Writing a book is not for the faint-hearted. It is an experience that demands utmost commitment and takes you through a rigorous path of setbacks.
Nevertheless, nothing gets as exciting as creating your own world and telling a story that has been within you for ages. It is an experience that’s rewarding and undoubtedly fun.
Good writing and a captivating storytelling experience can elevate a narrative in numerous ways, and many adopt several liberties when writing a book. Yet, there are some mistakes that you should avoid while creating something that you can be proud of one day. Here are 7 errors that you should watch out for and avoid when writing a book for the very first time.
Losing the Plot
Strange, but true. This is an issue that occurs irrespective of what genre you choose to write in, and it’s essential to get it back on track as soon as possible. Some writers complete their entire book without actually knowing what their story is or by entirely derailing away from what they had initially set out to achieve.
It is imperative to stick to the plot that you had initially developed. Make use of a novel outline template if you have to!
Nothing has to be set in stone. However, the narrative needs to be premeditated. Your story can grow and evolve as you write. Nevertheless, it requires a clear direction before you get started.
Unrealistic Characters
Much like the conflicts that you choose to write, a story is nothing without its characters. Irrespective of being the main, secondary, big or small, every character needs to be both real and believable. Most writers get too caught up with the overarching storyline and force their characters to fall in line or act against their nature to progress the story.
However, not every single character needs to show up with a complete history and backstory, but the lead characters do. Characters may seem to be dull and unlikeable if they aren’t well thought out and deep enough. You want your readers to be invested in your characters and feel emotions for them or against them as the story progresses.
Hence, learning about the types of characters in a literary world can help you create effective ones:
- Flat Characters
- Round Characters
- Static Characters
- Dynamic Characters
Creating unbelievable and weak characters are among the most detrimental mistakes that you can make while writing your book.
Just Show, Don’t Tell!
This is one of the most commonly cited mistakes among writers. Authors are naturally more prone to tell than show. This means that instead of letting a reader experience their story through actions, dialogues, inner thoughts, and senses, the author tends to summarize or outrightly describe what has happened.
In most cases, this mistake is committed by dumping too much information in the prose or by stating a character’s feelings than portraying how these emotions are conveyed.
By providing unnecessary details about the character and their actions can slow the pace down incredibly, lessen the tension, and interrupt the flow of the scene. Focus on the story, and give your audiences the benefit of developing their own perception.
Editing as you Write
No one demands perfection as much as a writer does. And more often than ever, authors tend to subject their own work to such unrealistic standards before there is any substance to lead with. In the initial stages of writing a book, it is critical to focus on getting the story onto the page. Regardless of how big or small the editing is, it needs to be avoided.
Your writing must be separated from your editing. By making them two different processes, you can avoid second-guessing yourself and everything you’ve written so far. Avoid exhaustion and save your creativity for storytelling purposes rather than editing incomplete work.
Don’t edit a single thing until the draft is done and dusted – end of story.
Write for Now!
Agatha Christie and Peter Robinson are best-selling authors. But does that mean if you write like them, you’ll get sales like them? Unfortunately, no!
When they got started, these authors wrote for the book market of their time. By writing on relevant subjects and creating literary worlds for that era, they dominate that market. There is no reason why readers should prefer your book unless you can bring something fresh to the table.
For example, young adult fiction authors who created spin-offs based on the works of Stephenie Meyer recently overlooked the fact that vampire-lit had already hit its saturation point since the release of Twilight.
Unless you’re writing historical fiction, don’t do it.
Write for the world as it is now!
Economical Writing
Making your work economical is one aspect no writer is ever worried about. However, it is of utmost importance to keep it short when required because very few readers have the patience to get through verbiage. Always remember that it is possible to cut down on the word count without actually losing any content at all.
For example, if you’re able to convey the context of a 14-worded sentence in just 9 words, you’re not losing content but merely removing surplus to keep it short and crisp for enhanced readability. Moreover, editing down drastically can affect the overall quality of the content and cause irregularities in the narrative. Hence, remember to keep it brutally short and focus on finishing the draft.
Clichés and Fluffy Dialogues
A cliché is anything that makes your reader feel like they’ve read your work before. Clichés would affect a reader’s attention and absorption incredibly. You will likely lose them entirely within a few pages on implementing this absolute no-no.
On the other hand, dialogues can make or break your narrative. When your only motive is to finish the first draft, you will lose track of the word count. You would naturally make it long and robust enough, and whole-heartedly believe that you can fix it all in the editing stage.
However, the reality is that irrelevant pieces of dialogue and clichés only serve to add quantity, and never quality. Hence, it’s best to stay as far away as possible from these overused literary tropes.
Ready, Steady, and Go!
When writing a book, there are many mistakes that beginners should watch out for. This list comprised some common errors faced by first-time authors. Never forget, it’s absolutely fine to make mistakes, and that’s why editing is there to save the day.
You have a variety of tools available at your disposal that will help make the writing process much easier. So do not shy away from using a book writing template or software to help create a more seamless outline.
Although, keep these mistakes in mind and do your best to avoid them in your process. This way, you can get to the finish line faster!
