Getting Perspective

I've been reading a horrible book for the past week. This endeavor has made me more aware of some of my shortcomings. It has also given me cause to evaluate my writing goals as well as my intentions for this blog. So now, dear reader, you can play the father on prom night as I try to clarify my intention.

The writer of the novel I am reading neglected to check his facts. Every time I read something that is blatantly wrong, I get pulled out of the story and into the real world. Since his story takes place in the real world, not Middle Earth or Naboo, I expect events to be influenced by the laws of the real world. I aspire to either create a world where "magic" can happen or follow the rules as I know them. This may require a little more work and a lot more research on my part, but the stories I create are worth it.

I also find that the author of the horrible, terrible book relies too much on happy coincidences. People just happen to bump into each other far too often. Some characters just happen to develop knowledge or powers that are not conceivably possible. If I seem to be relying too much on happy coincidences in my little snippets, I expect comments that caution me to stop. I understand that the occasional happy coincidence will move the story along, but they cannot happen every ten pages.

I know I will never have an issue with my next complaint because I am a prude, but I have to mention it here because I have seen even great authors utilize it. Sex should not be a tool to break up the tension in your story. Honestly, I have mastered skimming past the sex scenes because they tend to bore me. I tire of people trying to spice up their narrative with sex scenes that have nothing to do with the story. How do I know they are trying to spice it up? The characters decide to have sex all of the time--happy, sad, scared, on the run, post-op, pre-op, because they don't have coffee handy, you get the point.

Anyway, I had to get that little rant out. Feel free to rant at me the next time I post a fiction post or right below this one. Feedback is my friend!