70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes

by Bob Mayer

70 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes shows you how to sidestep the gaffes that plague writers at every stage of the process. From developing good habits to shaping a raw idea to writing and editing a new piece, New York Times best-selling novelist Bob Mayer gives you the guidance you need to build momentum on any project and produce a polished final draft.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

125 pages

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

Besides my own interests, I read whatever my wife tells me to read-- she's a voracious reader and has wide-ranging tastes as my reviews show (she also always has the TV remote and she's always right about what to watch). I read a lot of nonfiction, mostly for research. Some of my favorite books are Lonesome Dove, Mystic River, LOTR, and an array of science fiction classics including the Foundation series. Our house is covered with books, although I finally broke down and started reading eBooks, strangely enough on my iPhone. Since I carry it pretty much everywhere, it means I always have an entire library of books with me.

I'm a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and a New York Times Bestselling Author. I've sold over five million books. My newest series begins with New York Minute, a thriller set in New York City in 1977.

I love using history and science in my books. My Area 51 series pretty much had me rewriting our entire history of civilization.

Reviews

[colorwalk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think it would've been better to call it 70 Common Writing Mistakes as opposed to 70 solutions to these mistakes. It serves well as a list of things to keep in mind, perhaps even as a checklist to go through for your novel. However, it falls very short in the area of how to fix these mistakes.

The solutions range anywhere from not helpful in the least to very generic (almost frustratingly so), a lot of which gave me a "Well, DUH!" reaction. Often times, the solutions are just a more detailed explanation of why something is a mistake, but it doesn't actually offer tips substantial enough to be called a solution.

For example, the common mistake of Not Finishing, the solution is to suck it up and force yourself to sit down and finish it. That and a reminder that we won't get a contract if we don't finish. Wow, really?

Or the mistake of Not Having an Idea that's Different Enough... the solution is to look inside ourselves and find our own passion and creativity and then use that to put our own spin into things.

And here's also the mistake of Not Doing Enough Work Prior to Starting Your Actual Writing, where the solution is to think through what you're going to do before you do it. No kidding?

I don't know what other people are taking away from the solutions, but I found myself rolling my eyes at every other solution I read in this book. Overall, this book contains a solid list of reminders for things writers need to watch out for, but to call it a solutions book is a bit of an overestimation.

[K.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book comes off as being written on the fly, since there are a lot of grammatical mistakes. I'm glad I got it for free, otherwise I would have been extremely disappointed in the quality. Despite that, there are some good tips to be found in the pages. It covers a lot of basics that I already knew, but there were some points that gave me ideas and got me thinking.

[Stuart Aken · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a writer just starting out or, better still, someone thinking of starting to write, this is a useful book. It also contains reminders of good, and bad, habits to keep established writers on track.
So much has been written about the craft of writing that a lot of the advice in this little book is duplicated elsewhere. But the presentation here makes it accessible and easy to follow.
This isn’t a book to make you into a great writer: only application, talent, imagination, and a lot of work will move you in that direction. But the advice given here should keep you on the journey and help you avoid the potholes of procrastination and the sideroads of bad habits.
I won’t list all 70 of the topics covered, but amongst the treasures you’ll find ‘Not Starting’, Thinking You’re the Exception to the Rule’, ‘Waiting for the Mood to Strike’, Playing out your Personal Demons on the Page’, ‘Saying the Same Thing Over and Over, and ‘Creating a Weak Antagonist’. And those subject headings give a flavour of the tone of the book.
I’ve been writing fiction for about five hundred years, published a good number of novels and short stories, and I found useful reminders here. It’s a useful little manual to help you write in ways that are likely to at least point you in the right direction.

It's worth noting that since I received this book, in .PDF form, Bob has revised and enlarged it into a volume titled 102 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes, which covers the same ground plus more material.

[Robert Ssempande · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Mayer shares 70 solutions to common mistakes that writers make. He categorizes the mistakes, along with their solutions, within 8 areas of the writer's craft, that is, Habits, The Idea, The Story/Plot, Scene and Structure, Characters, Editing and Rewriting, Selling Your Work, and The Publishing Business. The advice under all these is applicable irrespective of what publishing route you're planning to take, except that under Selling Your Work which, while essential, heavily leans on the traditional publishing side, not really taking into account the new and increasingly common self-publishing. Most of the advice is applicable to both fiction as well as non-fiction writers, so whether you write in one or the other, the solutions in this book will benefit you. Also, they are precisely and simply written and so will be an enjoyable quick read for you. This book is one you can always come back to in case you need solutions in any of these areas of the writer's craft.

[Elena Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic advice, nice to have it collectivized, nothing earth-shattering or revelatory. And, where was the proofreader? Lots of misspellings, a few erroneous word usages, and references to other parts of the book that refer to "mistake #??" No one could be bothered to go back over the manuscript and fill in the correct (or any) number. It takes away from the author's credibility as an authority on giving advice to solve common writing mistakes when he's allowed so many basic errors to slip through into his final, published product.

[Cindy Kilbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book! It’s full of advice and tips that will be useful to a variety of writers.

[Susan Janneck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful when contemplating writing your first book whether it be fiction or nonfiction.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have such respect for Bob Mayer, not just as a writer, but a teacher and a conduit of information. Bob has a remarkable way of relaying important information that would otherwise be drab and dull. 102 Solutions to common writing mistakes is exactly as it states, however, it is much much more. Bob takes you into his brain (a writers brain) tells you why the mistake is made and how to not only fix it, but ways to avoid the same error in the future. As a writer, I really appreciate his voice, he is a creator and makes mistakes just like the rest of us. Despite is reputable resume he still struggles with the simple things, procrastinates when he should be writing, and falls into the 5 stages of grief when he receives the critique of his latest manuscript. 102 solutions is more than a laundry list of how to or not to do things, it is Bob's way of putting a mirror in front of authors faces and saying "look I am just like you, and I did it, so what's your problem?" As always, Bob's voice is real, honest and blunt. You may shake your head at times, but three days later when his words sink, in your hit your forehead and say DUH!! Definitely a book worth your time and energy! A MUST HAVE for any writers bookshelf.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a first-time novelist, this book was very helpful to me. It not only confirmed my approach in some areas, but, more important, gave me a lot of insight into characterization, plot, and conflict. There was a lot of information packed into this book: Do not let the conciseness of the book fool you.

I highly recommend this book to beginning writers.

[هناء يونس · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب ممتاز جدا جدا . ببعض من النظر وجدت أني وقعت في كم لا بأس من الأخطاء في كتابي الأول ، وسيساعدني بالفعل في تنقيح الكتاب في الطبعة الثانية بإذن الله . كما أكسبني بعضاً من مهارة نقد الكتب الأخرى والمشاهد التمثيلية . أعتقد أن أي كاتب قصصي سيحتاح -ولابد - إلى قراءته .

[Cyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a basic - but great - list that probably all writers should pay attention to. A quick read, lots of helpful advice ... or reminders, if you will, on what to avoid as a writer. Recommended.

[Arkady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure you've made some of them.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Lots of honest, practical advice from a writer who's already made many of the mistakes he talks about. Learn from him so you don't have to make the mistakes, too!

[Leyla Shuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read book for writers. All the questions a writer needs to know are in this book.