10 Biggest Mistakes Writers Make pt 2 – Writing Edition

HelloOoOo everybody!

Today's video is dedicated to one of my amazing, longtime patrons, Jenn Quinn. Jenn Quinn is awesome. I love her. She's amazing. You're wonderful, Jenn. Never leave me.

A while back, I listed the ten most common mistakes that writers make during the publishing and marketing process, and today I am listing the ten most common mistakes writers make during the writing process. Jenn had some questions about some of the mistakes writers make during the writing process. For example, how to get through that annoying middle section of your novel?

So let's discuss it, shall we? I used to critique a lot of manuscripts via Patreon, and these are the issues that came up the most.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more writing tips, sarcasm, and of course, more of Princess Butters!

Number 1: Telling

This is the most common issue I see. And it's obvious why: telling is a lot easier to do than showing. But 90% of the time, showing is the superior option. Don't just recount the events of the story. A book is supposed to be vivid and immersive. It's not impactful to tell the reader, “They were best friends, she loved him like a brother.” Instead, write their playful banter, show their sibling-like bond through action and dialogue.

No reader is going to get invested in a romance if you simply state, “He was madly in love with her.” Describe how his heart races when she's near, and show how his mood shifts when she enters the room. Showing is much more evocative than telling. It creates clearer pictures for the reader so they can see and feel what the character is experiencing.

Number 2: Fluff

A lot of people get really freaked out when I say this, but if the scene doesn't drive the plot forward in any way, delete it. That's not to say that every scene needs to have a major plot point, but every scene should be relevant. If you can remove an entire scene and the story will continue with no issue whatsoever, then it's fluff, and it doesn't benefit you or your audience.

“But Jennaaa, this fluff is important. It provides character development.”

First of all, the definition of fluff is “unimportant content,” so there's that. Second, your character should develop through the plot. You should be interweaving the development, growth, and relationships with the storyline itself. Get rid of the fluff because it's not doing you any favors.

Number 3: Commas

I get it, punctuation is hard, but it also literally pieces phrases together, so maybe figure it out. The good news is that a lot of people don't understand commas. So if you have comma errors in your manuscript, some people might not even notice. The bad news is, if you're a punctuation stickler like me, these kinds of issues stand out like a sore thumb, and it will make the reading experience very awkward.

Unfortunately, commas are complicated. There are a lot of rules to remember. So many that I can't really list them all for you right now, because we would be here all day, and this post would be very boring. Instead, I've got a Grammarly blog link listed right here. It's all about comma usage. It's super easy to follow, so read it.

Number 4: Lack of Realism

I'm not saying you have to eliminate things like wizards and dragons. But when it comes to real life shit, like relationships and dialogue, that needs to make logical sense. Your reader needs to believe that the protagonist and their love interest would realistically be attracted to one another. And you achieve this by creating chemistry. Your reader needs to believe that someone would realistically say the things that they're saying. And you achieve this by viewing your characters not as mere cogs in your machine, but as real people with thoughts, and opinions, and shit. You don't want your reader going through your story and thinking, “People don't do this shit. Literally ever.”

And the solution is simple. Just go through your story and ask yourself, “Would this character realistically say or do these things in this moment? Would anyone say or do these things in this moment?” If the answer is no, fix it. 

Number 5: Adverbs

War breaks out whenever you mention adverbs. There's one camp that says you should never use them, and another that says they’re 100% necessary. Then there's a bunch of people in the middle freaking out because they don't understand why this is a point of contention. First of all, calm the fuck down. They’re words, it's not that deep. Second, this whole thing is really easy to navigate. Adverbs are just adjectives for verbs. They describe actions.

The reason there's so much debate is that quite often, verbs are descriptive enough on their own. If someone is running, you don't need to say they're running fast, because the act of running is fast. With that in mind, anytime you're tempted to use an adverb, look at the verb that it's describing. Is there a better, more powerful verb that eliminates the need for a descriptor?

