What is the most annoying thing in fiction stories?

[Pearlsaul]

Because I'm curious: What are some characteristics of general fiction that really annoy you? ie: character types, dead plots, please specify for these.

[clinton]

One random thing that I really dislike is when characters of a book murmur, particularly if more than one of them do so. Every time it really throws me out of the story. Why can't they whisper or speak softly, why do they have to murmur?

I also can't stand it when the protagonist constantly self doubts. I understand it if they do at the beginning of a story and by the end of the story they have learned lessons, but to doubt themselves the entire story is very frustrating for me the reader. I stopped reading Terry Brooks Shannara series because of this.

It really bothers me when characters act contrary to their own self interest, and not because of self destructive tendencies on their own part, but because of outside influences. About half of Bentley Little's books suffer from this. A character will see something completely horrific, and tell themselves that they need to leave but they remain, and slowly unconcern themselves until they forget. It drives me up the wall.

[DarthDandelion]

I hate it when characters aren't as smart as they should be. I read The Devil's Elixir recently and it annoyed me so much that the archaeologist in the story was asking the federal agent questions an archaeologist should have known. It was obvious the author was putting more emphasis on the agent because he was the protagonist, but making the other character seem stupid ruined the whole book for me (that and I'm an archaeology nerd so I found it extra offensive ).

I also hate gender norms in books. Always having the male as the action hero saving the day and the female as the damsel in distress or the sidekick drives me insane. Again, same book, female agents became babysitters (literally because apparently none of the male agents knew how to handle a child). Or when female characters are absurdly perfect. It's too unrealistic and kills the mood.

Although, there are some cases when this can be done for a particular impact to the story and it isn't grating, but it seems like very few authors successfully pull that off.

[Rosy Red Sun]

It annoys me when the good guys can't see true evil for what it is.

As you might have guessed from that statement, I go for the anti-hero or Byronic Hero more often than not. It just galls me when you have a bad guy in some fictional land and he is just slaughtering and dominating everyone and can be easily killed. Here I am talking about the kind of bad guy you would find in a Western. Some guy that can be shot at just about any time, but no one does it. Either it isn't in their honor code of the west, or they are too scared, but it frustrates me to no end.

Note that I excuse this behavior if the bad guy is not easy to kill. Maybe he is a powerful wizard or heavily protected. That makes sense. I also excuse bad guys who may be redeemed. Maybe one who is acting bad because of incomplete or false info.

I am narrowly objecting to a bad guy like a Hitler being allowed to do whatever and no one does anything about it. It makes me kind of want to stop reading/watching since I don't mind if that guys wins. It goes back to Plato - The people get the gov't they deserve. I apply that to those quivering masses.