--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The two mistakes that come to mind are…" description: "\"The two mistakes that come to mind are people who introduce a flood of characters in the first few pages. Where the reader has to stop and get out a fl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/john-grisham-974_big-words_the-two-mistakes-that-come-to-mind-are-p_1413592.jpg" --- # The two mistakes that come to mind are people who… ![“The two mistakes that come to mind are people who introduce a flood of characters in the first few pages. Where the reader has to stop and get out a flow chart and has to figure out who is who. And you just can't do that - introduce the first four generations of a character's family in the first…” quote by John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/john-grisham-974_big-words_the-two-mistakes-that-come-to-mind-are-p_1413592.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/john-grisham-974_big-words_the-two-mistakes-that-come-to-mind-are-p_1413592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/john-grisham-974_big-words_the-two-mistakes-that-come-to-mind-are-p_1413592.jpg) > “The two mistakes that come to mind are people who introduce a flood of characters in the first few pages. Where the reader has to stop and get out a flow chart and has to figure out who is who. And you just can't do that - introduce the first four generations of a character's family in the first chapter. You can introduce four or five characters at the most in the first chapter. Another mistake is to use big words that are not normally used in conversation to try to impress folks with your vocabulary.” [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overloading early chapters with many characters or obscure vocabulary confuses readers and hampers engagement. **In simple terms:** Too many characters or fancy words early on confuse readers. Key Takeaway Introduce few, clear characters and use natural language. Themes writing clarity readership Mood practical educational Type instructional advice When to use this quote - novel drafting - first chapter editing - reader testing - editing workshops Key Concepts character introduction lexical simplicity Questions to Reflect On - How many characters feel manageable in your opening? - When can sophisticated language enhance a story? A Different Perspective Complex plots can be rewarding if paced well; some audiences enjoy rich vocabularies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-words/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chapter Introduce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapter-introduce-4988392/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters Chapter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-chapter-4988393/) [Characters Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-pages-4988395/) [Flood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flood/) [Four generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four-generations/) [Impress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impress/) [Introduce Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introduce-characters-1336355/) [Introduce Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introduce-generations-4988394/) [Introducing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introducing/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [A writer has to stand outside the page. 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Sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/like-a-lot-of-us-sometimes-i-m-preaching-to-the-choir-and-sometimes/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I knew I could never match my father as a violinist, and there were already four generations of outstanding cellists in the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-slatkin/i-knew-i-could-never-match-my-father-as-a-violinist-and-there-were/) [Leonard Slatkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-slatkin/) ## More by John Grisham > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Cuando duermes, engañas al sistema. 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Women were talking of about how much rain there'd been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-little-pockets-of-conversation-old-men-were-telling-stories-of/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) [Explore all 316 John Grisham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## More Big words quotes > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Well, 'aight, check this out, dawg. First of all, you throwin' too many big words at me, and because I don't understand them, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/well-aight-check-this-out-dawg-first-of-all-you-throwin-too-many-big/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [He read a lot. He used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/he-read-a-lot-he-used-a-lot-of-big-words-i-think-maybe-part-of-what/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [People laugh at me because I use big words. 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