Which element of writing do you think you've mastered?

Ellis Clover

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I keep my pencils all in one drawer, now. It took a while to master that. Sharpeners and rubbers (stop snickering, that boy down the back :granny:) are in the same drawer.

Also - I just checked - there's an old Xmas card stamp that the glue has come off, and two cough drops.

I'll just leave them there for emergencies.

Cough drops! *adds cough drops to shopping list*
 

Ellis Clover

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Oh no you don’t. The second I say I’m good at this or mastered that, something will go horribly horribly wrong with that very thing.

I admit I have an advantage in being formally schooled in proofreading, formatting, and some copywriting. Though that makes it all the more embarrassing when I mess those things up. And in the past year I think I’m finally figuring out how to get some good voice going. Not that I’ve mastered this yet, but I’ve nailed it a couple times. Now if I could turn it into a regular habit, that’d be pretty sweet.

Voice to me is like... an E-value skill in gymnastics. Brave to attempt and even harder to stick! I really admire strong voice in writing.
 

Albedo

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All the feed back suggests I seem to be able to do consistent funny. Even when I'm trying my hardest to be as bleak as possible, levity seems to come crawling in.
 

The Black Prince

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Mastered? Oh, goodness, absolutely nothing. The one skill I have that serves me well as a writer is that I love editing and revision. I love seeing my work improve before my eyes as I slash and cut and rearrange. Tightening up a flabby paragraph is extremely satisfying.

:e2coffee:

Oh yeah! I'm an obsessive edit-as-you-go sort of chap and I'm always aware that some sections are tight and flowing... yet others irritate me for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. There are few things more satisfying than turning a weak section into a strong section.

Like others I'm wary of claiming any sort of mastery, but I am proud of my plots and my endings. They are definitely strong but it takes me a long time to get them right.
 

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I think the one thing I've mastered is tenacity. I keep managing to write novels in spite of the fact that everything else is crap and I'm exhausted etc.etc.

I'm still not believing how hard I work at this writing thing. If I knew how much work was involved with it I daresay my lazy butt would have moseyed for the hills.
 

mccardey

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I think the one thing I've mastered is tenacity. I keep managing to write novels in spite of the fact that everything else is crap and I'm exhausted etc.etc.

I'm still not believing how hard I work at this writing thing. If I knew how much work was involved with it I daresay my lazy butt would have moseyed for the hills.

Excellent post :) It is hard work, isn't it?
 

Fallen

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I've remastered the fine art of... sitting said butt in the chair when it comes to writing. I've not written anything new for two years due to getting my rights back, but over the past six weeks, I've done 110k. Feels good to be writing again, but only edits will tell if the writing is good, lol.
 

LJD

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I'm good at sticking to a schedule and finishing projects.
 

Writative

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I've remastered the fine art of... sitting said butt in the chair when it comes to writing. I've not written anything new for two years due to getting my rights back, but over the past six weeks, I've done 110k. Feels good to be writing again, but only edits will tell if the writing is good, lol.

Edits make the writing good. If it's good the first time out, you've just taken a shortcut!
 

iBleed2

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World building is definitely a strength. I have detailed history and thought out magic systems.
 

Laer Carroll

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I've mastered all aspects of writing, at least to my satisfaction. I earn several thousand dollars a month which is proof enough for me that I have.

BUT it took a decade or two of writing fragments and failed or mediocre work to produce the first book that was worth publishing. It and its ten successors still sell. And each book I write I still improve in tiny ways.
 

indianroads

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I've trained in martial arts for 61 years and am considered (and carry the title) of Master. Yet still, I continue to learn, and wonder if it's possible to master any art.

Please pardon if I've told this story before on this site.

I started training in a French fighting style called Savate when I was five years old (my father thought I needed toughening up). My instructor was a painter - not of houses but landscapes and portraits. Apparently he was good enough to have his own gallery in Palo Alto CA and earn a nice living.

Regardless of that; there was a period where I got frustrated with my progress in Savate, it felt as if I were regressing rather than progressing. This is what he told me:

There are two aspects of every art; these are the eye and the hand.

When you begin, your eye is better than your hand so everything you do seems terrible. But, then your hand improves and suddenly you feel great about what you can do. However, usually soon after this euphoric period, everything you do looks awful again, and you feel as if you are getting worse.

What's actually happening is that your eye has improved, and again is ahead of what your hand can accomplish. Eventually though, your hand catches back up.

This process, which is sort of like climbing a ladder, is continuous; it goes on for the entire time that you practice your art.

End of story.

It could be, that those of us that feel we have mastered some aspect of our craft, have simply reached a point where their eye and hand are in sync, and in time that point of view may change.
 

mccardey

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This process, which is sort of like climbing a ladder, is continuous; it goes on for the entire time that you practice your art.

End of story.

It could be, that those of us that feel we have mastered some aspect of our craft, have simply reached a point where their eye and hand are in sync, and in time that point of view may change.

I think this is very wise and very true.
 

katfeete

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Like most on this thread I am SUPER uncomfortable suggesting I have mastered anything, both because it will bring the wrath of the writer-gods on my head and I will suddenly be terrible at it and because there is always and forever room to improve. However, my biggest strength is definitely writing fun, interesting characters and good dialogue. I’m lucky enough to have had readers who told me that from the very beginning. My biggest weakness is everything else plot. As I realized years ago, my writer-brain regards plot as boring things that have to happen so the characters will have something to talk about. :tongue:

Knowing this did result in a useful epiphany a few years back, when I finally realized why a lot of the standard writing advice wasn’t working for me: it was focused on plot. And while it might seem good theory to work on your weaknesses, in practice it was like me trying to dig my way out from under a mountain with a plastic spoon. Once I started viewing my strongest skill (character work) as the tool I would use to fix my weakest (the plot), my writing got easier and much better.

Writers often focus on what they’re worst at, what they most want to fix, how they can get better. And that’s useful! Improvement is always the goal! But I think the importance of also knowing what we’re good at is easy to underestimate: knowing what your best features are, not only so you can best turn them to the camera, but so you can use a pickaxe instead of a spoon to dig yourself out from the inevitable mountain of broken story.
 
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WriteMinded

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Dialogue is my strength, everything else is a struggle. Biggest battle is to keep the prose fresh. Once I write something that resonates, I find myself repeating it. Once I found the same phrase three times in one novel. Then there is action. You know, battles and fights. Right now a half-written battle is keeping me busy wandering around AW. But I do love writing dialogue.

BTW. Having a great deal of difficulty staying logged in. I've had to log in three times, and if I don't hurry and post this, I will have to log in again.
 

TeresaRose

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I've remastered the fine art of... sitting said butt in the chair when it comes to writing. I've not written anything new for two years due to getting my rights back, but over the past six weeks, I've done 110k. Feels good to be writing again, but only edits will tell if the writing is good, lol.

Wow, Fallen, that is amazing. 110K in 6 weeks.:hooray: Even if you're not happy with it, I'm sure you know how to improve it. My first drafts are very rough. Editing punches up the story, brings it to life.