What is your greatest strength as a writer? Greatest weakness as a writer?

MsK · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Dialogue
Weakness: Description

I know that my greatest strength is dialogue. I write interesting and natural sounding dialogue that is fitting with each individual character.
In fact, I have often thought that if I could write a novel that was mainly dialogue, I would be a brilliant writer!

Alas, this isn't the way things work. :Shrug:

I know that when I'm writing, I see and hear the story in my head as if its taking place on a movie screen- and when I go to translate what I'm seeing to the pages of my novel, the conversations taking place translate fluidly and easily, however, I'm just not quite as eloquent in my descriptive passages.

Sean Corey · Aug 8, 2008

Strength? Knowing the story completely before writing down a word.
Weakness? Patience

Its a money deal. You have to ask yourself "Why would someone pay money to read my book?"

In other words, what are you selling?

Sean

C.M.C. · Aug 8, 2008

I don't know how many people would agree with me, but I believe my strength to be my voice. The natural rhythm of my wording is exactly what I want it to be.

My weakness is that I am a wholly uncreative writer. Ideas are a trickle, not a cascading waterfall of creativity flowing to my fingertips as I sit down to write.

Cato · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Dialogue
Weakness: Describing the scene in detail.

ToddWBush · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Humor, and to a degree, overall plot ideas

Weakness: Still too "tell" and not enough "show"

NanciBlock · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Character. I believe I have a decent grasp of portraying characters without too much physical description.

Weakness: Backstory. I always give way too much.

Straka · Aug 8, 2008

Strong: Plot: Think I'm fairly decent at having a solid plot with its various conflicts and their timing.

Weak: grammar - still my greatest foe.

kuwisdelu · Aug 8, 2008

The complete opposite of a couple people here...

Strength: Description

Weakness: Dialogue

I'm also pretty weak about getting things done. I write so slowly...

KTC · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Dialogue

Weakness: Everything else.

I wouldn't even list dialogue as a strength, but I'm going by what others have said. And I know I prefer writing dialogue...sometimes I go through while editing and I think, "Oh my God! It's all dialogue. 3 pages of dialogue!" I sometimes forget everything else.

Stew21 · Aug 8, 2008

This is horrible. I can't think of anything.

DeleyanLee · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Perserverance
Weakness: Still in search of a workable process

Tiergan · Aug 8, 2008

strength:action,dialogue,prose
Weakness:description

This is according to my beta readers, and I agree. It seems I get hung up on the prose and forget about adding the little bits of detail that make the scene all that more real. I don't know if thats all the case or its just that a lot of my scenes are action, running for ones life and such. Staying in POV of the charater fleeing, I don't think a 10 year old child running for her life is going to notice the Victorian style house, with the rundown porch, and the old withered man whitteling a piece of wood while in a rocking chair. But I do admit i go the extreme and need to work on the details.

Ageless Stranger · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Ideas or Dialogue
Weakness: Grammar, but I'm getting better.

Shadow_Ferret · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Dialogue
Weakness: Getting an agent

willietheshakes · Aug 8, 2008

Strength -- the ability to fool some of the people some of the time.
Weakness -- ditto.

eveningstar · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Locations. I can create a heck of a fictional location. So I suppose that's description, too.

Weakness: Plot. Nuances, moreso than arc. I have trouble getting my puzzle pieces to fit together properly.

Cranky · Aug 8, 2008

Stew21 said:
This is horrible. I can't think of anything.

I'm right there with ya, Stew. :Hug2:

Darkness Rising · Aug 8, 2008

Strengths- Defintely dialogue, story content and description.
Weaknesses- passive voice (this is a killer, btw), narrative voice and grammar (yeah, I'ma noob).

Kenzie · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Use of metaphors and description.
Weakness: Dialogue and often pacing.

BrileyKenney · Aug 8, 2008

Biggest Strength- Description; I have always been able to vividly paint even the most mundane details in a story.

Biggest Weakness- Finishing a work; as I have heard is true of most writers this is MY biggest problem. I always start a work and then a new idea will pop into my head before I have even finished my current project. I keep a notebook where I write down all my ideas so I don't forget them later but sometimes I can't focus on my current project because its so hard to keep my mind off of fresh ideas.

Anyone else have the same problem? Lol I swear I'm not ADD

Bufty · Aug 8, 2008

Your perceived biggest strength may be the cause of your biggest weakness. Vividly painting the mundane doesn't seem a good idea to me. :Hug2:

BrileyKenney said:
Biggest Strength- Description; I have always been able to vividly paint even the most mundane details in a story.

Biggest Weakness- Finishing a work; as I have heard is true of most writers this is MY biggest problem. I always start a work and then a new idea will pop into my head before I have even finished my current project. I keep a notebook where I write down all my ideas so I don't forget them later but sometimes I can't focus on my current project because its so hard to keep my mind off of fresh ideas.

Anyone else have the same problem? Lol I swear I'm not ADD

Mr Flibble · Aug 8, 2008

Strength - dunno. I think any future readers would tell you better than I could. Characters? Possibly.

Weakness - plot, oh yes, plot for sure. I get there in the end but it's like going at my eyeballs with a cheesegrater.

Harper K · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: Grammar! (And I'll include spelling and punctuation within that.) Even if nothing else about my fiction is palatable, at least you'll never find an apostrophe out of place.

Weakness: Um... plot. It's taken me drafts upon drafts to get a workable story going in my WIP.

geardrops · Aug 8, 2008

Strength: ???

Weakness: Under-describing.

LilliCray · Aug 8, 2008

KrystalR said:
Strength: Dialogue
Weakness: Description

I know that my greatest strength is dialogue. I write interesting and natural sounding dialogue that is fitting with each individual character.
In fact, I have often thought that if I could write a novel that was mainly dialogue, I would be a brilliant writer!
Alas, this isn't the way things work.

I know that when I'm writing, I see and hear the story in my head as if its taking place on a movie screen- and when I go to translate what I'm seeing to the pages of my novel, the conversations taking place translate fluidly and easily, however, I'm just not quite as eloquent in my descriptive passages.

Our brains!! They operate on the same frequency!!

Although, I'd have to add "grammar" to my personal strengths. My grammar/vocab skillez are the only things I've ever bragged about in my life.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? Greatest weakness as a writer?

Archetype

Master of Puppets

Bored Fanatic

Revolutionize the World

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Writing Anarchist

'tis the magic that binds us

Dave Brubeck kicks your ass.

Court Jester

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

circus girl without a safety net

Where have the last ten years gone?

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

here's to the girl on the go

Good thing I like my day job

Plot? What plot?