Seven Mistakes Writers Make--And How to Fix Them! Roundup Post By Seven Amazing Book Coaches
The book coaching world is full of so many FABULOUS people with incredible wisdom. To honor that and to give writers an extra dose of encouragement, inspiration, and education I pulled together top advice from seven amazing book coaches.
Allow me to introduce these phenomenal coaches: Michelle Orwin coaches contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, memoir, and also runs her own small press; Deb Lieberamn coaches everything from historical fiction to mystery to memoir; Janet Fox coaches children’s fiction all the way up through YA; Suzette Mullen exclusively coaches women writing nonfiction and memoir; Savannah Gilbo coaches fiction, specifically: fantasy, science fiction, romance, thrillers, horror, and action-adventure novels. Nancy Yeager works with women who are entering a new writing phase, whether they’re writing their first novel, trying a different genre or storytelling approach, or developing better and more efficient writing practices. Sheila Athens is a traditionally-published author and a book coach who specializes in commercial fiction, women’s fiction and romance.
To create this post I asked these seven amazing women what mistakes they frequently see writers make--and how to fix them.
Here’s what they had to say.
Mistake #1: Protecting Our Main Characters From Pain
Janet: I think a lot of fiction writers, in the early stages of writing, tend to protect their characters from pain. It’s quite natural to see your main character as an extension of yourself or a loved one, and by nature we protect ourselves and our “children”. But characters (especially in the first half of a novel) must make mistakes. They must suffer. Readers seek to understand the nature of their own suffering, and observing those mistakes and suffering at a safe distance, through fictional characters, is what makes fiction compelling.
In the second half of a novel, the character, having learned certain lessons given by those mistakes, can put their lessons to use, again affording the reader the chance to observe what works and what doesn’t.
How to fix it:
Janet: I suggest that writers who struggle with this aspect of their writing do a deep dive into the emotional backstory of their main character. It’s all well and good to know what your character looks like or eats for lunch, but ultimately it’s their emotional makeup that counts. Uncovering the “backstory wound” (or, as Lisa Cron (Story Genius) describes it, the character’s deepest desire and defining misbelief) is essential to great character development. When I work with struggling writers that’s the first place I send them – to a deeper emotional analysis of character.
Mistake #2: Holding Back Important Information
Deb: A lot of writers, especially those working on mysteries, thrillers, horror stories, or novels of psychological suspense, want to hold back critical pieces of information from their readers. You can certainly do that if the character who is telling the story is an unreliable narrator—the reader learns early on, or at least soon enough, that you can’t exactly trust what they’re saying to be the truth. But that’s not the problem I’m trying to identify here. Take, for example, the following scenario: The POV character has just been involved in a fatal hit and run accident, but they don’t want anyone to know about it. Maybe they put on a bravura performance at the office or some social event later on that same day, acting as if nothing tragic had actually happened. But it has, and they know it, and they can’t stop thinking about it. But maybe the writer wants to keep the reader guessing as to who that guilty driver might be. They want to hold back information for the sake of suspense.
How to fix it:
Deb: Holding back critical information can work as a plot device, but only when the story is told from the POV of someone other than the driver. If the POV character is the guilty party, then your reader has got to be made aware of that fact. Knowing that character is the guilty party can actually add to the reader’s sense of suspense. How are they going to get away with it? What will happen to them if they get caught?
Mistake #3: Punctuating Dialogue Incorrectly
Michele: The mistake I see writers make regularly—punctuating dialogue incorrectly—is also the easiest one to fix. There’s so much information out there that explains how to do it well, and yet. I often see manuscripts where the author doesn’t know where to put the quote marks and where to put the commas.
How to fix it:
Michele: Punctuating dialogue is so easy to learn. Writers just need to look it up. I think too many rely on what they remember. But sometimes their memory isn’t accurate. Usually, the same writers get a little carried away with dialogue tags. All that’s ever called for is the word ‘said.’ There are exceptions, but you can’t go wrong if you stick to using said or else getting rid of any dialogue tags if it’s clear who’s speaking.
Mistake #4: Having a Muddy Point
Suzette: The number one mistake I see writers make is not having a clear enough sense of their “point.” What is their story REALLY about? In most cases, they know the “plot level” of their story—the “what happens” part, but they don’t know the deeper meaning, the “why should we care” part.
How to fix it:
Suzette: The best way to fix this problem is by digging deep to understand their reason for writing this book in the first place. What’s the deep “why" that is driving them to write this story? Once they wrestle that “why” to the ground, they will have the key to shaping a narrative or a message that will resonate with readers.
Mistake #5: Not Including Enough Context
Savannah: The biggest mistake I see on a regular basis is not including enough context. If the protagonist is supposed to be the reader’s avatar for experiencing the story, then that means we need to let readers into the protagonist’s head -- and a lot of writers do the opposite. They withhold information from readers or forget to show us how the character is interpreting what’s happening.
How to fix it:
Savannah: Don’t be afraid to show readers what your character thinks and feels, or how they’re interpreting the events of the story. So, for example, if your character learns a new piece of information, how do they process it? What new thoughts or ideas come up? How do they feel about this information? Without this kind of context, your story won’t have meaning. And without meaning, your story won’t have the kind of impact on readers that you’re hoping for.
Mistake #6: Dealing With Time
Nancy: New writers often struggle with how to deal with time. If the story in a book takes place over the course of the month, they think they have to account for every day, or if they structure the story over the course of a year, panic because they realize they haven’t written any scenes in May, for example. Even within the context of a day, they share the minutia of a character’s life that has no bearing on the story.
