• Chase out rhinoceros in the room
• Delete authorisms
• Crack a joke – but only for a good reason
• Avoid writing concealed identity story
• Cut here-to-there action
• Eschew dead narrator plot gimmick
• Clip deus ex machina ending
• Stop dumping backfill into your story
• Don’t end novel with cliffhanger
• Speed up story by curtailing dramatic narration
• Remain wary of using fast-forward
• Destage dramatic action that slows story
• BONUS: “I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” – Elmore Leonard
12 Plot Pitfalls – And How to Rescue Your Story from Them
