There’s a quiet heaviness to digital life, especially at the end of the year. Maybe it’s the unopened emails piling up, apps you keep meaning to delete, or just the sheer number of tabs blinking at you, each a tiny reminder of something unfinished. It’s easy to tell yourself you’re just “behind.” That if you had more discipline, more organization, more willpower, you’d have everything sorted out by now.

Struggling to keep readers hooked? From pacing that never pauses to clichés that scream “lazy writing,” many novels stumble over the same mistakes. This guide breaks down the most common pitfalls—setting, dialogue, pacing, and more—with dry humor and practical fixes to help you level up your storytelling.

Think your story is fine? Maybe. But if your characters are wandering aimlessly, nothing bad ever happens, or every scene is a lecture in their backstory, you might be sabotaging yourself. This guide covers four common fiction writing mistakes—too much backstory, lack of focus, missing conflict, and overcomplication—and how to fix them without crying into your keyboard.

Every writer hits the same potholes: slow openings stuffed with infodumps, point-of-view gymnastics that leave readers dizzy, and characters who suddenly act like strangers. These aren’t signs your writing is failing—they’re proof you’re drafting. The trick isn’t avoiding these problems; it’s recognizing them before your reader quietly backs away from the book like it might explode.

It’s easy to feel like you need to “do more” to belong or contribute, especially online. But sometimes, all it takes is one small act.

Too much conflict is like feeding your story espresso—suddenly everyone’s hyper, nothing makes sense, and someone’s probably crying in the corner. Every subplot should matter, or it’s just glitter in soup. Too little conflict? Snooze. Too much? Congratulations, your characters are now juggling flaming swords while doing calculus.

Crutch words are the shortcuts our brains take when writing—comforting, familiar, and wildly overused. They show up in every draft, from beginners to seasoned writers, and learning how to spot them is one of the fastest ways to level up your editing process.

Inspiration has a talent for disappearing the moment a blank page appears. One minute you’re convinced you have a great idea; the next, your brain is silent and the cursor is blinking like it knows something you don’t. This isn’t a failure of creativity—it’s a timing issue. Stories don’t vanish when you sit down to write; they hide. The good news is they’re easy to coax back out once you stop waiting for inspiration to behave and start giving it a little structure to work with.

If you’re tired, you’re not broken. If you’re sensitive, you’re not weak. If you’re quiet, you’re not invisible, even if it feels that way sometimes. There’s room for you in a community that moves at your pace and lets you be your whole self. If you’re building it slowly, gently, imperfectly, you’re doing it right.

Dragons can soar through the sky, and witches can brew storms in teacups—but if your hero still trips over the front step or burns toast, readers will relate. The secret to great fantasy? Ground it in the everyday. Make the magic extraordinary, but let the emotions, habits, and tiny details feel real. That’s the mix that keeps readers hooked.

When characters talk, something should change. Feelings shift, information slips, or someone leaves the conversation mentally replaying it at 2 a.m. If nothing changes, it’s not dialogue—it’s polite noise. Effective dialogue isn’t about clever lines or sounding deep; it’s about pressure. Someone wants something. Someone else doesn’t. That tension is what turns a conversation into a scene worth reading.

Ever start reading a scene and suddenly you’re in someone else’s head, wondering if you accidentally borrowed someone else’s brain? Congratulations, you’ve stumbled into head-hopping. It’s confusing, frustrating, and the fastest way to make your readers check out. Let’s fix that before anyone throws your book across the room.

Building community doesn’t have to mean big gestures or spending lots of time socializing. It’s okay if progress is slow. Even thinking about connecting is a step forward. Try one of these ideas this week, or pick the one that feels right for you. Remember, you’re not alone, and your words matter. Your people are out there.

Looking for a little creative permission slip to end your week? We’ve just dropped a new quick-win resource: the Dreamspace Way Anti-Hustle Cheat Sheet!

I was excited when I wrote and published my first book. I was motivated by my children to fulfill my bucket list. Yes, writing was a childhood dream that faded as time passed on and life plans left me putting the thought in the back of my mind. Well kids grew up and all I have is time. I focused on doing what I have loved doing and that is telling stories through writing. I wanted to uplift and motivate others and I wrote my first quote book. working on a collection of quoteable quotes. I am excited to share my love for book, reading, and writing.

An intriguing look into the mind of a manic depressive schizophrenic whom loves the only thing there is to love in the world, 🌍 Self

Ready to invite more readers in—and keep them coming back? Here’s a practical, non-intimidating guide to making your blog more welcoming, accessible, and search-friendly—no SEO jargon, no gatekeeping, just real results.

All the Ai tools can be overwhelming especially when you are new or haven't done your research. I have a list of Ai tools that are free and someone with no experience can use, and you will use them in your everyday life. I will be adding to the list daily so be sure to subscribe and let me do all the trial and errors for you. thank you and I hope you love these tools just as much as I do.

An honest, insider’s guide for disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill freelancers navigating the “flexible” world of Upwork, Fiverr, and beyond. Real talk, hard truths, and gentle strategies for actually thriving in a system not designed for you. (Paid subscribers get a bonus section: The Dreamspace Freelancer Toolkit—downloadable resources, custom scripts, and a mini pep talk for rough days.)

Teens are always underestimated for their creativity. People say things like, “Oh, you don’t have that much experience. Nothing you write could be good enough to sell.” That. Is. A. Lie.