Let’s face it: being a novelist isn’t easy. Even after you’ve finished your manuscript and sent it off to an editor or agent, there’s still the possibility that you will be rejected and even if they like your work, they may nix certain aspects of it.
As a writer, I know how hard it can be to keep striving when things are going wrong. But don’t let that discourage you! If you follow these tips from seasoned authors and editors alike, there’s no reason why your story won’t be published:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Embrace mistakes as part of the writing journey. |
| 2. Don’t shy away from seeking constructive feedback. |
| 3. Avoid overcomplicating plots for a smoother story. |
| 4. Character development is crucial for relatability. |
| 5. Proofreading helps eliminate embarrassing errors. |
| 6. Balancing dialogue and narration enhances flow. |
| 7. Research thoroughly to ensure accuracy in details. |
| 8. Keep reader engagement high with pacing variation. |
| 9. Avoid clichés and strive for fresh, original ideas. |
| 10. Consistency in tone and style maintains immersion. |
| 11. Don’t underestimate the importance of beta readers. |
| 12. Rejection is part of the process; persevere. |
| 13. Editing is a key step in producing polished work. |
1. Telling, Not Showing
You should show the reader what your characters are up to. Don’t tell them that your character is angry or sad, show them by having them act out in a way that indicates their anger or sadness.
Don’t tell the reader that your character feels nervous about an upcoming date, have him/her fidget with their hands as they wait for their date to arrive at dinner.
You can also show readers what your characters are thinking and feeling by including dialogue tags such as “he said angrily” or “she thought happily” instead of just writing something like “He was angry because he had been stood up on his date again’.
Showing the reader what a character is doing instead of telling them will keep readers engaged and interested in learning more about his/her storyline
If you’re not sure how much detail to include when describing things such as action verbs or physical descriptions of characters and settings, ask yourself these questions:
Does this add anything important? Does this move forward my plot? Does this help me evoke emotion from my reader? If it doesn’t do any of those things then cut it out!
Building a strong foundation is key for aspiring novel writers. Learn valuable insights from our guide on Top 10 Tips for the Aspiring Novel Writer to set yourself up for success in your writing journey.
2. Writing In Clichés
The first mistake a writer can make is writing in clichés. A cliché is an overused phrase that has lost its meaning and originality, such as “It was love at first sight” or “She was a real beauty.” They’re boring, they’re lazy and they can be avoided.
Here are some ways you can start replacing your clichéd phrases with more interesting ones:
“She had a face like a morning sun.” Replace it with: “”He had jaws like an alligator.” This example makes use of alliteration (repeated consonants) and imagery (imagery creates images in our heads).
It also takes away some of the heaviness of saying she was pretty by comparing her to something that doesn’t require much thought and it’s funny!
“I’ll always remember this moment forever” or “This moment will always stay fresh in my memory” Replace these phrases with: “I’ll never forget what happened here today,” or “This experience changed my life forever”.
These statements do not rely on emotions as much as sensory information from what we see and feel around us now instead of just simply stating how happy we are about something happening previously which could mean nothing at all if not for time passing by.”
3. Showing Off With Flowery Prose
When you’re writing, it’s easy to think that giving your prose a bit of oomph will make your writing stand out. After all, there are so many books out there on the market how will yours rise above the rest if you don’t?
Here’s my advice: Don’t bother. Showing off with flowery prose is an amateur mistake that only serves to distract readers from what matters in writing the story itself.
It also gives away that the author is trying too hard, which can be a turn-off for some readers who aren’t interested in seeing how good they are at spelling words correctly or using sophisticated language.
And finally, it often creates unnecessary length where brevity would do just fine!
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4. Using Dialogue To Tell The Reader Something They Already Know
When you use dialogue to tell the reader something she already knows, it does not serve its purpose. This can be frustrating to readers when they feel like their time is being wasted and the author is wasting their time.
It takes away from tension and interest in a novel if the reader already knows something that hasn’t been revealed yet on page 50.
