When you critique the first draft of your manuscript, watch for the following pitfalls:
- Watch for Impractical Vocabulary
- Watch for Unnecessary Words
- Watch for Unnatural Speech
- Watch for Long, Run-on Sentences
- Watch for Monotonous Sentences
- Watch for Unclear Material
- Watch for Incongruities
- Watch for Loose Ends
- Watch for Digression
- Watch for Put-downs
- Watch for Flashbacks
- Watch for Abstract Words and Concepts
- Watch for Christian Clichés
- Watch for Any Clichés or Jargon
- Watch for Hum-drum Verbs
- Watch for Passive Voice
- Watch for “To Be” Verbs
- Watch for Negatives
- Watch for Abstract Nouns
- Watch for Adjectives
- Watch for Adverbs
- Watch for Tags
- Watch for Noncommittal Language
- Watch for Preachy Words
- Watch for Missing Punctuation
- Watch for Cumbersome Punctuation
- Watch for Poor Transitions
- Watch for Telling Be concrete, specific, and definite. Use dialogue, anecdotes, and fictional techniques whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction. When we avoid these twenty-eight pitfalls, we make our writing come alive. This is how we can truly reach our readers and touch their lives.