Tagged: writing pitfalls
Writing Pitfalls: Pacing
Unlike with some things like dialogue or grammar, pacing in a novel is not that easy to fix. Every author writes differently (obviously) so of course everyone is going to make different mistakes. The only tried-and-true method for working out pacing issues is getting a good developmental editor, but I’ve decided to write some tips to help you avoid the most common pitfalls when it comes to pacing.
Pitfall #1: Not enough/too much background information.
One of the problems that I most commonly encounter, particularly in fantasy and science fiction is that the writer is trying so hard to have a fast-paced story that they leave out information that could help the reader actually understand the story. In fantasy it’s important that you reveal information about your world and the rules therein to your reader or they’re really not going to care what’s happening. The same goes for science fiction, which also has the added difficulty of explaining science to both newbies to the genre and hardcore fans.
As a writer it’s hard to separate what information you’re imparting to the reader from what information you have up in your head that seems obvious to you, the creator. One of the best ways to figure out whether you have enough background is to get some beta readers. If they’re left with more questions than answers by the end of the novel you’ve got some more writing to do.
Conversely, if a reader doesn’t need to learn about every family’s bloodlines, motivations, hair colour, eye colour, etc. then you’ve got some rewriting to do to take out that irrelevant information. It’s important for the reader to be able to distinguish secondary characters from one another but if you as a writer really need to focus on making your main characters pop out. This not only helps the reader follow your story but helps with the plot so you don’t get too bogged down in secondary character subplots. Continue reading
Writing Pitfalls: Dialogue
I don’t claim to be a writer or even an expert on books in general, but I know what I like as a reader and what other people like to read in general. That’s why I’m writing this 10 part series to help writers, especially self-published writers, improve their writing.
I can’t tell you guys how many times I’ve wanted to throw my Kindle or my book at the wall because of bad dialogue. You could say I’m exaggerating but I’m being completely honest when I say that if your book has awesome characters, a fast-paced plot and solid world-building but has bad dialogue I will not be able to finish it. I have had to give up on more books than I care to admit because of wretched dialogue.
All of the mistakes with dialogue basically boil down to three main categories, which I’ll go into detail below.
Pitfall #1: Stiff dialogue.
Example: “Why hello Gerard! What a lovely day it is outside, is it not? I believe the chief meteorologist Jonathon Ziegelgansberger predicted a temperature of 90 degrees, which is 15 degrees above the seasonal average. In our little town of Cosmo our main industry is tourism, therefore I expect all of the businesses will see a 100% increase in sales this financial quarter.”
How to fix it:
I swear the example above is not an exaggeration of some of the dialogue I’ve read in books, both self-published and traditional. Dialogue is a tricky thing but the main problem I seem to see is that authors don’t read their dialogue aloud to themselves. They don’t consider whether the way they write is the way a person would actually speak in the real world. Authors: you need to make your dialogue flow naturally. I have two very simple tips below to help you:
1. Read it aloud to yourself. If you stumble over words or it sounds ridiculous to your ears, that’s a good hint that your dialogue is stiff.
2. Ask yourself if a person with the character’s socioeconomic status, upbringing, education level, etc. would speak that way in the real world.
These are some pretty simple steps to fixing stiff dialogue but very, very few authors even bother to do them and editors don’t seem to catch it. Continue reading
The Week Ahead (#5)
Last week saw my stats go down in general, but at least my comments have remained consistent. Outside of blogging I’ve been contemplating a new blogging business venture to help pay for my book habit and I’m actually pretty excited about launching it in the fall. I’ll announce my plan closer to the date, but I think you guys will like it better than my proposed donating option. Anyway…what am I doing this week besides dropping cryptic clues to torture you?
Monday
- An article called ‘Writing Pitfalls: Dialogue’. This article is the first in a planned ten part series designed to help authors with their writing, whether they’re just starting out or already have a few books under their belts.
Tuesday
- A review of Keeper of the King’s Secrets by Michelle Diener. This is the sequel to the first book, In a Treacherous Court and I’m very excited to see how Michelle Diener’s writing has improved.
Wednesday
- A review of Roma by Steven Saylor. I was rather reluctant to start reading Roma but I’m about halfway through it at the time of writing this and so far it’s pretty good. Sometimes there’s more showing than telling but Steven Saylor is a good storyteller.
Thursday
- A review of Evermore by Alyson Noel. I’ve heard so much about this one and it’s been on my TBR pile for so long that I finally gave in and started reading it. What have I got to lose?
Friday
- Book Blast: 1066: What Fates Impose by G. K. Holloway
- Book Blast: Destruction by Sharon Bayliss
Saturday
- Discussion: Beta Reading. If you’re a book blogger or author have you ever been a beta reader? If so, how was it? If not, would you ever consider being a beta reader?