How can you improve your writing?
Photo: Tomasz Szkopinski
More Lunchtime Polls
There are many moving parts in short stories, novels and novellas.
The keys to becoming a successful writer are to master each individual component, and to create the perfect balance between each one.
Are your characters just a bunch of talking heads with not enough substance to carry the story?
Does your story lose steam by the time you've passed the halfway mark?
How do you paint a picture of the locales in your story?
What are your tricks to making your story come alive and to breathing life into the people and places contained within it?
Don’t be shy - nobody’s perfect. Take the poll below and profess your writerly weaknesses - and drop a note in the comments section letting everyone know how you intend to sharpen your skills!
Did I forget anything? Leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll add it to the poll.
Do you have a tip on local writing events? Email your comments, questions or suggestions for future articles to torontowriting@gmail.com
Comments
Off the top of my head, I can think of two aspects that I need to improve upon.
I feel I still haven't mastered the art of hooking the reader - at least in my first drafts. I often end up having to cut a lot and start later in the story - where the action is.
The other - dialogue. I think I'm getting better, but I could still use a bit of work on making the dialogue flow better.
What about you?
I would have to say : Gramer, Speling & Punctuation... - see my point :)
Seriously though, I would have to say that one weakness might be : finding the right words. I can play out the entire scene in my head, but when it actually comes time to putting the pen to paper, I often struggle to find the appropriate words.
What can I do ?
Characters, Plot, Dialogue ... are all based on technique & your own imagination, which a simple 'how to' book can help.
But, what about me ? How do I teach myself to better transcribe the thoughts in my head into actual words on a piece of paper ?
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