Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 42: When Your Story Stakes Aren’t High Enough
There are two different ways you can blow your story stakes--and both of them have the ability to ruin your book. Find out how to avoid them!
Most Common Mistakes: Under-Explaining
Under-explaining can happen for one of two reasons.
Most Common Mistakes: Characters Who Lack Solid Story Goals
A book in which a character lacks solid story goals is a book that is not going to work.
Most Common Mistakes: Animate Body Parts
Animate body parts can create ludicrous or even confusing images and remove the emphasis from the primary actor.
Is Your Prose Too Complex?
How to Spot Problematic Complexity in Your Prose
When Your Scene Focuses on What Isn’t Happening
Writers often end up spending a huge chunk of time describing what their characters aren't doing.
A Surefire Sign You’re Over-Explaining
Readers want us to explain; but they never want us to over-explain.
Why “Suddenly” Is a Four-Letter Word
What's one of the most overused, least-needed words in a writer's repertoire? Try "suddenly."
Are You Skipping the Best Parts?
Analyze your manuscript to make sure you're not missing any opportunities or cutting any corners.
Most Common Mistakes Series: Does Your Character Lack Purpose?
Boring scenes often occur when the main character has no obvious purpose.
How You May Be Killing Your Story’s Tension
Sometimes we can zap a story's tension without even realizing it.
How to Spot and Fix Non-Reactive and Over-Reactive Characters
Character reaction can be difficult to portray without falling into one of two pitfalls: non-reaction or over-reaction.
