Hellooo everybody! I'm here to answer the one question
literally every writer has asked themselves at some point during the writing process: what if
my writing sucks? A lot of people say, “Oh, stop it. That's just the imposter syndrome talking.”
And sometimes it is! But sometimes it isn't. I'm cutting the bullshit and telling you the top 10
most blatant signs that your writing just ain't up to snuff.
Sign Number Ten (10) just so happens to be the most important one, and I'll tell you one thing:
it's gonna piss a lot of people off. Enjoy!
(The sound of a pen scratching). LOGO.
All right, guys! Before we get started, a quick shout out to Edit Out Loud, who has sponsored
today's video! Edit Out Loud is an easy to use app that allows you to upload a word document,
listen to it anywhere and at any time, and then add comments along the way.
If you don't already know, audio helps writers catch errors that they missed while reading.
It's also a lot more effective for noticing redundancies, missing words, grammatical errors,
or spelling issues. I upload my work in progress to Edit Out Loud so I can listen to it while
I'm at Cliff's doctor's appointments, while I'm cooking or cleaning, while I'm walking Buttercup.
And it's so much better than a basic audio program because you can speak or type comments letting you
know exactly what needs to be fixed. On top of that, Edit Out Loud has a beta listener program
where you can link your audio draft to beta listeners and they can give you feedback on your
work. You guys know I think the beta reader stage is imperative to the writing process, so this is
a huge win in my book. If you're a multitasker like myself, I definitely recommend Edit Out
Loud. It's available both on iPhone and Android. You can try out their basic level for free, or you
can get one week of their premium subscription for free through my link below. Either way,
you're walking away with some freebies, so definitely check it out! [Disk scratch noise] Speaking of freebies,
this is the last week to donate to The Trevor Project fundraiser and giveaway. And for every
monetary goal we reach in this fundraiser, one random donor will be walking away with a prize!
One of those prizes is a one-year premium subscription to Edit Out Loud! A huge thank
you to Edit Out Loud for supporting this drive. If you want to help an amazing cause and potentially
win big, you've got one more week to donate! Even five dollars goes a long way. I've got the
drive linked below. While you're here, be sure to subscribe to my channel and ring that bell!
I post videos on Wednesdays. It's awesome! We have a good time here! You should totally subscribe!
Do it! Please, for the love of God. I'm filming while I have a sinus infection. That's how devoted
I am to you! I've also got two number one best-selling dark fantasy romance books out:
The Savior's Champion and The Savior's Sister. So why don't you pick 'em up and give them a
read? You can check 'em out in ebook, paperback, hardback, or audiobook. I have 'em all linked
below! Now, let's dive in to the 10 signs that your work in progress is a big pile of suckage!
To be clear, I'm focusing on the most prominent indicators that your manuscript is of poor quality
on a writing and storytelling level. That means either the writing itself ain't doing you any
favors, or the storytelling is a hot mess. And of course, like all my videos, I am talking about
professional writing, not hobby writing. Hobbyists can do as they please because they're just here to
have fun and that's what counts. Number One (1): You don't have a plot. You might think this goes
without saying, but a lot of newbie writers don't know what a plot is. A conflict is introduced,
shenanigans ensue, the conflict reaches its peak, and then it's resolved. This is the simplified
explanation of a plot. There is an inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action,
and resolution. A novel doesn't function without a conflict, and a ton of writers have somehow missed
this memo. If you don't have a conflict, you don't have structure. And if you don't have structure,
you don't have a plot. The easiest way to rectify this issue is to study structure. I have
two videos on this topic linked below. Another easy way to fix this issue is to outline your
novel. That way, you're not meandering through the story. You have a plot clearly defined and you're
sticking to it. Number Two (2): You researched ABSOLUTELY nothing. I have yet to write a story
that didn't involve some level of research, whether that was researching climate and geography,
or researching psychology and mental illness. You are not all knowing. There are going to be some
concepts that you are not an expert in. If you do not research before starting your manuscript,
it is going to show. It's one thing to have one falsity here or there,
but a complete lack of research is not only going to make your novel harder to read and believe,
it's also going to make it potentially offensive. If you're writing about a disabled character and
you've done zero research into that disability, you are far more likely to regurgitate stereotypes
and this is going to alienate a huge percentage of your readership. This is another issue that's easy
to fix. Pause your writing and do some damn research! Google ain't hard to use. Educate
yourself and your readers will thank you. Number Three (3): Your sentences are all the same. If all
your sentences–particularly the same sentences in a row–are written using the exact same structure,
it's going to come across as unnatural and robotic. How do all of your sentences begin?
