Five Common Writing Mistakes

Being able to write well is a gift – but it’s not without its challenges. It doesn’t matter how good your writing is, there are always things that you will miss, and below I have listed the five common writing mistakes that I see most frequently.

A copyeditor will help you with these concerns, but if you can address some of them yourself, you will save your editor time (and therefore save yourself some money).

1. Formatting

Manuscripts should be delivered to the copyeditor in the right format – normally this will be a Microsoft Word document (but check this with your editor first).

Make sure you use page breaks between each chapter (CTRL-enter will do this for you), rather than hitting the paragraph return multiple times to push a new chapter onto a new page.

In fiction, the first line in each paragraph is indented (1.27 cm is the standard) except for the first paragraph of a new section/chapter, which is flush left. Use proper indents rather than hitting the tab key.

Double space your manuscript (format this properly, don’t just hit return at the end of each line), and set the typeface to something sensible (most editors will ask for Times New Roman, 12 pt).

2. Overusing Adverbs and Adjectives

While adverbs and adjectives can enhance your writing, their overuse can lead to wordiness and weaken your prose. Instead, focus on choosing strong verbs and nouns to convey your message effectively.

Be selective in your use of modifiers to maintain conciseness. Rather than running quickly, let your characters sprint or hurry.

I’ve written a separate blog post about adverbs which discusses how there are strong adverbs and weak adverbs, and when best to use them.

3. Lack of Consistency

Inconsistencies in character names, settings, and timelines can confuse readers and disrupt the narrative flow.

Your copyeditor will generally create a style sheet as they are working through your manuscript – documenting each editorial decision about spelling choice, and including a brief description of each of your characters to make sure they don’t suddenly change eye colour (unless it’s deliberate!).

However, if you keep a style sheet of your own, this will help you to be consistent as you write/self-edit, and it will also be a massive help to your editor. This will save both you and your editor a lot of time and effort.

4. Show, Don’t Tell

One common mistake is “telling” the readers what’s happening instead of “showing” through descriptive details and actions.

Allow readers to immerse themselves in your story by painting vivid scenes and letting them draw their conclusions.

Lots of writers are told to “show, don’t tell”, without anyone explaining to them what this really means. I’ve untangled some of the misconceptions in my blog post about balancing show and tell.

5. Weak Dialogue

Dialogue is a powerful tool for character development and plot progression. Authors often make the mistake of creating dialogue that feels forced or unrealistic.

To improve your dialogue, eavesdrop on real conversations, pay attention to speech patterns, and make sure each character has a distinct voice. See my blog post about strengthening dialogue.

In Conclusion

Writing and editing are integral parts of the author’s journey. By avoiding these five common writing mistakes and being diligent in your editing process, you can significantly improve the quality of your manuscript before you send it to an editor – this will save your editor time, and save you money!