10 common missteps authors make

1. Lack of a Clear Premise or Story: Sometimes, the initial idea isn't fully formed, leading to a meandering narrative without a strong central conflict or compelling question. It's like setting sail without a destination in mind.

2. Weak or Unbelievable Characters: Readers connect with characters who feel real, with believable motivations, flaws, and growth. Flat, stereotypical, or inconsistent characters can quickly lose an audience.

3. Poor Pacing: The rhythm of a story is crucial. Too much exposition at the beginning can bore readers, while rushing through important plot points can leave them feeling confused or unsatisfied.

4. Inconsistent Point of View: Shifting perspectives without a clear reason or established pattern can disorient readers and break their immersion in the story.

5. Dialogue That Doesn't Sound Natural: Stilted, unnatural dialogue can pull readers out of the story. Effective dialogue reveals character, advances the plot, and sounds like something people would actually say.

6. Insufficient Worldbuilding (for genre fiction): In fantasy, science fiction, and other genre fiction, a poorly developed or inconsistent world can undermine the entire story. Readers need to understand the rules and intricacies of the fictional setting.

7. Telling Instead of Showing: This is a classic. Simply stating facts or emotions ("She was angry") is less impactful than showing them through actions, dialogue, and internal thoughts ("Her fists clenched, knuckles white").

8. Plot Holes and Inconsistencies: Nothing pulls a reader out of a story faster than a glaring plot hole or an inconsistency in the established rules of the narrative.

9. Lack of Thorough Editing and Proofreading: Typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing can make even a good story seem unprofessional and detract from the reading experience.

10. Ignoring Feedback or Not Seeking It: Writing can be solitary, but getting constructive criticism from trusted readers or critique partners is invaluable for identifying weaknesses and improving the manuscript. Sometimes, authors are too attached to their work to see its flaws clearly.

It's all part of the learning process, though! Every author makes mistakes; the key is to learn from them and keep honing the craft. What aspect of writing are you currently working on?