6 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Stories
And how to avoid them
Although nature thrives on mistakes, your stories could die if you make some of the mistakes outlined below. Some of these I learned the hard way, and others I gleaned from my observation of and interaction with many writers over the years.
I have structured each mistake thus;
- The mistake
- Why it is a mistake
- The solution
My reason for laying it out in this manner is to convince you of each point based solely on the merit of my argument. This helps me achieve two key things:
- It helps me keep this article from being a listicle that just makes a bunch of claims and tacks on a quote or two.
- It helps you know yourself better. This is because by trying to convince you with reasons, I encourage you to agree or disagree with what I say in proportion to what aligns with your default (or inner) self.
I particularly encourage this argument because it will help you avoid the mistake of trying to change your default state because of what some writer on medium said.
Because the ultimate truth is that all writers are different, and as such, we have a method of working and creating that is unique to us.
Without further ado, let’s get to the mistakes. Don’t forget to argue with me as you read.
Mistake 1: Write the story from the idea
Of all the mistakes writers make, this is the one that confuses me the most. I mean, it shouldn’t really confuse me because I was guilty of this mistake 6 years ago when attempting my first novel. Quite a funny thing.
I had the idea to write a science fiction story about football, and I foolishly went ahead to begin writing this story. In less than a week, I was already in chapter 2. However, it’s been 6 years and I’m still in chapter 2. Why?
Why this is a mistake
A finished story is like a 10-feet painting, sprawling with magical colors of emotion and excitement.
When you have an idea for a story, imagine it like putting a dot on a large, blank wall. If you start writing from this idea, you’re essentially trying to paint the wall without planning what you’re going to paint.
Thus, when it comes time to write your story, if you’re like me, you’ll feel a great deal of mental strain due to the fact that you have to create and write at the same time.
It’s like writing a first draft and editing it simultaneously. You’re likely to get nowhere in time because you’ll keep rewriting one line for two hours — which consumes a lot of time and mental energy.
Another danger to this mistake is that the fear of the unknown will make writing much less appealing. For some writers, not knowing what happens next in the story is preferable, but for me, it’s crippling.
If I don’t know where I’m going, I can’t start moving.
Solution
The same way you split the process of writing and editing, it is advised that you split the process of storybuilding (turning ideas into stories) and writing.
While storybuilding helps you figure out the story, writing helps you choose which words best tell the story.
There are a few advantages this gives you:
- It helps you tell the best version of your story because you will take enough time to build the story, as well as edit the story.
- It saves you a lot of headaches during writing sessions because you know what happens next and how it ends.
- Helps you actually finish the story by removing the fear of the unknown.
Here is an article to help you learn more about effective storybuilding.
Mistake 2: Treat plot and character asymmetrically
If you’ve been around the storytelling world long enough, you’ll no doubt have seen this argument: plot or character?
If you choose either of the two, you are guilty of mistake number 2. What does this mean in reality?
If you consider plot as more important than character, you will pay more attention to plot to the detriment of character. If you hold the opposite opinion, you’ll do the same thing.
Why this is a mistake
The argument over which is more important (plot or character) persists because many writers do not realize that plot is simply characters in action and vice versa. Think about it.
When a character acts, he or she influences the plot which in turn influences other characters. These other characters react, influencing the plot with their actions. This process goes on until the story ends.
However, if you do maintain that one is lord over the other, then by all means go ahead. That’s the beauty of storytelling, you’re free to do whatever appeals to you.
Here’s what a story juggernaut has to say about the matter:
Plot or character? Which is more important? This debate is as old as the art. Aristotle weighed each side and concluded that story is primary, character secondary. His view held sway until, with the evolution of the novel, the pendulum of opinion swung the other way. By the nineteenth century many held that structure is merely an appliance designed to display personality, that what the reader wants is fascinating, complex characters. Today both sides continue the debate without a verdict. The reason for the hung jury is simple: The argument is specious. We cannot ask which is more important, structure or character, because structure is character; character is structure. They’re the same thing, and therefore one cannot be more important than the other.
— Robert McKee, Story
Solution
Build your story from two viewpoints — inside-out and outside-in.
