Creative Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Some common mistakes beginning writers make.

In workshops, I often see beginning writers making the same sort of mistakes, so I compiled a list of some of the most common ones for this month’s writing advice.

Bear in mind these pitfalls don’t apply to everyone, especially genre writers. However, to break the rules, you need to learn them first.

Some common mistakes beginning writers make include:

“Suddenly,” “Very,” Any word that ends in -ly

Think: “Suddenly, he laughed very loudly.”

Here’s a trick, substitute “damn” for “very,” then use the find function to delete them all. A man isn't “very tired;” he’s exhausted.

If you need an adverb to explain how loud someone is shouting or how hard that door is slammed, you’re not doing your job as a writer. We should be able to tell that kid is chewing loudly by the way he’s smacking his lips. You can use similes or metaphors to help you out here. However, be sure to avoid…

Cliché similes and metaphors

Think: Cold as ice; shaking like a leaf; struck him like a bolt of lightning

Try this: anytime you want to use a simile or metaphor, write 10 of them out that could describe what you’re talking about, then write 10 more. We tend to jump towards the cliché ones first because those are the ones we know. The more you force yourself to write different ones, the more interesting and unique they become.

Read More: What Makes a Story Good?

Stereotypical Characters

Think: Hot blonde in a tight red dress. The high school football hunk. The ‘plain Jane.’ People are more interesting than this.

Along these lines, think of more unique descriptors than people’s hair and eye color. These kinds of descriptions really aren’t that interesting. Instead, tell us how that lady’s glasses have tiny bite marks on the ends or how that person’s upper lip disappears when they smile.

Boring or Unnecessary Dialogue

Think:

“Hi, my name is Joe. What’s your name?”
“My name is Susan. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too. How are you doing today?”
“I am well. How are you?”
“I am doing good, too.”

That was painful, right? You can cut it all out with indirect dialogue. Indirect dialogue is speech that occurs off the page; i.e., “Joe introduced himself to Susan and asked how she was.”

Also, cut the “Ums,” “Uhs,” “W...Well.” Though we talk like that in real life, it doesn't often come across in writing the same way.

Melodrama

Think: Explosions, car chases, multiple deaths.

If you’re adding something in because you think it will be exciting, don’t. Again, it won’t come across like you think it will.

Read More: What is Plot Structure?

Gore and Violence for Gore and Violence's Sake

Think: Graphic shootings, torture scenes, etc.

It’s a betrayal to your reader to enact violence on them just for violence’s sake. If you're adding this for excitement, don’t. This isn’t coming across like you want it to, either.

A note: This is general writing advice, applicable across most genres, but if you’re a horror writer, gore and violence may be expected.

If you have questions or comments, or if there’s an aspect of writing or the publishing industry you’d like to learn more about, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message or find me on social media.