Hey writer. Yeah, you — the one wrestling with the blinking cursor, wondering if your draft is brilliant or just utter chaos.
I’ve got good news.
If you’re making mistakes in your writing — you’re not broken.
You’re just… normal.
As an editor, I’ve seen the same writing slip-ups over and over again — from beginners, seasoned pros, and even bestselling authors on deadline meltdown.
So, in the spirit of tough love and making your work ✨actually better✨, here’s your unofficial, slightly sassy guide to the 4 biggest mistakes I see (and how to stop doing them).
1. ✂️ You’re Explaining… and Then Explaining the Explanation
“She felt nervous. Anxious, really. Uneasy. Her stomach churned like a blender full of regret.”
We get it. She’s nervous.
But if you say it three times, it starts sounding like you don’t trust your reader — or yourself.
Here’s the truth:
👉 One well-placed line hits harder than five watered-down ones.
📌 Editor’s fix: Say it once, clearly. Then drop the mic and move on. Readers are smarter than we give them credit for — let them fill in the blanks.
2. 😴 You’re Starting with a Snore, Not a Hook
“It was a day like any other.”
“The sun rose slowly over the sleepy town…”
“Before I begin, let me tell you something important.”
🚨 If your first line sounds like a lullaby, readers will bounce. Fast.
You’ve got 3 seconds to hook someone online — don’t waste them on weather reports or throat-clearing intros.
📌 Editor’s fix: Start with action. A moment of tension. A weird detail. Something that makes the reader say, “Wait… what happens next?”
3. 🧱 Your Paragraphs Are Built Like Brick Walls
Ever open a doc and instantly feel tired?
That’s what a big, chunky paragraph does. It doesn’t say, “Read me.”
It screams, “Good luck.”
People scroll. People skim. Nobody wants to fight your formatting.
📌 Editor’s fix: Break it up. Use short sentences. Give your writing rhythm.
White space isn’t empty — it’s oxygen.
Think: TikTok for your paragraphs. Short. Visual. Snackable.
4. 🎭 You’re Writing Like Someone Else
Here’s the one that hurts most — because it hides under the surface.
I see so many writers try to sound:
Smarter
More formal
More “author-like”
Like the last viral newsletter they read
And in the process…
They lose the one thing that makes their writing powerful: their voice.
📌 Editor’s fix:
Sound like you. Messy, funny, weird, honest YOU.
That’s what connects. That’s what gets remembered. That’s what people come back for.
💬 Real Talk from the Editing Desk
If you’ve made these mistakes? Good.
It means you’re writing.
It means you care.
It means you’re in the arena.
Even I — a professional editor — make these mistakes in my own drafts. The key isn’t being perfect.
It’s knowing how to spot the bloat and cut the fluff when it counts.
So next time you write, ask yourself:
Am I trusting the reader?
Am I opening strong?
Can this breathe visually?
Am I letting my voice be heard, not hidden?
If the answer’s yes — congrats. You’re writing like a pro.
🧠 TL;DR:
Fix these 4 things:
Stop overexplaining.
Ditch the sleepy intros.
Break up your chunky paragraphs.
Be yourself on the page — not someone you follow.
And your writing?
It’ll hit harder, flow faster, and actually get read.
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