With Novel November coming to a close, it’s time to consider seven plot pitfalls that may be lurking in your manuscript.

Rigid Planning

One of the worst things you can do when plotting your outline is to over-plan. I am very much a plotter when it comes to writing, but I’ve also learned that I can’t plan so much that I kill the creative spontaneity.

You should get out all your ideas and have them in a sequential order. You should also know what’s going to happen at the end so you can build up the beginning and the middle. HOWEVER, you should not lock yourself into one way of thinking.

Accept new thoughts or ideas to shape your story as you go along. Allow your characters to stand behind your back as you type and fill in with ideas of their own. Trust me, they can be very opinionated.

Losing Track of Details.

Keep your character and world building fact sheets close to make sure you aren’t flouting your own rules. You don’t want to have your main character, who just lost a leg, suddenly be able to do run a full marathon. Or if your sky is purple, it can’t suddenly become yellow without following a sequence of events to make it so.

*(Also keep track of your character names! I’ve given the same character three different names in the past because I kept forgetting what I called him.)

Rambling Side Stories

Side stories are an excellent way to keep readers engaged, but they have to have a genuine reason for being there. If you have characters who decide to go grab a soda, but nothing about that trip to get a drink does anything to further the main plot, why are you putting it in there?

When you print a book, you pay for every page, so make it count!

Plus, if your story rambles too much, a reader will likely get bored and put the book down. So if you choose to add side plots and quests, be sure to have them give details that lead up to the main conflict. If not, you need to pitch them.

Overcomplicating the Plot

Make things too complicated, and it will be hard to keep track of the details. This is especially true for readers who don’t have insider knowledge that you do. In the words of Donald Miller, “If you confuse, you lose.” This is important in marketing and especially in your novel. 

Repetitive Scene Formats

Repetitive scene formats can bore a reader. Chapters that always start with someone waking up and ending with them going to sleep are going to get old fast.

If you find this is happening in your novel, look for new ways to start your chapters or choose a new POV character.

Passive Protagonist

Passive protagonists lead to boring stories. Yes, we may be reactive in most of our everyday lives, but we don’t read stories about everyday life. We read about people who are decisive and take action. Force your characters to make choices and be assertive.

Pay attention to your Throughline

The throughline of your story is the major conflict that ties the front end to the back end. When we reach the editing portion of our writing journey, it’s crucial to take a step back and make sure that your throughline is strong. If it’s weak, what you can do to give it greater impact? 

When looking at your throughline, you may also discover something called the “soggy middle.” This is where your beginning and ending are stellar rock stars, while the middle isn’t even cool enough to join the fan club. If this is your problem, look for ways to increase the stakes for your characters as they hit their milestones, and NEVER make it easy. 

BONUS: Beware of Weak Consequences and Petered-out Endings

Readers will feel cheated if your character has to make a choice with no real consequences attached to it. To avoid this, consider upping the stakes in relation to those choices, and allow those characters to choose wrong once in a while.

Another thing that can break your novel is a “Petered out ending.” This can happen when the ending drags on for too long, (Think Lord of the Rings extended version ending. It was 20 minutes of people saying goodbye!). Or there may be no real resolution.

Also, be aware that your protagonist doesn’t beat the antagonist too early in your story. Keep with the milestones and allow your story to unfold naturally. If your hero is still accomplishing their task too quickly, you may need to rethink your plot line and possibly the villain. Perhaps we haven’t met the real culprit behind this…

One thing I hate most in small town romance novels (you can find this in other genres, but STR seems to be the worst offender IMO) is the “lucky break or coincidence.” This cheapens your writing. You’ve built up so much tension surrounding your characters that if you give them a cop out, readers may throw your book away in disgust.

Thanks for reading, and if you are struggling to finish your manuscript, consider joining me in Story Quest, coaching for writers wanting to create books worth reading.