HIGH SCHOOL. PERIOD.
No. Me, not mad. Okay? Not mad.
I'm ASSUMING that majority of the writers/readers here are in high school as when you get to uni, you're busy, you have a job, all that. And when you're in middle school, well, you're either really talented or imaging what high school is, which is a very good thing as... Well. I've got nothing.
These are ALL my opinions.
Disclaimer, done.
THE CLICHES I SEE.
Apparently there's always the boy (new kid), the boy (mysterious badass), the girl (enemy slut), the girl (your BFF who is crazy, semi-popular, beautifuller than you are, your idol, whatever).
#0.5: BAD BOY is your LOVER BOY.
THIS is what I see, like, in every other teen fiction, and humor, chicklit, or romance related novel. SWITCH it up a bit. Instead of writing about Yeller Teigen, the mysterious bad boy that every girl wants to know more about, and the main character, that's about the nerdiest or oddest girl out of the bunch, somehow always gets that one boy's attention without attracting anyone else.
Sure, you may want attention from that real bad boy of your class, but don't always make it seem like they want you. Maybe they see an aspect of you they haven't seen before EVER. Or they've never even noticed you. Don't make it so that they've either a) always hated you, or b) always adored you.
#1: The SLUT is the ENEMY.
Okay, so yeah, if you're often referred to as the slut, then you're most likely a b*tchy wh*re no one likes. BUT they don't have to be the enemy. Changing it up and making some smart prep the enemy, or something elite and high class in estate can really shape up the interest. Hey, why not even have some nerdy chick threatening the main character that "nerdy" is the new "cool".
Now you've got something to FIGHT for. Not just some girl who just hates you for no apparent reason that you don't bother to hate back because they're hopeless sluts that are going to get into no school either way.
#2: The EX GIRLFRIEND is, like, DARTH VADER. Or the BFF.
OMG. This is worse than the one up above. The ex girlfriend of your bad boy or lover boy hates or forgives you way too quickly; kind of suspicious. Okay, this does make sense, but why not shape it? Try leveling that ex girlfriend rather than keeping her staying the minor character.
MAINS: dynamic = changes from the beginning to the end of the story.
MINORS: static = remains the same beginning and end of story.
Make her a main character, an important figure, and have her change throughout the story. I would rather see some attention over her head rather than the typical "she hates me and now she's either going to a, team up with the slut and try to ruin me or b, become my bestie!"
#3: WEAK main character.
So, if the main character is empowered gradually from a weak nerdy nobody to one of the strongest confident women the world has seen, I'm okay with it. It's refreshing to read once in a while. BUT if the main character is weak and STAYS that way throughout the ENTIRE NEXT THIRTY CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK?!
Thats when I whip my taser out.
(Swear to God, I only see this happening in high school related stories)
#4: The BET. Dun, dun, DUN.
It all starts with that one bet that seems to pull the nerdy girl and the popular boy together.
Unless you're a gambling addict or someone who tastes nasty risks (which shy girls don't), the use of bets just doesn't exist. Besides, what is a bet? Other than a promise, you can escape it any time. But for SOME REASON, that popular boy who can get a girl a hundred times better than the main character, wants to be with you as he feels he's connected to you. And then the next week he says he's in love with you.
To be honest, the only bets I have with guys are one of these two things: who has the better grade by the end of the semester, or who can skateboard down the hill the longest. Like, really. Guys are not as mature as a lot of people portray them.
(Out of all the cliches, please avoid this one at all costs.)
#5: THE NAMES of these PEOPLE.
This isn't as revolting or hair-ripping, eye-balling, ARGH---okay, I think I'm done. But still, a lot of the time you have Mackenzie: popular blonde brat or the surname of a popular tanned ripped hottie.
Or Naomi: nerdy sub character or weird hipster cheerleader-wannabe.
Jessica: b*tchy cheerleader or that one smartass girl who gets everything she wants.
Daniel or Eric: the rich boys that have enough money to spoil their seventh generation following after them.
