{"id":1407,"date":"2015-11-30T14:18:49","date_gmt":"2015-11-30T14:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/?p=1407"},"modified":"2019-04-15T17:07:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-15T16:07:10","slug":"8-common-creative-writing-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/8-common-creative-writing-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Common Creative Writing Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Good fiction writing can be a tough nut to crack: you\u2019ve got a great story to tell, but the real challenge is putting pen to paper and getting across your story in a way that\u2019s engaging for the reader.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our list of some easily avoidable pitfalls in creative writing (and how to dodge them). If you can avoid these \u201cdo nots\u201d you\u2019ll be writing happily ever after. The End.<\/p>\n

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Keep on moving. <\/strong>The pace of most great stories ebbs and flows; changes in pace can build tension, focus in on something important, or take us at breakneck speed right through the heart of the excitement. However, one big thing to avoid in fiction-writing is prose which stops altogether. As the great Kurt Vonnegut said: \u201cEvery sentence must do one of two things\u2014reveal character or advance the action.\u201d If you\u2019ve got sentences which don\u2019t meet either of these criteria, get out the red pen and don\u2019t take any prisoners.<\/p>\n

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Avoid the proclivity to pen a plethora of overly-recondite and abstruse piffle. <\/strong>I\u2019m sorry, what!? Well, that\u2019s the point. Many writers often make the mistake of using overcomplicated language, when simple language gets the job done better (and is much less annoying to read). Even if you\u2019re tangling with some really complicated themes, your readers will appreciate you putting these ideas into as simple language as possible. Nobody is reading your work to find out how clever you are: it\u2019s your story they're after!<\/p>\n

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Don't over describe. <\/strong>Whether it\u2019s poetry or prose, description is (nearly) always a vital part of creative writing. It\u2019s the meat around the bones of narrative, helping transport the reader into your world and influencing the feel <\/em>of the writing. But readers have wonderful imaginations of their own: they aren\u2019t interested that the carpet is a particularly pale shade of mauve at the murder scene, nor do they need to know every single detail about the waterfall your hero leaps off - however beautiful it may be. Remember, whenever we describe anything in detail our narrative grinds to a halt; be sparing with description and let the reader's imagination fill in the gaps.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t be scared to share your work. <\/strong>Unfortunately, we can\u2019t all be Jane Austen serenely churning out classics from the solitude of Chawton House. The truth is that literary circles exist for good reason: getting feedback and engaging with other writers\u2019 ideas is fundamental to the process (a bit of networking never hurt anyone either). However reluctant you may be at first, actively seek as much feedback as you can from people whose opinions you trust.<\/p>\n

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Rein in your opinions. <\/strong>Gone are the days when you would encounter interventions in novels along the lines of: \u201cDear reader\u2026you should think this.\u201d <\/em>Nowadays writers use much more refined devices to communicate their messages. However, always be wary of writing fiction to make a point. Readers don\u2019t often enjoy being told what to think about something, and this can distract from the story we\u2019re telling. Let the story speak for itself and your readers form their own opinions.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t spell it out. <\/strong>Find subtle ways to communicate how your characters are feeling, and let them do this thorough their dialogue if possible. Rather than telling the reader:<\/p>\n

\u2018Kim was shocked<\/span>: \u201cI can\u2019t believe you just said that\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

Think, how can I achieve the same effect without spelling it out? Consider:<\/p>\n

\u2018\u201cWha\u2026I can\u2019t believe you just did that.\u201d Kim said\u2019
\n\u2018\u201cI can\u2019t believe you just did that\u201d Kim gasped\u2019<\/p>\n

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Do your research. <\/strong>One misplaced fact and a story can unravel before your eyes and un-do all your hard work. If your writing has any basis in reality make sure you fact-checked it thoroughly \u2013 remember, once it\u2019s in print, it\u2019s here to stay.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t be hard on yourself. <\/strong>One common problem writers can experience is the tendency to be over self-critical, setting themselves impossibly high standards and unrealistic goals. Revise your work, sure, but finish it and then move on. You\u2019ll learn something new with every piece, so keep scribbling.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tREAD OUR ARTICLE ABOUT DEVELOPING CHARACTERS \t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
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At City Academy we offer a range of Writing<\/a> Courses, including Creative Writing<\/a>, Poetry Writing<\/a>, Scriptwriting<\/a> to Sitcom Writing<\/a>. Find out more about our London-based Writing courses here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWRITING COURSES »\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good fiction writing can be a tough nut to crack: you\u2019ve got a great story to tell, but the real…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[130,118],"tags":[12,164],"yoast_head":"\n8 Common Creative Writing Mistakes | City Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Top tips for improving your creative writing skills and writing fiction\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/8-common-creative-writing-mistakes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Common Creative Writing Mistakes | City Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Top tips for 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