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Does it make
sense to fill your website with lots of cheap content? Find
out.
Read
a great recent article from Writer's Digest about getting
a literary agent
and publishing a book. There are no shortcuts!
In
defense of serial commas from blogger Jeff Weintraub!
Another
great article with common writing mistakes
The
Top 20 Mistakes that Beginning Writers Make - Part 1
The
Top 20 Mistakes that Beginning Writers Make - Part 2
 THE TOP 20 MISTAKES THAT BEGINNING
WRITERS MAKE PART 2
(Plus three bonus mistakes for good measure)
In
the first installment (scroll down to read it), we enumerated ten of the most common mistakes that
we see in our clients' writing. Before we get to the next ten mistakes, it
bears repeating that grammar rules are around for good reason clarity
and credibility. If your writing is poor, people wont trust what you
have to say (if they understand it in the first place!)
If
you're going to take the time to write something, you need to make sure
that it communicates what you're trying to say. Otherwise, you've
wasted your time. So here are the remaining ten of the top 20 mistakes
that beginning writers make, with three bonus blunders.
-
Too
many unnecessary words We see a lot of
needless words such as seek "out" or write "down."
All you need to say is "seek" or "write" the
extra words are implied. While these extra words may be colloquial,
they
muddy your meaning in the written word and make sentences unclear. Here's another example:
"similar interests as we have." You don't need "as we
have" because, again, it's implied.
-
Pronouns
that don't track This is one of the most common problems for
beginning writers. Do you see the problem with this sentence? "We
all often have problems with organizational skills, and they can't
figure out what to do about them." Wait a minute! Is
"they" referring to organizational skills or the
"we" who are having problems with those skills? Make sure
that you maintain the same pronoun throughout a sentence. You can vary
your pronouns from sentence to sentence as long as it's clear that
you're switching. For example, you could write: "We all often
have problems with organizational skills. So what can you do if
organization is a challenge for you? We just seamlessly switched
from "we" to "you."
-
Over-use
of "ing" This is another issue that we see a lot.
Don't say, "we are going" or "I've been wanting" unless
you have a very good reason for it. Simply say, "we went" or
"I've wanted." Most of the time, the "ing" is
unnecessary and sounds very unprofessional on the page (or on the
screen.)
-
Too
many clauses in one sentence (This is an elaboration of one of
the mistakes from the first article.) Be careful not to make your
sentences too long or put too many clauses in one sentence. For
example: "Mr. Smith, in his efforts to stay afloat, particularly
in a suffering economy, made surprising financial mistakes, especially
when you consider that, despite his extensive knowledge, he did exactly what he
had always instructed others not to do." Whoa! That's hard to
track, isn't it? How about this instead? "In his efforts to stay
afloat in a suffering economy, Mr. Smith made surprising financial
mistakes. Despite his extensive knowledge, he did exactly what he had always
instructed others not to do." Keep it direct and simple, and
divide your thoughts into two or three sentences, if necessary.
-
Don't
be a sesquipedalianist! What's that? It's someone who uses a
lot of big or long words that require the reader to have a dictionary
at hand. You may feel smart if you do it, but your readers won't
appreciate it. Now, please forgive us for being a sesquipedalianist
just this once.
-
Clauses
that don't track The subject of the opening clause of your
sentence must directly refer to the remainder of the sentence. Here's
an example of a wrong sentence. Can you see why it's wrong? Now a
Starwood property, there are numerous museums within walking distance
of the hotel. The problem is that "there" doesn't refer
to the Starwood property. So this sentence becomes confusing. Here's a
fix: Now a Starwood property, the hotel is within walking distance
of numerous museums. Do you see how that works? Now, it's perfectly
clear that the hotel is the Starwood property mentioned in the opening
clause.
-
No
rhythm in the writing This is often the
result of "childrens book syndrome": "See Spot run.
