So, you’re considering writing your first novel? It feels exciting, right? It’s fun and satisfying to create your world and tell its story. Moreover, with easy access to tons of online story writing platform, both new and seasoned authors have a chance to have a go at their desired genre.
However, crafting a fictional world and making people like it isn’t something that comes easy. Did you know an average reader gives up on a book or piece of writing in less than a minute? Reason? Not engaging enough. Many stories in fiction have very “promising” beginnings, but by the time they’re finished with the book, the reader feels somewhat cheated because the climax didn’t live up to the beginning.
And as a first-time writer, you wouldn’t want that to happen. So, when it comes to penning your first novel, make sure you avoid making any of these writing mistakes.
Online Storytelling – Common Fiction Writing Mistakes To Avoid
- Poorly Written Dialogues
Dialogues aren’t just a way to progress your story but an art that can make or break your story. Your dialogue must be natural-sounding and not overly fancy. Avoid confusing dialogues that add nothing to the action.
Above all things, conversation should progress the narrative and reveal important character traits.
- Clichéd Writing
Using clichés in your writing is not only a lazy way to express yourself, but it will also have readers instantly losing interest. Clichés are commonly overused phrases or expressions that people become so accustomed to hearing that they can no longer see their meaning. For readers to be compelled by what they read, they want something new and exciting, and clichés certainly don’t provide that.
Perhaps the biggest reason why you shouldn’t use clichés in your writing is that it shows that you lack the creativity and thoughtfulness needed to convey meaning. Rather than being honest about how you feel or what you think, you rely on overly-used. And if someone else can take those same shortcuts, why should anyone heed what you say? Ultimately, if you want your writing to stand out from the crowd and capture your readers’ attention, then steer clear of clichés at all costs. After all, isn’t originality the key to great ideas?
- Switching Point Of View (POV) Mid-Way
When crafting a story, choosing your point of view (POV) is important. It determines which aspects of the narrative you choose to focus on and how they are presented to readers. Whether you’re writing in the first person or third person, maintaining your POV throughout the story is crucial for keeping readers engaged and drawing them into your world.
Many novels change perspective at times, and this can easily become confusing. Going from the thoughts and feelings of one character to another is too difficult for a reader to follow. It may make sense to you as the author, but that’s because you created the scenario.
There is an easy way to make sure a point of view is not mishandled or misconstrued for the reader, and that’s to follow one simple rule: Only one point of view per chapter.
- Writing And Editing All Together
Yes, editing is of utmost importance when working on any writing piece. But trying to do both at the same time can be counterintuitive.
When creating the first draft, instead of focusing on the quality of each sentence or paragraph, it’s important to concentrate on putting your ideas down on paper first. If you constantly stop to evaluate your writing as you write it, you’ll feel blocked and unable to progress.
To get around this, try separating your writing and editing processes into two steps. This will allow you to free up your creative energy to focus on getting your thoughts down on paper in whatever works best for you. It might be messy and disorganized at first, but that’s ok–you’ll have plenty of time to clean things up later during the editing process.
- Forgetting To Describe Characters
Some writers get so caught up in action they forget to highlight the characters – the key elements in every story. After all, these characters carry the story and take your readers on a journey. Thus, you must carefully craft each character to make them as real as possible.
One key aspect of character development is creating backstories for both the main and secondary characters.
Feeding your readers information about your characters’ past experiences will help inform their actions and choices throughout the story and will make all the difference in capturing your readers’ imagination!
To Conclude
Fiction writing is a complex and intricate art that takes time, practice, and much editing. By avoiding the five errors we’ve listed, you can focus on honing your craft and producing better stories.
That being said, are you passionate about online storytelling or interested in building an online presence through your creative writing craft? Then join online communities like Golden Room today!
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