Inside-out encourages you to first consider the character and what leads him to action. Thus you view the story from the POV of the character. This helps you create true characters and situations because whatever action the character takes will be influenced by his inner desire, flaws etcetera. Here is an ultimate guide on creating great characters.
Outside-in requires that you consider the story from the POV of the plot first and then determine how characters act to fulfill this plot demand. By switching to the outside-in approach, you view the story only from the lens of “is this exciting? If not, how can I make it exciting?”
Characters help with grounding plot events in emotions but plot events are what create excitement. Thus, it’s only right to give due consideration to both.
Mistake 3: Ignore the theme totally
Even professional writers make this mistake. Many stories are told with no effort at infusing them with themes. This is partly because, of all the story components, the theme is the least understood. It’s one thing for your story to have themes and quite another for it to have a theme. To reduce the complexity, I’ll refer to the latter as a controlling idea.
The controlling idea is simply the point the story is trying to prove.
Why this is a mistake
When we come to stories, we want two things — entertainment and insight. Many stories fulfill the entertainment bit to great aplomb, but many more miss the second one.
As humans, we’re all looking for the best way to live. As such, we all have many questions about what the right things to do are and how we can do them when faced with impossible choices. We come to stories hoping that they will help us answer some of these questions.
When a story is able to entertain us and leave us with one or two insights, we remember it more than if it only entertained us.
Solution
The only solution is to understand how to weave a controlling idea (theme) into your story. The easiest way I know is to use the concept story values.
Story values are the universal qualities of human experience that may shift from positive to negative, or negative to positive, from one moment to the next. For example: alive/dead (positive/negative) is a story value, as are love/hate, freedom/slavery, truth/lie, courage/cowardice, loyalty/betrayal, wisdom/stupidity, strength/weakness, excitement/ boredom and so on. All such binary qualities of experience that can reverse their charge at any moment are Story Values. They may be moral, good/evil; ethical, right/wrong; or simply charged with value. Hope/despair is neither moral nor ethical, but we certainly know when we are at one end of the experience or the other.
— Robert McKee, Story
This is the simple secret to understanding and using the power of theme.
In Romeo and Juliet, Love is the primary value going to war with Hate. In Avengers: Infinity War, life is the primary value going up against death.
When you view stories from the POV of human values going up against each other, you realize that the story is a question of how and why one value overcomes the other at the end. Whichever place you stand by the end of the story is your position on the argument.
However, you must not always resolve the argument. It’s enough to have the argument honestly.
For example, in a story about poverty and wealth. All that you’re doing with the characters and plot is deciding why some people are poor (character and backstory), what poverty is willing to do to become wealthy (character and plot), will poverty be overcome, and at what cost? etcetera.
By relating to the questions (story) on a thematic level, you are able to create local stories that are universal.
Here is an article to help you better understand theme.
Mistake 4: Create weak antagonism
Nothing will destroy your story like weak antagonism. If you doubt me, ask the makers of Justice League.
Why this is a mistake
A story is only as good as its antagonism is strong. This is as close to a law as you will find in storytelling. If the antagonism is weak, the protagonist won’t be strong. It’s simple logic.
But what makes antagonism weak?
- No understandable POV/argument: This mostly relates to the chief antagonist (villain). If they do not have a valid argument for opposing the protagonist, they are almost useless. Why do you think the world remembers Thanos (Avengers) but never even got to learn the name of Steppenwolf (Justice League). One had a sensible POV and the other was just going around doing bad guy stuff.
- No consequences: No matter how great you think the antagonism may be, as long as it does not create negative consequences for the protagonist, it is useless. Antagonism that doesn’t create a loss in the life of the protagonist is as weak as paper. This is because genuine loss is key to a memorable third act.
- Exists on only one layer: There are two layers to antagonism — internal and external. The external layer refers to all the forces of antagonism that oppose the protagonist from outside of himself. The internal layer refers to antagonistic forces that oppose the character from within. If the antagonism comes from only one layer, it will be weaker.
