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Being All Powerful--NOT

Good Morning,

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Mine was pretty good. Not real eventful (other than the fact my husband got annoyed with football, but since I don't really follow football that much, I didn't have as emotional reaction to the Miami Hurricanes losing or the Texans losing). Sports aren't my forte...well, I do like baseball. That's pretty cool...although my team didn't do so well this season *insert puckered lower lip here*.

However, I'm not going to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of a particular team, I'm going to bring it closer to home:

A writer's weaknesses.
Of course, none of us want to think about them. We'd rather overcome them. Which, is exactly what a writer should do to improve one's writing. However, before you overcome them, you have to recognize them. Admit to yourself what points are your strongest and what points aren't.
For me, I tend to go heavy on the dialogue and not so much on description. I know books need a balance of the two, but I find myself wanting to focus more on what the characters are thinking and doing rather than the descriptions of things.
However, writers need to "anchor" their readers. Unless it's one of those books where "floating around in the dark" is important, a reader needs to know where the character is and have some idea of what the surroundings look like (or are, for that matter).
It's not that I don't like describing things, it's just that I don't want to go overboard. I want to make sure that I have a balance. Make sure my characters and readers are anchored in the scene, but also without going to extremes.
Writers have to make sure they place the character and reader firmly in the scene. Sometimes surroundings are important to influencing the action or even the dialogue. So we need descriptions. Which is why I have to remind myself to use description as well as action and dialogue. Make the story, the characters real.
So, what's your weakness? What is it that you have to remind yourself to do?
Have A Melodious Monday!

Comments

Laura Martone said…
Hi, Bethany! I found your blog through JJ's (at least, I think I did) - so I thought I'd say hello!

As for my writing weaknesses, oh, I imagine they're too numerous to list here. But the biggest is the opposite of yours - too much description, not enough action and dialogue. I take the literary fiction genre a little too seriously, if'n you know what I mean.

At least that's what my beta readers have told me. ;-)
Ciara Gold said…
I share your weakness, Bethany. I love writing the dialogue more than the other, so I have to force myself to go back during edits and add the internal dialogue and descriptions. But I think the reason I do this is because that's how I read. I tend to "skim" the description and internal just to read the dialogue. Well written dialogue can actually give you a sense of the other. So - hence another weakness unveiled, albeit a reading one and not a writing one. LOL

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