Common Mistakes

Missed Opportunities With Dialogue, Action Tags, and the Editing Process

Leah McNaughton Lederman — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:55:31 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Leah McNaughton Lederman on 9/15/2023 7:55:31 PM

After being a college writing teacher and freelance editor for many years, author Leah McNaughton Lederman has a lot of experience reviewing and editing the work of others. Some common areas where she sees room for improvement include dialogue, action tags, and understanding the editing process.

With dialogue, Lederman sees a lot of incorrect punctuation, but more importantly, dialogue that isn't realistic or believable. Dialogue provides a great opportunity for characterization, she says.

Second, Lederman advises writers to rely more on action tags. An action tag is a separate sentence that accompanies a line of dialogue, that shows what the character is doing. Per Lederman, using action tags can greatly inform and enrich a scene.

Last, Lederman sees a lot of writers that don't understand the editing process or that there are different levels of editing that need to happen at different stages. She recommends making sure your work is as polished as possible before giving it to an editor. She also advises writers to see the editing process as a chance to learn. The goal is to correct any bad habits and improve your writing.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MissedOpportunitiesWithDialogueActionTagsandtheEditingProcess.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Missed Opportunities With Dialogue, Action Tags, and the Editing Process

Leah McNaughton Lederman — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:05:45 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Common Mistakes by Leah McNaughton Lederman on 9/15/2023 5:05:45 PM

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Things to be Aware of When Introducing Magic in Fantasy Stories

Chrome Oxide — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 19:40:38 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Chrome Oxide on 7/24/2020 7:40:38 PM

Magic is a common feature in fantasy stories. Per author Chrome Oxide, there is a right way and a wrong way to present magic in a story. If you are giving your characters magical powers, it has to be logical and believable within the context of the story. You risk confusing or losing your readers if they can't follow your reasoning. There must also be a limit to what the magic can do so that the main conflict can't be easily solved.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ThingstobeAwareofWhenIntroducingMagicinFantasyStories.mp4

Tags: fiction, video, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Things to be Aware of When Introducing Magic in Fantasy Stories

Chrome Oxide — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 19:38:51 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Common Mistakes by Chrome Oxide on 7/24/2020 7:38:51 PM

Magic is a common feature in fantasy stories. Per author Chrome Oxide, there is a right way and a wrong way to present magic in a story. If you are giving your characters magical powers, it has to be logical and believable within the context of the story. You risk confusing or losing your readers if they can't follow your reasoning. There must also be a limit to what that the magic can do so that the main conflict can't be easily solved.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ThingstobeAwareofWhenIntroducingMagicinFantasyStories.mp4

Tags: fiction, video, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Things to be Aware of When Introducing Magic in Fantasy Stories

Chrome Oxide — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 19:02:34 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Common Mistakes by Chrome Oxide on 7/24/2020 7:02:34 PM

Magic is a common feature in fantasy stories. Per author Chrome Oxide, there is a right way and a wrong way to present magic in a story. If you are giving your characters magical powers, it has to be logical and believable within the context of the story. You risk confusing or losing your readers if they can't follow your reasoning. There must also be a limit to what that the magic can do so that the main conflict can't be easily solved.

How Writing for the Stage Differs from Fiction Writing and Screenwriting

Naomi Brett Rourke — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:26:22 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Naomi Brett Rourke on 10/4/2019 2:26:22 PM

Book authors and screenwriters have some advantages over playwrights, explains author Naomi Brett Rourke. The main difference between the two groups is that when writing for stage, everything has to be able to be acted out. In books or in a movie, the writer can include flashbacks, voiceovers, and a character’s inner thoughts. This cannot be done on stage, but she does urge playwrights and directors to get creative. Rourke doesn’t believe there is a difference in dialogue when writing for books and movies compared to stage. She reminds authors to make sure dialogue is believable; people are not always perfect grammarians, and they have dialects, slang, and accents that should be considered.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowWritingfortheStageDiffersfromFictionWritingandScreenwriting.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

John Wilkerson — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 20:02:42 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by John Wilkerson on 1/11/2019 8:02:42 PM

