10 Mistakes New Writers Make

10 Mistakes New Writers Make

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I was doing some reading on Quora on how to avoid using the word "suddenly", when I stumbled on this nice bit of advice from one Jody Lebel (Jody Lebel - Quora). I found it useful because I am a new writer that still makes dumb ass mistakes. I mean sometimes my prose are amazing, especially when I don't think about it, and other times my writing looks like it was done by an illiterate 3 year old baboon named Bryan. I am guilty of all of the following...

Here are 10 mistakes new writers often make. Hope they help.

1) The use of exclamation points. Never, never use one. It is the sign of a beginner writer and editors spot it immediately. Using an exclamation point is lazy. It is telling not showing.

2) Words ending in 'ing'. Go through your ms (manuscript) and eliminate as many of these words as possible. She was singing. They were swimming. All telling.

3) Same with words ending in 'ly'. She said quietly. He walked quickly. Change it up. Show us. Better: She said, her voice so soft he had to lean in to hear.

4) Limit the use of 'was' and 'were'. They are shameful telling verbs. He was mad. Better: He slammed his fist on the table so hard the glasses rattled. Both sentences let us know he's mad; which sentence is more interesting?

5) Limit the use of 'very' and 'just'. It was very cold. He just wanted to get in the warm cabin. Better: The cold air left frost on his mustache and cracked his lips. The smell of the wood fire at the cabin spurred him on through the snow.

6) Be suspicious of the word 'it'. It rained. It was unpleasant. You can almost always find a better way. Use a deeper POV for example. Better: Although I had buried snips of my hair in an old mason jar out in the backyard like my grandma told me, rain still showed up on my wedding day.

7) He and She. Try to eliminate as many as you can. He sang. Better: Charlie sang. Best: Not knowing if it would get a laugh or a boo, Charlie lifted his face into the spotlight and began to sing.

8) Clichéd work. Don't ever write it was ‘as quiet as a mouse’, or ‘a tomb’, or ‘so quiet you could hear a pin drop’. We've all read that too many times. Be unique. It was as quiet as a nun's prayer. So much more interesting to read.

    I don't 100 percent agree with this one...I am partial to some clichés …

9) Watch those misplaced antecedents. When she spoke to Mrs. Smith she smiled. Who is smiling here?

10) Changing POVs in the middle of a scene.
The way the girl's long hair shone in the sunlight got John's immediate attention. Fascinated, he moved closer with the intent to feel the softness without her being aware. She wondered if he was going to get the nerve.
Whose head are we in? John's. So the last sentence has to be changed. He can't know what she might be wondering.