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Characters

Understanding That Is Preeminent

Not

Character
Why this is a mistake: Think of your favorite book. What do

you remember about it? The plot, or the characters? I would be willing to bet its the characters. Yet too many writers focus on the plot of their stories, emphasizing it to the detriment of their characters. When they pitch their story, the focus is on plot or situation, rather than character. But since all stories have been done, its going to be difficult to stand out doing this.

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

The solution: Focus on character. Understand that your protag-

onist and your antagonist (and to a lesser extent your supporting characters) are going to be what makes your story unique. The story you are going to write has indeed been done before. But your characters have not necessarily been done inside of that story. Its that combination which will make you unique.

If you look at the books that sell and stand out, most of them have very unique characters. Their protagonists have unusual backgrounds, quirks in their personalities that draw the reader in.
There is something about them that quickly engages the readers empathy. The great antagonistsHannibal Lecter, for instancealso draw the readers emotions. When you think about pitching your book, consider what you are leading with: Is it story or character? Optimally it should be both, but if you have to emphasize one, it should be character.

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Using Contrived Conflict to Bring Your Characters

Together
Why this is a mistake: Jennifer Crusie, a novelist (and my co-

author on Dont Look Down), sums up contrived conflict as: I hate you. I hate you. I love you. One of the problems of the heroine-asprotagonist, hero-as-antagonist plot is that he cant be horrible, or why would she love him? This leads to wimpy conflicts like the ones romance novelist Teresa Hill describes as rudeness and minor misunderstandings. Its so annoying, and the characters just come off seeming unhappy or spiteful or mean.

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

Example: The hero and heroine meet in an airport fighting over the same unlabeled bag from the carousel. Instead of recognizing that both have a reason for grabbing it and finding a solution, like seeing whose key fits the lock, he assumes shes a thief, she assumes hes a bozo who doesnt know what his own bag looks like, and they each treat a stranger so rudely that I dont want to spend a book with these people. Add to that the TDTL (too dumb to live) heroine who picks a fight or goes out into the dark night to see what all the screaming is about, and you have the basics of contrived conflict. The solution: Go back to basic conflict analysis. Who is your

protagonist? What does she need above all things? What must she have to protect her sense of self? Who is the antagonist? What does he need above all things? What must he have to protect his sense of self? How do their needs cross each other, bring them into a direct conflict from which they cannot resign? How does each characters move to achieve the goal make the other characters life more difficult, make the others goal more distant?
Conflict is not people arguing on the page, conflict is people struggling with goals that are huge and vital to them, and by extension, to the reader who cares about the people.

Conflict is inherent in your characters, not created by situation. And its the key to the success of your story.

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Understanding Your Motivations

Not

Characters
Why this is a mistake: If you dont understand your characters

motivations, the characters will inevitably become cardboard cutouts to the reader, there only to enact the authors desire to make the plot work.
Readers want to empathize with the characters, and they have a hard time doing that with characters they dont believe in. When characters act out of character, readers just cant believe in them.

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

The solution: Before you begin writing, make sure you under-

stand your characters motivations, particularly each characters primary motivator. Once these are locked into place, you no longer control your characters. They are going to act and react like real people. Sometimes they may surprise even you, the author, with their actions.

Be aware that your subconscious might even plant seeds in your characters that sprout as the story develops.
Remember that your characters are not on Maslows fifth level of self-actualization; they have their own blind spots and subconscious motivations. Sometimes even your characters are not consciously aware why they are doing what they are doing. While they might consciously put forth one reason for their actions, subconsciously they have a different reason. This underlying reason usually boils to the surface as the conflict in the story escalates, making for more conflict and drama.

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Characters Sound and Act the Same

Why this is a mistake: Because you are writing all your char-

Making All Your

acters, its easy to make them all seem very similar to one another. They tend to talk alike, and their points of view seem to be the same. This is because most people have a hard time getting out of themselves and into their characters. Your reader must feel that the characters in your story are distinct.
The solution: Use real people (with details changed), archetypes,

templates, profiling, or any other approach that breaks people down into different types. Once you have created distinct characters, make sure you dont start melding them together inside of the plot.
To ensure every characters dialogue is distinctive, highlight each characters dialogue with a different color. Then read each color one at a time to check for consistency.

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

Picking the

Wrong Character Names

Why this is a mistake: Readers have to remember your characters

names. Not just remember them, but be able to tell characters apart from each other. The reader shouldnt trip over a name every time she reads it. For example, in your science-fiction novel, dont give the alien antagonist a name consisting of fourteen consonants that could never be pronounced. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien kept all the names relatively short and easy to pronounce, even though he had invented a fantasy world and fantasy creatures.
The solution: As weve discussed, give names only to characters

who are important to the story, and make sure each name you do use fits the character. If you have a hard character, then the name should be hard. Private investigators tend to have names that you bounce off of. A seductress would have a name that draws you in.
Try to avoid giving different characters names that start with the same letter unless you have a specific reason for doing so. It wasnt by chance that Tolkien picked the names Sauron and Saruman. The latter, to his demise, was trying to emulate and become the former. But normally alliteration is not a good thing. List out the letters of the alphabet, then put the names of your characters in place, with only one per letter.

