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Grab your free writer's toolkit by going to http://www.writerslife.org/finish-your-book ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi I'm Jody from WritersLife.org and today we'll be talking about 10 mistakes new fiction writers make for new writers seeing errors or shortcomings in your writing is a skill yet to be developed and something many have a hard time understanding as professional writers we become so attached to our work seeing our mistakes whether we are new to the profession or not isn't something we typically want to admit as a new fiction writer you create story after story but nothing seems to be connecting with editors are you wondering why your short stories keep coming back with polite rejection letters it could be that one of these 10 fatal errors is standing between you and publication lack of editing the best writers rewrite and rewrite new writers tend to think that editing merely means a brief read-through for typos and spelling errors that's the very last thing you do the first draft of a short story is like a lump of wood removing unnecessary waffle sharpening up images and choosing the exact word will reveal the beauty of the grain dull writing too many new writers don't give their imagination full rein they seem afraid to look beyond and beneath the surface their characters and dull and leaves dull lives above all fiction must intrigue and entertain avoid stereotyped characters and situations why can't a rich businessman be kind and compassionate - why are unemployed man always lazy and sit around in their vest swinging out of cans why can't one or two learn Latin or take up the line-dancing too much irrelevant detail and short fiction especially include information only if it furthers the plot aids characterization and provides a sense of place and time too much background information makes a story all tell and no show don't go into detail about characters if they have no significant part to play in the fiction never give bit-part players a name if all the postman has to do is deliver an all-important letter don't say he Stan the postman whose wife nags him and has they bad back after falling off his bike in 1976 his function is just to be a postman don't lead up to an event jump in straight away drip feed vital information subtly don't drop in heavy and adjustable chunks of history or description make an essential part of the current action no attention to language too many writers are so busy telling a story they fail to choose their words carefully enough all writers should try to increase their vocabulary not by using fancy words just for the sake of it writing should always be clear but by using intriguing language and new ways wind doesn't only blow it can rip roar strangle with be imaginative it's not only what you say but the way you say it absence of imagery and reliance on cliches too much fiction is flat because it lacks vibrant images cliches and metaphors that have been so overworked they cease to mean anything in sound limp and stale like as cold as ice as black as coal don't say she sighed with relief think of another way someone might show relief match your imagery to the story and character if your main character is always rushing about use the imagery related to speed send him to the greyhound track to act out his scenes or place them by a railway line where Express trains Thunder paths if your character is depressed then sent her into tunnels underpasses cellars and basements reinforce the prevailing mood but avoid the obvious don't draw the reader's attention to what you're doing just do it no sense of place people are not only the result of their genes but they are shaped by their environments so show the readers where your characters live and work if it's the sprawling suburbs then show us what does a suburban Avenue sound and smell like how does the light shine on it show us its life a man delivering charity bags from door to door really been standing by gates if someone lives in a filthy hovel behind the gasworks let's see here and touch it too many writers let their characters flow around in a vacuum don't forget to engage all the senses most writers describe how things look but how does fear taste how does anger smell what does beauty sound like be adventurous no shape or structure all fiction but especially the short story works best when it concentrates on one person in one situation that takes place in a reasonably short space of time a short story expresses a moment of change and charts the journey through the change and shows what happens at the far ends begin the story as close as possible to the moment of change don't waffle on once the change and its aftermath has happened don't allow yourself to be sidetracked learn how to pace the story when to give and when to withhold information when and how to create tension speed things up slow things down this is done by carefully choosing words not only for the sound they make but for the length of syllables writing is a craft as much as an arts if a writer needs to introduce a flashback it should be carefully signposted in and out to avoid confusion shifts in viewpoint should also be carefully introduced poor dialogue skills dialog in fiction isn't real but it must sound real keep it sharp don't allow your characters to make long confessional speeches or engage in too much cosy chit chat use it to provide essential information and above all to show character lack of technical knowledge all writers should learn or brush up their grammar by learning why things are so the most common mistakes such as confusion of it's and it's your and your mark you as a beginner learn the reasons behind the rules and you can't possibly get it wrong only when you know the rules inside and out can you be brave enough to break them the best way to learn how to do it is to read as much published fiction as you can if you read plenty by a variety of authors you cannot possibly pick up their style it will on the contrary help develop your own our top tip when you think your story is the best you can make it put it aside and leave it for as long as possible minimum one week then read it out loud your errors will leap up at you like snarling dogs now rewrite it don't forget if you're having a hard time writing or finishing your book check out our free writer's tool kit it can help you overcome procrastination get organized stay focused and get your book published just touch the http://www.writerslife.org/toolkit
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