I Don't Even Know (Wattpad Rants)

"Hi! My name is..." (+ Review Request Info)

I am back!

I'm going to keep this short as it's pretty self-explanatory, and it's one of those topics that are easy for me to talk about without having to go through an extensive search for books.

I may have talked about this before, but I don't really remember, so...

^ (Oh well!)

Anyway, let's get on with it!

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"Hi, my name is Annabelle, and I'm a haunted doll that tries to possess people!"

Intros in a story like that do not work for me, so I usually exit the book as soon as I see it. There are exceptions where this works, but it gets really annoying when people write like their book is a diary.

Like, honestly, this trope is so annoying to read, especially if it's in the first chapter of a book about bad boys or alphas or something like that. Just no. The moment I read that, I know that whoever is being introduced will go into extreme detail of their morning routine, down to what type of toothpaste they used.

^ (Like, no! BORING!)

I don't know what it is about this intro. I just feel like it's such a lazy way to start a book, and if the author doesn't have enough creativity to give details through the actions/dialogue of the character rather than outright saying it to our faces, I don't really want to read their book.

I mean, I don't really think your character has to break the fourth wall like that. It's just so distracting, like the characters KNOW that we are reading their story.

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Okay, now that the negative part is out, I will give you the few exceptions where intros like these work:

🔘 If the book really IS a diary, it might make sense for someone to start out like that. However, I don't know why anyone would need to introduce themselves in their own diary, so that might be just a little far-fetched.

🔘 If your book is SUPPOSED to start out like that, I'll let it slide. Some books are logs or formatted like some kind of forum for true stories (kinda like creepypastas), so their blatant introductions aren't as out of place as when they do it in a story.

🔘 This is just a suggestion, as I actually haven't ever read a book that started out like this. If you're so keen to use this "Hi, my name is..." intro, maybe use it in your character's dialogue. For example, your character could be introducing her/himself to the class as a new student using that old trope. At least it's a spin on the cliche, so it wouldn't be as jarring. Plus, it gives a reason for the character to be saying that.

And that's it. Three exceptions, yet I see a lot of teen fics going about with that introduction. I think it's usually down to the inexperience of new writers or because they've seen popular/professional books start out this way. The thing is, though, that professional writers are aloud to break rules because it works with their writing, and they know what they're doing.

There's a piece of advice my old English teacher liked to give:

You have to understand the rules of writing before you break them.

That way, when you break the rules, you won't end up with a boring, bland, or downright convoluted piece of work that's just confused about its identity.

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Welp. I don't think I let out enough salt for that.

Anyway, time for some announcements!

I have had quite a few asking me to give them some writing advice, so I decided I might as well officially start reviewing books. I just wanted the readers of this book to be the first to know about it.

I will be posting a new book specifically for giving advice and reviewing books, so watch out for that. For now, I'm at a pretty intense phase of university, and exams will be coming up in a couple of weeks, so I'll probably be too busy to do a lot of reviews. I will try my best, but expect to wait a while before you get your feedback.

To request for a review and for more information, watch out for this book:

It should be up soon. Possibly right after I publish this chapter.

For now, any review I do will be super slow (it will be slow enough, but with the pressure of uni, it will be even slower), which is why I want you guys to go and request now. First come, first serve, so the first few requests that come in will be finished sooner.

I wasn't going to post that book for a while since I didn't want to make any promises I won't keep, but I thought it'd be best to start the requesting process now.