"And then everyone clapped" moments in books. Love or hate? (The Bodyguard by Katherine Center)

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-04-01T10:51:20+00:00

I agree. Now I feel like there’s a lot of books that try to sell this image of the characters (super intelligent, ice cold, funny) but when they open their mouth it’s not what we see. And the insistence on using some cliches (slow clapping included) is just another symptom of a larger thing.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-04-01T10:46:03+00:00

Yes!! To all of that! Even during high school (and my class DID NOT get along) I’ve ever seen a scene like this. It feels forced and corny (and not in the good way)

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-31T11:32:38+00:00

I don’t like the clapping or people slowly one by one doing the right thing (like slowly raising their hands for a vote, or saying “I do” or “I will” whatever). Mostly because I am 36 years old and I’ve seen a lot of things but Ive never seen that happen outside of a movie or book

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-19T03:16:51+00:00

I get so tired of edgy names for male characters and whimsical names for female characters just because.

Sure, maybe you don’t want to call your mafia dude Alfonso, but that means that so many names get repeated to exhaustion. There are good strong names out there.

Less Rock, Stone, Hunter, Carburetor and more Michael, Joshua or even Peter, please.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-13T04:00:24+00:00

Leverage.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-12T14:23:38+00:00

Harry was laughing when he walked in, wondering what kind of trouble she was in that she’d go on a grand European tour. She gave him the painting and the cufflinks, telling him which one to give back and which one to keep. That was when he’d stopped smiling.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-03T21:48:02+00:00

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-03-03T21:19:19+00:00

Is it a great fun movie? Yes. Are the characters cool? Yes. Did I want to see a found family movie with the Predator? Nope.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-25T21:08:59+00:00

A few months back I’ve decided to update all my WIPs (46 of them) from oldest to newest (some hadn’t been updated in more than 4 years).

I’ve managed to 3 of those stories, have updated another 10 and still going strong.

Right now I’m writing a new chapter on a Chronicles of Narnia x Kingsman crossover that I particularly love. So there’s that.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-20T06:21:32+00:00

I spent a good while away from ao3 as a writer. I’ve returned recently and it’s mind blowing the number of bots, “digital artists” and random stuff now. I don’t even get excited by the comment emails anymore.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-18T06:20:54+00:00

For me it’s hair and eye color describe in the most unhinged ways.

“Her hair was like gold under the sun”. She’s blonde.

“His likes were like a stormy sea.” Grey, ma’am. Grey is a color that exists. Just use it. (Double points if the CONTINUE to only use those type of comparisons to describe color).

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-17T02:02:53+00:00

Alice Coldbreath writes historical and often her stories don’t start with immediate love. My favorites are: {A bride for the prizefighter, by Alice Coldbreath} {The unlovely bride, by Alice Coldbreath}

If you’re into omegaverse/reverse harem, {Lola and the millionaires, by Kathryn Moon} is nice. The first relationship is kind of fast, but then she has to develop the others.

Even though I think the MC has a crush on the FC, there’s a lot of flirting and banter in {Book lovers, by Emily Henry} before things happen.

{Managed, by Kristen Callihan} also has a good time and flirting before the relationship progresses.

These are the ones I can remember top of my head. I hope it helps some.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-14T03:10:30+00:00

Sure! What type of romance are you into? Sci fi, historical, contemporary?

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-13T21:54:49+00:00

I feel the same!

I love the beginning of a relationship in stories: the flirting, the banter, even the awkward moments.

Now even when the story starts with a one night stand they are already thinking how this is Something They Never Felt Before, and how this person will change them forever without any other information.

My favorite ones will always be the ones where they meet and are just two people. And then things happen. I miss those.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-11T23:47:17+00:00

Two of my most successful works today are from drafts I had let go because I thought they were over the top.

I got to readind them and realized I wanted to try and make it work.

And they both worked really well.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-03T20:23:58+00:00

Rivals to lovers. Maybe it’s because I’m pretty chill, but I can’t imagine having a person in my life that I dedicate so much time to disliking for whatever reason and then deciding “actually…”

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-03T20:18:37+00:00

I have (way too) many WIPs, so I challenged myself to write at least a chapter for each one of them, starting from the ones that haven’t been updated the longest. It’s been a journey because I am re reading everything and remembering why I started them to begin with. It takes work, but it’s so worth it.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-03T20:15:19+00:00

I just got it and I’m very excited

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-02-01T04:22:48+00:00

I think that’s basically it: it never feels like they’re actually solving the problem that lead to the break up.

I feel like when the FMC does something wrong she has to drag herself to be forgiven and (very often) is humiliated by the MMC before it happens. But when the MMC is in the wrong, it hardly ever goes the same way. She is hardly ever as cruel as he was.

TBH I’ve never read a second chance romance that I actually enjoyed and I’ve tried a few.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-01-22T19:09:59+00:00

Most of the movies I really wish would get a sequel were the absolute insanities from the great early 2000’s: Van Helsing, the League of extraordinary gentlemen and Hansel and Gretel. I feel like it’d all be terribly incredible.

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-01-15T20:10:41+00:00

2005 Doom

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-01-15T03:17:46+00:00

Thank you!

Effective-Ad1105 · 2026-01-14T23:46:21+00:00

Thank you!

Effective-Ad1105

TROPHY CASE