Common Writing Mistakes That Weaken Your Story
Knowing how to strengthen your writing is essential to giving readers a strong story
No matter how great your story idea is, certain writing mistakes can weaken your narrative, disengage readers, and reduce emotional impact.
Here are some of the most common pitfalls — along with practical ways to fix them.
Overloading with Exposition (Info-Dumping)
The Problem: Too much background information, worldbuilding, or character history dumped at once can slow down the story and overwhelm readers.
And oftentimes, this causes the reader to become bored or quit your book altogether.
How to Fix It:
Weave in exposition naturally through action and dialogue.
Let readers learn about the world or characters organically, rather than in large chunks.
Ask yourself: Does the reader need to know this right now? If not, cut or move it.
Instead of: John was an ex-cop with a dark past who had been forced out of the force after a botched case.
Try: John adjusted his old police badge on the desk — his only reminder of the case that ended his career.
See how the second option allows you to visualize what John is doing while it’s happening. Much more engaging than being told what happened.
Weak or Unclear Stakes
The Problem: If your protagonist doesn’t have a strong reason to act, the story loses tension, and readers won’t feel invested.
How to Fix It:
Establish what’s at stake early — what does the protagonist stand to lose?
Raise the stakes over time to maintain tension.
Make stakes personal. Readers connect more when consequences directly affect the protagonist.
Instead of: If Sarah doesn’t finish the mission, the agency will be disappointed.
Try: If Sarah fails, her brother’s life is on the line — and she’ll never forgive herself.
The second option conveys a more emotional tie to the reason she is finishing the mission. A reason that could cause her to be more emotionally connected and distraught if it goes wrong.
One-Dimensional Characters
The Problem: Flat, predictable, or stereotypical characters fail to engage readers.
How to Fix It:
Give characters distinct motivations, flaws, and desires. The more character, charm, and distinction, the better.
Make them active rather than reactive — let them make choices that drive the story.
Avoid clichés by adding unexpected layers to characters.
Instead of: The villain is evil just because they enjoy chaos.
Try: The villain is a scientist who believes they must sacrifice a few to save the planet, making the world a better place.
In the second option, there is more motive and intent, which allows us to see the villain’s perspective.
Weak Dialogue (Unnatural or Over-Explaining)
The Problem: Dialogue that feels robotic, overly formal, or too “on the nose” makes characters less believable.
How to Fix It:
Read dialogue aloud to see if it sounds natural.
Cut filler words and unnecessary explanations. Common filler words are uh, um, like, you know, basically, kind of, well, so, actually, anyway, and hmm.
Let characters reveal emotions through subtext, rather than directly stating them.
Instead of: “I am very angry with you because you lied to me, and lying is bad.”
Try: “You lied.” She crossed her arms. “And you thought I wouldn’t find out?”
Pacing That Drags or Rushes
The Problem: A story that moves too slowly loses the reader’s interest, while one that rushes key moments fails to build emotional impact.
How to Fix It:
Balance slow, introspective moments with high-energy action or tension.
Use shorter sentences and active verbs in fast-paced scenes.
Let important emotional beats breathe — don’t cut away too quickly.
Instead of rushing a climactic moment:
He told her he loved her. She smiled, and they walked away.
Try: His voice wavered. “I love you.” Silence stretched between them before she finally exhaled. “I thought you’d never say it.”
The second option allows you to almost watch the conversation unfold as a reader which is much better than the first option.
Telling Instead of Showing
The Problem: Telling the reader what’s happening instead of letting them experience it weakens immersion.
How to Fix It:
Use sensory details and action to bring scenes to life.
Show emotions through body language instead of just stating them.
Instead of: She was nervous about the test.
Try: Her hands trembled as she gripped the pencil, sweat gathering at her temple.
Overuse of Adverbs and Weak Verbs
The Problem: Too many adverbs (e.g., ran quickly, said softly, walked lazily) can make writing feel clunky.
How to Fix It:
Use strong, precise verbs instead.
Only use adverbs when they add something essential.
Instead of: She spoke softly.
Try: She whispered.
Every writer makes mistakes, but the key is learning how to identify and fix them.
By tightening your prose, strengthening your characters, and refining your dialogue, you’ll create a more compelling story that keeps readers engaged.