Disclaimer

This list has been compiled for educational purposes only.  It is not intended to belittle the authors/characters mentioned or any sort of disease.

Dr. No Syndrome: A terrible, debilitating syndrome that afflicts only the villains of a novel.  Its symptoms include maniacal laughter, insanity, the wearing of dark colours and a general lack of realistic motivation.  Dr. No Syndrome is a silent killer and may prove fatal to an author’s credibility and any suspense that has built up before the villain’s appearance.  It is most prominent, but certainly not limited to, the fantasy genre.

Book Two Disease: A common, mild disease that afflicts around 90% of book series.  Its many symptoms include poor writing, no character development, subplots that go nowhere and in its most severe cases, the resurrection of a favourite character from the first book.  Book Two Disease is rarely fatal as a writer’s fans will usually continue reading the series to see what happens in the end.  Unfortunately, it spans across all genres. Continue reading →