So here are a few clichés I have noticed on Wattpad.
1) Pregnant Teenager. In most of these books ft. pregnant teens, the father leaves or stays. My sister got pregnant at 16, her boyfriend stayed, and they moved in with me and my family, now they have their own house and she, her boyfriend, and my nephew are doing well. But in most of these stories, the father leaves, only to come back 3 years later when the baby is already born, and he automatically regrets what he did and helps father the child. Please, I hate reading these, they are not realistic and they are very offensive when it says the teenager got 'knocked up' please use 'got pregnant' instead.
2) Abused. Now this is a very touchy subject for me, and if you are going to write a book about an abused character, please do at less some research about how abuse victims cope and all that. So back in 2016, at the beginning of the school year in Sembtember, my dad was being physically abusive to my mom because, he was on meth and he was angry the she kicked him out and was dating someone else. They were together for 18 years and he couldn't stand being on his own, he stole her keys, went through her car and purse, etc. I have had to witness it, and it was horrifying, I wouldn't go near him and I hated him. Thankfully, it's June of 2017, and I get along with my dad very well and we put all that behind us. Its very rude to write this kind of stuff without thinking what it would be like in the person's shoes. Emotional abuse is different, the bruises fade but it still hurts when you realize your own mother called you a 'selfish little bitch' and it takes more time to heal then physical abuse. Sexual abuse is hard to talk about, I haven't experienced it nor has anyone I know, but I imagine it's hard to get close to anyone. In a Dr. Phil episode I watched, this 18 year old sexual assaulter had molested his sister, and I was surprised when I had found out that he was sexually abused. So sometimes the assaulter was assaulted. Drug abuse, like I said, my dad was abusing meth but he got passed that and he's better now.
3) Self harm. I have dealt with this so has my sister and my friends, and it is NOT romantic, it's not 'angels wanting to go home', it does not bring your boyfriend up to save you, and its not 'art'. It ruins your life, your friends will leave because of it and so will your boyfriend, I don't like hearing "everyone I love left me," if you're saying "leave me alone" or "you don't understand" to your friends and boyfriend, then they're going to leave you to fond someone who can understand you. You can't go swimming or wear short sleeves when it gets hot, your mind really has to really break down because of it. People who self harm because they think it's 'romantic' are not smart in the area of behavioral science and health. Also, self harm is not just limited to girls nor any mental disorder. I have a guy friend and he's one of my best friends and he used to self harm, luckily he doesn't anymore. If you're going to write about this, write down the signs of a self harmer (ex; long sleeves or pants in hot weather, rubbing of an area to create a burn, scratches, burns or open wounds, unpredictable behavior or questions like "who am I?" Or "am I worthless?" Scratching, hitting or punching self. This might not apply to everyone.) Please, if anyone are going through self harm or depprison, stay above water, stay strong, because you can be the temporary crush on a stranger, the name on the book that causes goose bumps, a song played on repeat, and someone to love.
Now that the personal stuffs out of the way, here's some of the popular clichés.
4) Bad Boys. The only bad boys I know play with fidget spinners, to be honest. Most bad boys in books wear leather jackets, don't study, and bully the main girl. The main girl believes she can change the bad boy, so they start dating and he does change. I watched a Dr. Phil episode where this guy off of a show called "Redneck Island" was a reality show bad boy, and this girl who watched the show really liked him and believe she could 'tame' him. So, somehow, they ended up getting married and had a baby boy name Jace. The 'bad boy' was a drunk and he didn't father his child, he cheated on his wife with another girl, and they were caught in the act. The wife knew the girl he cheated on with and she got mad and got a divorce, and its been a custody battle ever since.
5) Beautiful Under Glasses. I wish this was true because I wear glasses, and I look like a potato with or without them on. Anyway, how do they not know she's beautiful without them on? Is she a nerd just because of the glasses? One of the 'popular' girls at my school have glasses, and she's really pretty. Which reminds me...
6) Popular Girls. So in the stories, the main character always gets bullied by the mean girls. The mean girls are rich, wear Gucci and tons of make up (not that that's bad), have a not nice attitude, and they're clothes are revealing. In a real high school, they would have to go to human resources for more appropriate clothing, and if these mean girls are allowed to shove around the main character, why aren't they in any detention center?
7) Not Rich. Some stories have the characters parents not get paid as much, so they have no food or water, yet the MC has an iPhone and designer clothes. There's no shame in food stamps, it helps you buy food, I don't see what's wrong with it.
8) Distance. I doesn't make sense when the girl is in America and the boy is in England, and yet he gets there in 5 minutes top.
9) People being 'walls'. I mean, how non down to earth do you have to be to not get off Tumblr and look where the fuck you're going. (Ex; I was walking down the streets while taking selfies, because that's not dangerous, and I walked straight into a wall; OMG, it wasn't it wall, it was Harry Styles chiseled abs.)
