It’s exactly like the title says! I’m going to walk you through five common mistakes people make (including myself) while writing a novel and how to fix them. Now, I hate when posts or articles have a big long intro, so let’s jump right in. Here are some common issues writers make when penning a book:
1.) Info Dumping
Info dumping is exactly what it sounds like. It’s when a writer just unloads all relevant information about a character, story, or scenario in a big chunky block. Instead of naturally letting the story unfold, you are giving too much background or details.
Watch out for: Statements like “As you know.” If your character says something along the lines of, “As you know, we used to be engaged, but then we broke up because Marvin cheated on me, and then I started dating this new guy, and now you’re meeting him for the first time,” you might want to do some revisions. It’s an info dump, and a clunky one at that.
Fix it: We’ll get into this more below, but showing instead of telling is key. Using dialogue can help break up info dumps, but you want to be sure it’s a conversation that NEEDS to happen. If it’s just characters explaining stuff to each other, that’s going to be boring and flat. Let the information flow naturally. You don’t have to explain everything immediately or in one giant paragraph.
2.) Show, Don’t Tell
This is the golden rule of writing. You want to create an enjoyable and entertaining experience for your reader, and that comes from leading them to conclusions instead of explicitly spelling everything out for them.
Watch out for: Writing that does all the work for the reader. Don’t tell your reader that a character is cold or sad. Use dialogue, action, and description to bring the reader to that conclusion themselves. This will give your writing a better flow and feel less stilted and obvious. It doesn’t have to be a long paragraph either; one sentence can convey the situation without bogging down the plot.
Fix it: Use sensory details, action words, and strong visuals. Instead of saying, “Nancy was a rude-ass bitch,” try, “Nancy saw the janitor running for the elevator, but she jabbed a finger at the ‘Doors Close’ button and smirked as he vanished from view.”
3.) Starting Your Story in the Wrong Place
It can be tempting to start your book at the “beginning.” But oftentimes, the beginning of your character’s story is not the correct place to start your book. I get you want to give backstory and build up your protagonist, but that doesn’t mean you need to necessarily start at their birth.
Watch out for: A slow start. Readers, agents, and editors often decide within the first ten pages if they like a book or not. While the genre really does matter here, it’s best to not begin with backstory, a meandering plot, or anything too confusing that the reader doesn’t have enough information to understand yet.
Fix it: Begin with an inciting incident or the buildup to an inciting incident. Basically, get right into the conflict. Your story undoubtably has some, even if it’s a “quiet” novel, so make sure to hook the reader right away with the “what” of your story.
4.) Avoid the Middle Slump
The mid-book slump can be hard to navigate and very easy to spot if you’re reading someone else’s work. Think of all the novels you’ve read where you hit a wall somewhere in the middle and got bored. That’s what you’re trying to avoid in your own book.
Watch out for: Knowing where your characters are going but having no idea how to get them there. Are they having lots of internal or external conversations but the plot isn’t really moving along? Does your writing feel stuck? Are you experiencing writer’s block?
Fix it: Write down your story beats. Ideally, you would do this before you even start drafting, but this can be useful at any time. Make a list (or even a graph) of the major plot points and track them in a classic storytelling sense; inciting incident → rising action → climax → falling action → resolution, etc. Adding some kind of twist or reveal midway can also help eliminate any slump.
5.) Ignoring Secondary Characters
Of course, you’re going to flesh out your main character and make them a fully-realized person in your story. But don’t forget about your secondary (and even some tertiary) characters. If you only build out your protagonist and antagonist and leave the others, they are going to feel very two-dimensional and boring.
Watch out for: Stereotypes, tropes, and flat characters. Does your character have a supportive best friend who travels with them on their journey? Does your romantic lead have a meddling mother? Does your badass assassin have a sister who idolizes them? That’s all cool, but remember that those characters are not NPCs. They should have a personality, motivation, and backstory just like your protagonist.
Fix it: Add character growth, stories, and time to build out your secondary characters within your plot. Use the above tips about show, don’t tell and avoiding info dumps to create real people, not just flimsy cardboard cutouts. This will make your story (and characters) feel much more real.
And there you go! Five simple tips to avoid some super common mistakes that writers make while drafting. I still regularly make some of these mistakes, which is why revising and editing your work is so damn important.
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Saratoga Schaefer 