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Creating
Protagonist

Stagnant

Why this is a mistake: If the protagonist is exactly the same per-

son at the end of the book as she is at the beginning of the book, then the journey she underwent through the story served no purpose. Yet many novice authors fail to give their protagonists adequate character arcs. One thing to consider is that the protagonist, as she is at the beginning of the book, would fail to triumph in the final conflict. The growth and change she experiences, and/or the community she develops around herself as she goes through the story, are what ultimately allows her to defeat the antagonist when she reaches the climactic scene.

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The solution: Three things signify growth or change for a charac-

ter. The first is that the character must have a moment of enlightenment. This means that the character either experiences something shes never experienced before, or experiences something familiar in an entirely new way. This is the lightbulb turning on. Characters and peoplehave moments of enlightenment all the time (hopefully you are having many while reading this book). However, by themselves these moments mean nothing.
Second, the protagonist must make a decision based on the moment of enlightenment. In a novel, this decision often comes at the point of no return for the protagonist. Sometimes the decision isnt necessarily a good one, as it leads directly to the moment of crisis, that darkest moment when all looks lost for the protagonist. However, even this decision doesnt mean the protagonist has changed. The third and crucial signifier of change is sustained action.

The protagonist must continuously go down a new path, continue to take new and different actions than she would have before the moment of enlightenment.
This is what finally molds the protagonist into someone new. Then, in the climactic scene at the end of the story, the protagonist is able to defeat the antagonist because of all she has experienced.

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Creating a

Weak Antagonist
A good antagonist should, therefore, have a good plan.
70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

Why this is a mistake: A story plot is a character trying to re-

solve a problem. In most cases the antagonist is the one who introduces the problem.

78

For example, lets say your antagonist wants to rob Fort Knox. Before you write the book, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the antagonist and come up with the plan the antagonist would come up with. If you antagonist comes up with a stupid plan, the book is going to look stupid, and your protagonist is going to look less than heroic trying to stop the not-too-bright antagonist. The solution: Take the time to really get inside the skin of your

antagonist. Pretend you are the antagonist. Gather your cronies and minions together. Then develop your devilish plan for whatever it is you are going to do. Going to rob Fort Knox? Okay. First thing to think about: Why? Whats the motivation? Make sure its a believable one. Then develop a viable plan. A smart one. One you would have a really good chance of getting away with in the real world. One so good the FBI might come knocking on your door if one of the neighbors saw it laid out on your table.

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Creating Too Many Characters

Why this is a mistake: If the curtain on a play opened and there

were thirty people on stage and all of them had speaking roles, would you be able to identify and keep track of everyone? Or if you went to a party and opened the door and the room was filled with people youd never met before, would you have a good time? Throwing too many characters at the reader creates the same sense of bewilderment and diminishes the readers ability to empathize

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with any of them. Larry McMurtry can do it in Lonesome Dove and win the Pulitzer Prize, but were not Larry McMurtry. Hes able to do it because he makes each character distinctive. Its a question of how much youre able to change personalities with your characters. Most of us can only take on a handful.
The solution: Before you start writing, decide how many char-

acters you feel you can handle in the story. You will have your protagonist and your antagonist. Then you will have your named supporting characters. Named characters will be those who appear throughout the story.
Its probably not a good idea to give names to characters who appear only once. Those characters might be described as spear carriers, analogous to those people on stage in the opera who stand in the background, carryingyou got itspears. Theyre window dressing, and you can describe them by their roles, such as the taxi driver or the desk clerk so as not to confuse the reader. Make sure the reader can keep track of your named characters, and keep focus on the protagonist and antagonist.

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Not Recognizing Your Characters

and Flaws

Needs

Why this is a mistake: As noted before, characters are not walk-

ing around on Maslows fifth level of self-actualization. Often, like real people, they are not consciously aware of why they are doing what they are doing. They give a reason, but its not the real reason. Recognize that characters are acting out of need, and that they have a corresponding blind spot associated with that need.

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The solution: Be aware of the triangle of traits, needs, and flaws.

Every character trait has a corresponding need and flaw associated with it. A need is something a character has to have and cant control.

The flaw is often the making of tragedy and the characters blind spot, a part of her personality that can be exploited because she isnt aware it is a weakness.
For each of your characters, then, list a trait, a need, and a flaw. For example, if a key trait for a character is that she is loyal, the need she has is to be trusted. The corresponding flaw or blind spot associated with this might be that she is gullible. If a character is decisive, she has a need to be in charge, and her flaw/blind spot could be that shes impetuous. You might also want to create this list for yourself. Identify what you feel is the strongest part of your own character and then consider the corresponding need and flaw. This will help you pinpoint your personal blind spot and potential flaw both in your writing and in your business dealings.

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Editing & Rewriting

With Your Bad Writing

Why this is a mistake: There is going to be a part of your writ-

Falling in Love

ing that you love. And its going to be a really bad part of your writing. Perhaps the worst part. Thats the reason you love it. Its natural to become emotionally attached to things that dont work, whether they are entire books, chapters, paragraphs, scenes, characters, or even just sentences.
The solution: Let it go. Its difficult. I know its hard to think of

all the time and effort you put in as learning time and effort, that the payoff will come down the line, but not now.
Whats really difficult to accept is that you have to kill your darlings. Thats a phrase you will hear at conferences and in workshops and writers groups, and its true. You have to back off emotionally from your writing and consider whether the parts you hold near and dear really have a place in the written work.