How many commas do they have? How many clauses? Are all of your sentences short? Are all of them
long? If two or more sentences have the exact same structure and they come one after the next,
that is a bad pattern and it's boring to read. An easy way to fix this is to listen to your writing.
Listening to your writing helps with all kinds of issues, like the entertainment factor,
misused words, and flow. But I have found that it is especially helpful when it comes to overused
sentence structure. This is why Edit Out Loud is so helpful! You can listen to your manuscript
and hear if you're making this very common mistake. Number Four (4): You're regurgitating.
Some newbies get into the gig because they were inspired by a book, movie, video game,
or anime. It's fine to be inspired by media, but inspiration and replication are not the
same thing. This is not to be confused with a retelling, which is where you take some well-known
mythology or folklore and you give it your own twist. Regurgitation is where you take a popular
piece of media and you change a few hollow pieces, like a couple of genders or character names,
and then you publish it. If readers wanted that content, they would just read the original piece
of media or watch the original piece of media. Yours comes across as fanfic, which is completely
fine if you're a hobbyist, but not if you're charging people for what you're claiming is
an original piece of art. The easiest way to avoid this issue is to create
something yourself. And if you don't want to do that, it's 100% okay to ask yourself,
“Do I really want to be a writer, or am I just a mega fan of this particular piece of work?”
It's great to be a fan. Fangirl, or fanboy, or fan person to your heart's content! But it's
not so great to intentionally copy someone and claim the work as your own. Number Five (5): You
are telling everything. I know it gets old hearing people talk about, "Show, don't tell." But I don't
give a shit! Telling has its place, but if you are telling your entire story rather than showing it,
it's not a story. You are not creating visuals in the reader's mind. You are not evoking emotion.
You are just giving a very bland play-by-play. The easiest way to stop telling is to learn how
to differentiate between show and tell. If you are saying things like, “He was a kind,
good man,” you're telling. Instead, create scenes where the character behaves in a kind,
good manner. If you are saying things like, “She was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom,”
you are once again telling. Instead, describe her physical appearance and craft scenes where people
are fawning over her beauty. Number Six (6): You do not take your audience into consideration.
Writing is a passion project. We write because we have a story that we want to bring to life. But
other people are gonna read it, and it's imperative that we take them into consideration. This doesn't
mean we have to cater to the masses. You do not have to chase trends or replicate what's popular.
But you should be mindful of the messages you're conveying and whether or not they are harmful.
“But Jenna, I want to write about dark stuff, like abuse.” So do I, and it's absolutely okay
to write about those things. I know I do. But you can write about a topic without glorifying it,
sensationalizing it, or romanticizing it. Some writers paint sexual assault as swoon-worthy.
Some writers exploit people of color or the LGBTQ+ community in their writing. You don't wanna do
this shit! The easiest way to avoid this issue is one, be mindful of what you are writing and
why you're writing it. And two, recruit readers before publication. This includes beta readers,
critique partners, and of course, sensitivity readers. Let other people help you through this
process so you can avoid hurting your audience. On a related note, Number Seven (7): No one's read
it! Critique partners are fellow writers who give you honest feedback about your work. Beta readers
are fellow readers who give you honest feedback about your work from a reader's perspective.