Matt, Maxx, hm... Ryder, David, Carter, and the infamous Josh: the jocks that walk around in huddles---penguin style.
Carrie, Mary, Carly, Skylar: the quirky hipster-slash-nerds that are a clique of themselves. Wonderful.
Ryan: that one gay best friend. Wha-?
REMEMBER, shape the MOST STEREOTYPICAL jock names the transform those people into NERDS or better yet, the ORIGINAL character. No matter how cliche your story may be, at least add something more to it by transforming the names we're so familiar with suiting a specific stereotype.
#6: Flawless BARBIE.
Literally. These girls or guys are perfection. Sheer perfections, apparently, inside and out. Everyone has their flaws, but these people? Nah. They're too perfect to have imperfections.
If they're going to be "perfect", make them the "idol" of your main character. Don't make them, you know, the perfect girls or guys that are stick skinny, have TONS of time they throw around, have people ogling after them, carry a Chanel bag, usually fit in every other clique there is, and has the most gorgeous hair possible.
#7: So Called BFFS forgets to tell you she went on a DATE.
Sometimes, just to fill a missing gap, authors tend to do this:
"Why weren't you there on Saturday?"
"Look. I'm sorry. I completely forgot to pick you up."
"Sasha! I got freakin' touched by David last night!"
"B-but, I was on a date!"
Erm. Well, how to wrap that one up?
#8: Random Acts of Violence. Because your story is BORING.
Adding a really avoidable situation simply because your story is getting boring is kind of, like, getting an F on your exam. Don't have two people fighting randomly because the story is getting boring. Okay? Just STOP! Sometimes the violence is extended to things that are quite... odd. Like people randomly dying.
#9: The STORY TITLE gives away EVERYTHING.
Now just to get reads, we see a lot of people who do this, like, "The Bad Boy Loves Me And Then We Got Married But Then His Ex Arose From The Graveyard As A Vampire And Now She Wants To Kill Me". Or even the simplist like, "Romeo and Juliet: Modern Vers". Titles like those give everything away, and you find that happening with the high school-related books.
#10: "LOVE YA, GURL".
First of all, you don't love her. Just say the girl has a boy best friend or a boy she likes or likes her or something twisted like that, he overuses the word "love" or says it WAY too early.
For starts, how long does it take to love? Because apparently in the high schools of Wattpad, love happens before first sight.
#11: MATURE high school BOYS.
Relating to number four, this happens quite a bit. The boy feels as though he's in love. In love. That's something majority of thirty year old men don't say because they're seven weeks INTO their relationship. In other words, real people don't say they're in love. Not when they're in high school. And if they did, it's more, "awh, you're cute" rather than a deep and sympathic "I truly love you" which you only find in Victorian styled era writes that make no sense because they use parasols and fluffy white skirts along with wired corsets in the middle of summer.
None of this makes sense, does it?
#12: FREAKING Teacher/Student Stories.
Now. Not only is this displaying open and public paedophilia, it's just weird. When I had first heard about this being such a thing on the Internet, I barfed inside of my mouth whenever I looked at one of my forty-to-sixty year old teachers. Like, no. First of all, you need a bachelors to become a teacher, often times they're twenty two. And to become a professor, they either need to be, like, SUPER DUPER SMART or they have to probably wait another five years. I've never once seen a University professor who is twenty six years old and looks like the hottest thing on the Earth.
First of all, to become a teacher, it's not only hard work, but expensive. You see this guy has to either be rich or something, right? He owns an apartment like most starting out teachers. Not depending on where you live, this differs. But a happy teacher who is really hot dating a student? It's even more disgusting in high school stories since not only is there a bigger age difference, it's against the law. And me, being super cautious about the law found it outrageous when this was such a topic on here. But, the more I'm reading, I'm slowly falling in love with these genres. Oh my Go-ARGHASDFGHJKL.
What have you done to be Wattpad? I've been Wattpadified.
#13: The Bad Boy is my Babysitter.