Ask yourself: Are these parts necessary? Do they support the overall work?

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and Removing Subconscious Seeds

Why this is a mistake: There are writers who overedit what they

Overediting

write during the process of completing their work. Why is it a mistake to polish a work-in-progress?
First, you are polishing writing that you might need to cut later on. This means that you are not only wasting time editorially, but making it that much harder to cut the material when so much time has been invested. Second, you plant subconscious seeds in your early drafts. You put in things that sometimes seem to not quite belong. Yet. And if you overedit, you take them out too soon. Because later on, when you get stuck in chapter twenty-eight, if you go back and re-read what you wrote earlier, youll discover you need that seed, that your subconscious put it in way back when, knowing you would need it. Third, you end up spending a lot of time editing and not getting to the end of your work. The solution: Dont overedit your early drafts of your work, no matter how tempted you are. Move forward in the project. Dont worry about those weird things in the early drafts that nag you. The nagging is good; you just might need those weird things later on.

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Listening to Feedback

Too Much

Why this is a mistake: It is possible to get so overwhelmed with

feedback on your writing that you stall out. Everyone has an opinion. The question is whether that opinion is of any value. You may desire others opinions because you dont trust or value your own. But remember that while others can often point out problem areas, they rarely can give you good solutions.
Another problem for book writers is that few readers will wantor even be ableto offer feedback on the entire book. If someone isnt there from the beginning, its hard for him to give accurate feedback. Go to the bookstore, pick up a book, read chapter fourteen, and try to critique it without reading the previous thirteen chapters. Kind of hard, isnt it? The solution: Find at most three (optimally one or two) read-

ers whose opinions you value and trust. Find readers who will stick with you through the entire manuscript, not readers who will chew up a random chapter and spit it back to you.
And when you do get feedback on your project, evaluate it carefully. Some early critique readers are pretty brutal, others sugarcoat their opinions, and some just arent honest. Keep an open mind. As the writer, you have a role to play: You have to be willing to listen to the feedback without reacting negatively. And this is very difficult to do.

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Why this is a mistake: A book is a large investment of time and

Moving On

Not

energy. Often over a years worth. Simply just typing 100,000 words takes a long time. Most writers dont want to let go of that much work. Ive watched writers come back year after year to the same writers conference with the same manuscript, reworked and edited, trying to sell it. Rewriting can only fix so much. It can change story, but it cant change an idea.
If the core idea of the book simply isnt strong enough to sell, it doesnt matter how many rewrites the manuscript goes through; it just isnt going to be the one to make it. Sometimes it just isnt the right time no matter how good the book is. The bigger problem with not letting go of early works is that you learn by writing. The next book you write is going to be better. But if you never move on, then you cant get better. The solution: There comes a time when you just have to put that

manuscript in a drawer and let it go. Start writing a new book. Consider it an investment in learning. Most published authors I know did not sell their first manuscript. Many did not sell their second. It was around number three that they started seeing success. A rough rule of thumb? Give it a year. Beyond that, move on and write something new.

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Selling Your Work

Using theSymbol and Other

Subconscious Negatives
Why this is a mistake: Most writers have a few blind spots when

it comes to their work, and these negatives tend to come out in their business dealings. Insecurities are often most obvious in submissions and proposals, as in using the copyright symbol on cover letters and cover sheets for manuscripts. Writers might be quick to point out that they need to protect their work. But what they imply by using the copyright symbol is that they fear the agent or editor they are sending their work to will steal their idea.

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

In the same way, many authors put subconscious negative comments in their cover letters. They will unwittingly say negative things about themselves or their writing, mentioning that this is their first article or book, for instance. Or they will slam the genre or form in which they are writing. Some of them even say negative things about the agent or editor to whom they are submitting. The solution: Review any written material before you send it, and

examine it sentence by sentence for subconscious negatives. Give it to someone else to read and have the person look for these negatives. Examine your word choice. Examine your verbs. Do not put anything in writing that can be taken as a negative, either consciously or subconsciously.

Put yourself in the position of an agent or editor reading your material.

Ask yourself how you would feel reading your material cold without any idea who the author of it was. What would be your initial impression? (Remember that the initial impression is often the only impression.) Would it be positive or negative? Make sure it is a positive one.

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Failing to Use Basic

Formatting
Why this is a mistake: Basic formatting in writing is a funda-

mental of the craft. Hard as it is to believe, about 50 percent of novice writers dont even bother to learn this. They submit to their venues in ways that guarantee that their writing wont even get looked at. When book agents and editors see a manuscript that isnt double-spaced, they know right away that the author hasnt done the basic groundwork needed. When magazine editors see an article that isnt the correct word count, they know the same thing. A badly formatted piece might be a diamond in the rough, but that possibility is a remote one. In fact, all the agents and editors Ive talked to say they dont even bother to take a look.
The solution: The simple mistakes weed out half of all submis-

sions. These are the easiest ones to avoid, so take the time to ensure you dont make them. Get the guidelines for whatever venue you are submitting to and follow them.

