Okay, this is a discussion-aching sort of post. I know a few people who have a strong opinion on the matter. Please feel free to speak up. I am posting my two centavos for what they are worth. And I suspect it ain’t much. The question is: Can you write badly? Is there such a thing as BAD WRITING? And truly, I am not talking about spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Lord knows, I am the worst at that. IF that were the case, then I wouldn’t be asking this question.

I watched an episode of NCIS: New Orleans, and in the first five minutes, three pretty high school girls in a (I think) Mustang convertible have a near-death experience with a bus. But not just any bus. The bus careens off the highway and crashes. Three INMATES – yes, that kind of bus-break out of the bus and start toward these girls –and here comes the bad writing, WHO HAVE STOPPED THE CAR – GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR – AND ARE STANDING BY IT JUST WAITING FOR THREE INMATES TO COME GET THEM. They don’t even ATTEMPT getting back into the car and getting the heck out of there.

Enter reality.

This could also be considered bad plotting. I will not deny it really is bad plotting unless the show is going to show those three girls broken and dead by the street…which didn’t happen.

Okay, well, in the real world of writing, (I don’t know who the writers of that show are but that really was a stupid scene) you have to consider plausibility. If you don’t make what happens plausible, (okay, you fantasy fans, within the realm of your world) then the reader will quickly throw the book across the room. It just ain’t happening.

Have you ever seen such a thing in a movie? Have you ever read such a thing in a book?
Is there such a thing as bad writing?

Enter your thoughts in the comments below.