Pet Peeves:
Non-Native English speakers without a beta:
(please not the WITHOUT A BETA) I have nothing against people that are multilingual. Nothing wrong with someone that English is not their first language. However, if you are going to write a story in English find a native English speaker to read over your work with a fine tooth comb.
There are lots of stories out there that I am sure are amazing, but I cannot read them. It's similar to the uncanny valley effect only with words. I know something isn't right but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Using words from a language you do not speak:
I don't care if the main character is Japanese or not. If YOU don't speak the language, please do not butcher it by trying. If you want to indicate someone is speaking in a different tongue just put *'s around it or make it italics or something. The only thing worse than reading broken Japanese is hearing people speak it. This goes for all languages, the only reason Japanese is singled out is because that is the main language this happens in.
Not using a Beta
I am dyslexic, if I didn't use a beta anything I write would be impossible to understand. I have to run my forum posts through 2 spell checkers and hope for the best most the time. So yeah, just because it looks ok to your eyes doesnt mean you haven't missed something. I can read a story 5 times and miss a spelling or gramatical error, cause I know how it SHOULD sound in my head and sometimes I may not really SEE what I am reading. Fresh eyes are a good thing.
Sexual Orientation:
Unless the original creator has come out and said (insert character here) is (insert sexual orientation here), then I think that is one of those things that is up in the air. Unless it's specifically addressed, you don't know so have fun with it. If it is specifically addressed then as an Author it is your responsibility to put Cannon OOC at the top of the story. People will make a character a certain orientation because thats what they want when the cannon is clearly the opposite.
Writing a story for the reviews/reviewers:
This one is a sore subject for a lot of people, but I see it more than I like. A story starts out and it's really good, then it changes and if you look at the reviews you know why. In order to please the reviewers and get more reviews the Author is writing what is being suggested instead of what they had originally wanted. This usually results in a steaming pile of crap that the Author is unhappy with.
I get it, reviews make a person feel good. They are like the sprinkles on a cupcake. It makes it all better, but you know, that cupcake is just as tastey without them.
What should bother me(bothers everyone else) yet doesn't:
Mary Sue/Gary Stu:
you want to write an off the wall self insert that is the most awesome of everything then you go right ahead. I have no problem with this. I find these stories are actually entertaining and there is a place for them. Some of them are bad, but that doesnt mean the Mary Sue is bad, just that nothing was going to save that story.
Cannon OOC:
This has to be done right. If it is marked at the head of the story that the Cannon is OOC then I am ok. Sometimes you just want to experiment. Maybe give them a side to their personality no one ever thought of before. I could give examples of where this was done and was absolutly wonderful (made the cannon even more real to me) but I don't want to embarass anyone or anything. Being OOC is not always a bad thing but there is a fine line that you have to walk. You make the cannon too OOC and it's no longer that character. Plus if there is a warning right at the top, it's my fault for reading on and I have lost my right to bitch.