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Common Grammar Mistakes Fiction Writers Make (and How to Fix Them)
Have you ever thought that you have good ideas, but when you write, your story feels flat or not interesting? Then it is the usual because of the grammatical error that all beginner fiction writers commit when they are writing a novel. This article is about how to avoid it and it will be helpful to you if you’re just starting your fiction writing journey.
The good news is you don’t need to have perfect grammar skills, all you just need to be clear with the basic fundamentals. It is at this point that most writers struggle when they begin the writing process, and if it appears difficult to you, then you are not alone.
In simple terms, most grammatical errors or mistakes in fiction are caused by lack of clarity, incompleteness in the sentences, misuse of punctuation in dialogue and/or inconsistency in tense (Present tense, Past tense). Using a few easy rules and step-by-step training, you will be able to become a better storyteller and your writing will be easier to read and more professional.
What does it mean?
Here we are not speaking about the major grammatical errors in fiction writing, we mean to refer to minor errors that make your story confusing or hard to read. These errors are not about you being perfect. They have to do with clarity. Grammar rules are not rigid in fiction, however, clarity must not be lost.
For example,
- Mixing of past and present tense in a paragraph.
- Misuse of commas in speech.
- Composing lengthy and complex sentences.
There are times the sentences get mixed up due to the incorrect arrangement of words in a sentence, which alters the meaning without your knowledge. Grammar helps your story, in fiction. It helps the readers not to get distracted and to be engaged. Imagine grammar as road signs, it helps your reader to move through your story. Learn more How to Use a Semicolon in your writing.
Avoiding the Most Common Grammar Mistakes of Fiction Writers Step-by-Step.
And in case you are asking yourself how to prevent or avoid grammar errors in writing fiction as an beginner, go through this easy procedure:
Step 1: Select a Tense and Stick with it.
Most of the novels are in the past tense.
Example:
Right: She walked into the room and looked around.
Wrong: She walks into the room and looked around.
If you’re confused about tense, read out your paragraph aloud, and the shifts of tenses will sound weird to you. Always be consistent with the point of view (first person or third person) within a scene. Some pro-writers occasionally change the tense to create an effect, but beginners ought to maintain the same.
Step 2: Learn the Punctuation of Basic Dialogue.
Dialogue is a problem to many beginners.
Basic rules,
- Use commas before dialogue tags
- Keep punctuation inside quotation marks
Example:
Right: “I don’t know,” she said.
Wrong: “I don’t know” she said.
Learn to write simple dialogue at first and then try complex styles. Do not forget to capitalize the first word in quotation marks, too. Moreover, a new paragraph should be used every time a new character is talking.
Step 3: Have Sentences Short and Clean.
The sentences that are long tend to cause grammatical errors.
For example, let’s consider this sentence, “She moved into the dark and quiet room and she was scared as something was wrong.” this is know as long sentence,
Better, write like this, “She went into the dark room. It was quiet. Something felt wrong.”
Try to divide long sentences into two or three. Long sentences are more difficult to understand, but you can use short and long sentences to make your text more natural. Good grammar also adds to your show, don’t tell writing is more natural and immersive. Additionally, pay attention to the use of commas, especially when you are joining two sentences or listing items.
Step 4: Do Not Run-on Sentences.
Run-on sentence refers to the combination of excess ideas which are not separated by punctuations.
Example:
Wrong: He ran to the door he opened it quickly he was scared.
Right: He ran to the door. He opened it quickly. He was scared.
Read your sentence aloud and if your sentence is too long, most likely it makes you feel breathless.
Step 5: Revise, but not Mid-writing.
Beginners will try to fix grammatical mistakes right in the process of writing.
This usually slows you down. The better approach is to concentrate on your first draft first, as it is on story, and your primary concentration for your first draft must be on story. The second draft is the where you have to fix grammar-related issues. To write your novel effectively, write and edit separately. You can use simple grammar tools or read your work out loud to make it easier to witness the errors.
Examples/Mini Tips
We will see some of the basic grammar errors in writing fiction and how to correct them with examples.
Example 1: Dialogue Confusion
Always use question marks within the quotation marks “Where are you going?” he asked, and not like, “Where are you going”? he asked.
Example 2: Inconsistent Tense
Always pay attention in usage of tense, tense must be constant through the sentence or scene. For example, “She opened the door and sees a shadow.” is improper sentence usage as “opened " is past tense and “sees” is present tense.
Right usage, “She opened the door and saw a shadow.
Example 3: Too Many Punctuation
For example, sentences like, “He was tired, and hungry, and angry, and confused.”
Here the sentence has too many commas and repeated “and”, which makes the sentence weird and hard to read. The best way to write is, “He was tired, hungry, angry and confused.”
When you’re in doubt about a sentence, make it simple. Simple writing is always good writing. If your sentence seems complicated, try to rephrase it with a smaller number of words.
Before and After example
Before:
She entered the room and glanced around, it was dark and silent and she was very frightened and she did not know what was going on.
After:
She walked into the room. It was dark and silent. She felt scared as she felt something wasn’t right.
Common Mistakes Made By Beginners
The following are some of the most frequent grammar errors made by fiction writers:
1. Mixing Tenses
The use of past and present without any justification confuses the readers. Better select a single tense per scene.
2. Incorrect Dialogue Formatting
The lack of commas or incorrect punctuation interrupts the flow of the reading. Get familiar with a single simple rule of dialogue, and use it.
3. Overusing Adverbs
Unnecessary use of words such as quickly, very and really is common, try to replace them with more powerful verbs. For example, instead of “ran quickly,” you can write “rushed” or “sprinted.”
4. Run-On Sentences
Attempting to put or say too much in a sentence and making it a longer sentence. Better divide into smaller sentences.
5. Forgetting Paragraph Breaks
Large chunks of text in a paragraph are difficult to read. Where there is a new action or speaker, it should start with a new paragraph.
This is particularly in a dialogue, where each speaker ought to have his/her own paragraph.
6. Subject–Verb Agreement
Using the incorrect form of the verb with the subject. Make sure that your subject and verb are the same (e.g., She walks, They walk). If the subject is he/she/it, add -s or -es to the verb.
7. Excessive use of “Was” and “Were”
Excessive use of weak verbs can make your writing weak. Make your writing more vivid by using stronger verbs in sentences.
FAQ (People Also Ask)
Quick Editing Checklist
- Check tense consistency
- Fix dialogue punctuation
- Break long sentences
- Remove unnecessary words
- Check on ambiguous wording.
Final thought
All beginner commit grammatical errors and it is a process of writing.
The trick is to be clear, not to be perfect. Begin with small steps, and practice until you get better.
Begin by using one or two of these tips in your next writing. You will automatically improve your grammar by continuing to write and learn, and your stories will be stronger, clearer, and more interesting.
Know more on Beginner Writing Mistakes to Avoid to avoid in your first book of fiction and Turn your ideas into a story know How to Start Writing a Book
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