Sensitivity readers are professionals who let you know whether or not you have written something
that's unintentionally offensive or alienating. And if none of these people have read your work,
I can pretty much guarantee it sucks. Writers can be blind to issues in their content because
they're too close to the story. You're so invested in your plot points and characters
that sometimes you don't see the flaws. That's why it's imperative to recruit people so they can
give you their honest opinions. And if you have recruited people and no one's finished the book,
that's feedback in itself. It ain't good! The easiest way to rectify this issue is, of course,
to recruit readers. If you need some help, Edit Out Loud has a beta listener program where you
can recruit beta listeners to go through your manuscript via their app. Beta listeners can't
copy or download your files, so your manuscript is secure. Number Eight (8): You don't understand
the nuts and bolts. If your writing is filled with grammar issues, punctuation mess-ups,
and spelling errors, it's going to be difficult to read. And writing that's difficult to read...is
sucky writing. Some writers think grammar errors aren't that big of a deal because they
don't notice them, but other people do. It's like walking through a minefield. Your writing
takes care and effort to get through, and that's not exactly an enjoyable reading experience.
I know you just 'don't get commas,’ but you chose to become a writer, so you're gonna have to figure
that out eventually. It's like becoming a surgeon, but you ‘don't get biology.’ What?! Easy ways to
work on this are, first and foremost, educate yourself. There are free grammar, punctuation,
and spelling resources all over the internet. Utilize them! You can also download a program
that'll help point out repeat errors in your manuscript. You can recruit beta readers and
critique partners who are great in that area and can maybe point out what you're doing wrong. And,
of course, you can listen to your writing through Edit Out Loud because, as I've already mentioned,
it is a lot easier to notice mistakes when you're listening to your work rather than reading it.
Number Nine (9): Your characters aren't likable. Your characters don't have to be moral or good,
but they should at least be likable. A lot of writers get into the gig and try to write perfect
self-inserts; characters who are gorgeous and geniuses and have perfect fighting technique and
can do no wrong. These characters are not likable. Sure, your characters should have great qualities,
but they absolutely cannot be perfect. Likewise, characters that are a 100% filth with no redeeming
qualities whatsoever are not enjoyable to read, as well. Every single person, no matter how amazing
or how far gone, has both positive and negative qualities. That's just the human experience.
And it's this complexity that makes characters relatable and likable. The easiest way to overcome
this issue is, first of all, observe. People watching and mingling is so helpful to the writing
process. It gives you a better understanding of communication and representation. And two,
recruit people to read your story and give their honest opinions. And last but certainly not least,
Number Ten (10): You didn't edit it. Every book, no matter the topic,
requires two types of edits. A self-edit, which is where you edit the book yourself,
and a professional edit, which is where one or more professional editors combs through the book.
If you do one of these edits but not the other, I can almost guarantee your book sucks. If you skip
both of these edits, I can definitely guarantee your book sucks! It doesn't matter how talented
you are, no one person is great at every, single aspect of the writing process. This is why you
need eyes on your work. You are not infallible and the editing process is NOT optional. And
please don't confuse an edit with a proofread. The editing process covers character arcs,
world building. It covers story structure. It covers grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It
covers so many facets of your novel. A proofread is just a quick check for spelling and punctuation
errors. If you do not edit your work, sure, it may be good for a first draft, but it will not pass as
a finished book. Don't let your ego fool you; a published novel without an edit is gonna suck. So
that's all I got for you today! A huge thank you to Edit Out Loud for sponsoring today's video!
If you want to listen to your manuscript on the go while being able to speak or type out comments
in the exact spot where you have made mistakes, you should definitely check out this app. It is
so helpful for writers! You can use their basic platform absolutely for free, or you can get
one week of their premium platform for free by clicking the link below. Don't forget to subscribe
to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload,
ring that bell! The Savior’s Sister is available in audiobook right now, so if you want to check
out my number one bestselling dark fantasy romance in audiobook format, it's available!
Get to it! And even better, if you're new to Audible you can listen to it for free! I've
got it linked below. And be sure to follow me on social media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook,
and of course, you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!
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