I hate to even start down this road. Author mistakes? Really? Is there such a thing? I read all kinds of books that defy craft rules and guidelines. They sell well. They win awards.

But for new authors, it’s really important to watch a few key things. Writing pitfalls we easily fall into. I found this web site talking about author mistakes, but the author talks about small things that can easily be overlooked and fixed. An editor probably won’t reject a manuscript for most of these reasons. Nevertheless, the site highlights good things to watch. If you Google “author mistakes” you’ll find a plethora of sites.

Last weekend I taught at the Minnesota NICE  ACFW chapter’s retreat. I went through the “ten common mistakes” from a craft point of view. My list is more craft oriented. Items that might hinder your story telling. Items that might get your manuscript rejected. An editor or agent might say, “the writing is good, I just didn’t like the story.” Or, “the story didn’t grab me.”

My list is designed to help discern where your story might be sagging and dragging.

Here’s the first one! Ready?

I Was Born the Son of a Sharecropper

Starting the story with too much “pipe.”

Definition: Opening the story too far back in the character’s life. It takes too long to get to the opening point or dilemma of the story.

Example: The Movie Body of Lies

Newly stationed in Jordan, idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) teams up with veteran operative Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong) to infiltrate an underground network of terrorists and locate a criminal mastermind.

The movie opens with DiCaprio being tortured by these terrorists. The we learn he’s working for the CIA on the mission to partner with Jordan to capture these terrorists.

But it’s half way through the movie when we get to the real hook of the story. Before that, it was a bunch of posturing, gun fire and torture.

It was torture for me to watch.

It’s critical to get to the point or the question of your story as soon as possible.

The reader doesn’t need meandering through parks, observe furniture or family members, read all the internal dialog of the character of how she’s so happy to be alive until…

She opens the door on page fifty to discover her husband has left her.

You also don’t need a prologue to set up the first chapter. If you feel back story is important for the reader to get the opening of the book, then you probably need to do more character work or more plotting.

Example: Dining with Joy:

I think I opened with a bit too much pipe. I showed Joy finally coming home after a spring tour to promote the show. She gets an unexpected call from her producer asking her to meet him for lunch. She learns he’s sold the show. I weave in her family life with her mother and nieces. Then I have a scene with her mama talking about the future of the show — I was trying to set up for Joy’s fears and concerns. Finally, but chapter three or four, she meets her new producer and discovers she’s going to be on a major TV network. Shew… I think I could’ve started there. Really. I’d cut the first chapter or two. The important details in those chapters — like what happened in Omaha — could’ve been woven into the chapter where she meets her new producer.

Reasoning for the pipe: I wanted to show Joy in her home world. I also wanted to show how she wasn’t quite comfortable being this cooking show host and rather liked McDonald’s and Cheetos over haute cuisine. Both my editor and writing partner (SMW) suggested a scene at like McDonald’s or coming out of the 7-11, hiding under her hat, trying not to be recognized.

I could’ve woven that into the open scene on her way to meet her producer. But I also felt pressure set the stage for Joy’s family, why she lived with her Mama and why she was raising her two nieces.

But I could’ve  accomplished that in the chapters that followed. I opened with too much pipe.

To avoid this loooong introduction to your story, open with the current action. With the current dilemma. With what the story is  about?

Set the stage.

Hint at the protagonist lie.

Hint at the story question.

Build a bit of the story world.

When I was rewriting/editing Softly and Tenderly after the first draft, I cut the first chapter two weeks before deadline! I didn’t need it. It was boring. So chop-chop. What little I did need to know for the opening chapter, I wove in to Jade’s point of view and she drove her mother-in-law up home. Just before the opening disaster hit!

Rule: Drop the reader right into the middle of the protagonist problem. But slow down enough set the story world.

Workshop It: Review your opening chapters to see if you started too far back.