Coming up on 50 years as both an author and a publisher, l, I still see over and over the mistakes that keep good stories from being great.
There’s a reason for that: Writing is hard, especially when you don’t know what to avoid.
That’s why I’ve compiled “The 7 Deadly Sins of Novel Writing,” so you can avoid them and create a strong, rich story you can be proud of.
Today, let’s dive into the first 3:
Sin #1: Starting With Throat-Clearing
First impressions are everything, so what do I mean by throat-clearing when it comes to writing?
Anything that delays the real beginning. Your job is to get on with things, not spend pages describing settings or setting up scenes or unloading a dump truck of backstory.
Rather, thrust your main character into terrible trouble ASAP.
Now don’t misunderstand this to mean you have to have slambang action on the very first page. You don’t have to start with a shootout or a car chase—unless that fits your genre.
But do start in medias res—Latin for “in the midst of things.” While it doesn’t necessarily have to be your hero hanging from a railroad trestle with a train coming, something should be happening.
And you can save the terrible trouble until you have planted a few subtle clues that personalize your lead character, but don’t wait long to plunge him* into the worst predicament you can imagine—given your genre.
[*I use him inclusively to represent heroes and heroines.]
For a cozy romance, the terrible trouble might be a heroine having to decide between two seemingly equal suitors. For a thriller, it might be a life and death situation. Just make sure the stakes are dire enough to justify an entire novel.
Am I saying not to describe the weather or the characters or the setting in the first chapter? No. I’m saying you should layer those in with the action. Don’t make description a separate element. That would constitute throat-clearing.
Sin #2: Creating a Flawless Main Character
What is your character’s biggest flaw?
While he should be fundamentally likable, a perfect character is impossible to relate to.
He may have a heart of gold but suffer from a hair-trigger temper. He may be professionally sharp but fear commitment.
Flaws humanize, which makes for richer, captivating characters.
Plus, they’re necessary for a satisfying plot.
Mega-bestselling novelist Dean Koontz suggests a Classic Story Structure that needs a flawed, human character to succeed. He says:
Plunge your main character into terrible trouble as soon as possible.
Everything your character does to try to get out of that trouble makes it only worse…
…until the situation appears hopeless.
Finally, your hero uses all he’s learned to succeed against all odds.
Sin #3: Head Hopping
Suzie Blake slipped into American History 101, late as usual, wishing Dr. Luck wouldn’t give her his usual scowl. He wondered if it was possible for her to ever show up on time.
See the point-of-view error? We’re in Suzie’s head, and then, boom, we’re in the prof’s head. That’s head hopping, and it’s a cardinal sin.
Admittedly, many famous classic authors wrote this way. But in today’s market, head-hopping will likely cause an agent or an acquisitions editor to reject your manuscript.
The rule? One point-of-view character per scene. And it should be the character with the most at stake in the scene.
The POV character is our camera, our recorder, and we’re privy only to his senses and mind.
So, how do we learn anything about the other characters—like Dr. Luck? Simple.
By what he does or says. Have him say it.
“So glad you could work us into your schedule, Miss Blake. There’s something to be said for consistency.”
We experience Dr. Luck’s thoughts from Suzie’s perspective, by what she hears.