This can also make a writer seem lazy if he’s using dialogue for exposition instead of creating an interesting scene or conversation about said information.
Readers don’t want to have their intelligence insulted by having obvious information given to them through dialogue without context or relevance in any way.
5. Obsessing Over Backstory
Backstory is important, but it should be revealed in the story. Your reader doesn’t need to know every detail about your character’s childhood and adolescence. You don’t have to tell them everything about their parents’ divorce or how they met their first love.
You can leave quite a bit of backstory for later on or not even reveal it at all. Just remember:
Don’t tell the reader what they already know (unless you want to give them a laugh), don’t tell them too much, don’t tell them too little, and don’t tell them before you’re ready; that way lies tedium!
Avoiding plot holes is essential for a cohesive narrative. Dive into our guide on How to Avoid the 9 Most Common Plot Holes in Your Novel to learn strategies for crafting engaging and error-free stories.
6. Forgetting Who You’re Writing For
If you’re aiming at a general audience, make sure that your work is clear and concise. Readers will appreciate the extra time they save by not having to reread parts of your story due to their confusion.
If there are certain words or phrases that are not familiar to your reader, take the time to explain them or find synonyms or replacements that don’t require lengthy explanations of their own.
On the other hand, if you’re writing for an audience with a special interest in your topic (such as fans of fantasy novels), then being thorough and specific with details is essential;
Even though those details may seem mundane to someone from another genre, they’ll mean everything when it comes down to understanding what’s happening in any given scene and sticking with characters who might not be familiar for long periods of time!
7. Talking Too Much About Your Characters’ Thoughts
We all know what it’s like to be in a crowded room, surrounded by people we barely know. We can be getting along just fine and then suddenly someone will say something out of the blue and we’re hit with an overbearing need to respond.
It can be anything: a joke, or even just an observation that you think is pertinent enough for you to stop what you’re doing and interject your opinion into the conversation.
The other person doesn’t understand why you’re so eager to get involved in their conversation they’re just talking about how cold it was last night! Why do they need your input?
The same goes for characters in books: When authors write dialogue between two people who know each other well enough that they don’t need titles before their names (such as “Mr. Smith,” “Mrs. Jones”), readers tend not only absorb every word but also when those lines are spoken by each person;
If one character says something then another responds by saying “I’m sorry?” readers will probably assume that she’d heard him right away instead of waiting until his response comes back before realizing what he said earlier was actually wrong!
By describing how everyone else feels at any given moment even if they’re strangers you’ll give them more agency over their actions rather than letting fate decide everything from start-to-finish.”
Embarking on a novel-writing journey? Gain valuable insights from our collection of 17 Tips for Anyone Wanting to Write a Novel and equip yourself with the knowledge needed to overcome challenges and succeed.
8. Misusing The Word “Very”
The word “very” can be a very useful word in the right context. Use it sparingly, and when you need to emphasize something that’s already been said. For example: “I love you very much.” Or when writing a letter to someone who is sick or has recently lost someone they love:
“The doctor says you are very sick and need to rest.” But if overused, the phrase becomes meaningless.
There’s nothing wrong with saying things like “You are not going out with him” or “She has brown hair and blue eyes,” but using “very” four times in one sentence will only make your reader wince.
9. Inconsistencies In The Narrative
It’s not just a matter of consistency, but also tone. If your character is always angry and upset, then make sure that they’re always angry and upset. The same goes for other emotions if they are happy, make sure they’re happy;
If they like someone, make sure they like them; if they don’t like someone, make sure that’s true too. It’s easy to forget these things as we write our novels because we tend only to focus on plot points or dialogue (and therefore the emotion expressed in those dialogues).
But it’s important to remember that characters feel emotion all the time not just when something exciting has happened!
10. A Character Who Is A Little Bit Too Perfect
A character who is a little bit too perfect is just as intolerable as one who is too flawed.
