I´m not going to lie, it´s impossible not to make mistakes. Whoever tells you that this path you’ve chosen is nice and easy is just wrong. But, worry no more. We are here to help you fix some newbie mistakes we’ve all made, so you can find the best version of your manuscript.
Of course, we won’t be able to cover it all. But, hopefully, you can find useful tips in here!
If you are new to our page, then some introductions are in order: We are Blue Raven Club, we offer useful tips for new writers to help them write the novel they have inside. So, stick around, and we’ll make sure you don’t regret it.
Let’s get into it!
1. Editing while writing
First, I want to clarify that editing while you write is not impossible for everyone. Some people can actually do it. But, let’s take into account that these people know how the process works and probably have a little more experience. So, if you are new to writing and are one of those perfectionists who cannot concentrate while there is a grammatical or spelling error in their writing, then, this piece of advice is for you.
Writing is a difficult job. Every idea counts, and it happens that, if you stop writing to edit a sentence or paragraph, you’ll block the natural flow of thoughts that you are having at the moment.
The process of editing as you write is slow and painful. It will only cause you to get discouraged and lose focus during pauses… and, most importantly, it will keep you from making any progress. You have no idea how much you can lose in those 10 seconds you use to correct something.
When I was writing my first manuscript, I got stuck on my first chapter for a really long time. Because every time I sat down to write, I only focused on making that first chapter perfect. And, you know what? That was just impossible for me at that moment, because I didn’t have the experience or the knowledge necessary to edit that correctly. Some parts of that “edited version” didn’t even make the final cut. So… yes. We can call it a waste of time and energy.
There is not perfect manuscript. So, just keep going. Get the novel out of your system. There will always be time for editing.
Control your internal editor. Repeat after me – I’ll fix it later -. Repeat it as many times as necessary during your writing session. Insecurities about your manuscript are normal but believe me, you will have time to deal with them later. So, focus on the story.
That first shitty draft can be repaired later. You have time. Besides, once you finish your first draft, you’ll have grown as a writer and you’ll be able to edit better. Don’t lose time editing things that might not even make the final version. Just go on.
Did you decide to self-edit your manuscript? Learn how to do your best in this article.
2. Telling and not showing
Telling and not showing is a very common mistake. Readers like to feel as if they are inside of the world you are creating for them, so they prefer vivid descriptions of what’s happening and not a mere label. For example:
- Telling: The boy was very sad.
- Showing: The boy sat in a corner with his head down.
- Telling: He was hungry.
- Showing: His stomach roared.
- Telling: He was nervous
- Showing: His heart was beating fast.
Do you need more tips on how to become a better writer? Well, then you can take a look at this article.
For showing, just try to think about how a person feels or what a person does when they are happy, hungover, dizzy, sad, furious. Avoid using the words that name the emotion themselves. Don’t say “happy”. Describe how their face looked or how their eyes seemed to sparkle.
We are not going to get any deeper into this topic, because we have a full article on how to show and not tell. You can check that right here.
Amazon has the best books for beginning writers, written by famous best-sellers and publishers. Check out this article and find what you need.
3. Starting sentences with the same structure
If your prose turns out to be full of repetitions, your readers will quickly get bored, and this does not mean that your story is not interesting, but that the way to tell it is not the best.
In your review process, you should be on the look-out for repetitive beginnings in paragraphs and sentences: Words used in excess or that are repeated in the same paragraph, repetitive sentence structures will make your writing look boring.
Let’s take a look at a example:
He entered the tavern and everybody stared at him. He knew every single person in that room. He was about to use that as an advantage.
Here you can see that all three sentences start with the same pronoun, now let’s see what happens if we vary that a little bit.
He entered the tavern and everybody stared at him. Every single person in that room looked familiar in some way or another and today, that was an advantage.
Isn’t it better?
Texts can also be musical. Changing and playing around with the beat they produce can help us achieve better results.
Alliteration can make your writing monotonous, slow and with it, your prose will likely lose its intensity as it progresses. Try varying your sentences: Their beginnings and also their length. The result will be a harmonious ensemble that can only make your writing look elegant.
4. Starting the novel in the wrong place.
The beginning of a novel is probably the most relevant part of your book. Why? Simple. Because it is the decisive moment between the reader and your book. This will be the one chapter that will make them want to dive into your story, or not.