See Bill run after Spot. See Spot stop running." To adult ears,
that sounds very choppy and boring, doesn't it? That's because all
three sentences are short, and the rhythm of every sentence is the
same. The opposite is also true, though. If you include lots of long
sentences in your writing, the rhythm will also sound funny. So take
the time to make sure you have varied the rhythm with both long and
short sentences. Do you have too many sentences in succession that
begin with "obviously," "finally," or
"however"? Try not to put too many sentences in a row with
the same structure. For example: "There are twelve museums in the
city, and six of them are suitable for children. There are eight
5-star hotels, and there are seven 4-star hotels. There are only a few
night clubs in the downtown area, and there are a few on the
outskirts." Do you see the problem? Three sentences in a row
start with "there are" and end with an "and"
clause. Find different ways to communicate so that you don't have too
many sentences especially in a row that sound the same.
-
Repetition
A common problem that we see in the work
we edit is too much repetition. While it occasionally makes sense to
repeat your most important points, don't do it too much. I once edited
a book that used the same famous quote in five different places. By
the third time, I rolled my eyes. By the fifth time, I wanted to rip
the pages. Make your points succinctly, and trust the reader to
"get it."
-
Wishy
washy claims While there may be times
when you need to qualify or soften a claim that you make in your
writing, most of the time, it's better to make your claim or statement
with conviction. For example: Unless you have a really good reason for
saying, "Our skin cream helps minimize lines and wrinkles,"
just say, "Our skin cream minimizes lines and wrinkles."
Using "helps" or some other qualifier weakens your points.
It's a way of saying, "Well, it sort of works, but not really all
that well." In this particular case, "minimizes" is
already a qualifier; after all, you aren't saying
"eliminates." Here's a great (and funny) performance
poem by Taylor Mali that illustrates this point about conviction.
-
Lists
that dont track Click
here for a perfect example of what we mean. We see this problem in
many manuscripts and marketing copy. The sentence that you use at the
top of a bulleted or numbered list must read properly with every item
on your list. The example on the linked page essentially reads:
"Give your child a chance to excel in hyperactivity." Well,
no one wants that! But this problem can be much more subtle, so every
time you create a list, read your opening sentence with every item to make sure that
the opening sentence works with everything on your list.
-
Bonus
#1: Over and more than Colloquially, we
often use "over" when we refer to numbers. For example, we
say, "Over 10,000 girls contracted the disease." The truth,
however, is that "over" is incorrect. When referring to
numbers, use "more than": "More than 10,000 girls
contracted the disease."
-
Bonus
#2: Lose and loose This misspelling has
become an epidemic. The word "lose" is pronounced
with a "z" sound, while "loose" is pronounced with
an "s" sound. "Loose" refers to something that is
not tight. "Lose" is the opposite of "win."
-
Bonus
#3: Couldn't care less or could care less For some reason that
we can't fathom, it has become commonplace to say, "She could
care less" instead of "She couldn't care less." Think
about this for a minute! If you're trying to convey that someone
doesn't care, "she could
care less" implies that she does
indeed care at least a little bit.
The correct way to say it is: "She couldn't
care less."
We
hope that these tips are helpful to you! Shoot us an email to say thanks,
complain, or correct us.
WE
ARE BEST GHOSTWRITERS FOR HIRE.
Read
about our writing and editing services.
THE TOP 20 MISTAKES THAT
BEGINNING WRITERS MAKE PART 1
As
editors, there are some common mistakes that we see in the work of most
beginning writers. Some people say that these mistakes are no big deal.
They say that they prefer to write the way they speak.
The
problem is that without the benefit of inflection and facial expressions,
readers are at a disadvantage. So while conversational style writing is
the preferred style these days, it's still important to pay attention to
grammar. Otherwise, no one will understand what you're trying to convey.
Grammar
rules were created for a good reason to ensure that your writing is
clear. It doesnt matter if your readers don't know whats wrong with
your grammar. Even if they're unable to pinpoint the errors, they'll walk
away distrusting your words if those words are poorly written. For some
reason they can't explain, they just won't believe you.
