12 Mistakes That Make Your Book Look Amateurish

Summary

This video outlines 12 common mistakes that can make a book appear amateurish and provides practical advice for revision. Key tips include avoiding mundane scene transitions, ensuring character names are distinct, and varying sentence structures. The video warns against 'As You Know Bob' dialogue, overusing greetings, and the overuse of italics for thoughts. It also stresses the importance of realistic character actions, not overloading the first chapter with too many characters, and avoiding transparent author moves. Finally, the video offers insights on using past tense effectively and maintaining a grounded narrative for a more professional and engaging book.

Takeaways

• 😀 Avoid starting or ending scenes with characters waking up or going to sleep, as it lacks tension and interest. Instead, focus on the action and conflict at the start of each scene.
• 😀 Ensure that character names are distinct enough from each other. Avoid alliteration, similar lengths, or identical vowel patterns that might confuse readers.
• 😀 Vary sentence structures to prevent repetitive patterns, especially in subject-verb-object formats. Experiment with different sentence types to create more dynamic prose.
• 😀 Eliminate 'As you know, Bob' dialogue, which feels unnatural. Instead, present information organically through conflict and actions.
• 😀 Skip unnecessary greetings and pleasantries in dialogue. Jump straight into the action to maintain reader engagement.
• 😀 Avoid using italics for character thoughts. Instead, integrate thoughts naturally into the narrative without extra formatting.
• 😀 Be cautious of introducing too many characters in the first chapter. Focus on 2-3 main characters and gradually introduce others to avoid confusing the reader.
• 😀 Avoid transparent author moves, such as characters conveniently describing themselves in mirrors. Keep the focus on the story rather than the author’s presence.
• 😀 Don’t introduce skills or items only when they are needed. Introduce them earlier in the story to make their use feel more organic and earned.
• 😀 Avoid having characters narrate their actions aloud ('Now I will put this key in my pocket'). Use body language and dialogue with others to show actions instead.
• 😀 Be mindful of breaking from reality. Characters should have normal needs and characteristics. Avoid making them too perfect or unrealistically beautiful.
• 😀 Use present tense with caution. While not inherently bad, it’s a common choice among beginners and can give your writing an unpolished feel if not used purposefully.

Q & A

Why should you avoid starting or ending scenes with characters waking up or going to sleep?

Starting or ending scenes with characters waking up or going to sleep can be boring and unengaging for readers. It doesn't introduce tension or motivation to keep reading. Instead, focus on when the action or conflict actually begins.

What are some common mistakes when naming characters?

Three common mistakes are: using alliterative names (e.g., Mike, Matt, Mark), choosing names with the same length (e.g., Brandon, Chrisy, Douglas), and using similar vowels in names (e.g., Natasha, Amanda, Dan). These make it harder for readers to distinguish characters.

How can repetitive sentence structures affect the readability of a book?

Repetitive sentence structures, like starting many sentences with the same subject-verb-object format, can make the writing feel monotonous and dull. Varying sentence structures, such as using dependent clauses, adds rhythm and makes the narrative more dynamic.

What is 'As You Know Bob' dialogue, and why should it be avoided?

'As You Know Bob' dialogue is when characters state information they already know just to inform the reader. It feels unnatural and forced. Instead, dialogue should be organic, advancing the plot or providing conflict.

Why should greetings and pleasantries be avoided in dialogue?

Including greetings like 'Hello' or 'How are you?' can make the scene feel stale and slow down the pacing. It's better to skip straight to the action or important information, making the dialogue more engaging.

What is the issue with using italics for character thoughts?

Italics for thoughts are often unnecessary, especially in close third-person narratives where everything is already filtered through the character's consciousness. It's better to show the character's thoughts through their actions or inner dialogue instead.

How can introducing too many characters in the first chapter confuse readers?

Introducing too many characters at once overwhelms the reader and can make it hard to follow the story. To avoid confusion, introduce only a few key characters initially and gradually introduce others as the story unfolds.

What does 'transparent author moves' mean, and how can they impact the story?

Transparent author moves are techniques that make the reader aware of the author's presence in the narrative, such as characters describing themselves in mirrors. These moves break immersion and distract from the story, making the writing feel artificial.

Why is it important to introduce skills or items before they are needed in the plot?

Introducing skills or items right before they're needed feels contrived and artificial. To create a more natural flow, skills or items should be integrated into the story earlier, making their later use believable.

What is the problem with characters narrating their own actions out loud?

When characters narrate their actions out loud, it feels unnatural unless they are someone who frequently talks to themselves. It’s better to show their actions through body language, gestures, or interactions with others.

How can breaking from reality affect the reader's experience?

Breaking from reality, such as creating unrealistic characters (e.g., everyone is exceptionally good-looking or never needs basic things like food or bathroom breaks), makes the story feel unbelievable and distracts the reader. It’s important to maintain a sense of plausibility.

What is the potential issue with writing in present tense for beginners?

Present tense is often favored by beginner writers, and it can give the manuscript a sense of being less experienced. While present tense can work well, it’s important to ensure it fits the story and that the author has a clear reason for using it.