They really do! I love the Throne of Glass series, but the love triangle in that one is one of the most painful I have ever read.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Yup, this list is perfect. I have nothing to add.
Books & Bulldogs glad we could agree! haha
My boyfriend now thinks I am nuts because I was cackling at this video. I love that you are a fellow negative Nancy.
+SPEWlovesyou I'm just so good at disliking things lolol
hahaha "i'm a WHAT!!!" and ur fucking faces after you described the "plain" girl character omg
Saj Ali "i'm so basic i have long tousled midnight black hair that tumbles down my back and boring pale skin like porcelain and i have an annoying smattering of freckles dusted across my nose and my eyes are a boring shade of indigo"
JUST GET OUT
boRING shade of indigo omg
Definitely agree with your list here. I'm trying to avoid these tropes and many others in the book I'm writing now.
Love Triangles was on my list too, but I was thinking about how they have entered queer fiction too. It's just as bad when the triangle is a guy not being able to choose between two guys or between a girl or a guy.
ChrisVigilante Reads i'm glad you're going to avoid tropes and cliches! I don't understand why authors don't try to do that!
Got to the bit about love triangles and just hit the subscribe button. Thanks for an excellent video. :)
thanks for watching!
It is called the plain Jane trope lol. I hate it too. I hate love triangles too omg. It is the worst and unrealistic thing ever.
this was just so funny, such brilliant video, I love realistic negativity and pretty girls, its a shame they're so often separate but hello collision.
i agree with all of your tropes espically the more than human one, im getting sick of love triangles i have only ever like two love triangles the heart of betrayal and the one in throne of glass i cant really think of any other love triangles i liked
Tori Emerald The love triangle in The Infernal Devices isn't too bad. I just wish YA authors would stop already
+sarawithoutanH yea i still need too finish the infernal devices yeah i just wish there would be more non love triangle books
These are all either some of my favorite tropes or tropes I don't mind 😂
you brought out some really great things but i guess it will just keep on going on every book
monica book lover i hope some of these things eventually die down!
I like your list. You made some really good points :)
Craxy Reads thanks! :)
Omg I absolutely love Throne of Glass so much but the love triangle annoys the living daylights out of me xD Literally I'm almost beginning to hate Chaol because he got in the way haha. But I love Throne of Glass!!!! Ahhhhh! Anyways I loved your video, so funny! Yes I really wanna hear about more things you hate haha ;D
FeathersandFaith Unfortunately I'm one of the few people who doesn't really like TOG. :( Love triangles really need to go! And thanks for watching and thinking I'm funny :D
sarawithoutanH Whaaaaat? Noooooooo! ToG is soooo gooood! ♡ Haha no problem, we've got pretty similar humour especially in how we do our videos I guess lolz :3
I said chosen ones too ughh so annoying! I'm weirdly not bothered by triangles IF they're done well, which is a rare find. If they're actually somewhat viable, I'm okay with it. If it's a triangle for the sake of "omg i'm writing YA so I have to include a triangle!" ...no. I really like the point you made with your number 1 trope. It's so true. I hate when obviously beautiful girls don't realize they're beautiful, and why does everyone have to be so goddamn beautiful? jeez
Pink Lemonade Reads Rainbow Rowell is one of the only YA authors I know of that writes normal looking characters. like they're attractive people but they're not drop dead gorgeous. they're realistic.
I literally agree with all your hated tropes!
Eric The Blonde Yaaasss!
YES!! Love triangles make me so angry! lol
WhitnyeK86 they're seriously not realistic!!!
OMG I agree with everything you said, and the last one is sooo true!! Great video :) ~ Raven
Bookworm Duo thanks!
Literally I agree with all of those! I was going to do this video but you know school so I couldn't vent my frustrations.