Your reader wants to be able to relate to your characters, but that doesn’t mean you need to make them relatable by giving them a flaw that the reader can relate to. If you do that, then who are you writing about? A real person with flaws would never be so unrelatable!
Instead, try making your characters flawed in ways that don’t make them relatable at all. For example: “Derek was such an insufferable jerk that he drove me crazy every time we were together.”
This will keep readers engaged because they’re constantly wondering what Derek will do next.
Or maybe “I wanted nothing more than for my husband Frank’s ghostly spirit would return from beyond the grave and haunt me until I died myself.”
It doesn’t matter what kind of flaws your characters have the important thing is making sure they aren’t too perfect or too relatable (or both)
11. Poor Spelling And Grammar
The importance of spelling and grammar cannot be overstated. This is especially true if you’re writing fiction, since it’s not just a matter of being able to spell correctly;
You also have to be able to use commas correctly, punctuate dialogue correctly (or avoid using dialogue tags at all), and so on.
Fortunately, it’s never too late to get your grammar in order but there’s no excuse for any writer not to know how the language works before making their first novel-length attempt at fiction.
Obviously, we all make mistakes with our spelling and grammar sometimes even when we’re trying our best myself included! But hopefully this list has given you some ideas on how best avoid mistakes that might otherwise come across as poor storytelling or lazy writing.
12. Formulaic Openings And Endings That Use Certain Keywords Are Guaranteed To Hook An Editor
You’ve heard the advice before: “Begin with a hook and end with a bang.” This is excellent advice, but it can be hard to follow.
The challenge for writers is finding ways to make each scene interesting enough that readers want to turn the page, and then figuring out how best to do that within the context of your own particular story.
If you’re struggling with this problem (and if you’re not, why aren’t you?), here are some practical tips:
Ask yourself what makes your protagonist unique or stand out from other characters in books like yours? What makes them different? How do they solve problems differently than most people do?
If they have any quirky habits or quirks, what are those? What makes them sympathetic or not to your intended audience?
13. Using Over-Explicit Descriptions And Tags
One common mistake among new or amateur writers is using too many tags and descriptions. A tag is usually a word or phrase that describes a character’s appearance, such as “tall” or “skinny.”
Descriptions tell us more about the setting and atmosphere of the scene, such as “the air was dry and warm,” or “the street was empty except for one car parked at an angle in front of a closed store.”
It can be tempting to include as many tags and descriptions as possible in your writing, but it’s important not to go overboard with these elements.
Many writers think that if they’re going to use them at all, then it better be for every single detail possible! However, this is rarely effective and often comes off sounding forced and unnatural when read aloud.
If you find yourself overdoing it on either end (with too few tags/descriptions OR too many), just take out some unnecessary ones until you find your sweet spot!
Preparation is key to a successful writing venture. Explore the wisdom shared in 12 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Writing My Novel and discover valuable advice that can help you navigate the intricacies of the writing process.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the many mistakes that novelists make, but they’re all very easy to avoid. If you want to be sure your book is as good as it can be, do your homework! Read other novels in the genre and see what works for them.
Then read some classics if you want to write like F. Scott Fitzgerald did about 1920s Jazz Age America, read The Great Gatsby first so you know how his style sounds and feels before trying it out yourself.
Finally, take some time out from writing so that all this information sinks in and makes sense; it might seem overwhelming at first but trust me:
If you keep at it long enough (and get enough sleep), eventually everything will come together naturally and seamlessly without any extra effort required on your part at all!
Further Reading
Explore more resources on common writing mistakes and how to avoid them:
Content Writing Mistakes to Avoid Short Description: Learn about the pitfalls to watch out for in content writing and discover strategies to enhance the quality of your written material. Read more
The Biggest Mistake Novelists and Memoirists Should Avoid Short Description: Discover the major mistake that novelists and memoirists often make and gain insights on how to steer clear of it in your writing journey. Read more
Writing Mistakes Writers Make and Then They Woke Up Short Description: Uncover common writing blunders and find out how to improve your craft by addressing these mistakes head-on. Read more
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Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.