Action scenes are incredibly tricky to write, and a lot hinges on them. Action sequences tend to be climax points: they are the last point of a conflict and requires a resolution of some kind at the end. If a writer is careless, it can be easy to create an anticlimactic climax point. In the clip below, John Wilkerson, sci-fi author, journalist, and ghostwriter, gives his most important tip for writing an action or fight scene. “Don’t define the technique step-by-step,” says Wilkerson. Part of this is because it takes an incredible amount of research to describe, in detail, a single fighting style. The other reason for avoiding intense, step-by-step description is that it will bog down a fight scene, which is generally supposed to be read as fast-paced. Wilkerson found that there are only five things a reader needs to know about a fight scene: (1) why the fight is happening, (2) what’s the emotional basis of the fight, (3) what are they fighting about, (4) who’s involved, and (5) who won. If an author tries to be more detailed than necessary, there is a high chance he or she will display ignorance to readers and will lose their interest.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforWritingBelievableActionScenes.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

John Wilkerson — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 19:28:59 GMT

Revision 5 posted to Common Mistakes by John Wilkerson on 1/11/2019 7:28:59 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforWritingBelievableActionScenes.mp4

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

John Wilkerson — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 19:10:42 GMT

Revision 4 posted to Common Mistakes by John Wilkerson on 1/11/2019 7:10:42 PM

Action scenes are incredibly tricky, and a lot hinges on them. Action sequences tend to be climax points: it’s the last point of a conflict and requires a resolution of some kind at the end. However, it can be easy to create an anticlimactic climax point. In the clip below, John Wilkerson, sci-fi author, journalist, and ghostwriter, gives his most important tip for writing an action scene. “Don’t define the technique step-by-step,” says Wilkerson. Part of this is because it takes an incredible amount of research to describe, in detail, a single fighting style. The other reason for avoiding intense, step-by-step description is that it will bog down a fight scene, which is generally supposed to be read as fast-paced. Wilkerson found that there are only six things a reader needs to know about a fight scene: why the fight is happening, what’s the emotional basis into the fight, what are they fighting about, who’s involved, and who won. If an author tries to be more detailed than necessary, there is a high chance he or she will display ignorance to readers.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforWritingBelievableActionScenes.mp4

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

Author Learning Center — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:56:23 GMT

Revision 3 posted to Common Mistakes by Author Learning Center on 1/11/2019 6:56:23 PM

Content Here

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforWritingBelievableActionScenes.mp4

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

Author Learning Center — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:55:21 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Common Mistakes by Author Learning Center on 1/11/2019 6:55:21 PM

Content Here

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforWritingBelievableActionScenes.mp4

Tips for Writing Believable Action Scenes

Author Learning Center — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:53:04 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Common Mistakes by Author Learning Center on 1/11/2019 6:53:04 PM

Content Here

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TipsforOutliningaFictionBook.mp4

Moving Beyond Clichés - podcast

Neo Edmund — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 20:31:40 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Neo Edmund on 11/8/2018 8:31:40 PM

Author and screenwriter Neo Edmund discusses common clichés and character flaws in comics, and how a writer can avoid them. Comics in particular have a history of cliché. In the 80s, female characters needed to be almost everything that boys find cool. “You don’t start with the idea of ‘I’m writing a female character’ in mind so much as that ‘I’m writing a character.’ A complete person,” says Edmund. Edmund has a lot to say about organic character development. TV may rely on clichés, but there are great ways to use clichés as symbols rather than diminishing a character. Listen to the clip below to learn more!

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MovingBeyondCliches.mp3

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, Comics and Graphic Novels, podcast

Moving Beyond Clichés - video

Neo Edmund — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 20:30:28 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Neo Edmund on 11/8/2018 8:30:28 PM

Author and screenwriter Neo Edmund discusses common clichés and character flaws in comics, and how a writer can avoid them. In the 80s, female characters needed to be almost everything that boys find cool. “You don’t start with the idea of ‘I’m writing a female character’ in mind so much as that ‘I’m writing a character.’ A complete person,” says Edmund. Edmund has a lot to say about organic character development. TV may rely on clichés, but there are great ways to use clichés as symbols rather than diminishing a character. Listen to the clip below to learn more!

