Anyone else grow up hearing about that one crazy, estranged aunt/uncle who cut ties with the family years prior, only to eventually understand, then become them?

The monkey’s paw curls. Your sweat is forever sealed within the shoes.

https://youtu.be/KCzwyFHSMdY?si=m4j93JsM1SqEHx5X

I think this one speaks for itself.

Right, the point of a missing person sign is to get help finding a person. You put them up in places where the victim is likely to be so the people who see the sign can identify them.

These are 100% not that.

Agreed, the paper-like screen is non-negotiable for me.

I don’t see this reflected in the question at all.

All being related to your hobby.

The way I read it, this last line suggests the opposite. OP wants people to recommend resources specific to their own hobbies.

Isn’t this the point of the OP, to get info from a few people who actually are doing the hobby?

And you are young and life is long

And there is time to kill today

And then one day you find

Ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run

You missed the starting gun

Pink Floyd, Time

I’ll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan is one of my go-tos. Just over 3 minutes, basically all singing, and it’s just verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus

Breaking the “show, don’t tell” rule. In a similar vein, exposition dumps bug me.

I think it comes down to different approaches to writing. One is to only keep what’s absolutely necessary to the plot. Done well, this can result in a tight narrative, but done poorly it can be way too predictable.

Another is to add little details that, while not necessary to the plot, may make the world/characters feel more real. Done well you can get some believably human characters, but done poorly it just feels bloated.

Somewhat related: kids that are clearly written by someone who has never spoken to a child in their life

I think it’s more the miscommunication trope, which is kind of a sub-trope of the idiot plot

Hot or cold?

No Man’s Sky had a couple for me. The first time I summoned my freighter from a planet was pretty incredible

Great list! The only thing I’d add is to check with your credit card company if you plan to use it abroad. Some require you to notify them if you’re traveling, otherwise they may flag your transactions as fraud and deny them.

Now she just has to figure out how to speak…

So many great ones in this trilogy.

Ride out with me.

and

a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!

get me every time.

My partner and I got an espresso machine earlier this year. It’s great, I haven’t gone out for a cup of coffee in months now

This + the occasional LAN party with the boys has gotten me through just about anything