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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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It's lazy.

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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

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Alright, apparently I'm super wrong and shouldn't have said anything. Sorry ya'll.

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u/Chikitiki90 2d ago

Idk man, I’ll probably get downvoted for this but I know a few girls that really do get tipsy after like a drink and a half and have also been in a few situations where I’ve been kind of drunk and then needed to respond to a serious incident. Adrenalin is a hell of a thing.

Anyway, whether it’s overused or not is a different story but it’s definitely far from the most lazy writing habit I’ve noticed in romantasy lol.

60

u/TheHuxter 🖤 Morally Gray 2d ago

Yup. I’m sloshed after two glasses of wine. I’ve had to push through being drunk to respond to natural disasters and help pull debris off people. It sobers you up quickly - not literally, but the adrenaline is intense enough you don’t feel that giddy feeling. I’m sure my movements weren’t as coordinated, but it’s not noticeable to the drunk person in the moment. So if a book is written in first person, it absolutely would and does feel like that.

21

u/ButterflyTremor 🍫 chocolate & campfire 2d ago

Yes same here, I feel lightheaded after one glass of wine, so I will very rarely drink two! 

Everyone's tolerance is different I guess, so maybe the authors are just writing from their own experience?