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Top 5 Mistakes series

Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Women

Writing Women Character development is a part of writing mined with lethal pitfalls even at the best of times. But for male authors writing women, or vice versa, the challenge is made more problematic by one pretty large obstacle: gaining insight into the opposite sex. So in a bid to see more authentic women grace our pages, I’m here to address five common pitfalls authors run into when writing women, and how you can circumvent them! 1) Substituting appearance for personality The problems tend to fall thick and fast within the first few pages. Lots of writers introduce a female… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Women

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing School Scenes

Prepare To Get Schooled! You probably went through the school system, so that means you know how to write a school-based scene, right? Nope …. Even if you only left school recently, the chances are that things have already changed. It’s important to do your homework if you want to get 10/10 for authenticity. Here’s my top 5 mistakes I see in school scenes with suggested alternatives (FYI – this is based on the British school system, so be sure to do your research on your own country). 1) Teachers arriving and leaving school at the same time as their students… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing School Scenes

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Top 5 Grammar Mistakes Writers Make

All About Grammar Mistakes There’s one thing that stands in the way standing in the way of great content: grammar mistakes. We can all attest to reading badly written content. Sometimes it leaves us wondering whether they even passed their English exams at all. Of course, we all make grammar mistakes. No writer is perfect, plus we don’t need to be total purists to write flawless content. That said, you can transform your writing skills by becoming aware of the most common grammar mistakes. Not only will you save time proofreading, but the content readability will improve. Plus, you can engage with your… Read More »Top 5 Grammar Mistakes Writers Make

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Top 5 Copyright Mistakes Writers Make

All About Copyright When it comes to copyright and intellectual property rights and laws, writers are often misinformed by urban legends. Their focus is often in the wrong place. Writing is not an easy job. It takes so much time, effort and energy to complete a novel or screenplay … So why aren’t writers ensuring they know their rights on copyright? 1) Thinking that ideas can be copyrighted Writers often get very suspicious about sharing the idea they are working on. They think that if they do someone will steal their idea and write the script they intended to write.… Read More »Top 5 Copyright Mistakes Writers Make

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Police Characters

Writing Crime Many thanks to Stuart Gibbon today for his thoughts on avoiding the top mistakes when writing police characters. Stuart used to be a police officer, plus he now advises writers about police procedures and crime investigations. When authenticity AND accuracy is so important in our writing, Stuart’s is an invaluable service. I have also used his advice in my writing. Be sure to check out his writers’ consultancy and books at the bottom of the post. Over to you, Stuart! Police Characters People often ask me what it’s really like in the police and whether fiction books and… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Police Characters

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Top 5 Mistakes Mystery Writers Make

Whodunnit? Whether you’re writing a murder mystery or an action packed thrilller, mystery writers are masters of suspense. However, if you’re writing a murder mystery, these five mistakes could bring the investigation to a halt. Make sure you avoid these top mistakes when writing a mystery novel. 1) Deus Ex Machinas Deus Ex Machina (Latin: “god from the machine”) describes any sort of plot where the conflict is resolved from out-of-control events. The phrase “god from the machine” is a reference to ancient stage crafting: in many Roman plays, the plot is resolved by intervention from the gods, and a… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Mystery Writers Make

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

All about Relationships Relationships are the best, aren’t they? Not always – fortunately – otherwise they’d be dull to write about. Creating modern relationships for modern audiences does require staying fresh and relevant, however. Here’s what to avoid to make sure your fictional relationships don’t crash and burn (unless you want them to…). 1) Love is only for the young  Falling in love can happen to anyone, at any time. We’ve seen the ‘two star-crossed lovers’ storyline play out for eons, so if you want a fresher way to approach this trope, you might have to look a little higher up the… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Plotting Their Novels

The Plot Thickens It’s difficult to know when you’re making mistakes during the writing process, especially when you’re plotting. Whether it’s a plot hole, a lack of diverse characters, one-dimensional characters, or anything else that holds your book back, plotting errors are an important fix. Plotting Mistake #1: One-Dimensional Characters During my research, this was a complaint I saw a lot, in different variations … “The characters were one-dimensional and boring.”  A character needs to have an internal conflict in order to change over the course of a novel. This is like a cut or a wound they have because… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Plotting Their Novels

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Top 5 Storyworld Mistakes Writers Make

What Is Storyworld? If you type the word ‘storyworld’ into Google, the results are not great. But it’s a word I like to use with writers, because the notion can prove very illuminating in discussing how stories hang together. So, let’s agree the definition of ‘storyworld’ as … ‘The space in which the story operates, which impacts directly on how it is told.’ With this in mind, let’s consider the top mistakes writers make with their storyworlds and how to approach it instead. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Thinking storyworld is only a sci fi / fantasy thing Lots of writers believe… Read More »Top 5 Storyworld Mistakes Writers Make

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Lawyer Characters

Lawyer Up! Lawyer characters have long been popular in novels, on TV drama and in movies. As the author of Convictions, the first in a new legal suspense series featuring legal eagle Natalie Bach, I’m all for sexing up the legal profession. But if I’m brutally honest, too many lawyer characters out there are samey or even stereotypical. Here’s my take on a few mistakes writers make about lawyer characters. Ready? Let’s go … 1) The lawyer is dodgy In real life, lawyers have to be of the highest integrity and will be disciplined or struck off if they step… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Lawyer Characters

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Top 5 Edits Mistakes Writers Make

All About Edits Do you love edits, or loathe them? Since I am a script editor, luckily I love them! That said, I recognise it can be a daunting process for many writers. Often this is because they just don’t know where to start, or whether they’re doing it ‘right’. I have worked with LOADS of writers now, both screenwriters and novelists. Here’s the top 5 mistakes I see writers make on edits all the time, plus what to do about them. Let’s go … 1) Starting Micro (Instead Of Macro) Too many writers sweat the small stuff on their… Read More »Top 5 Edits Mistakes Writers Make

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Top 5 Formatting Mistakes Writers Make

Formatting Errors If you’ve written a great screenplay, you don’t want to ruin its chances of success by getting something simple like the formatting wrong. By formatting it properly, you’re making sure the reader won’t be distracted or disengaged. Screenplay software makes the job much easier, but there’s still a few major formatting things you have to look out for on your own. Here are the top formatting mistakes to avoid at all costs. 1) Too Much ‘Black On The Page’ … Or Too Little! It’s normal that people would rather read text that has plenty of ‘white space’. It’s… Read More »Top 5 Formatting Mistakes Writers Make

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