I really fucking hate the "my whole life I had no idea I was the worlds best magic power person thing and then suddenly I'm thrown into this world and I'm so amazingly badass and cool and hot and perfect and everyone loves me because I'm such a great person!" Like no fuck off
Oh also the thing where the lead is like "No I will sacrifice myself to save the whole world i don't care if I lead people to depression or cry until there is nothing left because I am gone"
Aaahhh now I can breath
Kirstin Reads I always pre-film my videos on the weekend because I'm so0o0oo busy during the week. I usually film like 3 videos at once and just change my shirt and then I edit throughout the week
and you're so right. we need more characters who don't know what the heck they're doing
+sarawithoutanH yeah I should probably start doing that 😂😂
Like seriously we need more clueless characters once in a while
could someone please explain to a non-native what a trope is :D
An overused cliche :)
thanks! :)
Actually really like love triangles (when they're done well though )
I recently read An Ember In the Ashes and I thought it was done well there!
hmm i haven't read that ( might read it now that you said that ) but i really liked the love triangle in the infernal devices series, that's partly why it's one of my favourite books
your first trope isn't a trope it's a genre.
side note, I thought I'd comment on how much I like your new thumbnails. MUCHO AESTHETIC GOODNESS. I also dislike how love triangles are always two guys one girl. MIX IT UP AUTHORS.
Clockworkitten thank you! i really did need affirmation because finding a thumbnail aesthetic is HARD
I'm reading An Ember in the Ashes right now and it seems like it might be a love square. A girl with two guys but also a guy with two girls? But like a venn diagram because some overlap? It's definitely not instalove so it's hard to tell right now
Love squares are good. (Pentagons are a personal favourite)
Clockworkitten what books have you read with a love pentagon!?
(Idk I was attempting a joke sorry it won't happen again) xD
Clockworkitten as sarcastic as I am sometimes I am really dense when people are being facetious!!
I get tired of love triangles. Why is this a fad? Luckily Adult fiction don't have alot.
Probably because of Twilight or something. Maybe YA authors fear that we will get bored if there's one love interest? It's just super annoying. I've noticed that contemporary books have it a lot less
That's good. Though I haven't read that many contemporary books. What are some of your favorites?
I really love both Eleanor & Park and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Also, anything written by E. Lockhart. To be honest, I can't think of many more??? I used to read them in high school way more but I'm mostly into paranormal, fantasy, etc. now.
I will look those up. I also read a lot of paranormal, fantasy, and other stuff except contemporary.
I like tasteful love triangles, not the Edward and Jacob love triangle type thing
Will, Jem, and Tessa are my favorite love triangle :)
sarawithoutanH I'm writing a book myself so I'm sort of biased with my own love triangle (I'm making it as tasteful as possible I swear! And its really more of a square than a triangle lol) but my favorites are Jem Will and Tessa and Cealena (I can never spell it) Dorian and Chaol in the first book after that my otps just disintegrate and it makes me mad
First book of Throne of Glass that is
I love your list! I can't stand your number 5&4 tropes, as soon as a book manifests a girl who had to overthrow the government with her super powers I stop reading.
Yes yes yes
Can't add anything perfectoo ✌🏽️
JiixBooks glad you liked them!
I really appreciate this video.
I'm glad! thanks for watching :)
I agree with basically everything you said, YA tropes make me so mad, especially as someone who's trying to write in that genre. Side note, you look a lot like Noora Sætre from Skam
I couldn't agree more with top 1
glad you could relate! :)
I've just found this channel, and I don't know if you've been told this (probably a million times) but you look a lot like Kirsten Dunst. 😂
I AGREE with everything in this video...
CamiReads93 YAY
you are so perfect
I think I'm the only person ever who actually likes love triangles hahaha
I do! (Most of the time at least) The only time I don't is when it's extremely obvious who the character is going choose and yet she still obsesses over it
Amber Camilla haha, please tell me your thoughts! i'd love to know why you love them
These are so true!!
Livvy P glad you agree!
Omg I HATE that one overly annoying feminist protagonist that won't let a soul help her but then like go sobs to her boyfriend *cough cough* Tris *cough*
Mary Pat McCartney I honestly never even read past Divergent because I disliked Tris so much!
you're hilarious.
I like your ears.
You're just so funny 😆
Cristina Nomu haha, thanks!
It is sunday
You are honestly hilarious
SydneeyRenee thanks friend! :D
lol
Hehe. You're hilarious!
KNews andBooks aw thanks!
Ha you're hilarious.
thanks! :)