Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing-mistakes"
Mistakes Are the Plot
If we think about any factual story, much of the drama resulted from mistakes. In hindsight, we can easily spot incorrect decisions that should have been obvious. Before I write further, I think I should define the term “mistake” for this blog. A mistake is something that we have knowledge about and still make an incorrect decision.
A real-life example would be a person who rides a bicycle without wearing a helmet and gets injured. We see the apparent mistake using hindsight because the bike rider had enough knowledge to see what could happen. There is a distinction between this example and the injury resulting from an experienced rider crashing because they misjudged a turn. What if the experienced rider went too fast? This is not a mistake because hindsight does not reveal an obvious problem (the rider had fast riding experience and took precautions like wearing a helmet.)
If I were to write about this helmet incident, it would be an exciting story. The moments up the crash would be vetted, and readers would expect the impending injury because they know what it means to ride without a helmet. What if the collision did not take place? IE, the rider did not put on their helmet and had a pleasant ride? Not an exciting story. “Bob rode his bike and came home.”
Now, wait, other things can happen on a bike ride. Bob could meet another rider, find $100, fall off, or get chased by a mountain lion. All true, but such incidents are added drama because they could not be predicted. (To my blog readers. If you know a bike trail with $100 bills sprinkled around, please let me know.) However, there is another aspect. Bob does not learn a lesson from a pleasant ride.
What about foreshadowing? Is this not the same thing? This is a related term, but foreshowing implies impending doom. For example, riding on an icy road without a helmet would be an obvious example of foreshowing.
I like plots with mistakes. It is excellent character-building quality, and adding mistakes hooks the reader into the story. For example, after the bike crash, there is a “see, I told you so” connection in the back of the reader's mind. They can also visualize themselves making that same mistake. Then, as the rider recovers, the reader relates to the healing process and this new attitude of “maybe I should start wearing a helmet.”
Mistakes come in all sizes and end in all kinds of consequences. The reader has experienced their own mistakes, which helps them to connect to the character. Even a simple mistake like a character forgetting another character’s name is a good hook. Such events make the character seem real. On the other hand, a character who is perfect is not relatable or fun.
In life, we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I think this applies to plots as well. The best plots have the best mistakes. Do my blogs have fantastic mistakes? Umm, I hope not.
A real-life example would be a person who rides a bicycle without wearing a helmet and gets injured. We see the apparent mistake using hindsight because the bike rider had enough knowledge to see what could happen. There is a distinction between this example and the injury resulting from an experienced rider crashing because they misjudged a turn. What if the experienced rider went too fast? This is not a mistake because hindsight does not reveal an obvious problem (the rider had fast riding experience and took precautions like wearing a helmet.)
If I were to write about this helmet incident, it would be an exciting story. The moments up the crash would be vetted, and readers would expect the impending injury because they know what it means to ride without a helmet. What if the collision did not take place? IE, the rider did not put on their helmet and had a pleasant ride? Not an exciting story. “Bob rode his bike and came home.”
Now, wait, other things can happen on a bike ride. Bob could meet another rider, find $100, fall off, or get chased by a mountain lion. All true, but such incidents are added drama because they could not be predicted. (To my blog readers. If you know a bike trail with $100 bills sprinkled around, please let me know.) However, there is another aspect. Bob does not learn a lesson from a pleasant ride.
What about foreshadowing? Is this not the same thing? This is a related term, but foreshowing implies impending doom. For example, riding on an icy road without a helmet would be an obvious example of foreshowing.
I like plots with mistakes. It is excellent character-building quality, and adding mistakes hooks the reader into the story. For example, after the bike crash, there is a “see, I told you so” connection in the back of the reader's mind. They can also visualize themselves making that same mistake. Then, as the rider recovers, the reader relates to the healing process and this new attitude of “maybe I should start wearing a helmet.”
Mistakes come in all sizes and end in all kinds of consequences. The reader has experienced their own mistakes, which helps them to connect to the character. Even a simple mistake like a character forgetting another character’s name is a good hook. Such events make the character seem real. On the other hand, a character who is perfect is not relatable or fun.
In life, we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. I think this applies to plots as well. The best plots have the best mistakes. Do my blogs have fantastic mistakes? Umm, I hope not.
Writers Cannot Make an Honest Mistake
Readers have evolved into bright individuals who do not tolerate errors, upsetting content, or poor English. This enlightened community will leave scathing reviews by the truckload for timid infractions. However, authors are humans, and humans make mistakes all the time. Do readers know this fact? They are a fickle bunch that demands perfection.
Wait a minute. Am I stating that an author must know everything and use this infinite knowledge base to create perfect works? Yep. But what about an honest mistake?
A good example is racial slurs. Sadistic people have been inventing them since humans started speaking, and we now have an extensive list that grows every day. An upstanding writer might not be aware of a recently created slur and offend readers. Did you know the word Apple is a slur? It is that easy. The damage is done once the eagle-eyed reader spots the problem, and the bad reviews will flow.
