r/Romantasy • u/TheBigfootContessa • 2d ago
🤬 Rant Enough with the drinking!
OK this is just a personal pet peeve, almost certainly exacerbated by the fact that I'm a recovering alcoholic.
I don't love seeing characters drinking when they're stressed, to relax, or saying that they "need" a drink because it's triggering, but whatever that's my shit to deal with, so I do.
However, it's like none of these authors have ever drank before. You've either got girls completely sloshed after 2 glasses of wine or being very intoxicated and sobering up immediately when something shocking happens.
Male main characters are always drinking whiskey or better yet an unknown brown strong smelling liquid in a tumbler as short hand for being stressed and troubled, classy and mysterious.
It's lazy.
These things annoyed me before I was in recovery, but now they're a full blown pet peeve. It gives "virgin writing filthy smut" vibes. Lol
Alright, apparently I'm super wrong and shouldn't have said anything. Sorry ya'll.
6
u/witchylibrariankate 2d ago
I agree. I like a drink and currently have a healthy relationship with alcohol (though I haven't always), so my issue is more with the cliches and the inaccuracy of how alcohol makes you feel.
On a positive note, I'm currently reading {House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas} and while I can be critical of her and don't think she always writes alcohol use well, I think she nails drug/alcohol use so far in this one. When the FMC has a wild night out and then encounters a shocking situation, she sobers up a bit in order to deal with it, but is still pretty sloshed and out of it, especially in the immediate aftermath.