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Bad Titles

Choosing

Why this is a mistake: Novice writers often create titles that

wont make sense to anyone who hasnt read through the piece. First and foremost, the title should invite the reader into the book, article, or essay.
The solution: Titles should do at least one of the following two

things: They should give the reader a very good idea what the book or piece is about. And/or they should intrigue the reader by juxtaposing two things that dont belong together. For nonfiction, titles consist of two parts. The enticing title and the subtitle that clearly tells the reader what the book is about. The best thing to do is go to the bookstore and study titles. Look in the section of the bookstore where your book will be racked when it is published.
For magazine articles, do some research into your target publications. How do they title their features and columns? Do they use numbers? Is the benefit to the reader clear? Title your work accordingly.

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Writing a Bad Query Letter

Why this is a mistake: Query letters are sales tools. Plain and

simple. To hook an agent or editor into taking a look at your manuscript or article, you have to write a great query letter. If your topic or storyline is muddled and ambiguous, then the acquiring agent or editor is going to assume that your manuscript will be as well.
The solution: The first line of your one-page query letter must grab

the reader, because it is the first (and maybe the last) line the person opening your submission will read. Next, grab the agents or editors interest with a paragraph on your book or article. Remember to include some factual information like: This is an 85,000-word sci-fi novel, or Ten Tips for Off-Roading is a 2,000-word article.

In addition to a sales pitch for your manuscript, you need to include a sales pitch for yourself. The manuscript is an extension of you. What special background do you have that would make the editor want to see what you have done? This means not only any writing background you have, but also your background as far as the story goes. This does not mean you wont get looked at it if your background doesnt have much direct application to your subject matter and you have little writing experience, but editors and agents also remember what Mark Twain said: Write what you know. If your job or background in any way applies to what youve written, make sure you mention that.

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Writing a Bad Synopsis

Why this is a mistake: A synopsis is a short summary of a novel,

the key word being short. There is some argument whether you even need a synopsis. Agents and editors state in their guidelines whether they require one. Many writers have a difficult time writing a strong synopsis. They end up submitting one that goes on for too long or uses too many adjectives. One thats too vague or too unfocused.
The solution: The best synopses of my books that I have read were

my reviews in Publishers Weekly. In those, the reviewer gets the story down to one paragraph. Peruse PW and see how a book similar to your own is summarized. Another method is to go to your local bookstore and get some old publishers catalogues and see how they pitched their books. Dont you think it would be very worthwhile to pitch your book to that publishing house in the same manner?
To get down to one page, write a really long synopsis and keep cutting. Remember, a synopsis is an overview. Psychologists say our shortterm memory can hold seven facts. Therefore I think you shouldnt have more than three namesprotagonist, antagonist, and one major supporting characterin your synopsis. Add in the original idea, the hook, the main storyline, and the climax, and you fill up the readers brain. Ive read synopses with so many names in them that I got so confused I couldnt keep track of anything.

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Together a
Proposal

Not Putting

Strong Nonfiction
Why this is a mistake: Professionalism counts. While fiction

writers usually have to have an entire manuscript completed before starting the submission process, nonfiction writers are required to submit a proposal first. The proposal includes the books topic, its potential markets, a detailed outline, the authors qualifications for writing on the topic, and her personal platform on which to pro-

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70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

mote the book. There is a right way and a wrong way to do a proposal. If a proposal is done incorrectly, it doesnt matter how exciting the idea is, it wont make it past the first screener.
The solution: Take the time to do your proposal correctly. Get a

book on writing nonfiction proposals, like the third edition of Michael Larsens How to Write a Book Proposal, and follow the format in it. You may also want to consider attending a conference where there is a presentation or two on nonfiction proposals. There are even entire conferences geared toward nonfiction.

One thing to remember when seeking out conferences is that there is a spectrum of nonfiction ranging from narrative nonfiction to self-help to inspirational and so forth.
Make sure you find the presentation that corresponds to the niche you are working in. The best way to do that is to check the background of the author or instructor.

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Not Knowing the Magazine

Why this is a mistake: When it comes to writing for magazines,

Market

one of the biggest mistakes is not knowing the market well enough. Editors want a new and fresh story, but they want the story within a context that appeals to their subscribers or audience. If you send a query to a magazine youve never read, odds are youre going to miss the mark.
The solution: If you look at magazine racks, you will see that

there are magazines for just about every subject imaginable. If you expect to be paid by any of these magazines, you have to make yourself familiar with their content. You cant just go by the title of the magazine and blindly submit. Often there is a slant to their material. Do your homework. Research the market, find out which titles suit your work, and be able to articulate why.
You should also make note of the lengths of the articles. If a magazine typically publishes 2,000-word features, theyre not going to be interested in your 5,000-word masterpiece, no matter how great it is. When you make contact with editors, you have to work with them because they have a deadline and a certain space for each piece they buy. If you establish a good working relationship, often you will find them coming back to you instead of the other way around.

