Welcome back to another week of the #MFRWauthor blog hop. Last week's topic was all about our greatest strengths. This week we are on the flip side of that to talk about our weaknesses. This will be a much easier post for me.
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Yes sticking with the Spongebob theme. I spend a lot of time watching that show thanks to my boys.
So the things I struggle with, let me count the ways.
Grammar rules. I mean I know the basics, but the use of commas to semi-colons to colons not so much. Good thing there are editors for that sort of thing.
Making of pretty words. I am simplistic in my thinking. I like going from A to B in the most straight line possible. When I read other author's work their words are pretty, poetic. I guess prose would be the term. Their characters make sweeping declarations of love. The words flow so naturally that you can feel the emotion behind them. Now yes, the everyday person doesn't take in grand gestures, but the have an impact in writing, especially in writing romance. Grand gestures, deep love, it's what it's all about.
From there my next one is probably the biggest. Descriptions. I have the hardest time pulling in the world around my characters. The sights, sounds, smells that bring the scene to life. If my characters are a coffee shop then I'll just say they are at a coffee shop. I won't talk about the smell of the coffee or the background conversations around them. The focus is on them and whatever topic they are discussing. Letting readers know what my characters look like. I have a picture in my head, but I don't translate it. Maybe it's because I write in first person and people typically don't go around commenting on how they look or dress, but it needs to be in there. Readers (some at least) like to have a basic visual of what the characters look like.
These are things I don't actively think about so I tend to skip it. Like I said, I'm basic in my thinking. Just the other day I was working on a scene and I wanted to talk about my MMC's smell and could only come up with sexy, manly scent. Yes it sorta gets the point across, but it's seriously bland. Showed the scene to a friend and she instantly came up with four different ways I could go into more detail on that. I'm not aiming for the lyrical purple prose, just words that are a bit more jazzy and less boring textbook.
The pretty words and descriptions are what I work hardest at. I'm not trying to go overboard, but I do want to add a little extra pizzazz every now and the. The grammar, well I try but I don't waste too much time worrying about it since I know it'll get cleaned up before publication. Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing outright terrible, but I'm not stopping to Google participle phrases and things like that either.
So there you have it. Now you know my weakness when it comes to writing. There are more, but I don't want to bore you with them all.
Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the other participants this week.
~Meka
Celebrate your voice, Meka! I personally like my stories to move. Too much description can be boring. And cliches are to be avoided, but it's just as bad to go the other extreme. Too many golly-gee-whiz verbal handstands to avoid a cliche throw me right out of the story.
ReplyDeleteI like my stories to move as well. I know I got too bogged down in the details in my first book trying to over compensate. :( I'm still working to find the right balance when adding those extra details. I rather focus on the emotional impact than the set dressing. At least that is my goal.
Deletethanks for stopping by
Your voice is you. There are times for pretty and times for simple. Our friends and writing colleagues are great strengths to counter our weaknesses so we don't have to have our minds explode with details that can be handled in the next pass.
ReplyDeleteMost of my words are simple because that's how I am. I get right to the point but that can get bland in story telling. Having someone around that can counteract my weakness is key so hopefully the end product will be a good mix.
Deletethanks for stopping by
My first draft is pretty colorless. I "flesh it out" on the subsequent drafts. I also have a sticky note on the computer that says "smell, taste, touch (feel), hear, clothing, hair, setting". I lay that paper on the desk in front of me when I am editing and try to be sure I have at least one of those noted on every page or so. It's helped tremendously because I'm like you - I go right to the point and leave out the pretty prose. Good luck!
ReplyDeletePeople always tell me the first draft is supposed to be the basics and to add the flavor later. Even still, I have a hard time thinking like that so it takes effort. :( I don't think I ever have pretty prose. LOL
Deletethanks for stopping by
I hate writing descriptions too and my grammar is what it is. These things can be fixed and revised in the second or third revision. I bleep over them when I read stories so don't focus in on it myself. But I also agree with the wise women above, its about your voice. Direct, simple, clear is a powerful voice.
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not alone. Some writers have a natural talent for it, I'm not one of those people. The grammar thing, yeah it is what it is. I like a balance in the stories that I write. Too much is distracting, not enough I'm left feeling like something was missing.
DeleteThank you. I'm still trying to find my voice. Each new word brings me closer though.
thanks for stopping by
Grammar: Ugh. (Notice the colon, and I think I used it right. I've worked hard trying to improve my use of tools.) I still have trouble with the tense of the verb 'lay'. And spelling: double ugh. It was my weakest subject. I would never be able to function as an English teacher.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm not the one to know if you used it right or not. LOL Lay or lie, yeah that trips me up too. There are certain words I always misspell no matter what. I'm not sure I could function as any kind of teacher.
Deletethanks for stopping by