Josh Lanyon – Top Ten Mistakes New M/M Writers Make
Top Ten Mistakes New M/M Writers Make
1 – Taking traits the author loathes in a female character — clinginess, helplessness, emotionalism — and convincing yourself that they’re acceptable in a male. Readers don’t hate stupidity because it’s a feminine trait; they hate it because nobody likes stupid people.
2 – Naming your character something that would get him beaten up on the school playground.
3 – Confusing “toughness” with muscles and swear words.
4 – Confusing “sexy” with the number of times the characters have sex.
5 – Mistaking a lot of random events happening to your main character for actually having a plot.
6 – Peopling your supporting cast with stereotypes and clichés. In fiction as in real life, people are most interesting in the ways they surprise us.
7 – Confusing sapphire eyes and a cool job with character development.
8 – Writing stiff, corny, unrealistic dialog that would make the characters in a B-movie blush for you.
9 – Confusing bickering, bitchiness, and Big Misunderstandings for genuine conflict. Conflict = plot. Please tell me you don’t object to a plot in your m/m romance?
10 – Writing m/m fiction because you think it will sell well rather than writing m/m fiction because it’s what you love best.
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Well said, Josh! I think your first point and your last one should be tattooed on some people’s foreheads.
Thanks, Gloria.
Excellent advice, Josh. Although – oh, whoa! I definitely did number seven…
You never did! Your characters are always fully developed.
What you said *g*. Mind you, that didn’t stop me going through the list and carefully checking my writing and reasons for writing against it. Thankfully, I scored a whopping big zero.
Hey, Chris, it’s one thing to break the rules when you understand them. It’s another when you have no clue what the rules might be.
My favorite is number 10. This genre is severely lacking quality and I think that’s one of the reasons why. Writers need to tell the stories they love; not the ones they think will sell.
You can usually tell when someone is writing from the heart or just trying to follow a formula they don’t understand.
Awesome Josh! I’ll be sending some of the authors of m/m stories I get for submissions here for your list
One thing for sure, Nikita, it won’t do anyone any *harm* to follow these.
But, I LIKE muscles and swear words . . . . : )
Oh, me too, Robin! You know it! But I like tough-minded guys too.
Hmm. I rather like #2. It could be the catalyst for some awful crime spree (think revenge on playground bullies hidden under layers of seemingly unrelated random muggings and burglaries and such).
Yes, absolutely, Nadja! The name should suit the character. It’s just that I don’t recall meeting many Damien St. Devereauxs in real life. ;-D
Totally agree with all of these and I sincerely hope I don’t do any of them! I write m/m because I love the dynamic and I can always hear the conversation going in my head. I often read the words through like a play, out loud. A strong character is one with depth and personality, not necessarily one with muscles or stoicism.
Reading aloud is a good technique for testing out how corny and over-the-top the dialog is, Jessie! I agree with you about strength in characters.
Oops! I forgot to check for comments over here!
LOL! Thank you. I think Last Line’s Anzhel might have erred a tiny bit on the side of sapphire eyes and pure two-dimensional villainy. I mean to rectify this in Books 2 and 3. xxx
Well, the rules are slightly different for super villains, though only slightly.
Oh, that’s all right, then. I don’t have to develop his character – just give him some funky tinted contacts, eh?
Readers don’t hate stupidity because it’s a feminine trait; they hate it because nobody likes stupid people.
Amen to that!
Love the list
Though, just when I thought I’d finally outgrown my naivety, I read number ten … and instantly feel naive again, because it never even entered my mind.
I’m sorry to say I’ve actually heard writers bemoaning the need to write m/m because “that’s what sells now.”
I’m sorry to say that I have read some of those books by some of those authors, if you don’t love it then you shouldn’t do it as it comes across in the books.
P.S. love your books but don’t tell anyone** it’s our secret**.
OMG I have named several characters names that would get them beaten up in a school yard. I’m going to print this list and post it on my desk. Thanks Josh!
[...] For advice to newbie m/m writers, go here: http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/writing-tips-from-the-pros/josh-lanyon-top-ten-mistakes-new-m… [...]
Thank you Josh Lanyon for this list. I’m newly published and although I think I pass on number ten, I really might have failed on number five. Mmmm, food for thought and something to work on.
I don’t suppose using the words “balls deep” to convey good masculine sex could fit on your list?
Sorry, one of my pet peeves, every book I’ve read with those words, instantly turns me off.
The last comment here is almost a year old – is the site/column/information still correct?
Brilliant! Succinct, well said. You have hit so much weak writing, not only M/M but M/F romance right on the head. Thank you for your honesty. I hope some take the hint.
My absolute fave is #10. Cannot stress that enough. Awesome list.
This is great, although I think much of it could be used for all writing! Even though I’m just starting out (only a short story in an anthology published so far), I do have one M/M in my WIP folder.
I write very character-driven stories. Even though my M/M WIP is in the very early stages and won’t be the first book I publish, I absolutely adore my main character and his story that I hope to tell well.