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3. Wry Saidisms. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with using said over and over, andreaders are trained to accept the word as easily as they do standard punctuation. You can

get away with a characters occasionally whining or demanding, but use them asspice and save them for moments when you need a little extra punch. Avoid stating

altogether, as it is a hallmark of badly written press releases, and the word only applies to

a formal statement such as one given in authority or for a police report. Whispering andshouting are fine, because they are as much action as stage direction. If you insist onsomeone hissing a line, make sure it contains at least one sibilance, or S sound.

Ly adverbs slow down the sentence and often foil the writers intent. For example,Bill quickly crossed the room is slower than Bill crossed the room, and the word

suddenly is its own oxymoron. Such adverbs are especially cumbersome in dialoguetags. Indeed, they often become comical, as popularized in Tom Swifties such as

Youre going against the grain, he said wryly or The sun is out, he observedbrightly.

4. Overexcitement! Hoard your exclamation points and only dole them out when

necessary. Some preach avoiding them altogether and instead relying on dynamic writingto convey the excitement. In general, they can be effective when used sparingly in

dialogue, but they quickly become boring when overused and should rarely if everconclude an action sentence. Generally, dependence on exclamation points indicates a

lack of power in your action sentences.Adding a bit of visual oomph or dialogue tag is a better choice: Look out, he shouted,

diving for cover as bullets zinged overhead. The word shouted does the work of theexclamation point, though if you are in the books climax or a particularly brisk and

intense scene, then one or two can do the work of unnecessary words, too. In this case,Id let Look out! slide, assuming exclamation points werent already hopping all over

the page like drunk celebrities begging for tabloid coverage. Anyone using two or moreexclamation points together will not only be rejected but taken out and shot!!!

5. Heady confusion. Point of view is one of the fundamental keys to good fiction writing.

Stories that keep a clear point of view immediately move themselves to the front of theclass or the slush pile. Simply put, find out who is telling the story and stick with that

character until theres a clear shift to another point of view. In third-person limitedviewpoint, make sure the character doesnt know things happening outside her range of

perception. Make sure the character isnt experiencing the thoughts of another characterunless one of them has ESP.

Omniscient viewpoint gives you the authorial power of God, knowing all and seeing all,but it can be a bit aloof and less successful at emotionally engaging the reader. If using

first-person viewpoint, then you must be doubly sure youre limited to your Icharacters thoughts and sensations. Second-person is a bit artificial and calls attention to

itself but can be effective if thats what youre after. Mixing first, second, third, andomniscient viewpoints can be hazardous to your readers (and your careers) health.

6. Keeping Your Distance. Newer writers tend to rely on He saw, He felt, He

smelled, He tasted, or He heard instead of just letting the actions or sensationsoccur. It shows a lack of a confidence. If you have done a good job of securing your

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character viewpoint, then when that stack of dishes clatters to the ground, the readerknows who hears the smash. Like any mechanism, it has a time and place, but several of

these in the same paragraph really sap the energy: He felt that what he heard was anelephant that sounded like it was in the jungle. Better: An elephant trumpeted in the

distant jungle. The more immediate the imagery, the more powerful.

7. Slow Death. Too many useless mannerisms, bits of business or trivia, and descriptionscan bog your tale down right out of the starting gate. While the color of someones coat

can be a revealing detail, make sure theres a reason for its inclusion, and bewarestacking up lots of physical description before the reader has a chance to build her own

image. The readers less likely to care that Susan is of medium build with brown eyes andauburn hair than the fact that Susan is carrying a bouquet of wilted flowers, has wet

mascara runs, and is missing one earring.Whatever you do, dont have a character enter a room waving a cigarette, inhaling

between every two lines of dialogue, flicking ashes, lighting another, and repeating untilthe scene is mercifully expired from emphysema. The same goes for meals: avoid them

just as you would avoid showing a character going to the bathroom. Unless there is a plotpurpose or intriguing piece of character development at stake, let that type of business

take place offstage or mention it in passing.

Now for the final bad habit of unsuccessful writers, one which makes all the abovemeaningless: the habit of not writing. In my career, Ive only seen two kinds of writers.

Those who succeed and those who quit. Be one of those who succeed.

(Originally published in Writers Journal)

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Scott Nicholson is the author of seven thrillers, including the Bram Stoker finalist TheRed Church and the forthcoming The Skull Ring. Hes published over 60 stories in seven

countries, as well as numerous writing articles, five screenplays, several comic books,and magazine features. Hes won three North Carolina Press Association Awards as a

newspaper reporter and also has a freelance manuscript editing business, in addition tohosting pop-culture shows and an annual paranormal conference. More information at

www.hauntedcomputer.com.