How to fix it:
Nancy: My first recommendation, which is typically my first piece of advice for any writing issue, is to read. But I mean that in a very specific way. Do some research to find a book or books in your genre that have a similar timeline to that of your story. Then read those stories and take notes about the passage of time. How much time does the author leap over? How does she account for the passage of time? What phrases does she use to reorient the reader in time (because this is an important thing to do)? Never underestimate the power of phrases like “One week later…”
My second recommendation is to build a story plan, a scene list, a story outline. Something that forces you to identify when and where the action of your story happens. Then resist the urge to fill in time gaps with fluff or minutia. Your book is the highlight reel of a defined space and time in your characters’ lives, not a minute-by-minute account of daily life.
Mistake #7: Not enough interior monologue.
Sheila: Not including enough interior monologue. Readers want to inhabit the mind and body of the protagonist, so they want to be right inside the protagonist's head.
How to fix it:
Sheila: I recommend writers fix that by studying books that really drew them in. How and how often did that author show the reader the running commentary going on inside the protagonist's mind? Keep in mind that what we say out loud is not always what is going on inside our head. For example, pretend you ran into a high school classmate in the grocery store years after graduation. You say “OMG, it’s so great to see you!” when what’s going on inside your head is that she was a conniving two-faced rat who stole your boyfriend right before prom and you hope to never see her again. In fiction, the reader wants to see both what the protagonist is showing to the world and what is going on inside her head. Often, that’s where the conflict takes place. Show the reader the running commentary going on inside your POV character’s head.
Learn more about these incredible coaches:
Janet Fox: Janet Fox loves to teach. She taught middle and high school language arts right up until she sold her first novel. Since beginning her writing career, she’s taught writing craft to audiences of all ages. Now she’s the author of nine books for young readers, ranging from picture books through middle grade and young adult, fiction and non-fiction, six from major publishers. Janet’s books have received much recognition including multiple starred reviews, awards, inclusion in regarded lists, and reader engagement. Click here to check out her website.
Deb Lieberman: My name is Deb, and I’m a writer and a book coach. I majored in American Studies at Yale, which enabled me to pursue my two main passions, literature and history. While my daughters were growing up, I worked from home as a freelance copy-editor and proofreader for W. B. Saunders, America’s oldest medical publisher. I’ve also dabbled a bit, clerking in bookstores, walking hundreds of dogs, and working as a caregiver for senior citizens. I first stumbled across Author Accelerator as a writer, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve been a book coach for a number of years now, working with writers in a wide range of genres. I love helping writers bring their books to life, no matter what stage they are in their writing process. Whether it’s a story that’s been nagging them for years, or the first glimmer of an idea, I love helping writers dig down into WHY this particular story or topic matters so much to them. In my off hours, I love cooking and gardening, walking my crazy dog, Bogey, or settling down to watch a BBC detective show or period drama with one of our cats curled up on my lap. Heaven! Click here to check out my website.
Michele Orwin: Michele Orwin is a book coach, author, teacher, editor and publisher. She’s been working with writers for more than 25 years – privately, in colleges, universities, and adult workshops. She’s had two novels published; several short stories; and numerous nonfiction articles. Six years ago she started a small press to help authors re-issue their already published hardcover books in paperback and digital. Michele coaches contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, memoir. You can learn more about her by visiting her website.
Suzette Mullen:
Suzette Mullen helps women make meaning out of their experiences so they can write memoir and prescriptive nonfiction books that impact other people’s lives. Her book coaching practice focuses on cutting through all the noise and getting to clarity first so her clients can write forward and get their books into the hands of the readers who need them.
Suzette is an Author Accelerator Advanced Certified Book Coach, a Dare-to-Lead trained professional, a founding board member of The Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, a graduate of Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, and also holds a certificate in spiritual formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. She is also a memoir and self-help writer herself.
Suzette lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her partner Wendy and their rescue pup, Lucy. Learn more about Suzette and how she helps women nonfiction writers here.
Savannah Gilbo: Savannah Gilbo is a developmental editor and book coach who helps fiction authors write, edit, and publish stories that work. Being a writer herself, Savannah understands the challenges and fears writers face when trying to turn their book dreams into realities. Through 1:1 coaching and developmental editing, she works with writers of all skill levels to combat these fears, and take their stories from an idea or messy first draft to a finished manuscript that works. She's also the host of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast that delivers actionable tips, tools, and strategies for writers each week. When she’s not busy creating her own stories, you can find Savannah writing articles for her blog or re-reading her favorite fantasy books over and over again. You can learn more about Savannah and how she helps fiction writers here.
Nancy Yeager: Nancy is a published author and certified book coach. She earned a Master’s Certificate in Romance Writing under the mentorship of Jennifer Crusie, and studied the Story Genius approach to writing with Lisa Cron. In 2019, she trained with Jennie Nash and earned my Author Accelerator Book Coach Certification. She specializes in helping women writers in the romance, mystery, and commercial/women's fiction genres find and refine their authentic writing voices. She guides them in developing book plans and writing practices, and provides weekly feedback to one-on-one coaching clients. She also sends out a weekly writing newsletter, hosts free book planning challenges, and will be releasing an online book planning course this summer. You can learn more about working with Nancy at bookplanbootcamp.com.
Sheila Athens: Sheila Athens is a traditionally-published author and a book coach who specializes in commercial fiction, women’s fiction and romance. After getting her start as a book coach with Author Accelerator, she founded her own private coaching and editing business, where she’s edited dozens of manuscripts. She serves as either a book coach or a developmental editor, depending on what the writer needs. Her clients have gone on to gain top-tier agents, contracts with Big 5 publishers and successful sales for self-published books. Her debut novel, The Truth About Love, was published in the United States, Germany and Turkey. She’s a past chairperson for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Agent Pitch Events. For more about Sheila, visit SheilaAthens.com.
