Some of these are outright awful and some of this advice is bad for me and my writing process. And of course, what didn’t work for me might work for you, and you might deem some of the poor advice listed here as perfectly useful. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy it.
1: Don’t use exclamation marks because it makes your writing look “amateur”.
This awful little nugget of advice is something I stumbled upon on YouTube and everyone in the comments was confused. I believe this was given in stylistic advice, but it was utterly baffling. In general, I’ve seen people advise to not use exclamation points because it seems juvenile (generally it’s used a lot in middle-grade and young adult fiction) and that they think that there are better ways of conveying excitement within the prose.
Exclamation points enhance what’s already there; the writing itself needs to clearly convey emotion—whether through word choice or other forms of punctuation. Do what you please when it comes to punctuating your prose.
2: Outline all your scenes before writing them
This is a bad piece of advice for me specifically. Before I write a story I have no idea what themes, story elements, or ya know, plot, I want to explore, and while I can pull things out of thin air, it doesn’t always translate well to a strong story.
When I tried this method, I ended up creating a lot of scenes that were hollow and devoid of life. Part of the reason I felt this way was because it felt disingenuous to me. Generally, I come up with my best ideas as I write, but in editing, I need to make it cohesive and allow it to flow. I have to take all of my word-vomit ideas and put them into order—and you wouldn’t believe this—that forms what experts call a ‘plot’. I know, I know, I’m breaking new ground here. But doing all of that “prep” work before writing doesn’t bode well for personal engagement in what I write. However, I’m certain that this advice has helped tons of writers, and more power to you if you’re one of them.
3: You have to write (or master) short fiction before you can write novels
The idea behind this advice is to help wean new writers into longer-form content, and I can grasp the sentiment that one might need to build stamina before diving into a massive project.
Here’s the thing: you learn to write novels by writing novels. You form the discipline and learn the craft by doing it. Training yourself to write short fiction in preparation for writing long fiction is going to make you write novels that feel like short stories. Short fiction and novels have different structures, guides for pacing, character development, focus, and so much more because they’re differing forms of art.
Write short fiction if you want to! I enjoy it because it breaks up the monotony of a novel. I started writing novels long before I started experimenting with writing shorter fiction (I wrote my first book at fifteen, and I really started dabbling in short stories at sixteen), and that led to me writing short stories that are 13k words long.
Altering this advice but maintaining its heart, I would say: break down your novel into smaller chunks—whether that be acts, chapters, or even scenes, and work out from there. In editing, you can make it connect and flow.
4: In order for it to be a satisfying story, your protagonist must have a positive arc
This is true for more traditional forms of storytelling, but so long as the character changes, or at the very least is challenged in a substantial way, your story is well on its way to being satisfying—just make sure to nail your ending.
5: Don’t use common tropes
This is a lot newer, and I completely understand where it’s coming from. Everyone loves to harp on the quaint farm boy who’s actually the long-lost Whatever for Wherever and has mystical powers beyond belief—that’s about as fresh as a pair of sweaty socks. Because of that, people want to see it look different somehow, go against the grain, or avoid it altogether.
Common tropes are common for a reason. Don’t feel like you need to avoid them because they’re everywhere, instead, focus on your characters and making them interesting. I don’t hate the farm boy archetype (hell, I am the farm boy archetype), but make that powerful yet naive kid have depth and contradictions (easier said than done, I know). Or highlight the unique aspects of your world. Have a different story structure but follow the ideas of the chosen one trope.
I’m all for innovation and subversion within writing, but I do have an issue with writers feeling like something is “off-limits” because it’s “overdone”.
6: Only write what you know
I have a whole article detailing my experience with “write in your lane”, and in short, it made me (temporarily) quit a project I adore. In modern times, this advice is given in the hopes of avoiding ill-informed writers talking about something that steps on the toes, or offends, marginalized voices. Absolutely, room (in terms of awareness and traditional publishing quotas) needs to be made for marginalized writers to publish books about issues that affect them and people like them. Yet, there isn’t a finite amount of space for books/stories to exist. This topic needs an in-depth post unto itself.
The advice I’m against here is that writers should only create characters or worlds based on their own experiences only for the sake of others. In writing outside of my experience, I’ve grown and learned so much—and I still have a ways to go. I’ve grown in my writing, yes, but I’ve grown as a person and in my knowledge of the world.
Writing what you don’t know, and doing it well, forces you to improve in the same way that getting off the couch and exercising can help you build muscle.
7: You must include diversity
I’ll make it simple: I’d rather not read a story with tokenism because the author felt that they needed to add diversity for brownie points. Representation matters, but proper representation is imperative.
8: “The only way to ___”
Generally, I have an issue with “The only way to” or “the best way to” statements. There is no one way to do something in art. There are general practices, like the three-act story structure, but you don’t have to adhere to them. Study them, understand why they work, and then make the decision of utilization.
That’s all I have for right now. Some of these are a bit pettier while others are more serious, but I’ve heard a lot of advice in my time, and not all of it is great. I’m sure there’s more advice out there that’s less than ideal, and I might make another list in the future. Is there any writing advice that you think is crud? Let me know in the comments and I’d love to chat about it.
J. V. Montague 