The Top 25 Ways to Ruin a Book

There are only so many ways to do things right in creating a book. But there an infinity of ways to blow a book. Nothing anyone writes completely escapes every mistake and pitfall. But some of those mistakes are more costly than others. Let’s take a look at the top twenty-five ways to blow a book right into our readers’ burn barrels. (Click the asterisk at the end of each pitfall to learn more about how to identify and prevent it.)

1. Open the story too soon before the primary action (prologues are often guilty of this).*

2. Begin with a dream.*

3. Force feed readers the backstory in large flashbacks or info dumps.*

4. Skip any of the major Plot Points at the 25%, 50%, and 75% marks.*

5. Create characters who act unrealistically or inconsistently.*

6. Include scenes in which nothing happens (i.e., no conflict).*

7. Use POV inconsistently (e.g., head-hopping).*

8. Scorn common spelling, grammar, and punctuation standards.*

9. Tell (summarize) more than you show (dramatize).*

10. Pace the plot either too quickly or too slowly.*

11. Get the facts wrong.*

12. Fail to provide strong character goals and motivations.*

13. Use the passive voice more than the active voice.*

14. Riddle the prose with clichés.*

15. Fail to properly foreshadow and frame plot twists.*

16. Create characters who are passive*/non-reactive*/unlikable*/stereotyped.*

17. Include a glut of adjectives and adverbs in lieu of strong nouns and verbs.*

18. Dump info (usually in the form of either backstory or research).*

19. Confuse readers.*

20. Purple your prose.*

21. Craft plots that are too predictable.*

22. Let your Climax peter off instead of slam-banging.*

23. Resolve the conflict with deus ex machina.*

24. Needlessly kill off lovable characters.*

25. Preach at readers.*

If you can avoid every one of these pitfalls in your story, you’re likely to please agents, editors, and readers alike!

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! What’s the biggest factor that blows a book for you as a reader? Tell me in the comments!

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