Common Prose Mistakes to Avoid

Take your writing to the next level by removing these common prose mistakes. Here are 9 tips to correct these common errors.

1.       Remove sentences with there is/are or there was/were etc.

This sentence structure weighs down prose and can make it feel cluttered. For example: There were books on the shelf vs Books lay on the shelf. Changing up this structure also adds variety.

2.       Remove sentences with a pronoun + filter word.

I saw, he thought etc. This type of writing creates distance between the reader and your work. Choose a paragraph and highlight filter words. Use control f to find more and see how many instances you use these words. Changing up pronouns adds variety as well.

3.       Vary your sentence length.

Sentence length controls pace and rhythm. Short sentences add punch. Long sentences slow the reader down and build atmosphere. Too many medium length sentences feel stagnant. Choose another paragraph of five or six lines. Do you want this paragraph to feel more tense or to build atmosphere? Adjust a sentence or two accordingly.

4.       Vary the content of your sentence.

You don’t want your writing to feel like stage directions. This is where the ‘show don’t tell’ rule applies. Use sensory description, exclamations or sound effects. You can sprinkle in direct thoughts. rhetorical questions or contextual backstory.

5.       Use the active voice.

Active voice is where the subject does the action. This eliminates asking by who or by what is something being done? She cooked lunch vs lunched was cooked. Use passive voice for suspense or tension in limited cases.

6.       Stop leaning on adverbs.

A strong verb adds more strength to a sentence. She cried loudly vs she sobbed. Removing adverbs allows you to be more original with word choice. Strong verbs create a more clear and vivid image. Another tip is implementing personification (giving objects/animals/concepts human qualities). Personification creates atmosphere and vivid imagery. Example: Shadows stretched across the floor (but use sparingly to avoid purple prose).

7.       Be specific. Remove filler or crutch words.

Crutch words are those words you find in sentences that don’t add anything and can be replaced with stronger adjectives or verbs. Overexplaining can make writing feel heavy, don’t add words for the sake of it. For a list of common crutch words see my article here.

8.       Use less ‘-ing’ verbs.

This type of verb should be used sparingly and is best to use when actions overlap. Example: I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the messages. Remove use of this verb after dialogue. Example ‘I’m fine,’ she said, shrugging her shoulders vs she shrugged. “I’m fine.” Pick a paragraph from your draft and highlight every -ing verb. Ask yourself are these necessary or am I just stacking actions?

9.       Everything in moderation.

These are not hard and fast rules. Many of these words or sentences can have a time and place. For instance, in dialogue we may use ‘-ing’ verbs because that is how we speak.