How Strong Is Your Writing?

I have a full day on Monday so am posting today (Sunday). Next new post will be on Tuesday.

We are stronger in some parts of writing and weaker in others. It would be of benefit to do a little pondering and decide what your strengths and weaknesses are. Make a list of both, side by side. One might be longer than the other, or they might be fairly equal. 

As writers, we should capitalize on our strong points and work on the weak ones. To do this, you need to be honest in your assessment if you want to improve your writing. No one but you is going to see this list (unless you choose to splash it on twitter or facebook). 

When you check over your strengths, go ahead and pat yourself on the back and keep using those bits as you move through your writing journey. If you're a master of metaphor, keep using this tool. If you can use description that brings a scene to life, go right on doing it. If you have the ability to bring emotion from your words to the reader's heart, continue.

But what about the weaknesses? They're all parts of your writing world that need attention from you. Some might say that they really aren't sure what their weaknesses are. If you are in a critique group, look for things that are pointed out regularly. It's much easier for others to see errors you make on a regular basis.

In my early days of writing, I was the queen of unnecessary words. I wasn't aware of it until the people in my critique group kept pointing it out, some harping on it. It made me aware of what I was doing. I also used too many cliches in those beginning years. I had it made very clear by those who critiqued my submissions. 

When I realized how often I made these errors, I became more conscious about it when I wrote my first draft of a new story or article. It's one of the top reasons I recommend a critique group--even if it is you and one or two others. More is better. 

While a writing group is helpful, many of us spot our own weaknesses. Once we know what they are, we have two choices. We can ignore them or work on correcting our weak areas. 

I have a writer friend who writes wonderful essays and articles, but she writes sentences long enough to stretch across the Missippi River. OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but some go on and on. That type of sentence can easily be broken up into two, or even three, shorter ones. 

One way to find your own trouble spots is to read your work aloud. The small problems appear more evident than when you read silently. Look for your trouble spots in books on writing and study those sections.

Yep--capitalize on your strengths and work on your weaknesses.