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6 Lessons I Learned by Going Through My Old Stories

Nov 17, 2022 · 2 mins read

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I’ve written 1000s of pieces online since 2014.


Recently, I went through my old stories and articles. To my surprise, I found many writing mistakes that all professional writers must avoid.


Here are the 6 writing lessons I learned from my old stories (Don’t repeat these mistake

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#1 The use of an ellipsis (set of three dots)


I thought it represented continuity, and was a semicolon's alternative.


I was wrong.


According to GrammarBook, ellipsis has two uses:


• To quote material at the sentence’s end.

• To express hesitation or thoughts trailing off.

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Another use of ellipses: To show one side of a phone conversation — to indicate the other person is speaking.


It’s best to avoid ellipsis unless in:

• conversation,

• dream sequences, or

• train-of-thought passages.


And it’s NOT an alternative to the semi-colon.


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#2 The liberal use of exclamation marks


I believed: exclamation marks = excitement.


But today, I know the best way to stir up excitement is by:


• clever use of pauses,

• dialogue, or

• by showing intense thoughts in the protagonist’s head.

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Exclamation marks can still be used to express:


• anger,

• surprise, or

• joy.


But using them often makes them less effective.


Readers will get annoyed if there’s one at the end of every other sentence.

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#3 Presenting dialogue as in real life


In real life, people repeat talking about the same thing.


But when reading a novel, no one likes to read multiple paragraphs that talk about the same thing without moving the story forward.

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#4 Beating about the bush


Readers lose interest if there isn’t anything valuable in each sentence.


Fillers don’t make for powerful sentences.

To avoid this, delete the sentences that don’t:


• take the story forward, or

• define the characters’ depth.


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#5 Using language you don’t understand


Replacing a word with its synonym never works.


Readers can tell if you looked a word up in a Thesaurus.


If you’re not confident about a word, don’t use it. Stick to the basics.


Focus on the quality & don’t aim for flowery language

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#6  Not writing for the reader


If you want to become a successful writer, your stories must:


• educate,

• inspire, or

• entertain the reader,


and give actionable takeaways.

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6 writing lessons I learned by going through my old stories and articles. TL;DR:


#1 Don’t use an ellipsis

#2 Stop using exclamation marks

#3 Present dialogue smartly

#4 Get straight to the point

#5 Don’t use synonyms just for the sake of it

#6 Write for the reader

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