Ever wondered what parts of your writing are immediate turn-offs to editors?
I’ve often wondered the same thing, which is why I made this blog post with the help of several editors. I hope this post helps!
1. Info Dumps
As readers, sometimes we have come across parts of the story where the character goes on and on talking about something without any relevant action.
This is very common in high fantasy stories but other types of literature are still littered with info dumps too.
Consider this example from a very famous classic:
(Excerpt from Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky.)
For about 5 or so pages it was just a drunk man rambling about his wife to a young man he just met.
Despite the fact that this book is overall a really good read, it was quite a pain to push through those pages-long info dumps.
So what can you do to ensure that you DON'T info dump?
Just remember this thing:
'Tell the readers ONLY what they should know, WHEN they need it.'
Save other info for later, and reveal it to the readers when it mattered.
2. Cliche beginnings
Do you remember when you saw a post on Instagram and you read the first few letters of the caption?
If they're interesting enough, you'd tap the read more option. If they don't, you'll simply scroll through it, not giving whatever hidden underneath the beginning any chance.
Now the same can be said for books.
Readers may continue reading if enough people continue on pushing them to do it. But editors with their little time will simply send you a rejection letter.
We don't want that now, do we?
Those beginnings when they wake up and mention the morning routine that we have seen in like 2735228393 other books?
YES. This is a cliche beginning.
Do NOT do this.
Here are some alternatives:
Drop the readers right in the middle of action.
State some philosophical argument/theory/question.
Take a cliche trope and twist it (but make sure your twist comes soon enough that the editor doesn’t drop your book)
Try to remember those books you have read.
Which beginnings intrigued you? And which ones made you drop the book?
3. Slow start
That first page where nothing happens is like telling the readers 'hello, I'm boring.' so don't have a start like this.
As an example let's see this excerpt from a novel that one of our editors mentioned to have a painfully slow start:
(Excerpts from Neuromancer, William Gibson)
You don't have to read all of it, and even if you did, you probably found your eyes skimming the passage, trying to find something that can keep your mind interested.
The parts after this may very well be interesting, but what's the point if the readers can't push themselves past the first pages?
Make sure your first line (and the lines that come after that) are gripping enough that your readers will think that your piece is worth reading.
This is especially true if you don't have any reputation (because yes, if Fyodor Dostoevsky or Donna Tartt writes their books with painfully slow starts, people will still read it because they know that the books by these famous authors are going to be good. But the same can't be said if I—a nobody (right now)—write the book.)
4. Leaving ideas unfinished unintentionally
Also sometimes also called head hopping, this when you talk about apples, and the next second bees, then before you even finish saying about how those bees are pink you start talking about the political tension in the 1880s. And all the topics are left without having any other relevance to the story than just being there.
Yes, real humans do this a lot.
But no, too realistic is not good.
Pay attention to your pacing and sentence flow. Unravel those mysteries in your stories one by one, placing teasers here and there, guiding the readers through a well planned path so they won't stray away from your book. All the way to the ending.
5. Repetitive words
Isn't it somewhat annoying to have one word repeated all over again?
Overused words like beauty, see, walk, think, etc all have synonyms that can step up your writing. (Of course, try to have a little info on what those synonyms actually mean because when writers use synonyms just because, it shows.)
Take a look at this:
'I opened the door and came into the spacious room. Natural rays of light flowed in from the floor to ceiling window opposite from where I stood, sand coloured curtains hung on its sides, glimmering in gaudiness. A chandelier hung gracefully solo on the ceiling, the crystals and diamonds refracted the light into stunning fragments of rainbow splashing all around the room, decorating the cream coloured walls and marble floors.'
(Excerpt from Raeliana Adfrenssa, Melifluousgelatoo.)
See how in this excerpt we can actually describe something without using the same words over and over again?
Yes, you can do even better than this.
And voila!
We've reached the end of this blog, how fast the time goes—
Anyways, good luck on your writing and see you again next time!
With love,
MG.
(PS. the editors who helped me are our editors, Bri and Jason.)
To learn more about this author, check out @melifluousgelatoo.writes on instagram.
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