ASDFGHJKL again! This is getting quite to the point that it's making me jealous. First of all, what kind of parents do you have to make them your babysitter? I mean, holy mother of Lord Jesus! That is not what a true parent would do. That, otherwise, why the heck is it the bad boy who gives no damn about school life or parenting whatsoever? Thirdly, this guy, just to top it all off, is filthy rich (like, why would he need the money to babysit if he was so perfect). And he babysits you. And he's okay with it. In fact, he had NO idea he was babysitting the geek that he was slowly falling in love with.
But nope! What a coincidence, huh? What a flippin' coincidence.
SOME HIGH SCHOOL MISFITS I SEE: IN TERMS OF WRITING.
#1: Why do I see people TEXTING?!?!
I do understand texting is a huge part of modern culture. Actually, no, I wouldn't. Because I don't hug my phone all the time. Like, I do have a decent LG touchscreen. I can get good Android games on them. I don't have Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Kik (whatever that is). But I find it pointless texting. Like, really pointless. I mean, if it's urgent, we have emails, right?
Maybe it's because I'm missing out of this texting universe and secretly jealous deep within, but it angers me so much when they read off texts. Why not just don't mention the texts at all? Or why not name the book, "My Texting Life" or "Gosh, I Need to Get a Life" or "I'm Addicted to My Phone". Why not, "Without my Thumbs I'm nothing"? Or just have the main character texting EVERY OTHER DAMN FLIPPIN' CHAPTER, why don't ya? I understand that if it's just one chapter out of thirty, but if it's ten chapters out of thirty, even if it's a portion of the book, it really pisses me off.
Really, there are things in life that I don't understand. Texting in books. A big one.
#2: Today, I'm wearing a shirt, a pair of pants, some shoes, and oh, some lip gloss! Because all of this information is SO NECESSARY because it has a huge affect on the end result of the chapter or has some good future references.
Look, if it truly does have a huge affect on the character or their personality, that's VERY powerful. If there are future references being used, that's EVEN BETTER. Truthfully, it is important to intwine your character's personality and traits through clothing.
BUT when it gets to a point, this person is literally listing off everything they've done this morning to enhance their features? It gets a bit overused. And besides, this isn't a YouTube video. Do your Outfit Of The Day someplace else because unless it's a fashion guide or booklet, the information is truly uncessary.
#3: Typos. Like, the really bad ones.
Just a compliation of what I see:
"Expressive blah, expressive blah, expressive blah, bootiful, expressive blah..."
"Would you like to join the cher squad?" < at least make one of the characters point out the mistake when you're editing.
"Marissa Ashton" the..." < don't you notice the difference between : and "?
When an English teacher says: "Alrighty class. Please open open your books up to pwafe sixty twp."
"R U O.K?!?!" < not even a typo *facepalm*
";D," he said. < not a typo either.
With all this being said, there are very good authors out there who have high school-related books that I really enjoying digging my nose into. Here are just all of the ones I truly do admire the works of. From quirky to independant, these books really grasp me.
The Boy Catalogue by Sugar Coated
*a very refreshing read that intertwines romance, chicklit, and teen fiction. It's girly, dishy, and something I like to read every once in a while to enlighten my personality. I find a lot of the times I'm commenting along with all her books, like, "NO! That cannot happen!" or something weird like that. She's an undiscovered author and I LOVE her profile paragraph as it's very influential and powerful. In my personal opinion, of course.
Project Fat Suit by not_present
*love this story because it mixes humour and intellegence at the same time. The characters are strong because they're quirky, sarcastic, and loveable. A very entertaining read that doesn't saddle on too much cliches. And besides, without at least one cliche in the book, what is there to read anyways? ;P
The Heartbroken Heartbreaker by SamMadison
*excellent read for those who love high school romances and cliche, but isn't overly dramatized and doesn't have the significant amount of typos a lot of stories seem to carry around these days. Not only that, it's a very relaxing read as it has both humour and drama together. Drama is loveable, and very entertaining, but the level of drama is balanced with softening humour that I always find myself laughing over about. Really great read for people who aren't reluctant readers but want something cliche-y to read once in a while.