Another common newbie mistake is starting the novel in the wrong place. Most newbies tend to put the reader in context before starting to tell their story, something like “what happened 100 years before” or “The hero woke up and did this or that”. This just turns the plot into a slow and boring process, with unnecessary information that you can also give throughout the story. The reader doesn’t need to know all the details about your characters’ live in the first pages. Give it time. And start telling the story already!!
If you’ve written a first chapter that develops 200 years before the actual story begins, and you think it’s absolutely necessary for the readers to have this information before they get to know the characters, then you probably need a prologue.
Even if you have an incredible story, you run the risk of losing the reader before you get to the good parts with the info-dumping at the beginning. Remember you can always include that background information in the story as it progresses.
The reality is that your book should begin where the story really starts.
If it starts with sunrise, a full day of your protagonist’s routine, and the conflict takes more than 50 pages to start, then go back and rethink some things. You started in the wrong place.
A normal day in the life of your character is not a motivation to continue reading. Can you imaging going through pages and pages of routinary activities before somehting exciting happens? Don’t kill the momentum. Give your readers just enough to keep going.
But, does this mean I can start with an explosion and knives flying through a room? Well, no.
The main reason for not starting right in the middle of an action scene is that we still don’t know the characters enough to care about them. How do we know who to cheer for?
The balance can be hard to find. Make sure you provide enough elements of your hero, so we know they are somehow likable. Do this through events, not mere descriptions. But don’t make that introductory part too long or too informative. Trust your readers, they will connect the dots by themselves. Don’t give so many explanations.
Do not introduce too many characters: the protagonist and one or two more will suffice, the relationship between the reader and the main character will begin on page one, do not make things confusing by overloading them with information about who is who and what is what.
By the way, we have a great article about first chapters that you can check right here.
In the end, once you finish writing the novel, you can always rewrite its beginning. There is no way of knowing what your story will become until you finish it. Characters change, plots change, so check it out, make sure it’s the right start for the novel it became.
Are you experiencing writer’s block? The words don’t flow the way they should? Find the solution in this article.
5. Clichés, how to avoid them.
First of all, what’s a cliché? A cliché is that phrase, plot, environment, character, dialogue, or setting, which, despite being a good idea, has been overused throughout history, and therefore lost its original meaning, and has become predictable.
Clichés cut the suspense effect and show the writer’s lack of originality. Of course, a cliché can always be twisted to have an unexpected result. You just have to know how to use it to your advantage.
Clichés will turn your book into second-hand work. You will not be able to catch the reader’s attention, and of course, the idea is to have the opposite result.
Let’s look at some examples of cliches.
Obvious and unoriginal ideas
Some tropes like:
-It had all been a dream
-The chosen one
Readers are already too familiar with these tropes. They know how they end. Unlesss you do something memorable with these, don’t expect to get a lot of attention.
Common language.
A superficial and lazy writer will resort to worn and uncreative phrases that have been seen in other books. NO! Enough of copying and pasting, ´´at the end of the day´´ or ´´eyes as blue as the sky “, “can of worms”, etc. You will only be showing the reader second-hand impressions.
Sensationalism
Be careful with this, when you establish certain scenarios make sure you do not fall into the typical phrases of: -Here it comes, not again-. They will make your writing look amateurish and unoriginal. Some examples are: ”torrential rain ”, ” I thought he loved me ‘ ´, ´´ stirred sea´´. They have already lived a long life. It is time to let them die, there are many ways to express the same thing with different words, so grab your thesaurus.
Predictable settings and characters
Personally, these make me close the book right away. So watch out, horror writers, I speak to you: Typical houses in the middle of nowhere with no electricity and no coverage. Really? Again? Dear romantics, not always the girl should be a princess with blue eyes and pale skin. Look around: we have more races, people!
My advice? Be authentic and use your own voice. Twist that trope like a candy wrapper and get to something complety new!
Have you already chosen your ideal genre? Here I explain the most popular ones.
Summing up
I wish all the mistakes that we newbies make when starting to write could be summarized in a single article, but that’s just impossible. But, don’t get discouraged. When I was just beginning to write my first pages, I had to write and rewrite a lot. I learned many things the hard way, but you know what? The key to succeeding in this world is your willingness to keep going. One step at a time. If you can recognize your own mistakes, it means your a step closer to being a better writer. Embrace them and learn from them.
Remember: every great process takes a great effort, and many of the great best-selling authors went through this over and over again.
Leave your questions and comments below. Was this useful? Is there any other aspect you want to know about?
See you soon!