For example, say you said, “He walked slowly.” Instead, you could have said he “plodded” or “trudged.” These are way more interesting verbs; they create a much better visual, and you get to delete the adverb. Seventy-five percent of the time, the adverb isn't necessary, and for the other 25%, keep it, let it do its thing. 

Number 6: Filter Words

Filter words are words that filter the reader's experience through the main character’s experience, hence the name. “See,” “hear,” “think,” “realize,” “feel”—all filter words. Sometimes they're unavoidable, but most of the time they are unnecessary. They just distance the reader from the story and the actions. But fortunately, filter words are super easy to eliminate.

For example, say you wrote the sentence, “I felt grass crunch beneath my feet.” Instead, you can simply write it as, “Grass crunched beneath my feet.” This will allow the reader to feel like they're right beside your protagonist, experiencing the story firsthand.

Number 7: The Tryhard Hook

There's a lot of pressure on writers to hook the readers with the first sentence, but the thing is, I've never been hooked by a first sentence, and I don't know anyone who has. Because of this, a lot of writers try too damn hard to make the first sentence a shock to the senses. And this results in a sentence that's over the top and cheesy. I've read hooks where the sunset was compared to the color of cat vomit. I've read hooks that were loaded with every curse word imaginable, just to rile up the reader. I love cursing, but that's a gimmick, and we know what you're doing.

And nine times out of ten, the cheesiest tryhard hooks will involve some kind of metaphor. Here's a pro tip. If your first sentence begins something like, “The protagonist or setting was as BLANK as a BLANK,” maybe rethink your approach.

Number 8: Absolutely No Hook

You don't need to punch your reader in the face with the first sentence, but at the very least, your first page should be interesting and engaging. An info dump is not interesting. Backstory is not interesting. And telling instead of showing on the first page is a one-way ticket to a DNF.

If you're not sure how to start your book, here's a simple solution. Start at the beginning of the plot. Nine times out of ten, a story will include some type of problem that kicks off the inciting incident. So start your book with the problem. If the plot doesn't begin until several chapters into the book, trust me, no one's gonna wait that long.

Number 9: Sagging Middle Syndrome

Sagging middle syndrome is when the middle of your book is boring. You got an awesome inciting incident. You've got a badass climax. But the shit that connects these two points sucks ass. Typically, this happens when the author doesn't outline their novel, and if they did, it wasn't with enough detail or structure.

There are several structural elements that occur between the inciting incident and the climax. And this includes the complication, the crisis, and the breaking point. The complication is when whatever problem the main character is navigating gets worse. And it's possible to have multiple complications throughout the entirety of a novel. The crisis is also known as the mini climax; basically, something really bad happens. And then there's the breaking point, which is when it seems like all hope is lost. This can sometimes be in conjunction with the crisis or a result of the crisis.

Number 10: Purple Prose

We all want our prose to be beautiful, but if your reader was here for poetry, they wouldn’t have picked up a novel. Here's the thing: certain moments lend themselves to beautiful language. Others don't, at all. If you're artfully describing a window or a bath, maybe take it down a notch. And if your language is so ornate that readers struggle to understand what's going on, that’s an issue. Your goal as a novelist should be to tell an interesting, engaging story. And readers can't be engaged if they're spending half their time deciphering whatever the fuck you're trying to say. Beautiful language is wonderful, but clarity is far more important. And these things can coexist—if you avoid purple prose.

So that's all I've got for you today!

These are the ten most common mistakes that I saw all the time back when I would provide novel critiques. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, and even better, all of it is fixable. A huge thank you to Jenn for requesting this topic. I don’t provide critiques anymore, but if you'd like the chance to have a video or post dedicated to you, or if you want access to Cyborg Central, early access to my videos, live streaming with yours truly, and so much more, definitely become a patron today! The link is right here. We have lots of fun, it's a good time.

#writingtips #CyborgQueen #JennaMoreci

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CHECK OUT THE SAVIOR'S SISTER:

AMAZON

AUDIBLE

B&N

Apple Books

Kobo

Google Play

Indigo

IndieBound

Other stores