10 Common Writing Mistakes: Do you pass the test?
December 21st, 2009 by Mary DeMuthIn my adventures in publishing and helping new authors get published, I’ve found ten common mistakes authors should avoid. Look through this list. How many do you do? How many have you nixed? Keep this by your manuscript (fiction or nonfiction) as a handy way to self-edit your work.
1. Negatives: The mind takes 48% longer to process a negation. Eliminating no, not, don’t, and can’t will clean up your writing.
Example: He didn’t know.
He was clueless.
Example: The sun didn’t shine.
The clouds covered the sun.
2. Repeated words: Often new writers will repeat words within paragraphs or subsequent pages. Be particularly aware of pet words (your own personal overused words). Every author will have different words, but a careful reading of your draft will turn them up. Some oft-overused words include: since, just, still, might, manage, began, started, really.
3. Adverb Adoration: Adverbs strengthen weak verbs. Why not write with strong verbs instead?
Example: She walked lazily down the path.
She ambled down the path.
Heidi wrote her sentences quickly. (Wrote is not a weak verb, but now that it’s modified, quickly weakens it.) Instead: When her hand touched the pen, it sped ink across the page in a blur. (See how you can transform a sentence from something mundane to something visual? How tweaking your verbs, making them stronger, helps you to show instead of tell?)
The dog gnawed the bone maliciously. (This sentence would be better off without the adverb.) Or instead: The dog attacked the bone like prey.
He hardly noticed the scar criss-crossing her cheek. (This isn’t too bad, but by eliminating the “hardly noticed,” you can make a more visual sentence.) Instead: He held her eyes, never once glancing at the scar criss-crossing her face. In that moment, she fell in love with him.
You will find a revolution in your writing when you kill your adverbs, I promise.
And yet, when you use adverbs, keep them near the verb: Instead of Take the garbage out. Take out the garbage.
4. Split Infinitives: No more “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” To go boldly is the correct usage.
5. Wimpy Voice: Be assertive when you write. Instead of “I’d like to thank you,” just thank the reader.
6. Misused Colons: Use after an independent clause to introduce a list.
Example: He toted several items to the curb: a rug, four kittens, his spouse, and an old racecar track.
7. Voicing Problems: Each character must have his/her own distinctive voice. They must not sound alike.
8. Lack of Details: Your writing will be richer if you stick to details rather than vagaries. Instead of: He ate lunch. He ate Copper River salmon with a dill reduction sauce.
9. Flabby Prose. We writers are in love with words, so much so that we tend to flaunt our use of them early in our careers. (I was guilty of this.) Strong nouns and strong verbs make a great impact. Adding extraneous adverbs and adjectives willy-nilly weakens the structure. Don’t try to fluff up your writing to impress people. Tell it like it is. Don’t believe me? Read The Kite Runner. Hosseini’s sentences are stark, full of detail, and have amazing emotive impact.
10. Same sentence structure over and over again. He had. He did. He saw. N-V. N-V. N-V. Spice it up a bit. Add a gerund or two. Start with a prepositional phrase. And vary sentence length. You don’t want staccato prose, nor do you want insanely long sentences that lose the reader.
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Mary DeMuth
The Writing Spa
Mary DeMuth helps readers and listeners turn their trials to triumph. She's the author of seven books, the mother of three, pet owner of two, and wife of one. She lives in Texas where the sun always shines. She mentors writers at Wannabepublished and The Writing Spa.
4 Responses to “10 Common Writing Mistakes: Do you pass the test?”
That writer does the most for us who brings to our attention thoughts that lay close to our minds waiting to be acknowledged as our own. Such a man acts as a midwife to assist at the birth of ideas that had been gestating long within our souls, but which without his help might not have been born at all.
— , Man the Dwelling Place of God, p. 149
Thanks for the tips! They’re great.
A typical cliché it is, I am certain that The Lord has placed me to share my testimonies (in book format) with the millions of people scattered; whether strong in faith and their salvation or fleetingly bland in their relationship with Christ. From strolling fingers leading to fixed eyes I’ve read and am now more than ever soaringly inspired to capture the experiences The Lord Jesus has granted me.
Thank you for this avenue.
Sincerely blessed,
Nicky Fraser
Good reminders, Mary. Thanks.
#6 – poor spouse and kittens! =)
Mary,
THANK YOU for this!