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Writing Group / Re: Weaknesses
« on: August 02, 2010, 12:59:13 AM »
Ah, Ruthie I'd say I'm just the opposite from you. My weakness is over analyzing my writing, its sentence structure, details, etc. I get caught up on making one scene that I completely fall off track on the bigger picture. This is probably why it takes me forever and a day to finish anything.
Personally, I look at you, and consider your weakness as a definite strength! A lot of times too many details bog down the story and are unnecessary. I really admire the ability of an author to just get completely wrapped up in their tale. It sounds like your stories would be fun, fast paced reading! I'd read that any day over meticulous and droning description of a city for example. In my opinion, it's better to rough out the details of landscape through the character's interaction with it. Describe it as they would see it. In that way you can add dimension to your world through the varied perspectives of your characters (that is if you are using multiple POVs).
On the note of Orson Scott Card, I think that it was intentional on his part to leave the descriptions as bare as possible. He trusts the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks of the tangible detail, and instead focuses his attention on personalities of his characters. I may not know the character's eye color, but I know what drives them and at the end of the day, I think that's a sign of a stronger author.
So yeah, obviously I haven't read any of your work, but it sounds like you have a love for writing. I'd say just keep writing with what is natural for you, and then, when you go back to do the second draft add detail only where you think it is necessary. If you go overboard, you might lose that original flow you started with. I don't know, what do you think?
Personally, I look at you, and consider your weakness as a definite strength! A lot of times too many details bog down the story and are unnecessary. I really admire the ability of an author to just get completely wrapped up in their tale. It sounds like your stories would be fun, fast paced reading! I'd read that any day over meticulous and droning description of a city for example. In my opinion, it's better to rough out the details of landscape through the character's interaction with it. Describe it as they would see it. In that way you can add dimension to your world through the varied perspectives of your characters (that is if you are using multiple POVs).
On the note of Orson Scott Card, I think that it was intentional on his part to leave the descriptions as bare as possible. He trusts the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks of the tangible detail, and instead focuses his attention on personalities of his characters. I may not know the character's eye color, but I know what drives them and at the end of the day, I think that's a sign of a stronger author.
So yeah, obviously I haven't read any of your work, but it sounds like you have a love for writing. I'd say just keep writing with what is natural for you, and then, when you go back to do the second draft add detail only where you think it is necessary. If you go overboard, you might lose that original flow you started with. I don't know, what do you think?
