>The Ten Mistakes

>You already know this stuff, but it’s always worth a reminder. From Holt Uncensored, here’s a great review of The Ten Mistakes: ten common mistakes writers make. The website goes into detail, but here’s the basic list (keywords to help remind you of the underlying rule) for printing out and posting next to your computer monitor:

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

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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