A Tier List of Bad Writing Advice | Author Ranks Writing Advice you should Avoid

[@r.michaelburns112]

I've seen a couple of editors who are pretty insistent on the first rule...but I tend to agree with you. As to showing v. telling: showing is almost always more evocative than telling. Telling works for the very mundane stuff, but showing is better for most things that are meant to be compelling. Show the INTERESTING stuff. Adverbs: IF you can replace an adverb with a stronger verb, do that -- "rushed" rather than "walked quickly" and so on. Or use them in contrast to verbs ("whispered loudly"). Use them when they say things the verb doesn't convey ("ran blindly"). DON'T use them when they simply repeat what a verb said ("shouted loudly"). Scrutinize them AFTER the first draft, then trim the ones that you don't need.

[@reulerverse_stories]

These are all very good points!

[@dcle944]

I think the biggest problem with us writers is that the advisors mean one thing, and we think they mean another. We’re too eager to disagree than to actually try to understand what they meant.

[@woo1818]

Well, they tell writers that if the audience doesn’t understand what you mean, you wrote it wrong.

[@katc.3400]

I did a writing course years ago where the teacher kept hammering on about "show don't tell" to the extreme. Now every time I write and I say how someone feels, it feels like cheating 😂 As for "write like the good writers"; if I'd try to mimic anyone's writing style, it's the writing style of children's authors. Not that I write children's stories, my stories are in fact very unsuitable for children, but I like how it can add a playful and nostalgic feeling while also adding accessibility.

[@katc.3400]

I'm also so lucky that I take public transport to work. It gives me 1.5-2 hours of free writing time.

[@zyswanson7865]

As a person who has dyslexia, I don't do this intentionally. This is why editing software is so helpful, at least for me.

[@_surreal99]

You should've put "less is more" on the bad advice tier list. More people are still reading older (very verbose) books than anything new coming out.

[@helium73]

Recently I heard advice that you don't have to say said or any other synonym. You can just write the dialogue and describe what the character who said it is doing. I mean if you change speakers you create a new paragraph so as long as you only put the name of the speaker in a sentence of the same paragraph that they spoke in that will probably be enough to clue the reader in on who's talking. Sometimes they just write the dialog and nothing else but as it goes back and forth I eventually lose track of who's talking. So you don't have to say said or retorted.

[@Cloviekilla]

Shit, I only write when I’m inspired…. 🥴 lol maybe that’s why I haven’t released anything yet. I need to fix that

[@reulerverse_stories]

I was stuck in that trap for a long time.

[@scloftin8861]

What idiot came up with the "no flaws" idea? Like, maybe a 12 year old fan fic writer? Yes, I was a 12 year old fan fic writer before there was a term for it. And even I knew better than that. Of course, I ended up more into the writing than the friends I was writing for. Show vs tell is hard because some things are not easily revealed in actions ... then again, the info dump is awkward. Love your list. On perfectionism: my favorite online writing mentor reminds us that the story is the best you can make it At That Exact Moment. Yeah, three days after you turn it loose, you'll find someplace you could improve it. Save it for the next book.

[@ryderoreilly9807]

Unless you have ADHD lol I've, in the last four months, written a detailed plot for my 5-novel series, and wrote the first novel, over 150,000 words in 4 weeks. It's taken me three times as long to edit it. I wrote the first 6 chapters on a four-hour flight because I had no internet. I'm not a professional writer by any means, but I had a story that needed to come out. One of my pet peeves are plot lines for the sake of it, and loose ends. I've written both main characters, one has ADHD and the other has Bipolar 2 disorder and it explores the relationship difficulties that can occur. Both characters have many flaws but both complement each other well. When writing the first book, despite having a very good idea what was going to happen, it took turns I didn't even plan. I thought..."Okay, this is where we're going. Lets roll with it." It was a pretty emotional ending to the first book and I've tried my best to articulate it so people feel what each character feels. It's been amazing experience thus far. I plan to publish, but mostly for myself, though I want to highlight these highly diagnosed neurodiverse disorders so help destigmatise them. Finally, because it's written from alternating perspectives each chapter, you get a really good sense for each main character. The fun part was using alternative english as one character comes from New Zealand and the other is from America, so each chapter is written in New Zealand and American english, including mannerisms and distinct differences in the use of words for the same items. I've have done a hell of a lot of research about Bipolar 2 disorder as well as the industry and job that both characters are in. Sorry for the novel! But I find videos like this helpful to someone who isn't a seasoned writer!

[@gregcourtney751]

The adverb one is probably based on writers, especially of fan fiction or internet stories, infamously overusing adverbs to a hilarious extent. It's a bit of an extreme response obviously. The "said" ones probably come from similar situations. Take my Immortal one of the most iconic "bad" fan fictions. That one follows said is Ded to an extreme qnd very awkwardly (ejaculated shows up a lot for example).

[@woo1818]

I think that one came from Stephen King’s On Writing. Good book, and the advice isn’t terrible, but it’s not 100% applicable.

[@scloftin8861]

Back in the 50s/60s there was the trend of Swiftisms ... on the hyperbole of utterances by a character named Tom Swift who did things with great enthusiasm including the tags on all his utterances. Which may also have lead to the adverb issue.

[@_Ciaran_Maher]

I've never understood why anyone would try to impose such hard and fast rules on something like writing. Seems myopic.

[@woo1818]

I get it. I think there a few rare people who make new things, then there are many people who take new ideas and systemize them and create a whole formula that allows regular people to make pale copies of the formerly new thing.

[@music-iw1ch]

Can you make a video about when to show and when to tell? 🤓

[@reulerverse_stories]

This is a great idea. I'll add it to my video list.

[@brazilisforreal]

Hello, Rene. I'm from Brazil, just stumbled upon your channel and loved it. Is there a book you wrote I could look into?

[@reulerverse_stories]

Of course! Thank you for asking. The book can be found in any of my video descriptions, or through this link: reulerverse.com/life-amongst-the-giants/ Your interest means the world to me.

[@jacindaellison3363]

I heard another bad writing advice: never use dialogue as a hook. Get this: because we don't know the characters enough to reallt care about their conversation. Ummmmm, that pretty much is ANY hook you use. I can start off with action and still have people lost of why they should care about mt characters. I get it. When dialogue is poorly used, one of the biggest sins is using it as infodumping.

[@MrRosebeing]

Most, if not all, writing advice is complete and utter trash, sorry, rubbish for you British watchers out there. It's all nonsense, and the same stuff I was reading about 30 years ago. Just write.