What are your strengths and weaknesses as a Writer?

[maxonennis]

I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread where we could talk about what we are good and bad at in terms of writing. I think it helps with some self-realization being able to identify these, and being able to discus it with others is a way to find ways around your/mine problems. Not to mention learning/trying to emphasize what you’re good at.

Since I started the thread, I’ll go first. (See how that works?)

After I’d watched my third book fall flat on its face, I was at first a little depressed and decided to take a break from writing for a few weeks. It ended up being a few months. After the months had passed, I looked at the outline I had for my next story—I’d written it during my third book. I, naturally, wanted my fourth book to be better then the last three. So I took a painful amount of time to read over my other books to try and identify what was my biggest problem. It took no longer then a few pages of each story to tell me the answer: internal dialog.

In those first three books I’d used so much internal dialog that it deemphasized the external dialog, and made it sound redundant.

(For those of you who’ve read the chapter I’d submitted, the first page is a great representative of this problem.)

I am still looking for the answer for this problem. It sounds simple enough to jus cut back on internal dialog, but it’s hard for me. Especially when I don’t talk so much, and the majority of what I say is scaled down bits of dialog that goes on inside my head.

In terms of strengths, I would like to think that characters are my strength, but that’s just my ego talking. I think my real strength lies in descriptions. I have a knack for, if I take the time, making a scene vivid and feel real. As good as that may be, too much description takes away from the rest of the story. I’ve yet to find a balance for this “skill” either.

I’d like to hear from all of you about this as well.

[Silk]

I tend to be overly wordy in my writing. Not to the piont of whole paragraphs or pages that are unnecessary, but definitely in first draft form my writing is a lot less tight than it could be. (Dialogue tags are one, though not the only, example. I use them way more than necessary if I let myself, and have lately tried to cut back on them a lot.)

I also have a tendency to tell the reader more than they need to know, which is a problem in subtler stories. Because I know I do this, when I write stories that need to be a bit more subtle I overcompensate, and usually end up being too obscure.

I also suck hardcore at plot. Generally speaking, whatever plot is external to the main characters I happen to be working with is very hard for me to get right. I'm just not good at it.

Edit: World building takes me a long time, and I don't feel I'm as good as it as I should be for the time I spend on it. Also, generally speaking, it takes me forever to write anything.

[Karl]

Why does this sound like a 12-step program...?

Given that I write screenplays, the first strength I'll mention is my research. I get frustrated by films that involve a particular subject, but then horribly dumb it down for a wide audience. I think this insults the intelligence of the audience. I also think it is possible to refer to things the audience may not be familiar with, but if it is well written they can still understand the conflict and characters. Therefore I do copious research so that if I include some trivia I know it is correct, or if I create a fiction I know it is plausible.

Next, I make a lot of obscure references so that those few who might catch it will find it nifty.

Last, I've worked really hard to get my dialogue to flow well. It still ain't perfect, but it's pretty good.

Weaknesses? I really have to admit to these?

Okay, first I'm a pathetically slow writer. Yes, the research will slow things down a bit, but that can also act as a distraction. And I tend to agonize of each and every word. This is why I force myself to hand write the first draft of any scene. Screen composing allows me to get fixated on formatting, which is a big thing in screen plays. Also, screen composing places me too near the internet, which allows for further distractions.

Next, I make a lot of obscure references such that only a twisted brain like mine could catch a fraction of them.

Lastly, I have a bad habit of losing interest in a story before it is finished and beginning to plot the next installment. This is why I ended up writing story #5 before I wrote #4 because #5 wouldn't get out of my brain. Haven't found a solution to this yet.

[Silk]

I think sometimes it helps to write whatever's in your brain. As long as you're capable of coming back to the other piece, anyway. And as long as it doesn't interfere with whatever deadlines as contracted writers we'll all have some day, because we're brilliant.

Actually... add "pathetically slow writer" to my list, too. I have no excuse, really.

Karl, have you ever read Guy Gavriel Kay's books? It's not quite the same as what you're doing, I don't think, and he writes fiction (though he got his start in radio plays and is writing screen adaptations for a couple of his books now) - but he still makes fantastic use of research in all of his books. Not to mention he's just a fabulous writer.

