Are there any specific elements of craft that beginning writers tend to neglect?
I think beginning writers tend to not think about a reader. They tend to think about themselves. They think about making themselves sound smart and good, and they forget that this is really all about telling stories. I used to joke that I was going to put a big sign over my desk that said, “Quit writing and tell me a story.” The problem is that they just write. They fall in love with their own voice. They write and write and write, and they lose sight of the fact that they’re trying to entertain somebody. You have to reel them in. Do you have any pet peeves about mistakes that you see writers making again and again? Oh, there are little things. “‘I like you,’ she smiled.” [Laughter.] And you see that kind of thing from fairly good writers sometimes. You know, if you want to get the smile in there, it’s “‘I like you,’ she said with a smile.” It’s just little things like that. But if I’m reading something and I’m on the fence and I see too many of those, it goes against the book. I don’t
