Thursday, July 19, 2012

Thursday Wants to See More of These in Books


I’ve noticed I complain a lot on here about all the things that annoy me in books, so today I wanted to talk about what I’d like to see more of. 

MCs who WANT to fall in love- I don’t know about y’all, but after reading so much, I can’t wait to fall in love. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I think love is out there for everyone. I’ve read a lot of characters who either completely avoid love or never think about it (which I find so unrealistic since anyone who spends two seconds in a high school hallway will see couples all over the place).  What if a character is so desperate to find “the one” that she bumps into a lot of “the jerks”, “the cheaters”, and “the heartbreakers”? What if meeting those guys doesn’t change her mind about finding love? What if a MC is so desperate to find love she seems clingy? I think this would be something new and interesting to play with, and it could make your MC more relatable (since really who hasn’t at one point wanted to fall in love?). 

MCs who wear makeup- Why are there so many MCs who don’t know how to use a mascara brush? I knew how to put on makeup before I even wore makeup. I’ve noticed a ton of MCs who have no idea how to use make up but have a friend (secondary character) who is gorgeous and knows everything there is to know about makeup… Why can’t the MC be the fashion forward one? I think it is so much more stressful trying to find “the look” (I know I have looked in my full closet a few times and saw NOTHING cute to wear) than having a fashion forward friend find it. Trying to look good for someone is part of the fun of makeup. So why aren’t there more makeup knowing MCs? They don’t have to be ready to go on the runway but at least high school maybe. I know makeup is considered the “girly-girl” thing, but really and truly how many teenagers do you know who don’t wear makeup of some kind? I once counted the number of girls in one of my classes who weren't wearing makeups, and only one girl wasn’t.

First Dates- First dates can be so cute and romantic and awkward. Use them! I’ve seen them in contemporary, but rarely if ever in paranormal ROMANCE and fantasy. I know the world as we know it might need saving, but why can’t the love interests get that first date? You can blow something up at the end of the date, so they don’t get the awkward “do we kiss goodbye” at the front door scene if it tickles your fancy just as long as we get that date. (PS. When I say date, I mean planned in advance, getting dressed up, and making awkward conversations while peeking over dirty paper menus to look at your date.) 

A Guy who ISN’T in Love with the MC- I know your MC is amazing, but everyone doesn’t have to be in love with her. I always kinda yawn when I see a best friend in love with the MC because it’s become a cliché. I kinda already talked about how much I loathe love triangles, so I’ll just leave you thinking how you could spice up the best friend relationship. Maybe he used to love your MC before she turned into a bad apple. Maybe he’s in love with your MC’s sister. What if he only likes your MC for physical reasons (he doesn’t care about her personality in that way).

What do you wanna see more in books? Are What Ifs fun for you to write?