[Reaves]

Actually... add "pathetically slow writer" to my list, too. I have no excuse, really.

shut up. just shut up. we know your secret. 

[wcarter4]

My strengths and weaknesses both come from my background as a print journalism major. I tend to write hard news stories using the classic inverted pyramid style and bare-bones descriptions. This does not work well when I'm writing fiction and need more detail in my stories. As a result I'm self-conscious about putting in details that might make the story too wordy.
My other problem is that I work well under pressure. Journalism is all about deadlines, If I don't have a deadline, I'm not writing. This writing group solves that problem for me (thanks guys).
My strength comes from one of the five principles of journalism "conflict." Hearing the WE group talk about it made me happy. I can do conflict. It's what brought me to journalism in the first place.

[M]

I am an incredibly fast typer...that being said, I am an incredibly slow writer (Just like Karl and Raethe).  I don't sit and re-write paragraphs over and over again, but I do sit and try to type out the very best sentence each time.  That usually doesn't happen and I end up wasting 10 minutes on one line.  

I tend to fail to add description to a lot of the scenes that I am writing on.  I can see it in my head and so I just go for the dialog and end up forgetting to describe the essential elements in order to help the reader visualize what I am trying to portray.

I also don't read as much as I should.  I think this is valuable in a writer, because you can draw a lot of elements into your own style that will benefit your work.   I love to read, but lately writing has killed that habit and created a new one that feeds itself upon my fragile time and brain.  

All this self disclosing is depressing me.    

Another thing, I know I need help on structuring my paragraphs and sentences.  

I need a Pepsi and warm blanket...

[Silk]

They tell me to shut up...

What's the secret, incidentally? You seem to know more than I do.

I should probably add "world building" to the list. It's not that I can't do it, exactly, but it takes me a long time. Way longer than it should.

Man, this list is starting to depress me.

[Necroben]

Talk about depressing, I tried to think up a strength and came up with nothing.

Of course that was why I joined this group, to learn my strengths and weaknesses. 

I think I'm gonna veg in front of the TV now, with ice cream, that makes everything better.

[Reaves]

They tell me to shut up...

What's the secret, incidentally? You seem to know more than I do.

Don't act all innocent, miss 25k in 24 hours.

[Silk]

Haha. That was a freak event. I more than doubled the size of my current ms during NaNo. The manuscript that I've been working on for three and a half years.

[Flo_the_G]

That was a freak event.

That's what they all say.

I'll gladly join the ranks of the slow writers. In my case it's made worse through my brilliant idea of writing the first draft by hand. That feels far too much like work, and once I'm done with the draft I probably won't try that again. Ever. Unless the result should turn out to be a work of literary genius, of course.

Descriptions are another problem, like M I tend to be, uh, economical with that kind of thing.

As to strengths, I like to believe I can write fairly good action scenes. Which is, naturally, of no use whatsoever for my current project. 

[Reaves]

Huh...weaknesses. I'll have to think about that.

Who am I kidding? Weaknesses? What weaknesses? I'm good at everything.

[Karl]

Reaves, do we need to go back to your critique thread and go over a few things? Yeah, I  thought not.

wcarter4, have you ever tried to write an Epistolary novel?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novel

The original Dracula and Phantom of the Opera are both told in this style. It is out of fashion right now, but may play to your strengths.

And for everyone who mentioned lack of detail in their stories: my first hand-written drafts tend to be spartan and somewhat chaotic (script #4 is currently just a mangle of notes and half scenes). When I go through the first typed draft I tend to put in a lot of the details that I forgot to add in the frenzied hand-written draft. Thereby just the act of typing becomes my first real revision of the text. So let that first draft be as scattered and frantic as it needs to be, but be sure to go back through the second time and fill in the cracks.

Oh, and Raethe-of-Xmas-Current/SilkNSnow/YoSafBrig, quit stealing my answers!!

[wcarter4]

I once tried my hand at a modified Epistolary in a fanfiction I wrote as a matter of fact. The problem is, more often than not they are down right boring for "modern" readers. It can become confusing to keep up with who is saying/doing what. I might try to write an Epistolary in the future, but I think I need to refine my style first.