Eight Mistakes in Creative Writing

We haven't been updating about creative writing for some time due to readers' interest in various other topics, and my exploring them further. Here is a revisit to it. We will see why you can be unsuccessful in writing business. Here are eight of the severest mistakes creative writers can do.

1. Not Writing at All

If you are a writer, not writing is like not breathing and still looking to live. Most of the time, the writer's block may be the reason why you are not writing. In that case, use my writer's block tips to fight it. But keep writing always, no matter how crappy what you come up with is.

2. Not Reading at All

Reading a lot gives you inspiration and words to write further. Refraining from it will simply make your writing stale and uninteresting at the least. At the most, you will simply lose your writing skill. Hence, keep reading without fail.

3. Taking Negative Comments Personally

A mistake any budding writer can do. Negative comments always come when you are in the budding stage. Some may be personal, but most are not. Only take the suggestions and improve on them; don't ever take all of them personally and feel that you are not born to write at all.

4. Writing Flamboyantly and Making Yourself Love It

As a writer and more a reader of fiction, I want to stress this point well. Most writers simply cook up a twist and turn of events and think that the readers will find it cool and enjoyable. Before creating any plot, simply think if you will like it yourself as a reader or not. Imagine that some other writer wrote the tale and you're reading it.

Flamboyant action, just as no action at all, is not appealing to people. We want more of reality. So, don't create otherworldly situations and characters and just expect that your readers will like it. Because they won't.

5. Imitating Your Mentors

Do you imitate any writers you read and respect? Stop it now. Building a writing style based on another writer is good, but blindly copying the style is not the way. You should build your own style, and not ever keep imitating your mentors.

6. Feeling That You Are Better or Worse Than Your Mentors

Some writers suspect that they are worse than their mentors are and simply remain disappointed all the time. The fact is that you can be either better or worse than your mentors, but that doesn't affect your career at all. All successful writers are not supreme literary talents. There are different aspects that define talent, such as characterization and realism in case of Stephen King and ability to write pageturners in case of Sidney Sheldon and James Patterson. I wouldn't say Sheldon or Patterson are great literary minds, but I may take a week to finish a small Dickens novel, while some hours to finish a Sheldon book. Don't ever feel, hence, that you are worse than your literary mentor simply because you can't create a great plot or engaging characters; you have an ability yourself and if you write well it will definitely be recognized.

Another attitude problem with new writers is that they may feel that they are better than their mentors. Too rarely is this true. You need to understand that professional writers are what they are because they are really good at it, and you have a long way to go to be even remotely comparable to them. What you feel may simply be a whim, and ninety-nine out of hundred people may tell you that your writing is worse. Your success lies in not letting yourself feel this way and being humble. Your worse writing will definitely improve to a very good writing, and you may still have long way to go to match with your mentor.

7. Not Researching Properly

In creative writing, even the length of a safety pin is important. Without researching your facts, you are sure to end up in trouble. For instance, in the Da Vinci Code, there was argument that a tracking bug cannot be actually embedded to a bar of soap. You can miss such simple facts in research. But make extra effort to research all your points well.

8. Not Coming Up With Your Best First

Your first novel has simply to be a masterpiece, new writers. Otherwise, if it becomes a fiasco, it will be very hard for you to get a publisher for the next novel. Be very sure to come up with the best of plots you have. Don't try to create a plot like an ordinary best seller by your favorite writer. That will get you only into trouble, since the novel in question may be one of the worst by the writer, and its success may simply be attributed to the fan following he has. I would say many of Stephen King novels are worse than many not-even-heard-of works.

Conclusion

Those were the eight mistakes I could think of. Your comments are much awaited.

Copyright © Lenin Nair 2009

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