Hey writers and aspiring writers, this article from writing like a boss is a good start read before you write
1. EXCESSIVE PUNCTUATION
Of course, this refers to sentences that end in two or more !, ?, or worse, ?!. But it also refers to frequent exclamation point usage.
Some good rules of thumb:
- if your dialogue needs an exclamation point, usually the dialogue or action isn’t strong enough
- you never need an exclamation point in narration, unless it’s a children’s book
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Limit your exclamation point usage to 2 every 50k words. Never use “!!,” “??,” nor “?!“.
2. SHOWING OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE
A lot of writing requires research. Once you’ve done the research, it only makes sense to share what you’ve learned with the reader, right?
No. You have to be conscious of blatantly sharing information.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
For example: say you had to research women’s roles during WWII America. You could write, “Many women started working in factories after the men went to war.”
Or, you could relate the information to the story: “Minnie started working at the factory down by the shipyard. Just a couple weeks later, Jane and Pearl joined her.”
Be subtle in how you relay information, especially historical fact. Your reader is always smarter than you expect.
3. UNINTENTIONALLY HEAD-HOPPING
It’s amazing how many people will complain about head-hopping in a book.
The problem is it draws you out of the story. You’re focused on one character, and then you’re jolted into the mind of another.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Head-hopping happens a lot in first drafts, which is fine. What happens in a first draft stays in the first draft. But when you get to editing, be conscious that you’re staying within the mind of your main character(s).
4. UNREALISTIC CHARACTER ACTIONS
A character gasps dramatically at stunning news. A wounded character “suddenly finds the strength” to run. A character who was just crying is now laughing. See the pattern?
Beyond action, this applies to dialogue. No realistic sibling would say, “Hey, lil’ bro.” And no one in their right mind would say, “Your sister Liz is part of the clan, isn’t she?”
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Keep the context of the scene in mind. e.g. If the scene is dramatic, the characters most likely won’t be laughing.
And for dialogue: keep in mind the characters, the context, and the relationships. If you’re unfamiliar with a certain relationship dynamic, do some research first!
5. OPENING EVERY CHAPTER THE SAME WAY
A lot of new writers will open a scene with a character waking up. That’s only natural, right? I mean, if you think of the start of your own day, it starts with waking up.
“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” – Tom Clancy
Even if you don’t start your chapters by a character waking up, it’s important to be mindful that your scene openers don’t follow the same pattern. It can start to get melancholic.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Mix it up a little! Play around with your openers. It’s fun to get creative with it.
If you’re editing, it helps to cut everything up till where the action starts.
6. UNNECESSARY SCENES
My brother suggested this one: “if you keep a scene you had to cut just because you like it, that’s a bad sign.”
HOW DO I FIX IT?
If the book still reads fine without the scene, that’s a good sign it should be cut. If you aren’t positive, ask a friend or critique partner.
7. UNNECESSARY WORD CHOICE
This applies to two things –
One: filler words like was, that, and so.
Two: using out-of-place words to make your writing “more intelligent,” especially if you use a thesaurus.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Firstly, don’t use big words that make you seem smarter. The best writers can get their points across using the simplest terms.
Second, be mindful of filler words, especially while editing. Here are some examples of filler words from Writers Write:
8. IMBALANCED DIALOGUE
The trick with action writing is to balance dialogue and, well, action.
On one end of the scale, you can have a scene that’s all dialogue and little action. It can get boring. Your readers are thinking, just do something already!
On the opposite end, however, it’s all too common to have scenes that are all action. Just say something already!
It’s a tricky thing to balance. But the solution is simple.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Whether you lean toward dialogue or action, remember you can mix them. Here’s a quick example:
“Isabel?” she said. “I never cared for her.”
And here’s that same line, with an action in place of the tag:
“Isabel?” She leaned back in her seat, picking at her fingernail. “I never cared for her.”
See more examples below:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/urconqueror
Bonus: filler words in an attempt to make dialogue “more realistic,” including um, uh, so, well, and even yes and no. Oftentimes, these filler words can be scrapped entirely.
9. POOR PACING
Pacing is one of the most difficult sides of technical writing to master. But it’s worth learning!
Fast pacing is when the scene seems to move quickly, like a chase scene. Slow pacing is, you guessed it, slow; like a heartfelt scene.
But mess it up, and your readers will either get overwhelmed by the speed, or bored by the gradual pulling along.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Pacing may seem out of control, but you have more power over it than you might think.
Quick words and short sentences make fast pacing. While longer words, more punctuation, and lengthy paragraphs tend to slow the writing. Neither are “bad.”
You can change it based on the context: if you’re writing a fight scene, stick to fast pacing. but if it’s a romantic scene, slow pacing should do the trick.
10. IDENTICAL CHARACTERS
Your readers want a diverse, entertaining cast of characters. And to pull it off, they can’t be duplicates of one another.
HOW DO I FIX IT?
Take the time to develop your main characters through character questionnaires and writing exercises. What can also help is to practice writing scenes from the underdeveloped character’s point of view.
Here’s a post that may help:
source: https://writinglikeaboss.com
Recommended reads https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/urconqueror