Five things I don't need from the novels I want to read:
An abundance of clichés - We all use clichés and they are acceptable in small doses, but when the wording or choices of actions becomes cliched, everything gets old in a hurry. An editor once said if he saw "one more character shaking his head . . ." Some actions are okay - even those we often find ourselves doing or seeing - but to stack them up in a story doesn't work.
Ho-hum wording - When the writing itself fails to arouse any appreciation from me, the story kind of becomes mundane, forgettable.
Too much conflict - I fail to see where this works (other than in thrillers). Most people encounter conflict in a specific area or areas. Romance novels are ripe with conflict, but, frankly, some of it is stupid/immature/selfish/misunderstandings that fail to get addressed in the moment. Drives me nuts.
Characters who fail to address glaring problems - It's okay to address them internally if the character struggles to address them however they need to be dealt with because that's understandable. But to be unaware or choose to ignore them when being made aware of them, that gets old in a hurry.
Characters who are unlikable - It takes real talent to write an engaging story with unlikable characters. I've read a few books with those and actually did like a couple of the stories. I'd much prefer to read a story about characters I can fall in love with, be absorbed in, and fully appreciate once I read the final page. Characters like that make the book worth reading and remain unforgettable.
Father, help me to write those unforgettable characters and stories for your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.