If you take your writing at all seriously, check out Pat Holt’s list of Ten Mistakes Writers Don't See
1. Repeats
2. Flat Writing
3. Empty Adverbs
4. Phony Dialogue
5. No-good Suffixes
6. The “To Be” Words
7. Lists
8. Show, Don’t Tell
9. Awkward Phrasing
10. Commas
The list doesn’t tell you how to structure your story flow to increase suspense, entertain readers, or bring tears to their eyes. It doesn’t tell you how to crop your story to focus it. But heeding the advice on it will help you bring your words to life and keep readers interested.
Pat earned her spurs as a writing critic as an editor at Houghton Mifflin and the San Francisco Book Company. Later she was book editor and critic at The San Francisco Chronicle. Currently she is an advocate for independent bookstores and consults on manuscript development. The lady knows the business, and she knows writing.
Write on,
Sharon Lippincott, aka Ritergal
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