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Paying for an to Read Your Work

Agent

Why this is a mistake: There are numerous agents who charge

reading fees to look at manuscripts and give feedback. And it is understandable why writers would be tempted to go along with this; it is, after all, so hard to get professional feedback. Even writers groups dont necessarily generate professional-level feedback. These agents say they charge these fees to cover their overhead costs. Since their slush pile is so large, they figure they can kill two birds with one reading by charging a fee. There are several problems with this reading fee, though. One is that fee-charging agents cannot be members of the Association of Authors Representatives (www.aar-online.org), a nonprofit organization of independent literary agents. The second is that a legitimate agent should be making her money by selling books, not by reading unsold manuscripts and critiquing them.
The solution: Dont do it. When you feel youve revised your

manuscript as much as possible, and its as close to perfect as you can get it, consult a directory like Guide to Literary Agents, do some research to identify appropriate agents, and start submitting.

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Not

Rejection

Using
in a

Positive WaY
Why this is a mistake: Nobody likes to be rejected. Rejection is

not quite as bad as betrayal, but its still not fun. Yet rejection is an integral part of a writers life. You cant take it personally. And you do need to learn to use it in as positive a way as possible. Most of the time rejection comes as a form letter or slip, so theres little to be learned. But sometimes you actually get some sort of feedback.

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This is the time to try to read between the lines and glean some sort of lesson.
The solution: If you are a writer long enough, you become almost

inured to rejection. You learn what part of things you controlthe writingand what parts you dont. And one part you dont control is what happens once the manuscript or article leaves your hands. (Of course, to a certain extent you do, in that if you write to the best of your ability you increase your chances of success.)
If you do get that personal letter, try to see what the agent or editor is really trying to say. Understand that these industry professionals rarely write personal rejection letters; they just dont have the time. So if you do receive such a letter, someone saw something of worth in your writing. Try to find what, and then also try to see where you came up short. Keep this person in mind for the future. You never know where an agent or editor is going to end up years down the line. And publishing is a long-term business. Make sure you mention the personal contact when you query her again.

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Comparing

Your to a Best-Selling

Book

Work

Why this is a mistake: Some how-to-sell books and articles sug-

gest that you compare your work to something that is easily recognizable and best-selling. Im not saying that doing so is absolutely wrong, but I am suggesting that its dangerous and potentially selfdefeating. Agents and editors may have an immediate gut reaction and think, No, your book isnt as good. They are also going look for ways your work doesnt measure up to the work youre comparing it to. And they will find them, because, frankly, your work most likely isnt going to be as good as the best-selling work. In addition, the best-selling book or author is already out there selling, so why do they need your book, which is supposedly just like it?
The solution: Dont directly compare your work. If youre going to

do this, perhaps say your work is in the vein of another book, and then explain how it is different. If you know that a particular agent or editor works with a particular author, and you can mention this, you will show youve done your homework. But compare in a way that shows how your work is different, not how your work is the same.

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Stalking
Why this is a mistake: Who likes to be stalked? Agents and edi-

tors certainly dont, and neither do authors. Every editor and agent has at least one stalking story to tell. Most are humorous, but some of them are scary. And who hasnt heard the infamous story of an overeager writer shoving her manuscript under the bathroom stall?
There are levels to stalking. Some people push too hard to try to sell themselves and their writing. Socializing is an important aspect of conferences, but that doesnt mean you stand there pitching over cocktailsno matter how tempting. No one will want to come near you. The solution: There are obvious times when it is inappropriate to

pitch your writing, such as when an editor or agent is with a current client. Dont be overbearing. Let other people talk about themselves. Invite them in. Let them ask you about your book. Let the quality of your writing and your idea speak for itself. If someone isnt interested in it, let it go. You cant force your writing on an editor or agent. Let a social situation be a social situation and dont force it to become an awkward business one.
I always say the difference between being aggressive and obnoxious is that the aggressive person has a good manuscript and the obnoxious person has a bad manuscript. Thats not very helpful in that we all think we have a good manuscript, but the bottom line is not to hurt your good manuscript with obnoxious social behavior.

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In to the We-They

Buying

Attitude

Why this is a mistake: In any gathering of authors, sooner or

later you pick up a we-they attitude, where authors seem to be on one side, and editors and agents and publishers seem to be on the other, as if the two groups were enemies locked in an eternal battle. Its almost as if would-be authors see agents and editors as allied to keep them from being published. But this just isnt the case without authors, who would agents and editors publish? Publishers need writers, and the agents and editors know that and respect writers. Well, most of them do. The majority of this we-they attitude seems to come from unpublished writers who see agents and editors, correctly to an extent, as the gate-keepers to the world of being published.

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The solution: Instead of seeing agents and editors as the enemy,

embrace them as allies. Frankly, seeing them as enemies is profoundly self-defeating. Everyone has the same goal: to publish good books. When an agent or editor gets treated as a partner in the process, she tends to become less a gate-keeper and more of a facilitator.

Remember that agents and editors are people, too. Theyre just trying to do their jobs in a difficult business. Try to keep their perspective in mind when you approach them. Doing so just might put you ahead of the pack.

