Since
I prefer my blog posts to be positive I'll start out with listing a few things that I think are my strengths. I'll do the weaknesses list afterwards. It's longer.- Dialog. I think this might be my strongest area. I've been told by several kind folks that I write believable dialog.
- POV. I'm pretty good at staying within the desired point of view. I write almost exclusively in third person limited, past tense. I'm most comfortable with it. (I've tinkered more with first person lately, however. Maybe I'm blogging too much?)
- Grammar. I've got a decent handle on most of the more basic rules of grammar. (How I ever managed this is completely beyond me. I literally despised English in high school, a fact to which my grades bear witness.) I break the rules quite often, but it's usually intentional. Sometimes it's for effect. Sometimes it's because I'm still a rebel at heart.
I've listed my numerous weakness in no particular order. If the day ever comes when you find yourself critiquing my writing, you'll need to watch for:
- Wordiness. I'm too wordy. Period. This manifests itself in everything I write and requires serious editing to correct.
- Prepositional Phrases. Somewhat related to the above, these things spew from me like rain from thunderclouds. (See? Three of them in the very statement stating I have the problem! How lame is that?)
- Repetition. I say something. Then I say it again. And again and again. (Get my meaning?) My thesaurus wants a raise.
- Passive voice. It just comes so unbelievably natural to me.
- Proofreading. I read what I intended to say, not what I actually wrote. I know I'm supposed to read my sentences backwards. It helps you spot duplicated or omitted words and makes catching typos a little easier. But really, half my life is backwards. I rarely do it.
- Commas. Commas appear in my sentences everywhere I pause, before something I want to emphasize or set apart, when I take a breath, and normally before the word but. I overuse them.
- Spelling. This is how I know God loves me. He gave me spell check!
So, when I post short stories, please feel free to comment on them. Even those that have been up for a while. Let me know if you enjoyed it--or if you didn't. Heck, posting a critique in the comments is fine too! I've got a thick skin and I like to know what worked and what didn't. Constructive feedback helps not only me, but anyone else reading it too.We learn by doing. And we learn by feedback. Our biggest weaknesses are the ones we don't know we have!
I'm all done exposing myself now. What are your strengths and weaknesses? And how do you exploit or watch for them?
Wow, I could have written this exact post! Aside from spelling - which I'm pretty good at - I share all of your strengths and weaknesses, most especially the passive voice use.
ReplyDeleteCool! It would be interesting to see if there were strength/weakness correlations shared by writers of certain types/genres or writers with similar interests, lifestyles, backgrounds, personalities, etc.
DeleteLike most people, the first time I heard a playback of my voice on a recording I said to myself, "That's not me." But of course it sounded just like everyone else hears it. That said, it is easier to get feedback from others on my strengths and weaknesses than it is for me to figure them out. So that is where I go for feedback.
ReplyDeleteRight there with you on the whole "that can't be what I sound like" thought.
DeleteYes, we're not often good judges of our own strengths and weaknesses. That's why critiques and reviews are so important. My list is largely compiled from feedback I've received from as far back as high school and college.
I can definitely relate to being verbose (I swear that word was invented for me) and overusing prepositional phrases. Also repetition. Most writers suffer from this in first draft, I'm pretty sure. Good for you for having thick skin and also for overcoming your dislike for grammar rules :)
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean you will be posting a short story soon?
Probably so. I try to write a short one each week as part of the weekly Fantasy Writer's Challenge. This week's challenge was posted yesterday, but I've been busy critiquing a novel and may fall a little behind schedule. I've got a few posted under the Short Stories tab, but not many. Most are rather short with 'Cathryn's Bay' being the longest at around 2,500 words.
DeleteI overuse commas, too. Constantly. I'd never heard the tip of reading your sentences backwards when proofing - excellent idea! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Daisy! Yeah, a college professor taught me that trick. It works for me, but only after I've not looked at the writing for a while.
DeleteIt's good to be honest with yourself. That's how you get better.
ReplyDeleteTrue. It's easier for us to lie to ourselves than to anyone else, I think.
DeleteI'm a terrible speller too! I'm so thankful for google chrome, because it spell checks everything I write online!
ReplyDeleteI always blamed my misspellings on typos until I started teaching computer classes and using a chalkboard. And who signed up to take my class? You betcha, English 101 Professor. Couldn't even hold the chalk without glancing over my shoulder.
DeleteAt least you're wordy while writing Epic Fantasy. I tend to be too concise. I read Robert Jordan and think, "he just spent one hundred pages on practically nothing, yet it's written so well I don't care" or "that conversation just lasted five pages and I didn't realize it". Hopefully my massive cast of characters will help me through (think The Hobbit).
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about Robert Jordan and couldn't agree more. But alas, my wordiness is not only while writing. I'm too wordy even when I speak. And my thoughts are the very same way. I'm either a line editor's dream or nightmare.
DeleteThere's something to be said for concise though. I think that's the sign of an efficient writer. (And thinker?) And as far as style goes, most people prefer concise, effective prose over bloated prose any day.