Seven Mistakes Every Author Makes by Judy L. Murray

Whether you are working on your first novel or your tenth, you cannot help but wonder what elements strengthen your storyline, attract a publisher, and grow your readership. If I’m not writing or reading, I often tap into different courses, YouTubes, newsletters, and blogs like our fabulous Writers Who Kill to help me improve.

Writing coach and professional editor Patrick Walsh offers YouTube posts with succinct advice that even the most experienced could use. He reminds us that good intentions don’t make good books. Good writing decisions do.

What are those good decisions? Patrick names seven mistakes often invisible to writers until someone else points them out. Let’s review. 1) Explanation Addiction: The propensity to explain something the reader already knows. “She slammed the door behind her. She was angry.” Explanation addiction is apparent every time we explain something the reader already knows. Each time you describe an emotion, stop, and ask yourself if you have already demonstrated it.

2) Overly Elaborate Dialogue: Patrick reminds us that real life dialogue is messy. When we talk, we hesitate, we stumble. If your dialogue is too neat, too smooth, too proper, it probably needs revision. Messy dialogue is far more interesting, more believable.

3) Point of View Slips: It takes a lot of practice to avoid POV slips. My first agent was an expert at correcting me until the concept jelled. His head then her head then his head. Stay within character.

4) Stakes do not Land: Patrick reminds us that often a book’s failure is because the protagonist(s) stakes are not high enough. What is the human cost? In my latest, Villain in the Vineyard, Helen Morrisey is harassed by a hoodlum who is graffitiing her clients’ homes. It is frustrating and even embarrassing. Or are these escalating attacks a targeted attempt to devastate her family, ruin her reputation, and drive her out of town. Keep readers turning your pages by elevating the stakes within every scene.

5) Pacing at the same Speed: When you write and revise ask yourself if every sentence is the same length. Every writer has their own style of writing. But fragmented sentences can help you vary the pace.

6) Starting Late: Is your story starting too late? The start of a story is a moment that changes everything. The start is not when your character begins their day. A detective’s story does not begin while he’s shaving. Not when he pours himself a cup of coffee. His story starts the moment he arrives at a crime scene.

7) Overwriting: This reminds me of Explanation Addiction. It’s human to feel compelled to elaborate, like the person in a conversation who repeats their story a second time. We can be so enamored with our perfect, beautiful phrases, we can forget the storyline. Patrick advises us to let your readers fill in the gaps. Their imagination is stronger than your elaborate descriptions which might bog down the pace and the dialogue. Don’t let overwriting for your personal pleasure dilute the stakes.

I’ll be reviewing Patrick’s checkpoints in 2026 as I work on my next book. I am curious. Which of these mistakes do you tend to make as you work?

You can find more of Patrick Harris’ advice at https://www.youtube.com/@publishingpushofficial

Find out more about me at Https://www.judylmurraymysteries.com