So I use phrases in some reviews that I've created myself, in order to describe an idea. I've only got a few now, but I'll update this list as I need to.
Happyland Syndrome: Happyland Syndrome is a term my sister and I made up to describe a syndrome that occurs in some books. There are some books that have plots that works out too well. It's as if the characters life in "Happyland," where everything works out too well to be realistic, all the dialogue is perfectly thought out, everyone forgives each other and loves each other, and arguments are resolved too quickly. It's not a positive thing: it get irritating.
JMS or Jenny McGrady Syndrome: overuse of a phrase. Created after reading a book series by Patricia H. Rushford published in 1993 which features a main character named Jenny McGrady, who is always getting into trouble and always emotionally "getting slugged in the stomach."
Example:
Jenny felt as if she'd been slugged in the stomach.
(page 1, page 4, page 7, page 18 etc. page numbers are the example, not accurate.)
Fictional Preaching: a book that feels like a textbook. Sometimes it feels (may not always be the case) that an author wrote a book for the single reason of preaching their viewpoints through their characters.
(Example: a Christian Fiction novel that feels like reading a sermon).
May not be preaching: it may be a political viewpoint, or just information about a subject
(Example: A character who loves baseball may spend more time "teaching" the reader about baseball than needed).
Interior Monologue: the thoughts the character thinks to themselves.
Exterior Monologue: when interior monologue is made into dialogue. It sounds awkward and overdone, and too wordy, and has too much information. People don't say everything that comes to mind… at least they shouldn't. With Exterior Monologue, it's like they say everything they think.
Example:
"It’s just that I’m so happy to be outside for the first time in such a long time. I seldom left my room on the ship, and this is the first time I’ve been out of your house. Everything looks fresh and new.”
(pg 108, ARC, of An Earl to Enchant)
Should be:
"It’s just that I’m so happy to be outside for the first time in such a long time." She had seldom left her room on the ship, and it was her first time outside of his house. Everything looked fresh and new.
Plot Overkill: when everything that can possibly happen, happens.
Example:
Maurice is a lawyer, and she loves to knit, and she cooks, and she used to dance ballet. She falls in love with Jared, who happens to be a vampire, but won't tell her because he's afraid she won't defend him in court, because he got into a law suit involving a yarn store. She and he meet at a ballroom dancing class and discuss politics and French food while she helps him get fit—because she got a degree in physical therapy—and he wants to kill her and drink her blood but he loves her too much, so he decides… (and it just keeps getting worse).
Empty Scene: A scene where stuff happens but nothing actually happens.
Example:
a scene where the character thinks about stuff, washes dishes, does laundry, makes a phone call, and checks her e-mail. It doesn't help the story at all. It should be cut.
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