While editing several manuscripts in the past few weeks (still in draft form), I’ve come across many common mistakes we writers make, especially in early drafts. I’ve also seen gorgeous writing in those same drafts. So don’t feel bad if you find these errors in your own writing (you’ll be in good company).

Good news: the fixes are generally quite easy!

Writing Peeves and Editing Tips

This week, I’d like to offer a few tips on writing mistakes to avoid and favorite editing tips so you can polish your work:

Writing Peeve: Extraneous Words

In a first draft, it’s normal to include extra words that don’t really add to your story.

The fixes (my editing tips)

a) Do one search for these words (below) which are usually–or often–unnecessary and cut them out:

• That (in many cases): Try the sentence without the word and see if it still works.
  • Example: “I looked for the book that he lost,” vs. “I looked for the book he lost.”
• So, very, really: Rather than adding to the word they modify, you’ll find these words tend to detract. Read the sentence aloud with and without the verb. You’ll usually find the statement is stronger without these words!
  • “I found her writing so inspiring!” vs. “I found her writing inspiring.” Of course, while you’re  tightening phrases, how about shortening that one to, “Her writing inspired me!”

b) Read a round or two out loud, looking specifically for wordy phrases. Ask yourself how you might word them more simply.

• Example: “I would have liked,” becomes, “I wanted.”

Writing Peeve: Dialogue that sounds stilted, mechanical or fake.

• Dialogue is tricky — on the one hand, it needs to sound authentically like something someone would say. On the other hand, dialogue mimics true conversation but is not the same as a transcript. People say things like, “Well…um…like…uh…” and we leave those out in good dialogue. In addition, people often don’t finish their thoughts when speaking aloud, which can be hard to follow and/or wasteful in dialogue.

The fixes (my editing tips)

a) Make every word count: take out anything that’s not necessary. Think “Hemingway.”

b) Write the way people speak conversationally, using contractions most of the time:

• Example: Change, “I cannot make it to the party you are throwing,” to “I can’t make it to your party.”

Writing Peeve: Jerking a reader back and forth in time.

One of the easiest ways to lose or confuse your readers is to go back and forth in time too often. There are several ways writers make this mistake:

The fixes (my editing tips)

Problem #1: The writer summarizes what happened in a conversation, then provides dialogue that happens before the summary (or during). We don’t need it twice. The summary is redundant and can be confusing.

The Fix #1: Offer the dialogue; no need to summarize.

Problem #2:  The writer takes us back in time, and then, within that flashback, takes us back again.

The Fix #2: Always return to the present from a flashback. Do not embed one flashback within another.

Problem #3: The writer fails to let the reader know where we are in time and we go back and forth several times.

The Fix #3: Give readers clues about where we are in time, and try to keep it sequential for the most part — being choosy about how often you flash back. A clue could begin with, “Two weeks early,” or “Two days later…” for example.

Writing Peeve: Telling, not Showing.

I’m sure you’ve been exposed to the aphorism, “Show; don’t tell.” You want to paint a picture for your readers with sensory detail. And you want to engage the reader so that they draw conclusions and experience the action and emotion deeply.

Here are some common ways writers “tell”:

a) Using a generic verb that doesn’t convey information: “He went to his mother’s house.”

b) Naming an emotion: “He was infuriated.”

c) Employing an adverb when a more precise verb can do the work more effectively

The fixes (my editing tips)

a) Use specific verbs, rather than generic ones: “He went to his mother’s house,” can paint more of a picture if you say how he went – did he drive, run or tiptoe? And rather than run, can you show the quality of the run with a more specific verb? Perhaps he sprinted?

b) Show the emotion. How do you show anger? How about a red face, tight jaw, or fists? Dialogue can bring the anger to life as well.

d) Eliminate adverbs when possible by using particularly specific verbs: “He walked slowly” can become “he dawdled” if the man was hesitant or procrastinating; “he limped” if he had a physical problem walking. A depressed person might trudge or plod or shuffle. Someone relaxed or at leisure might meander or wander. These verbs tell us much more about the character than the lazy adverb.

Writing Peeve: Generalizing Experiences.

Today, I read a story in a book I’d been considering for an author spotlight. I loved the title, loved the inspiring photograph of an Andean mountain range. (I’m omitting/changing details for the sake of protecting the author here). I sat in front of the fire, ready to sink into story. Instead, the chapter began with eight paragraphs of general experience: “Many immigrants experience x, y, z…”

Two pages later came the story. By then, I felt bored. I did not finish the book. The writing didn’t grab me. It lost me.

The fix (my editing tip)

Start with a story, a scene, just as I did in the very brief story of the book I did not finish. Ideally, the story evokes tension, especially if it appears at the beginning of the book or a chapter. The more tension, the more compelled a reader feels to discover how the narrator or character overcame their problem(s).

A scene begins in a particular place at a specific time. And something happens. It is not a generalization. Later, if it’s appropriate, you can tie this story to more general experiences (such as I am doing here), but only after you’ve drawn the reader in!

Introduce the reader to a specific immigrant named Javier. Help us see him online at Immigration, hear his voice as he answers the officer’s question. Help us see and hear that person as well. What’s going on in their bodies? What happens in the scene? Now, you have us. We’re ready to learn from Javier’s experience.

Your Turn

What are your pet writing peeves? What are your biggest challenges in writing? Share in the comments!