Writing Stories – Six Common Errors Writers Make
How Writers Can Stop Getting Rejection Letters
Sep 29, 2009
It is the writer’s responsibility to create a world that persuades the reader to "suspend his disbelief." This entails the mastery of various aspects of writing and a knowledge of what works. Here are the six most commonly made errors in fiction writing which lead to rejection letters from editors.
Stories That Lack Credibility Get Rejection Letters
The fact that a story is unconvincing, is the most frequent reason editors cite for rejecting a manuscript.
It takes a lot of skill for a writer to persuade a reader that his story is true – even if the belief lasts only for the duration of the story. It is possible to achieve this credibility even in fantasy. This genre must also follow the rules of logic. A horse without wings, for instance, cannot fly.
Many a famous author has had to change some part of his story on the behest of an editor because of this common fault.
What makes a story unconvincing? It could be characters acting in an uncharacteristic way or events happening in a way not possible within the reality established in the story. When characters are driven by plot they always act in unconvincing ways.
In the short story, there is not much space for plot development or for fully sketched out characters (as in a novel), but he must still make his characters credible and engaging.
Dullness in Fiction Writing
Dullness is usually caused by lack of action. Action means that something interesting happens in a story.
Mixing of Tenses When Writing the Short Story
It is very easy for even not-so-new writers to mix present tense with past tense. Here’s an example:
"He fell in love with his own image. He called piteously to it, he pleaded, he wept. His tears had disturbed the water’s surface. . . and then, suddenly, there was nothing in the water, only ripples had widened and vanished. He called out to the mirage and was scorned by nothingness."
This passage should read:
"He fell in love with his own image. He called piteously to it, he pleaded, he wept. His tears disturbed the water's surface...and then, suddenly, there was nothing in the water, only ripples, widening and vanishing. He called out to the mirage and was scorned by nothingness."
Not Writing "What You Know"
This fault is frequently seen in the budding short story writer. He must posses a thorough knowledge of the place and people he’s writing about. He must know the way the place looks and smells, the culture and customs of its people, as well as their habits. If he bases a story in a city that exists today or existed in the past, he must be able to depict it in a convincing way.
And if he doesn’t know, he should either learn about the place or set his story in a place that does not exist. This way he can create his own world with its own characteristics.
The following excerpt is written by a writer who knows nothing about the sea, and doesn't even swim. It's all due to diligent research:
"Through the clear waters swam brilliant schools of fish. A yellow-black angelfish nibbled delicately at his toes. He laughed and the fish darted away to hover a small distance from him. Aditya observed its bulging eyes and red-spotted fins moving like angel’s wings.
Having sated its curiosity, the angelfish turned around with a brilliant flick of its tail and headed for a coral reef. Aditya followed it, marveling at the various shades of coral -- purple, orange and many hues of pink. Some looked like flowers, others like smooth cream pebbles with thumb impressions on them.
There were corals shaped like thorny branches on which red sea-anemones hung like blooms, tentacles swaying gracefully. The reef was dotted with barnacles and oysters. Hundreds of nestling fish peeped out from tiny holes and crevices in the coral, their gossamer fins flickering in the water like transparent butterflies."
Writers Should Feel the Emotions They Describe
An author’s psychological make-up and experience come through in what he writes. Therefore, much of a writer’s success depends on his having a strong personality. It is the only way to create a strong impression in the reader’s mind and write a story that is memorable.
Emotion is the key.
According to Professor C.T. Winchester, in his book –Some Principles of Literary Criticism, there are five tests of the emotional effect in literature: the strong portrayal of an emotion, its vividness, its steadiness, its range and its quality.
Gustave Flaubert, when writing his classic novel Madame Bovary, said that he wept when his heroine wept. If the writer doesn’t feel the emotion he writes about, neither does the reader.
On the other hand, Maupassant, often called the father of the short story is more known for his technique than his emotional capacity. Most of his stories reflect his ironical, cut –and- dry outlook on life. He is an intellectual writer, dissecting the human soul in his relentless analysis of human motives.
Stories With Weak Endings
The sixth common error is the weak ending. A good editor can judge a story just by looking at its beginning and its end. The ending should conclude the story, not just end it. There must be a big dramatic moment very near its close.
Does it echo the introduction in some way? The ending could be as simple as a change in the attitude of the main character, even a small gesture that symbolises something important. And it could be related in the form of narrative or dialogue.
Writers who can avoid these six common faults are sure to find a publisher.
You may also want to read: How to Begin and End a Short Story, Foreshadowing in the Short Story and Writing Stories - Dialogue.
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