[Pluvious]

Certain authors are gifted in different areas. Obviously. One author might create a more complex world, one might write description or dialogue well, and a few are gifted in many aspects of writing.

Do you know where your strengths lie (aspects of writing, research/world-building, understanding of human nature)? What about your weaknesses? And what do you do to improve any deficiencies?

[Bardos]

From what people tell me, I'm a good world-builder. Also, I've hear that I make good battle scenes (in large and small battle), but personaly I try to use battle sparingly.

My personal favorite is character thoughts and character interaction.

My weakness... hmmm. I've heard that sometimes people disagree with the actions of my characters. But that hapens in (almost) every story. :D

Also, I've got a tentansy to write long senteces, and sometimes I edit them, so as to be shorter and easier.

Well, if I think of anything else, I'll let you know. ;)

[Stewart]

At writing actions scenes and creating nice complex worlds but I have trouble with character interaction. Dialogue and generally just characters interracting with one another really hurt me.

[juzzza]

Dialogue, action and character interaction.

[IaNo]

I really wish I had some idea where my talents were, but I don't know if I have any at all. I know where my problems are but I don't know if the things that aren't problems are good enough to be talents. I guess I'm best at being creative and original in many aspects of character development, dialogue, description, world building, but at the same time can't do any of those in a normal style that is as good as others out there so I guess I just don't try. I guess my talent in uniqueness, if that even is one. It sure doesn't help to get published from what I've heard.

[wolfie]

Hmmm....This is a good topic. So often I find myself looking at all my flaws that I don't stop and look at what I do well...probably a common trait among us all.

I'm very descriptive and I've been told that I do "mindscapes" very well, that I can bring people alive in a very real way. I do like characterization and I do like description, though in the past I have been inclined to go overboard somewhat *chuckles*.

Dialogue used to be my weakest point, but I've forced myself to write more short stories with a lot of dialogue and I've found that I have improved there. What do you know? Practice, if not making me perfect, certainly has helped!

I think that I do twist endings quite well, but I'm rather fond of them. I hate predictability so most of my stories do feature a twist or two somewhere in the mix. However, my weak point in that regard is that I have a tendency to like happy endings, even if it doesn't fit the story. I have been working on that a bit and I'm happy to report that I have finally been able to write a story where the ending was not good but did stay in line with the rest of the story.

Ok...so I've kinda focused on both good and bad...but truly, complimenting my own self is not a strong point of mine. Ya'll have a great weekend!

[Lucky Joe]

I think my strengths are the ability to get inside a characters head and portray what they're thinking.

How do I work on my weaknesses?

The first story I worte had a cast of dozens and i took full advantage of the opportunity to jump between characters to such an extent that I realised I didn't have the first clue about writing a consistant story about one character or set of characters without using that trick so I decided to write a novel in the first voice to learn how to do it, and having completed that novel I now I think that writting in that style is one of my strengths.

[Richardb]

My strengths are in my worlds and in the originality of the story itself. I believe that my stories are fresh and are not predictable. Everything else always needs work. Basic mechanics always need work, and always will, so I edit a few hundred times... characterization is something I have focussed on, and improved a ton, but still see as an opportunity. When I first started writing, dialog was a real problem, so I spent an inordinant amount of time working to improve and focus on dialog, and feel like I have managed to find a comfortable spot there too.
All in all, it all needs improvement, and always will. Despite this, however, I am past the point of being nervous about sharing and having other critique...

[Holbrook]

Honestly I don't know. I know my weaknesses better.

Bad grammar. I am working on it and it is improving *sigh* But I will never be satisfied with my grasp of it.

The habit of writing just dialogue then going back over it and working out where they are and what my characters are doing.

Jumping from one piece to another.

Rushing pieces.

Being too flowery with the language and description(when I get round to doing it), though this I am getting better at.

Never being satisified with anything I write. To me it is all half finished I want to tweak and pull it apart again and again.

Trying too many styles, POV's etc (though that has stopped at present, I am more or less pleased with the way I write at the moment)

Not setting aside enough time to actually write, getting sidetracked by life and everything else. ( I need to be on a desert Island with my machine and books for 6 months then I will get everything done I want to get done.)

[Bardos]

Holdbrook said
Never being satisified with anything I write.

All good writers have that "flaw", I think. Or, they should. Since, when you're satisfied, you don't get better.

So, never satisfy thyselves. ;)