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What are your strengths and weaknesses as a Writer?

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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:

--- Quote from: SilknSnow on December 12, 2008, 10:47:05 PM ---
Actually... add "pathetically slow writer" to my list, too. I have no excuse, really.


--- End quote ---

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

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