OMG, I completely agree!
Which post did you reply to?
Your previous previous post
Hiiii, I know you didn’t direct this toward me but since you were talking about my story Tangled Love I feel inclined to answer as it comes across like you misunderstood my intention behind my interpretation for Brandon’s behavior towards Bella. First things first, I wanna put out there that some dialogue (especially in the beginning) has been changed a bit by Episode themselves and I had no control over that since it’s featured and they therefore have the right to alter some parts to their liking. I never meant for Brandon to literally make Bella feel bad about herself as a person. I don’t think there were any literal insults I had in my first draft but again, Episode might’ve changed bits of the beginning of the story that I did not agree with but what can I do about that right lol. But all that aside, I think I did make it clear in the story if you completely read it through, that me nor Brandon ever tried to justify his rude behavior. He even told Bella himself that it wasn’t a way to justify his behavior but more that it just messed him up in some ways. He wasn’t a bully in my opinion (as some like to label it) but was instead just very distant and tried to avoid a close bond with her as that was exactly what Bella was trying do. She wanted to get to know him better and get closer to him, whereas due to circumstances, personal issues/conflict, guilt etc. Brandon tried absolutely everything to avoid creating that emotional connection with her and thus pushed her away whenever she tried to get close. It’s not like Bella was chasing after him throughout the entire story either. She even got with Jace and tried to let him go (AND you can end up with Jace anyway so it’s not like I was forcing Brandon upon everyone). But of course it’s a Romance after all and in most sappy stories there’s this thing called ‘fate’ lol and sometimes people just find a way and end up together. Long story short, I hope you can understand that I never tried to just take the easy way out and “justify his behavior” but see it rather as a traumatic event that happened to him and thence made him a bit emotionally unstable and conflicted. Personally, I have been through some heavy stuff as well and find it hard to connect to people and really trust someone. Some consider me somewhat rude for that, or weird. But not everyone is perfect and we all deal with things in different ways. I just hope Brandon is misunderstood and if someone doesn’t just skim through the chapters one can actually see that I, in no way, tried to make my characters without depth and “just come up with some sad sappy backstory to justify it”. I plotted his background and how it would affect his behavior out from the very beginning, and although it was never my intention to make him come across as a bully (I know everyone’s experience with bullies is different and I’m sorry if you had any bad experience with it - but bullying how I see and have seen it is not by just bickering or being distant/cold towards someone but actually seeking someone out for the sole purpose to make them feel bad) I’m sorry if anyone felt that way. All in all, I don’t expect you to suddenly like my story of course - that is your rightful opinion. I just hope you can start to appreciate and respect my story a bit more from a subjective point of view and that you don’t think of it as just another bad boy story created for reads. It would mean a lot to me, thanks
Oh, wow. First, thank you for taking the time to reply with clarification of your story, I didn’t expect you to see my random burst of venting that included name-dropping it (that I actually forgot about until now ). I actually haven’t read Tangled Love in a long time, I remember I quit reading out of frustration at some point and only went back to it just to finish it because I personally don’t like leaving stories unfinished, even the ones I dislike. So I’ll admit I missed the points you brought up about Brandon, as it’s been a while.
I didn’t like Tangled Love mainly because I found it hard to sympathize with any of the characters, and Brandon reminded me too much of a guy I had bad experiences with in the past (and I myself have been bullied). But I was just getting my dislike of bad boy stories off of my chest and Tangled Love was the one I name-dropped because I lumped it in subconsciously with them, even though that wasn’t really a fair assessment. I’m sorry for coming off as if I was blindly bashing it, that wasn’t my intention. I appreciate the clarification.
HONEST. I called out Episode’s star sweetie, Noob Loop and they shut down and unlisted the topic so people can’t find it.
And can we please talk about the cringey stories where the girl is shy and wears grandma clothes and lets her SO belittle her and still claims that they love them while it’s obvious that he’s cheating on her. There is a story called Dark Side Daddy and it was so cringe that I took it out of my library. Honestly the amount of POC characters in Episode is still unacceptable There are thousands of stories with noncustomizable white OCs but not POC. Are they an after thought to Episode?
There’s this one terrible story, Her Secret Voice that this guy moves to a school and this girl is like an emotional wreck and cries every fifty lines in the story. She runs out of class and this dude who she doesn’t know gets up and chases after her despite not knowing her. They talk for the first time and makeout in the first episode. I honestly hated it. Whoever the hell that author is she’s a terrible writer. And in Becoming Queen Bee by Bronte the guy is a complete asshole to her and no matter what you choose you have to be around him. The other guy you meet is a complete stalker and shows up to places uninvited. Overall, it’s decent compared to other cringey high school stories like The Teacher.
