Most Common Writing Errors ✔️

Clunky Dialogue + Realism

I'm a film major. One of the first things we studied was the history of film, and realism is part of that. There were a series of filmmakers and films that made everything so realistic to the point where there was no editing. You would watch characters walk from point A to point B, you would hear their sniffles, you would see them yawn, etc. There were no cuts. The films were hours upon hours long.

Not many people liked those movies, and they died out quickly. Why? Because realistic is not synonymous with good.

The biggest example of bad realism is The Last Of Us 2.

Spoilers ahead.

It is no secret that I adore The Last Of Us but dislike The Last Of Us Part 2. Although The Last Of Us Part 2 is not as bad as some say it is, it does not have a good narrative due to its obsession with realism.

If you like TLOU2, please don't be offended by my opinion. You can like and dislike whatever you want, just like how I can like and dislike whatever I want.

Here come the spoilers, you've been warned. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, feel free to skip to the bolded *** marks you'll see below (or read my explanation anyway, whatever you want to do).

Spoilers Start

Let's talk about Joel's death.

I have no problem with Joel dying. In fact, I expected it to happen. However, it did not happen in a good way. It was full of contrivances that forced it to happen rather than having it happen naturally.

The biggest defense I see for Joel's death is, "Well, it was realistic."

Okay. 

That doesn't mean it's good.

Many people seem to think realistic = good. It does not. Life Is Strange accurately showed how teenagers speak. It was realistic, and even though I enjoy the game, good lord the dialogue was awful. And it was because it was realistic.

I swear I'm going somewhere with this, bear with me.

Back to Joel. Defenders say, "Well anyone can die at any time, especially in the zombie apocalypse. It's realistic." That is correct, but the devs had to change Joel and the rules of their world in order to make it happen.

That's not good writing, my guys.

While the gritty nature of TLOU2 was realistic, there were too many contrivances and OOC (out-of-character) moments to make it a good, impactful death.

This has nothing to do with him dying unceremoniously and everything to do with how it happened.

Let's get the contrivance counter.

So Joel just happens to be on patrol (1) the day Abby happens to decide to go after him (2). A giant zombie horde happens to appear on that same day (3), and it's conveniently never explained why it's there or why it left later (4). Joel happens to be exactly where Abby was right in time to save her life (5). Joel decides to save her life even though old Joel would have left her as zombie bait (6). Abby's camp happens to be the only shelter nearby (7). Joel and Tommy, two people hardened by the apocalypse, happen to agree to going (8). When they get there, Tommy and Joel decide to give up their names despite how they would never do this (9). Joel walks into the middle of the room around a group of strangers despite how he would never do this even if he was "softened" by Jackson like some defenders say (10). Tommy has a perfect view of the entire room but happens to not see Abby take the shotgun from another WLF member (11). Abby shoots Joel without asking for a last name or any other form of confirmation that he's the one she's looking for; Joel is a common name and Jackson is a huge town by apocalypse standards. Even I know three Joels in my small area (12). Ellie, a hardened survivor, decides to casually stroll inside the room full of people even though she had a perfect, clear shot of Abby from where she was in the doorway and could have saved Joel (13). I won't even get into the WLF letting Ellie live.