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Writing for the Market

Why this is a mistake: Its already too late to write for todays

market. Book-length publishing is a three-year-ahead business for a writer. Even magazine writing requires quite a bit of lead time. So whats hot now might not be hot when youre ready to start submitting. In fact, it probably wont be. Many people try to ride the latest writing fad, which means youll be lost among the crowd.
Also, when youre writing for the market, youre probably not writing what is important to you, and this usually results in writing thats shallow and not the best quality. The solution: I was listening to a panel at a recent Romance Writ-

ers of America event where participants were asking questions of a couple of agents and an editor from Harlequin. And all the ques-

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tions seemed to be a variation of the same thing: Whats hot? and Whats selling? which is the same as What are publishers buying?
I hear that a lot at conferences. And Im not slamming it. But Im not too thrilled with it either. Because underneath it is the feeling that if someone said, You know, vampire-lesbian-nun-slasher-paranormal novels where the hero is redeemed and becomes a monk at the end are really hot and selling, there would be ten such books cranked out within two weeks of conference, whether or not those authors gave a damn about writing V-L-N-S-P monk redemption novels. I think the questions of whats hot and whats selling come out of a degree of frustration with publishing (which is bad) and also a degree of business savvy (which is good). But that business savvy can be taken too far, and often is. I wrote military techno-thrillers in the late 1980s. That was stupid business-savvy wise. In the early and mid 90s when those books came out, the military techno-thriller market collapsed. Only two or three writers survived, and even a lot of the ones who had been best-sellers went under or had to find new genres to write in. ButI got published. And I learned about writing. Even though my career kind of sucked because I was in a not-hot field. But I was writing what I wanted to, and I think thats why I got published. Lawyer books were very hot then. I imagine I could have written one of those. But you know what? My lawyer book, if Id written one simply because the market was hot, would have sucked and never gotten published. Its a vicious catch-22. Write what you really want to write, what youre passionate about regardless of market.

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Taking

Deal

Any
70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

Why this is a mistake: This is such a hard and crazy business

that writers tend to take any deal a publisher offers. This is akin to taking the first marriage proposal you receive from the first stranger you meet. You wouldnt do it in your personal life, and you shouldnt do it in your professional life. And you know the til death do you part thing? Thats what it feels like sometimes. Novice writers dont understand that a bad deal is much worse than no deal. When you sign a contract, you are locked in. I know best-selling authors who have the yoke of a bad contract signed decades earlier still haunting them.

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The solution: This is where its helpful to have an agent. But if

youre going it solo, remember to think long-term before you sign any deal. Dont get greedy. Consider more than just the money. Consider a contract in terms of your career as a writer, even if you have no career to speak of at the time. Imagine that you do, and imagine what this contract will look like in ten years.
You do have a negotiating position. Many writers feel they dont. They think that if they dont sign the contract, the publisher will simply offer the contract to someone else. Perhaps the publisher will. Then just figure that some other author will be stuck with the bad contract. Its a hard mindset to develop as a writer, but sooner or later, preferably sooner, youve got to start treating yourself with some respect, because if you dont, no one else will. Ive found this particularly true when dealing with Hollywood.

You have to be prepared to walk away. And you have to walk away when necessary. Hard as it is to believe, no deal is better than a bad deal.

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The Publishing Business

Staying

Why this is a mistake: Writers tend to be introverts. We like

Home

to sit by ourselves and create with words. Were not fond of crowds and gatherings of people. In a perfect world, we would create our masterpieces, send them out, have a check sent to us, and never have to leave our house.
That is also one of the biggest mistakes a writer can make. Early in my career I used to actually boast that I had never met my agent or my editor face to face. That writing was a business you could conduct without faceto-face meetings. It is, but not one you can conduct well in that manner. Writers tend to over-rely on e-mail. It has made us lazy. And it was stupid of me to sit at home and not meet my agent and editors face to face. The solution: Its always better to put a face to a person. It is

worth the expense and time to make the journey to sit down and have a lunch with your agent, even if there is no specific business to be discussed. Ive heard it said there are six hundred people in the publishing business. I think there are more than that, but the longer Im in it, the more I keep seeing the same people again and again. I also know that Im still in publishing not just because I learned the craft, but also because I got out of the house and made personal contact with people. Ive gotten business deals because of some of these meetings. And its not just going to meet editors and agents. Its also going to conferences, joining professional organizations, and even meeting other authors when they come through your town on their book tours. Get out there!

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Patience

Not Learning
Why this is a mistake: If youre a type-A personality, publish-

ing just might beat that out of you. You cant make anyone do anything faster than theyre going to do it. Trying to push agents or editors to work faster than theyre planning on working can only earn you a negative image. Calling every day to check on a submission isnt a good idea. In fact, its a terrible idea. While the saying is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, in publishing its more likely the squeaky wheel gets tossed in the trash bin.
The solution: Let people do their jobs. Your job as the writer is to

write. Let agents agent and editors edit. That isnt to say you shouldnt stay on top of things and check in, but dont be excessive and irritating about it. This also isnt to say that when you get a window of opportunity you shouldnt leap. Every once in a while, something may appear. If you have an excellent one-on-one meeting with an agent at a conference and she wants to see your manuscript, dont wait a year before sending it in. I watched a TV show season finale the other night that had a lot of similarities to a series of books I have the rights to, and I immediately e-mailed my agent to see if there was something we could do as cross-promotion. Odds are nothing will come of it, but when opportunities do present themselves, jump.