Oh.
I was looking through official Episode’s Insta out of boredom in class and there was this one post where they asked who was their Epi guy crush.
SO many people listed people like Shane from Stripped (I gave up reading this story, MC just kept going back to him despite there being another LI too no matter how he treated her; literal toxic asshole being more centrified naturally), dudes from Chain Reaction, that one violent thug from Hunting Bad, Grace/Blake/Queen series, (anything) with the word “bad”, “bad boy” or “new girl” or god knows what else. So on and SO FORTH that I’m just not gonna bother censoring story titles anymore.
And for the love of God, can stories PLEASE stop slut-shaming? The fact that a majority of the authors are WOMEN trashing their own gender for doing something otherwise harmless is disgusting. It just gives me an impression that you’re a huge “PICK ME!” girl lol.
This annoys me to the max. So many stories (not just on Episode; I’ve also seen it on other platforms) constantly glorify getting drunk every time someone has an issue or is upset. There are other ways to deal with problems that don’t involve alcohol.
Why isn’t their more stories with guys as the main character now? Also people treat the mc (girl) like such a stereotypical girl. Like loving shoes and pink and wanting to go shopping. Like I like that stuff but not that much.
I really don’t think that. Mean Girls is about a new girl who joins the popular group knowing there will be trouble.(I never watched it., So…) But becoming queen be is about a “nerd” who exposes the most popular girl in school and becomes popular.
Something goes wrong and the best friend says “hey girl, let’s party!” Unless the best friend dies, then the mc takes herself to a party. I’ve never been to a party like that, which makes sense cuz I’m not able to drink alcohol cuz I’m too young (I hope I never drink it.)
In my point of view, when they make the main character to be an idiot on purpose (pinpointing all female main characters). Who has no purpose in life. Because let’s face it, it’s larger than life… NOT!!!
Typical know it all bad boy as the main and one and only love interest you HAVE TO BE WITH until the end of the story. (because he looks so hot) or purpose of the story to expect them (mc and shitty bad boy) to be together. Better to have a boyfriend that is also a two timing cheater. JACKPOT!!
Idiot mc: “he changed for the better.”
Me: facepalm
The best friend with no personality and empathy towards the female main character. Also let’s not forget been taken for granted by the mc’s stupidity with her choices in life that she SHOULDN’T BE DOING!!!
The nice and perfect guy that has been taken for granted by the idiotic and naive female mc. (because from the second line.)
How male characters are portrayed in the story (some are supportive, but most abusive)
How a queen bee or a woman with blonde diva hair and full lips are considered an antagonist or delusional obsessed bad boy fangirl. She needs a checkup.
Teen pregnancy or the idea of pregnancy with a gang leader or serial killer. (sounds like sexual abuse is used in episode stories??)
Dragging the main characters to a house party is considered mandatory to the story. Because to add more drama. Because drama can be fun am I right hint sarcasm.
Boss and employee relationship and teacher and student relationship are portrayed. Considered legal in the episode world while it is actually illegal in real life.
Sugar blah blah blahs (gold diggers) no questions asked.
How intoxicating and abusive relationship are considered relationship goals. (reference of Harley Quinn X joker and Christian X Ana)
Because we are so obsessed with romancing a partner who would preferred to be treated like shit and a side chick for pleasure purposes.
Who the fuck wants to have that kind of relationship goal. Not me!!!
The portrayal of society praising the popular crowd as gods because they are rich and gorgeous. And follow them as love sick puppies. Willing to put down the mc so they can fit in with the popular ones.
Who needs creativity when you can create a cliche story to gain more reads and feeds.
Nahh I’d go for the underrated stories thanks. Popular episode stories full of cliches and are recycled are so entertaining to read. But they get boring half way.
they’re all based on the same thing
hot guy, girl, falls in love, and then out of no where they’re on top of each other-uhm
life is gr8
That’s almost exactly what mean girls is about.
The characters are designed similar and have the same or similar names. It’s a carbon copy.
I am making a story that isn’t cliché it is about real life hard Things that some people go thriugh
Omg so true, I completely support!
I completely agree to everything that you said, but remember; authors are writing stories for money.