Solution
Nothing will elevate your story like ramping up the antagonism to critical levels. What you need is:
- Create two-layered antagonism — internal and external
- Create antagonism that has the power to create a painful loss for the protagonist
- Give the antagonism a valid argument
Here are two articles to help you create nerve-wracking antagonism:
Mistake 5: Force the story
Many times, you start out with an idea of how you want the story to go. Then as you build the story, you begin to find that the story wants to change from what you had in mind for it.
At this point, some writers refuse to let the story change, staying firm in their desire to make the story a certain way. Sometimes this is good, other times it is a mistake because it leads to a more lifeless story.
Why this is a mistake
Stories are incredibly dynamic. Change one thing here and it affects something there. Create one thing there and it spurs the imagination into new paths that weren’t even considered before.
If you weaken the dynamism of this process by staying stuck on your original plans, you run a high chance of missing out on a better story.
Solution
Although it’s not wise to change your direction at every point when there’s a new suggestion, it’s also unwise to stay stuck on an old idea in the face of one that offers more excitement.
The key to overcoming this is to stay light on your feet. This simply means to keep yourself open to any ideas and not be so specific that you lose out on good opportunities.
Stories evolve. It’s wise to allow them do so. The goal is always to tell the best story possible and not to tell the story I wanted to tell.
We are slaves to the story, not to our old selves.
Mistake 6: Writing the story without testing it
In the business world, before a product comes to market, the companies carry out a market test. This market test is done long before the product is shipped. The goal of this initial test is to ascertain just how good the product is and if it should be mass-produced. For this reason, writing a story without testing it first is a mistake.
Why this is a mistake
Stories are made for audiences. No writer wants his story to be read by only a few. By not testing the story before writing, you miss the chance to get some early feedback about the story which could help you reduce the number of future edits.
Solution
The easiest way to test your story is through narration. I suggest narrating the story to at least 9 people before writing. What you’ll notice is that with each narration, you will stumble upon a story problem and fix it mid-narration. Also, people will give you feedback that will be useful for editing before writing.
For example, while working on my second story, I was sure I’d created the best story possible. However, when I narrated the story to friends, I found so many problems I didn’t realize were there.
Further, some people made suggestions regarding certain story events that led me to rearrange the events in a better way. Without running this initial test, I would have gone ahead with my weaker story and then have to edit it 3 extra times just to fix those flaws.
Conclusion
Now you have learned of these mistakes, you can more easily avoid them and, in so doing, tell better stories.
However, before you go I would love to give you a bonus tip by warning you of the worst mistake you could make for your writing life. My hope is that this makes your writing life far easier than it has been so far.
Mistake 7: Judge yourself based on the perceived quality of your story
This is a mistake I used to be 100% guilty of, though now it’s between 20–40% thanks to meditation. As creators, we tend to judge ourselves by the feedback we receive for our creations.
If it’s loved, we feel ecstatic, thinking of ourselves as geniuses. If it’s bashed, we feel every sting of the attack in our soul, thinking to ourselves how shitty we are.
Why is this a mistake?
I doubt this section is even needed. I mean, anything that gets you to beat yourself up mentally is a mistake and must be avoided.
Negative thoughts create negative emotions.
To link your self-worth to your work is a recipe for the greatest kind of disaster. I find it more difficult to create if I’m having to deal with negative thoughts and I believe that everyone feels the same.
Solution
You are not your work. No matter how hard you try, you will never be your work, nor can your work ever be you. No work of yours, no matter how bad, should make you feel less than you are because the work will always be less than you are.
As in, even if it is great, it is still less than you are. Because within you are more words, more lessons, more stories. You are the creator. There’s never a time that it’s right to beat yourself up.
So what do you do when you have negative reviews? You smile and be thankful that you can actually find out what you didn’t do so well so that you can do it better next time.
Or better yet, you can go back and edit the work if you think the negative review has some merit. Never forget, you are the creator, the greatest that has ever lived within your skin. Be free and have fun!
Is there a mistake you have noticed yourself or other writers make that negatively impact their stories? Kindly share it in the comments section so that other writers (including me) can learn from you.
Gilbert Bassey is a writer, filmmaker, and story consultant dedicated to telling great stories and helping other writers do the same. Subscribe to his Storycraft newsletter and get a free copy of the ‘how to fix a boring story’ checklist + a free in-depth email course on how to transform an idea into a good story.
