**What specific pitfalls and common mistakes should aspiring novelists be aware of to improve their first novel?**

What specific pitfalls and common mistakes should aspiring novelists be aware of to improve their first novel?

Writing sporadically can lead to inconsistent progress and a lack of direction.

Set a daily word quota and stick to it.

Failing to plan and structure the book can result in a disorganized and confusing narrative.

Research should be organized and accessible.

Wordiness, over-description, and redundant language can bog down the story and lose the reader's interest.

Introducing characters with a laundry list of descriptions can feel forced and unnatural.

Head-hopping between multiple points of view can confuse the reader and detract from the story.

Failing to make writing a priority can result in excuses and a lack of progress.

Overusing dialogue tags can distract the reader and feel repetitive.

Lack of conflict can make the story feel aimless and uninteresting.

Infodumps masquerading as dialogue can interrupt the flow of the story and feel forced.

Overly long conversations that don't contribute to the story can break up the action and feel tedious.

Failing to handle dialogue properly can result in unrealistic and overly literary dialogue.

Jumping on the genre bandwagon can result in a lack of originality and authenticity.

Ignoring the rule of thirds in constructing sentences can make the story feel monotonous.

Overusing adverbs can make the story feel amateurish and unpolished.

Ignoring the importance of pacing can result in a slow-moving and dull story.

Neglecting to revise and edit can result in a sloppy and unprofessional final product.

Ignoring the principles of good storytelling can result in a disjointed and uncompelling narrative.