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and Expertise

Your Knowledge
Why this is a mistake: People have a tendency to be afraid of

Sharing

Not

losing out to others, and they sometimes sense they are competing in the workplace. However, I have not found that to be true in publishing. Yes, at one time Fabio did get a two-book deal from Avon at the same time I was rejected by Avon for a book, but I really dont think it came down to them deciding between the two of us. Okay, maybe it did, and his hair was better.
There are writers who feel protective of their work and their talent, whatever it might be. They feel that if they share it, somehow they are giving out gold bullion from a secret stockpile that cannot be re-

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placed. Which is, of course, wrong. Because any writing advice given, any knowledge shared, will be processed through another writers own experiences and craft and artistry and end up being something completely different. The solution: Because writing is such an individual and lonely

business, it can be easy to slip into a bunker mentality. There is also a tendency in certain genres for writers to develop a good ol boy, incestuous network that keeps others on the outside. This works all right for a chosen few, but not for most. The reality is that the world of writing is so diverse that competition really doesnt exist.

Its best to share your knowledge and expertise with other writers and in turn learn what they have to share with you.

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Conferences Correctly
Why this is a mistake: Too many writers view conferences sim-

Using

Not

ply as a place to sell their work. They march in with their cards printed up, with a stack of cover letters and synopses, and plan on going home with a book contract. And 99.9 percent of those people go home very disappointed.
The odds of landing a book contract at a conference are miniscule. Yes, you hear those urban publishing legends. And thats what they are: legends. Writers also go to conferences focused too much on editors and agents and not enough on the writers on the faculty. Too often editors and agents will sit on panels and spend the entire time telling you what they dont want and how to make their jobs easier. Writers also tend not to look left and right at the other attendees overlooking a wealth of knowledge and networking possibilities.

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The solution: You should look at conferences primarily as learn-

ing experiences. Go to workshops based on whether the speaker has something you want.

Be open to learning something new.

If a speaker says something that bothers you, focus on it. The more it bothers you, the more you should focus on it. If it makes you very angry, write it down, because the odds are, its hitting your blind spot as a writer and touching on a truth you need to delve into to become better. Treat the volunteersand they are almost always volunteers running conferenceswell. Volunteer yourself. They are usually looking for someone to make runs to the airport to pick up presenters. What better way to get some time alone with an editor, agent, or author? You also should view the informal conference time as very valuable networking time. Make a list of everyone you make contact with, both professionally and personally. You will be surprised who you will run in to again, even many years down the line. Make notes about the people. Unpublished people you chat with now will be on the best-seller lists years from now. Perhaps you will be, too.

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Up-to-Date on the Business

Not Staying

Why this is a mistake: Like any other business, publishing is flu-

id. Things change. Ive seen authors and even agents get left behind in the business as the marketplace, technology, and even consumer tastes changed. Too often writers work off of out-of-date templates. A magazine writer, for example, has to see what a magazine wants now, not what it wanted a year ago, and, actually, what the trend for the future is, as the magazine is actually buying a half-year to a year out. Publishers are buying books that they will be publishing years into the future.

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While I noted elsewhere that you shouldnt necessarily write to the current market and you cant predict the future market, you should still stay abreast of the market and the business.

Writers frequently feel like their job is simply to write, and the business end will sort itself out. These writers end up getting sorted out of the business entirely.
The solution: Stay informed. Subscribe to free e-newsletters like

the one from Publishers Lunch (www.publisherslunch.com), and read industry publications like Publishers Weekly. Conferences are also a good way to stay abreast of news inside your particular area of writing. Networking, of course, is important, as noted elsewhere. Online chat groups that are linked to your type of writing can be valuable as well. (See Appendix I in The Mini Market Book for a list of helpful Web sites.)

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Why this is a mistake: Many writers feel frustrated. And des-

Scammed

Getting

perate. They look at other writers who get published and they tend not to see much difference between their own work and published authors work. Frustrated and desperate people are easy targets for scammers. There are plenty of people out there more than willing to relieve wannabe authors of their money. Just consider some poetry contests, certain vanity presses, book doctors, fee-charging agents, and numerous other agencies all promising to help the writer gain the ever-elusive goal of publication.

It is difficult to tell the difference between those who can really help you and those who just want to take your money without Providing substantive aid in return.

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The solution: Caveat emptor were the watchwords in the Ro-

man Empire, and they still ring true. Let the buyer beware. The first thing I would really be leery of is anyone who promises to get you published. Unless they flat out tell you up front that they are a vanity press, they are trying to pull some sort of ruse on you. If you just want to see your name on a book jacket, then go to a self-publisher and do it straight up. Theres absolutely no reason to play a game with a fee-charging agent who gets a kickback, or a press that waffles on the point of whether they are a real publisher.
I always recommend getting references from whoever wants to take your money. Talk to others who have used the service in question and see what level of satisfaction they have. If the service is not willing to give you referenceswhatever the excusewalk away. The key to not getting scammed is knowing your goal and then comparing that to what is being offered. Dont be in a rush and allow your emotions to overrule your good reason. Put aside your frustration, no matter how hard that is to do, and avoid taking the easy road to publication. Getting published, no matter what the format (magazine or book), is not easy. Yes, there is a degree of luck involved, but there is also a large degree of craft and persistence, so focus on the factors you do control, which are learning the craft and sticking to it.

