Your Weakest Writing

[blacbird]

Worst, apparently, at anything I choose to submit for publication consideration.

An activity for which I only select the stuff I think is best.

Or at least, used to do. Owing to the long string of results, I don't submit anything anymore.

caw

[Subject1157]

My weakness is writing would be trying to find the right words to use, specifically for description. Sometimes my details of what is happening, of the characters, their surroundsings and settings appear more like a list than flowing words.

My strongest: I'm good at coming up with storylines, plots, sub-plots. I get them like every minute and constantly write them down to possible be used later or for another story other than my current WIP.

[Justin Bossert]

This is a good thread. I'm sure I've got more writing weaknesses than I realize. The one that I'm most aware of is my overuse of dialogue to move the story forward. I'm competent when it comes to dialogue but need to stop the over-reliance on it.

[ArachnePhobia]

Originally Posted by Squirrel on a Ledge

I don't know if I have any strong suit, but I sure as heck know my weak area: romance. God, I hate it. I wish characters didn't need to have so darn many romantic relationships.

I'm glad that isn't just me. I can write about families, friends, rivalries, and eternal vendettas, but when it comes to romantic relationships, I-what's the professional way of putting it?- ah, yes, "suck giant donkey balls."

Beta readers have told me I have a problem tagging my dialogue, as well... as in, I don't do it often enough, and they wind up having to count lines back to the last tag. I've been more careful about it lately. And while my betas don't always notice it, I quite overuse the word "quite" and I can't quite figure out why. Semicolons, too. I'm the semicolon Strega Nona; the pot's always full no matter how many I dish out.

Strong points? Opening lines, according to the same beta readers, and a distinctive voice.

[wannabe writing]

Applying pen to paper.

[backslashbaby]

I'm best at short works where there aren't many 'filler' scenes. I shouldn't even call them filler scenes because those are important to writing novels, lol (I'm trying to be a novelist too).

My scenes are so tight I have the hardest time writing scenes where nothing totally key happens. I can pack in a ton to a very short work, and that's where I get the most compliments. Unfortunately, that skill makes my novel writing so far go like this: intense then rambly, intense then rambly... rinse and repeat

It would help if I knew exactly what happened in my novel's plot

[LadyV]

I excel at writing action. Give me a fight scene and I'll go to town. But give me a scene with lots of introspection, and it's like pulling teeth. Plus, I feel like my prose has become a bit stagnate.

[MagicWriter]

I'm great at making the writing snacks! Who's hungry? lol

I don't think that's the answer that the OP was looking for, but hey someone's got to make them, right?!

[maxmordon]

Descriptions in general. I tend to go too purple rose on them, I blame this to the influence of García Márquez in my early writing. Which is a stark contrast with my character descriptions, half of them feel like the same people but with glasses and different hairstyle.

[Devil Ledbetter]

My weakest writing is always the writing I don't do.

I struggle a bit with plotting, though.

[Courier]

My strong points would probably have to be in dialogue and making interesting characters.

My weak point is definitely in action scenes. I don't know what about it is to hard for me, but I've learned to stay away from heavy battle/fight scenes and the like (and instead keep the reader engaged through the use of tension and suspense rather than explosions and gunfire).

[Unimportant]

My weakness is B.I.C.

I used to have taped on my monitor, "The worst thing you write is better than the best thing you didn't write." I need to do that again.

[rwm4768]

I think I have a strength in action scenes. They definitely flow better than any other scenes. As such, my current WIP is super action packed. I hope I haven't made the pacing too fast.

As for weaknesses, I would say my description of scenery isn't always that great. When my characters go to an inn, I just tell the reader it's an inn. Or when they go to a city, I give a few details but don't go on and on about how the city looks. Of course, some might see this as a positive. However, I feel like my description could be stronger. I am writing in epic fantasy, which is typically dense with description.

[blacbird]

Beginnings.

caw

[Richard Brown]

Strength: Dialogue, Pacing

Weakness: Wordiness

[Brightdreamer]

Hmm - what is this "strong suit" you refer to?

As to weaknesses... eh, never mind. I'd wear out my keyboard if I tried typing it all.

[Shadow Dragon]

For a strength: Dialogue is my biggest one. Also characterization

Weaknesses: Overall plot. I can picture great scenes but getting from point A to B, etc, can be a challenge for me.

[Pallas Athene]

Weaknesses: dialogue. I have a hard time making humans actually sound that way.

Strengths: details. Because I like to know *everything* that happened, I do the same with my own stories, even if most of it has be be hacked out again.

[Anninyn]

Can't write actions scenes. Or well, I can, but they take a lot of work and really careful editing. I probably have to spend more time and effort getting action scenes into shape than anything else I write.

I've been told I'm pretty good at scene setting and at dialogue.

[Escape Artist]

Originally Posted by Jessica_312

Just wondering what everyone's strongsuit is when it comes to writing, and what you struggle with. I'm not talking genre. For example, my strongsuit is dialogue and character descriptions. I'm also good at describing scenery, but I'm lazy about it and have to really force myself to do it ("I haven't decribed this building yet, I probably should" ). By far, I'm the worst at backstory - I have a horrible time figuring out where to place it and how much to reveal at once.

So, what's your best/worst? Action sequences? Dialogue? Backstory? Setting? Character descriptions?

Just a topic for chat

Worst:

Descriptions are difficult for me, especially when it comes to describing a room or any setting, really, and that's because I care more about the people, the characters. I tend to think that where it happens doesn't matter so much as to whom it happens and how it affects them internally. Plus, in real life, I tend to be so much in my own head that I honestly don't notice a lot of stuff around me. We could drive by a house on our way to work in ten years' worth of commutes before I'll notice it's even there.

I suck at titles. Oh sure, I can come up with some cool ones, but nothing that fits any story I've ever written. Go figure.

I tend to be a bit overdramatic when it comes to portraying emotions.

And backstory. Yeah, I love backstory, but methinks I love it too much. So much so that I think I've got to cram it all in. I must learn the art of writerly mysteriousness.

Best:

I think I've improved muchly on my dialogue in that it sounds a lot more "real" than it used to. Looking at my prior work, the dialogue was very stuffy and formal. Not at all how real people speak to one another.

I think I'm good at characterization in that my characters, no matter how many external changes I might make to setting or worldbuilding type stuff, remain true to who they are. I figure that means they're strong.

[lauralam]

Action! My books never seem to have enough action and tend to be rather quiet. Pacing can sometimes be an issue as well.

[AndreaGS]

Strengths - narrative flow, characterization, world-building

Weaknesses - where do I begin? I feel like I'm constantly learning, and the new things I learn make me cringe at my writing. Pacing, missed opportunities for tension, creating an airtight plot, and descriptions that are too sparse.

[OpheliaRevived]

I always make my plots way too complicated. They're follow-able and all, but too much and sometimes (as in with my wip) this speeds up the pacing too much.

I *think* I'm good at understanding voice and writing concise, effective description and dialogue.