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First Draft Pitfalls—5 Things for Writers to Watch for episode artwork

Apr 2, 2026 29 min

First Draft Pitfalls—5 Things for Writers to Watch for

from Reality Writes Hosted by Ellie Alexander

Send us a message! You've done it — you've written a first draft! But before you send it out into the world, there are five common pitfalls that trip up nearly every new writer, and I've seen them time and time again while coaching my writing students. In this episode, The Tech Guy and I walk through each one: scenes that take place in a vacuum, too many characters, info dumping, a missing emotional arc, and stilted dialogue. These aren't things to be embarrassed about — they show up in every first draft, including mine. The goal is to know what to look for so your second pass can really make your story sing. Whether you're working on your first novel or you're a reader who's ever thought "wait, where are we right now?" — this one's for you. Tune in and let us know what you think! 🎉 Join me on Patreon for bonus content. Website Instagram YouTube TikTok Etsy Bookbub Facebook

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What this episode covers

Send us a message! You've done it — you've written a first draft! But before you send it out into the world, there are five common pitfalls that trip up nearly every new writer, and I've seen them time and time again while coaching my writing students. In this episode, The Tech Guy and I walk through each one: scenes that take place in a vacuum, too many characters, info dumping, a missing emotional arc, and stilted dialogue. These aren't things to be embarrassed about — they show...

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First Draft Pitfalls—5 Things for Writers to Watch for

0:00 29:44

Chapters

  1. 0:00 Welcome — What We're Covering Today
  2. 1:00 Why First Drafts Need Multiple Passes
  3. 2:41 The Reader & Writer Perspectives
  4. 4:40 Mistake #1 — Scenes That Take Place in a Vacuum
  5. 7:30 Mistake #2 — Too Many Characters
  6. 11:11 Building a Secondary Cast in a Series
  7. 11:44 Mistake #3 — Info Dumping
  8. 14:14 Why Writers Over-Share Backstory
  9. 14:24 Mistake #4 — No Emotional Arc for Your Character
  10. 17:30 Authentic Emotional Response in Mystery Writing
  11. 19:25 Mistake #5 — Stilted or Inauthentic Dialogue
  12. 22:08 When Characters Sound Like Someone Else (Including AI)
  13. 25:47 How All Five Mistakes Connect
  14. 26:29 Final Thoughts — Every First Draft Has These

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This episode was published on April 2, 2026.

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