Reader Friday: Your Greatest Strength And Weakness As A Writer?

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What is your strongest skill as a writer? Which aspect of your writing needs the most improvement?

10 thoughts on “Reader Friday: Your Greatest Strength And Weakness As A Writer?

  1. Tough question!! Strongest skill…I think…I hope…is characterization and strangle-holding my reader. Certain parts of marketing I have major trouble with, like asking a reader who loved the book(s) to post a review. Nothing about it feels right, even though I know how crucial reviews are to writers. I tell myself I wrote the book(s) for them to enjoy, not for them to help me by reviewing. A little naive, perhaps, but the few times I did ask it felt wrong on so many levels. Eventually reviews will roll in on their own. Not as many as I’d like, and usually not from the readers who shout the loudest on social media about how much they loved X, Y, Z. Knowing they went the extra mile to post to FB or Twitter, means the world to me. To then ask them to post a review seems…well, you get the point. I’d love to read a TKZ post on this subject. *hint hint*

  2. My readers say that I set the scene really well and they can see, hear and smell what my characters are going through. I struggle with getting the emotions right and sometimes with shifting POV.
    I agree with Sue that asking for and getting reviews is difficult.

  3. I hate judging myself because l tend to love my own stuff to much. However, I think I’m pretty good at carrying the story forward through dialogue. Weakness, now that’s easy. Procrastination!

  4. Strengthes: I never lack for ideas or words. Can’t even conceive of what writer’s block might be.

    Weaknesses: Too many projects going at once, making it hard to get things finished. It’s why I’m better at magazine writing than books. A few thousand words, some editing, boom! Done!

  5. Well, since you asked…

    Strongest Skill: Characters. I can make them interesting without going over the top.

    Weakest Skill: Plotting & Outlining. The more I read about them, and the more I try out what I read, the better I get.

    And “The Kill Zone Blog” is a big help!

  6. Strongest skills: Characters, dialogue, setting

    Needs improvement: Pacing

    But I wonder what editors or readers would say about our strengths and weaknesses. We may not be the most objective judges.

    • Amen to that, Laura. My editor says I do action scenes very well and she tells her other clients to read them. I struggle with every sentence in an action scene and don’t think they’re good at all.

      I am good at dialogue, and people say I can write the opposite sex well. I suck at description.

      And outside of writing, I can NOT ask people for reviews or other authors for blurbs. I had to do it for one publisher, and I’m still not over the trauma.

  7. Lots of weaknesses: organization, procrastination, sneaky POV shifts.
    Strengths? Still looking for them. Stay tuned…

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