Hrm...

[Mitera Nikkou]

You know, while it has been on my mind for a while, I've now consciously realized that I find the vast majority of books and stories to be dumb. Well, any of them that aim to be serious and realistic, anyway. Mind you, I'm only referring to the characters. Time and time again I wonder why a character doesn't think this, or doesn't think that, or doesn't seem to think at all. They seem more like a means to an end than a real factor in the development. A tool... A cold, mindless tool.

Being that I tend to read stories with at least some sort of TG (when I actually do read something), I'll use a common situation found in them, as my example. Well, you know how it goes... The character changes in some radical way, and people look at them differently. They could be the kindest person that the character knew, a person of a faith, a best friend, or even a parent that, before the change, they had been tight with. And then, suddenly, this character is a monster to them, when in fact the monster has come out of these worthless characters, in both portrayal and role in the plot. And then the character usually finds comfort in one (sometimes more) other tool, either known or new to them. This tool is the opposite of the other tools (the monsters), who happen to be in just the right place and just the right time for where the author intends the story to go.

If that's not bad enough, it's so common. It's as if the characters around the character changed all have issues with it, which isn't very realistic. Or is it just a reflection of how the world is? I'd hate to think so. I can understand characters putting in effort to manage with the changed character while they try to get accustomed to it themselves (unless they had a technical death, aka a significant change to a personality), but all of them driving this character away, toward something, or pushing the character in a manner that would demonstrate something else about the change they had undergone, such a super power? I mean, come on...

I know there are intolerant people out there, with or without irrational fears/insecurities based on intangible ideas that could never effect them unless they allowed them to. Still, the level and amount of single-dimension characters (as far as I call them based on my own perceptions) is outrageous... In part, I'm sure that's a good chunk of the reason why I don't read much, other than the fact that most of everything has been done to death and reading one is like reading another, for me. Not even a story with faeries will impress me because it'll likely be filled with the same old.

I guess I'm just unlucky like this.

[AnimaVex]

Well, that happens when people only try to make ordinary stories. Writing IS an art, and you have to devote a lot of time and concentration on it. In order to make myself clear, I'll use myself as an example. Any of my stories has to be different. There has to be that kind of eye-catching quality to it. Otherwise, I won't try to write it. In fact, that's why I haven't even dared to write the rest of my Digimon fanfic; It's too similar to Season three in the beginning.

[Mitera Nikkou]

I don't think it's because they're ordinary... More like a standard of sub par has taken root. Not just your run-of-the-mill fan-fiction writer, but plenty of popular/respected authors, too. There's just a lack of imagination these days... *Sighs* Not that I can talk... I don't even have the attention span to write stories.

[Chibi MitchellTF]

A lot of times it is a statement on bigatry. Which is that it is completely senseless. (It's also a writing device.)

Bigatry is a big thing to write about, even misspelled, because it has a lot of relevance, or can seem to have a lot of reveleance, in many issues today, and helps make a character instantly dislikable.

[Mitera Nikkou]

*Scratches head* Then why did you misspell it? O.o

I don't see what's so good about bigotry. Well, I'm sure that it adds its own flavor, but hardly anyone puts in the right amount, or they put it in a recipe that really doesn't need it. I mean, you end up with the changed person's friend not liking said changed person because they picked it up from their father... But how did it come about that the father hated what the changed person had become? Woops... Missed that detail. Or this kind old woman who never said a terrible word to this person their whole life and suddenly she was scared and laying on the fightin' woids. Why? The ball is dropped there, too... Heck if we know! This changed person just needs to feel ostracized and alone, hated, to feel like a victim among supposedly-victimized people. Who cares how well the stage is set? -_-

Kind of like in a lot of fan-fiction (and even plain ol' fiction), authors will toss in bullies as a common tool to head toward some desired point in the plot. The bullies? Oh, they're usually just bullies... They come and they go... No more, no less.

One of the worst characters I've come across recently was Umbridge, from the fifth Harry Potter book. Simply terrible. Dislike her, like was the likely intent of the author? Oh, no... Just really, really stupid and redundant. There just wasn't any rhyme or reason, insofar as being one of Harry's many problems... Which seem to be abound in each book. I know I'm not a sucker to feel sympathy for Harry, for such silly and trite devices. I'll feel a bit for the loss of his parents (even though that is a common device itself), but that's about it.

I dunno... I guess I'm just getting tired of having so little to enjoy in the world. There isn't much trash that I can consider treasure, no matter how desperate I may become. X_X