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../MovingBeyondCliches.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video, Comics and Graphic Novels

Know the Rules So You Can Break the Rules - podcast

Terry Persun — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:02:24 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Terry Persun on 11/5/2018 3:02:24 PM

There are plenty of rules when it comes to writing, but do we always have to follow them? When is it OK to break them? Author Terry Persun explains that it’s important to learn the rules so that when you break them, you do so intentionally. Writers who don’t know the rules write lazily and often break the rules of writing frequently. However, when writers know the rules, Terry explains how they can be broken intentionally to create a desired and purposeful effect. There are differences between breaking rules out of ignorance, breaking rules intentionally, and breaking rules out of laziness.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../KnowtheRulesSoYouCanBreaktheRules1.mp3

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, podcast

Know the Rules So You Can Break the Rules - video

Terry Persun — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:01:48 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Terry Persun on 11/5/2018 3:01:48 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../KnowtheRulesSoYouCanBreaktheRules.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

How Fiction Writers Can Find the Right Balance Between Too Much and Too Little Detail

Micki Browning — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 14:04:36 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Micki Browning on 4/12/2018 2:04:36 PM

Striking the balance between too much detail and not enough detail in fiction writing is discovered by trial and error, as award-winning author Micki Browning explains. With a background of 22 years in law enforcement, Browning took all of her experiences and knowledge and wrote a police procedural for her first book manuscript. The end result was a very long, overly detailed, and boring story. There is such a thing as too much detail, she says, and the more you write and hone your craft, the easier it will be to determine which details are necessary and which are not. Browning recommends including everything in the first draft, but be ruthless in the editing and revision process. If a detail isn't pertinent to the story, cut it from the final draft. It's easy to get attached to details, she says, but know that you are improving your story by getting some of the tedium out of the reader's way.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../How-Fiction-Writers-Can-Find-the-Right-Balance-Between-Too-Much-and-Too-Little-Detail.mp4

Tags: fiction, video

Common Manuscript Mistakes Aspiring Authors Make When Self-Publishing Their Book

Valerie Willis — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:35:06 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Valerie Willis on 3/9/2018 4:35:06 PM

Author and writing teacher Valerie Willis strongly believes that all writers should consider hiring a professional book editor, especially when pursuing a self-publishing path. Good editors will not only catch common grammar and proofreading mistakes, but will also point out your bad habits. Using an editor will ensure that you are publishing the highest quality product possible and will help you improve your writing. If you don't have the budget to have your entire manuscript edited by an experienced professional, Willis suggests submitting just a few chapters. The feedback you receive from this sampling will likely expose your bad habits, allowing you to make further revisions on your own. Willis also advises writers to maintain consistency in the formatting of your manuscript. If your editor or typesetter doesn't catch Inconsistencies, they can impact the readability of your book once published.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Common-Manuscript-Mistakes-Aspiring-Authors-Make-When-Self_2D00_Publishing-Their-Book.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

How Writers Can Avoid Common Mistakes with Their Manuscripts - podcast

Elaine Ash — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 14:53:34 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Elaine Ash on 2/2/2018 2:53:34 PM

Author and professional book editor Elaine Ash has helped many writers prepare and polish their manuscripts for submission to agents and publishers. There are three common mistakes that she sees writers making in the process. The first mistake is not being in the right mindset when you sit down to write. The writer's focus must be on creating a great story and getting it down, not on grammar or spelling. Get that first draft done, then focus on editing. Second, pay attention to your structure and when characters are being introduced. In her book, Bestseller Metrics: How to Win the Novel Writing Game, Ash advises writers to be careful with how many characters they introduce in the first quarter of the story. Last, once you do introduce a character, give that character the page time they need in order to keep your reader engaged. Trying to re-introduce a character late in the story will confuse your reader.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../How-Writers-Can-Avoid-Common-Mistakes-with-Their-Manuscripts.mp3

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, podcast

How Writers Can Avoid Common Mistakes with Their Manuscripts - video

Elaine Ash — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 14:53:33 GMT

Current Revision posted to Common Mistakes by Elaine Ash on 2/2/2018 2:53:33 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../How-Writers-Can-Avoid-Common-Mistakes-with-Their-Manuscripts.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video