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Four Common Mistakes New Writers Make

Four Common Mistakes New Writers Make

- Berto Berto

1. Lack of Editing

editing your publish works is as easy as a quick proofread (looking for spelling mistakes and typos). Unfortunately, it's a lot more detailed than that. One of the most important things to consider when editing your own work is patience. You need to prepare yourself for the possibility of cutting chunks of texts and re-writing or even the prospect of starting from scratch.

2. Poor Use of Dialogue

The clumsy dialogue that sounds unnatural, and the always-popular characters that all sound the same. New writers have the tendency to forget that dialogue is used to convey important information and enhance characters. What it shouldn't do is be used to make long confessional speeches or to engage in too much 'cosy chit chat'. But, most importantly it should sound real as if it's two regular people having a conversation.

Ultimately you want your dialogue to show your readers something extra whether it is a window to your characters souls, to heighten tension, or to reveal a twist in the plot

3. Plot Flaws

Your plot is the underlying basis of your book. Without the plot you have no story, no story means no book and that's two words no new writer wants to hear. Plot flaws is a relatively broad concept, it can encompass everything from the slow start, a sagging midsection, uneven pacing, using gimmicks as hooks, or unreliable details. There are a lot of ways plots can go wrong but with a little awareness this can be avoided.

4. Telling Instead of Showing

Many new writers mistakenly resort to large chunks of explanation, often because it's easier than trying to express the story in a way that the reader can experience it, not just read it. Writing fiction is more than putting words on a page, it's about creating a world.