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Yourself

Not Marketing
and Your
Why this is a mistake: Writers tend to think that promotion

Book
118

and marketing is the job of other people, and in a perfect world it would be. Unfortunately, this isnt a perfect world. Sometimes you may find youre the only PR department your book has.
The solution: Promotion is the bane of a writers existence but also

an absolute necessity. Even if your publisher is 100 percent behind your book, you should still do everything possible to promote it.

70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

You can use any of a number of techniques to market your book. (See also the books written entirely on this topic.)

Web site: An absolute must. Blog: An inexpensive, but time-intensive endeavor. Direct mailings: Probably not cost-effective for fiction. Media outlets: The best bang for your buck, time and cost wise. But it can be very difficult to garner media interest for fiction unless you have a unique hook. Think about how many times you see fiction writers on media. However, there is a magazine out there for everything. Talk radio is also good if you can figure out a reason a show would want to book you. Hand-selling: Very difficult unless you have the personality to do it. Book signings: Not as fun as you think they are. Mostly done to meet the booksellers. Controversy: Depends on whether youre willing to sell your soul to the devil. There is a balance, though, that needs to be struck between marketing your published book and writing your next book.

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Yourself as a Writer
Why this is a mistake: Some people almost seem apologetic

Respecting

Not

when they say theyre writers. Especially if theyre not yet published. If you dont respect yourself as a writer, who will?
The solution: Writing is a strange job. Most of the time were sit-

ting around, staring off into space. If someone wanders by, he thinks were doing nothing. Ive held several different jobs, including being

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an A-Team leader in the Special Forces, and I can say that writing is overall more intense than any them because it is self-generated. There really isnt an outside pressure. The only downtime I get as a writer is when I make a decision to have down time.
Still, even after hitting the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly best-sellers lists, I get sort of a blank stare when I tell people Im a writer. They ask my name, and then comes the inevitable response: Never heard of you. Many people dont think its that hard to be a writer. They see a book that they can read in a couple of hours and figure it cant have been that difficult to knock out. They dont understand it takes a year or more of bleeding onto the page to create it.

Ultimately, its up to you to respect yourself as an author and to draw your own boundaries.
If you write, youre a writer. To a certain degree, being published is a matter of luck, so dont let that get you down. Call yourself a writer and respect yourself.

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Having a Professional
Why this is a mistake: A Web presence is a must for a writer. Yet too many writers have none, or they consider it a secondary priority and put forth a presence that shows minimal interest or effort. The solution: Your Web site is probably going to be the way most

Not

Web Site
70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

people get an impression of you, so it behooves you to put time, effort, and money into making sure it represents you well. While there are

122

do-it-yourself kits available, there is an art to Web site design just like there is an art to writing, and if computers really arent your thing, it might be worth it to consult with those who know the art.
Consider the goal of your Web site. What are you trying to achieve with it? Are you primarily promoting yourself, or your writing? The two are not necessarily the same thing. For a while I was doing too much with my Web site, trying to promote my books, my speaking career, my teaching, etc. When your message is too broad, it doesnt get across. So the first thing is to decide what your goal is. As with most other things, less is more. There is often a desire to go with all the bells and whistles that can be loaded on a Web site these days, but think about how you feel when you hit a site that takes forever to load. You want an opening page that is just that: a single page that requires little to no scrolling. A good spin-off marketing tool from your Web site is an e-mail list you can use for a newsletter. This is another very cost-effective marketing tool.

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Quitting
124 70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

Why this is a mistake: If you quit, then youre rejecting your-

self. Ive seen many people with a lot of talent simply pack up and go home. They quit. Ive seen others with perhaps less talent keep plugging away and eventually make it.
Theres the classic story of the young violinist who managed to wrangle an audition with the master he had always admired. He went in and played his heart out. When the young man was done, the master

simply shrugged and said Not enough fire, and turned his back. The young man was crushed and quit his career as a musician. He went on to do other things with his life. Many years later he met that master at some other function and relayed this story. The master was quite surprised and shrugged once more and said: I tell everyone that. If my simple words stopped you, you really didnt have enough fire. The solution: The only person who can stop you from being a

writer is you.
So dont quit. You never know whats going to happen. Have a backup plan. For instance, I failed as a solo writer several times, but had a backup writing career going under various pen names, so I was able to stay alive in the business. I think a big mistake many novice writers make is thinking they have it made. You never have it made. Jenny and I are probably working harder than we ever have right now. Youre never okay. Youve got to keep pushing. Study the lives of those who have succeeded in the entertainment business, because writers are part of the entertainment business. Watch Inside the Actors Studio and shows like that. Get rid of the mindset of the overnight success. If Dont Look Down breaks out, Ill be an overnight success after thirtythree books and sixteen years. And even then Ill still be at the beginning of really pushing it hard to make it even further. In a way, Ill have just begun. But writing is a lot of fun also. Sometimes we get too gloom and doom. Id rather be doing this than anything else.

Simply put, if you want to be a writer, never quit. Keep writing.

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