ONC 2024 : 10
Common mistakes in amateur writers/writing. I think that Alexa Donne highlights a lot of them, a total of 22 of them which I think are very helpful. I really recommend to check this video out.
Some of the mistakes that I want to highlight are:
Tense shifting – I still have this problem. Maybe because English is my second language so, I would often got this feedback from readers. Where I mix present and past tenses.
Information Dumping – I believe I excel at maintaining a balance in this aspect. While I haven’t received specific feedback on overloading with information, I have been mindful of avoiding underwriting or providing insufficient details. I have received one remark regarding this (not enough details to imagine).
Repetitive sentence structure – Which I see a lot in other writings as well where they always start the paragraph with the same sentence structure, i.e I am going to… then the next paragraph would also be the same I am talking to ….
Redundant Writing – Remove, conditional phrases. Use, strong active verb – Instead of I walk so fast practically running. It would be better to use, I raced home which will give stronger, direct and active vibes. You can check out further on this on my other post (Strong Language) regarding this issue.
Telling – Similar to Alexa, achieving a balance in this area is quite challenging for me. I find it difficult to implement the “show, don’t tell” principle, often leaning more towards conveying information directly. I tend to provide details rather than vividly describing them.
Poor Story Logic – This aspect impacts me the most. I have a logical mindset, and I prefer characters to adhere to a consistent logic. I find it challenging when characters deviate abruptly from their established traits or even from common logic (present logic or the logic that was present in that period of time).
Understanding characters and their motives is crucial to me. When a character’s actions lack a logical foundation, particularly for antagonists who suddenly exhibit psychotic behavior without coherence, it feels disjointed and out of place.
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If you’re interested in checking out my story, here’s the link to my story on Wattpad : Oxy-Gen
