5 Common Mistakes New Writers Make (And How to Avoid Them)
This is a beautiful thing to do and it can be a fun and full-filling task to do, though, many new writers lose tread due to the common barriers facing them. No matter if you are working on an epic novel, an article, or just write blogs, steering clear of some mistakes will help make your work easier to read and more enjoyable for you as well as the readers.Below are five common blunders that most beginners make — and how to avoid them.
1. Writing Long, Complicated Sentences
New writers often commit the sin of writing long sentences that wind up being very difficult to read. The real question is why people try to put so much information in a single sentence: it only causes confusion.
How to avoid it:
Avoid use of complex sentence structures, and also avoid writing long sentences. Neither underuse or overcrowding; try to keep the total at 750 words or less and range from 15–20 words per each sentence. If a sentence is too complex and seems like it is taking up a lot of space you should attempt to divide it into two or even three sentences. This will also help to make the writing a lot more fluent, and less dense, which should assist the reader in understanding the text.
2. Using Too Much Jargon or Complex Words
Another such mistake is a word that is too much jargon or too complicated language. Sometimes new writers need to sound smart or like professionals, so they read fancy words into the book. However, it doesn’t always come out very easily, and it can be difficult for most readers to understand, particularly if the words aren’t actually required.
How to avoid it:
Simple everyday language is used. Use words clearly and simply. As always, only use complex terms, if absolutely necessary in your subject and explain them if needed.
3. Failing to Plan Your Writing
New writers especially approach the profession blindly without any strategy in place. Though it may appear tempting to begin writing instantly, a student may end up with a litter, write all over work. This may not be easier because your ideas may not be sequential, and your readers can get lost if there is no plan.
How to avoid it:
Spending a few minutes before you start writing to map out your writing is important. Sketch out an agenda or framework adopting main ideas as points that you wish to pass across. This will assist you to be guided and to avoid-writings haphazard all over the paper.
4. Overusing Passive Voice
Using passive voice can make sentences sound weak or unclear. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon, rather than doing the action. For example, “The ball was thrown by John” is in passive voice, while “John threw the ball” is in active voice.
How to avoid it:
Keep using the active voice so much as you can. Using active voice in any composition makes the work more interesting to comprehend than using passive voice. The subject/verb/object construct is simplest way of avoiding who does what because they slash through all of your sentences right and proper.
5. Ignoring the Editing Process
New writers assume that a piece of writing would contain only that which only they want it to contain. But writing is not rolling out a text and sending it to the audience; writing is rewriting and editing. Omitting this stage may result in such problems as bringing mistakes, tricky vocabulary or even certain points that are rather unclear to your work.
How to avoid it:
They say that excessive use of passive voice makes the sentences sound weak or render them semantically ambiguous. In a passive voice construction the object of the verb receives the action and the subject performs the action. For instance, “The ball was thrown by John” is in the passive voice and the second one “John threw the ball” is in the active voice.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into writing tips or want to improve your skills even further, check out these related articles:
Each of these articles offers practical advice to help you grow as a writer. Happy reading!
Conclusion
Writing is not always easy especially when you are getting into the writing profession for the first time. However, the worst should be avoided seriously, and you will try, and its final result will be even more interesting not only for the readers but as well as for you as the author. Always make sure to restate what you goal is, avoid lengthy and complex sentences, utilize basic grammar and vocabulary, always do a rough construct of what you will be writing and do not leave out the proof-reading. If you follow through them, then it will not be long before you have depatured on a journey towards becoming a better and confident writer.