So
grammar isn't about snooty librarians who want to keep everything pure for
some Victorian ideal. It's about your readers walking away with a clear
understanding of your message and with confidence in you.
Here
are 10 of the 20 writing mistakes that we see most frequently:
-
Sentences that go on for three or more lines Rarely does it
make sense to keep a sentence running for this length, especially if
you have several clauses in it. By the time your readers have reached
the end of the sentence, they'll no longer know what you're talking
about. Watch for long sentences with too many clauses! In order to be
clear, divide them into two or three separate sentences.
-
Changing
tenses This is one of the most
common mistakes. You start out writing a paragraph in one tense and
end it in another. For example: "He walks slowly toward the
police station, worrying about his fate. When he got to the door, he
took a deep breath before opening it." The first sentence is
written in the present tense, and the second is in past tense. It's
important to get this right because it's very confusing and jarring
for a reader.
-
Fear
of contractions This is an instance
where writers sometimes try too
hard. For most of today's writing in articles, books, and online, it's
perfectly acceptable to use contractions. Unless academic writing or a
particular publisher's style guide prohibits it, go ahead and
"contract." Your prose will sound stilted and robotic to
modern readers if everything is "will not" or "it
is." Don't use contractions in all cases, but don't be afraid to
use them when they sound right to you.
-
Use
of forms of the verb "to be"
Try to avoid writing phrases like, "She was being
emotional." "Being" is a very weak verb that rarely
tells the reader anything useful, whether in fiction or non-fiction.
Try to find a more descriptive verb, even if it's something simple
like "feeling" or "acting." (Of course, if you're
writing fiction, it's better to show rather than tell,
but that subject requires its own article.)
-
Overuse
of the word "then" Don't use
the word "then" unless it's truly necessary. Often, it adds
nothing to your meaning. Writers put it in sentences because it's what
they say when they speak, but in writing, it can muddy a sentence
needlessly. For example, the word "then" does nothing for
this sentence: "We were at the doctor's office for hours, but then,
we arrived at the concert on time." This sentence works just as
well without it.
-
Misuse
of "that" and "who"
Use "who" when you're talking about a human being. For
example, you wouldn't say, "Bob is the one that
saw the accident." You would
say, "Bob is the one who
saw the accident."
-
"Could
of" instead of "could have"
This is an easy mistake to make because of the way Americans have come
to pronounce "have" in this instance. When we say
"could have," it sounds like "could of." While
your average reader might understand what you mean, it's wrong. If you
think of the meaning of the word "of," this sentence makes
no sense: "Frank could of been there on time." It's correct
to write: "Frank could have
been there on time."
-
"Times
where" as opposed to "times when"
While people have begun to say, "There are times where"
in casual conversation, the fact remains that time isn't a place. It's
correct to say, "There are times when
"
-
"Its"
versus "it's" This is one of
those mistakes that has been written about many times, but many
writers still can't remember how it works. The reason is that
apostrophes often turn a word into a possessive, but that isn't the
case here. So how can you remember which is correct? "It's"
is the contraction for "it is." When you write a sentence,
try adding "it is" in place of "its" or
"it's." If "it is" fits in your sentence, you need
an apostrophe. If it doesn't fit in your sentence, you don't need the
apostrophe. Simple as that!
-
"Their,"
"there," and "they're"
This is another mistake that's been written about a great deal but
still confuses people. Here's the difference between these words:
"There" is a place, as in "We went there."
"Their" refers to something that belongs to people, as in
"Their books." "They're" is the contraction for
"they are," as in "They're in the house" (or
"They are in the house.")
Of
course, now that this has been published, someone will write and tell us
that our writing is unclear! Feel free to let us know. Frankly, anyone who
says that writing is easy is full of it! Good writing is never easy.
WE
ARE BEST GHOSTWRITERS FOR HIRE.
Read
about our writing and editing services.
Wondering
about how to use the semicolon?
Here's
an article that someone else wrote,
which is
both fun and informative.
MORE
ARTICLES
ABOUT WRITING
AND PUBLISHING COMING SOON!
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