Should readers be more forgiving? No, because they know that writers have a trick up their sleeve. They have all the time in the world to edit their creations. Good writers always search for grammar, spelling, continuity, logic, plot, historical accuracy, offensive elements, structure, pacing, flow, character development, descriptions, layout, style, consistency, and content mistakes. A writer can even decide not to publish because their creation is not up to their standards. We also have tools like Grammarly, Microsoft Word, ProWritingAid, and ChatGPT. There is no excuse for an obvious mistake.
That is true, but an excellent writer can edit to their heart’s content but still miss a glaring mistake. As proof, I found one this morning. “I did this because of Nicholas’s strict instructions , which intended to keep me out of jail.” Did you see the extra space before the comma? Well, I did not for ten editing passes. Even Microsoft Word points this out with a big glaring red underline. Nope, I still missed it.
Is that tiny error that big of a deal? After all, if a writer perfectly transcribed the way we all talk, there would be loads of grammatically wacky junk that would not make sense in written form. True, but writers are held to a higher standard.
Here is an awful example that must never occur, “Bob said she was ready to be picked up.” That was an innocent he/she mistake. It was an honest error, and I admit it. So, we are good? Right?
Today, the topic of gender is more significant than ever. It might be the most discussed topic in popular media. The attention to this topic has resulted in new laws, massive public campaigns, mega shifts in entertainment, companies losing billions, and drastic societal changes.
The problem is that female readers and viewers know the topic’s importance well. So, when they read my timid sentences, they will think, “Did Bill just lump me in with a man? How rude!” And men are in the same camp. “Did Bill just call Bob a woman? What the heck? Jerk!” I can feel readers typing angry thoughts right now. And I do not blame them. Reading this glaring error would tick me off, and I would probably leave an angry comment.
What is going on in the reader’s mind? After all, readers are writers too. They send emails, text messages, and write documents. They are not perfect, and they know this fact. Here is my opinion. That is all fine until they pay for something. Just like a driver expects their car to work, a reader expects their book to be free from obvious errors. “Hey, my car will not start.” “World War II began September 1, 1989. That sentence did not contain an innocent mistake; it was a glaring error.
What are writers to do? “Edit until your hands bleed.” “Use every available resource.” “Try your best.” “Go with the flow.” “Ignore the bad reviews.” It seems like bad advice, but it is the only advice I have to offer.
You’re the best -Bill
March 12, 2025
Wait a minute. Am I stating that an author must know everything and use this infinite knowledge base to create perfect works? Yep. But what about an honest mistake?
A good example is racial slurs. Sadistic people have been inventing them since humans started speaking, and we now have an extensive list that grows every day. An upstanding writer might not be aware of a recently created slur and offend readers. Did you know the word Apple is a slur? It is that easy. The damage is done once the eagle-eyed reader spots the problem, and the bad reviews will flow.
Should readers be more forgiving? No, because they know that writers have a trick up their sleeve. They have all the time in the world to edit their creations. Good writers always search for grammar, spelling, continuity, logic, plot, historical accuracy, offensive elements, structure, pacing, flow, character development, descriptions, layout, style, consistency, and content mistakes. A writer can even decide not to publish because their creation is not up to their standards. We also have tools like Grammarly, Microsoft Word, ProWritingAid, and ChatGPT. There is no excuse for an obvious mistake.
That is true, but an excellent writer can edit to their heart’s content but still miss a glaring mistake. As proof, I found one this morning. “I did this because of Nicholas’s strict instructions , which intended to keep me out of jail.” Did you see the extra space before the comma? Well, I did not for ten editing passes. Even Microsoft Word points this out with a big glaring red underline. Nope, I still missed it.
Is that tiny error that big of a deal? After all, if a writer perfectly transcribed the way we all talk, there would be loads of grammatically wacky junk that would not make sense in written form. True, but writers are held to a higher standard.
Here is an awful example that must never occur, “Bob said she was ready to be picked up.” That was an innocent he/she mistake. It was an honest error, and I admit it. So, we are good? Right?
Today, the topic of gender is more significant than ever. It might be the most discussed topic in popular media. The attention to this topic has resulted in new laws, massive public campaigns, mega shifts in entertainment, companies losing billions, and drastic societal changes.
The problem is that female readers and viewers know the topic’s importance well. So, when they read my timid sentences, they will think, “Did Bill just lump me in with a man? How rude!” And men are in the same camp. “Did Bill just call Bob a woman? What the heck? Jerk!” I can feel readers typing angry thoughts right now. And I do not blame them. Reading this glaring error would tick me off, and I would probably leave an angry comment.
What is going on in the reader’s mind? After all, readers are writers too. They send emails, text messages, and write documents. They are not perfect, and they know this fact. Here is my opinion. That is all fine until they pay for something. Just like a driver expects their car to work, a reader expects their book to be free from obvious errors. “Hey, my car will not start.” “World War II began September 1, 1989. That sentence did not contain an innocent mistake; it was a glaring error.
What are writers to do? “Edit until your hands bleed.” “Use every available resource.” “Try your best.” “Go with the flow.” “Ignore the bad reviews.” It seems like bad advice, but it is the only advice I have to offer.
You’re the best -Bill
March 12, 2025
