At Midnight Editors, we love to deep-dive into the trends, triumphs, and—yes—even the little missteps that writers (including ourselves!) can make. In 2025, storytelling has evolved, but some classic pitfalls remain stubbornly timeless. If you need to spring clean your writing and polish your manuscript, our award-winning team of editors and bestselling authors at Midnight Editors is always ready to elevate your prose. Whether you’re crafting captivating fiction, embarking on a compelling memoir, or looking to find a developmental editor to guide your narrative structure, we’ve got your back. Curious? Reach out for a complimentary sample edit of your first 1,000 words, and let’s ignite your literary journey!

Writing Mistake to Avoid #1: Pronoun Overload

Picture a scene with two dynamic characters, both vibrant, both intriguing—and both, coincidentally, the same gender. Without clear identifiers, your reader can quickly spiral into confusion. Pronouns are great—but clarity is king.

Here’s what pronoun overload looks like:

John and Sam sat in the sunlit kitchen. He wanted desperately to reveal all he’d achieved over the past decade, but he seemed fixated on reminiscing about their youthful adventures. He felt disappointed he couldn’t share his triumphs with him, yet he appeared utterly indifferent.

Confusing, right? Who’s “he” again?

Now, let’s clean it up:

John and Sam sat in the sunlit kitchen. John wanted desperately to reveal all he’d achieved over the past decade, but Sam seemed fixated on reminiscing about their youthful adventures. John felt disappointed he couldn’t share his triumphs with Sam, yet Sam appeared utterly indifferent.

Pro tip: When in doubt, clarity trumps brevity. Sprinkle character names strategically to keep your narrative crisp and your readers hooked.

Writing Mistake to Avoid #2: Fancy Word Syndrome

The legendary Stephen King, in his timeless book On Writing, nailed it when he warned against excessive vocabulary gymnastics:

“One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed, and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.”

Simply put, trying too hard to impress with complicated words doesn’t captivate—it distracts.

Here’s fancy gone awry:

The dress was sinopia, and the princess reveled in pirouettes within the viridescent garden.

And here’s how elegance meets clarity:

The dress was crimson, and the princess twirled joyfully in circles around the lush green garden.

Remember: Authenticity resonates. Choose words that draw readers into your world effortlessly, not those that push them away.

Ready for more tips to transform your writing? Stay tuned for Midnight Editors’ ongoing blog posts about crafting mesmerizing prose.

And when you’re ready to polish your manuscript to perfection, connect with our Arizona-based editing, ghostwriting, and publishing experts for your free 1,000-word sample edit.

Writing Mistake to Avoid #3: Info-Dumping

While it’s tempting to share every fascinating detail and background you’ve envisioned for your story, making backstory dump mistakes—also known as an info-dump or expositional download—can overwhelm your reader, pulling them out of the narrative. The magic of storytelling lies in strategically weaving crucial information throughout your text to keep the intrigue alive.

Here’s an example of info-dumping:

Sarah stepped into the antique shop, immediately reminded of her grandmother. Her grandmother, Martha, had moved to the United States from Ireland in 1956, bringing with her a trunk full of heirlooms including jewelry, embroidered linens, and porcelain dishes she’d later sell to start her business. Sarah remembered Martha’s stories of Belfast, where she’d learned to bake traditional Irish soda bread, and how her grandmother had taught her the recipe.

While this background is interesting, it interrupts the scene’s flow.

Here’s how you might weave it in gracefully:

Sarah stepped into the antique shop, her breath catching at the familiar scent of aged oak and lavender sachets—just like Grandma Martha’s store, filled with heirlooms that whispered of Ireland. Her eyes lingered on a porcelain dish, bringing back afternoons baking soda bread, flour dusting their laughter-filled kitchen.

Pro tip: Spread your backstory and details throughout the narrative, revealing just enough to tantalize your readers without overwhelming them.

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Citation:

King, Stephen. On Writing. Charles Scribner’s Sons. 2000.

Contact Midnight Editors

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