Great tips! Bad grammar is a big pet peeve for me, and same with the 'bad guys' being bad for no reason. That was a good example on how to pull the reader into the story in "Mistake 3."

All-around very good advice. However, I think the spelling of your title is quite ironic given point number 2. Still, it's a very good guide for newbies. Nicely written.

P.S. short sentences aren't necessarily bad. In the right context, short sentences create a specific mood. I use them in fight scenes or other high-pressure scenarios because, to me, it makes the writing sound like my fast heartbeat and shallow breathing when I'm scared. The line spacing thing is DEFINITELY annoying, though.

thanks for the input, babe.

This was actually a very useful ten minutes of my life. You've taken five common mistakes - five different things that annoy any decent fiction writer to death - and created a excellent essay. Each point is well developed and well written. I love how you have done this. Well done!