What are Your Strengths as a Writer?
Musing Woman recently mused on her five strengths as a writer and asked me to do the same. Although most of us aren’t very comfortable pointing out what we’re good at, it seems like a useful exercise to affirm five strengths rather than five deadly sins or weaknesses. Here’s what I came up with:
1. Writing is like dousing for a natural resource. I’m not afraid to dig deep and hit a nerve. In fact, I’m not satisfied until I do. By a nerve, I mean a vein of emotion that shows me that I’m about to mine a truth.
2. I can’t process a lot of extraneous information in one sitting. Being this way has helped me not to over-write or over-explain. When I write, I say what I mean and try not to clutter my writing with what I don’t mean. I have two favorite quotes on writing advice that I use nearly every day. The first came by way of novelist, Elmore Leonard, when he said, “Leave out the parts that most people skip.” The other was by John Holt, author and homeschooling pioneer. He said, “The writer’s first job is to be understood.”
3. I love words. It’s my kind of play. I love the way they look and sound, the way they can be put together in surprising combinations to make things happen. Loving words is good for a writer, like loving one’s partner is good for a marriage.
4. Many years of writing poetry has been a good training for developing a sense of structure that can translate into other kinds of writing. Through writing poetry, I learned the importance of opening and concluding lines, sound and rhythm, bridging thoughts together to create meaning. I’m good at looking at one thing and seeing how it is like something else and reading and writing in ways other than from left to right.
5. Ultimately, the technical part of writing can always be worked on, but you can’t invent a voice. My writer’s voice is stream of consciousness language that I can trace back to my childhood. It’s untamed and seems to come from the underworld. I’ve learned to yield and listen to it. It’s the raw material of writing, that once collected into notes, I’m compelled to make something of.
What are your five strengths as a writer? Feel free to answer in a comment. If you choose to do this meme and post the answers, let me know so I can come by and read them. Also, I’m tagging Bonnie, Pearl, Vesper, June, and Leesa for this meme. Check out “Who is a Writer?” HERE.
September 18th, 2007 11:00 am
Okay, I have written a response and will post it tomorrow. I do one post per day – sort of an OCD thing of mine.
September 18th, 2007 11:45 am
Thanks, Colleen … I think! I’ll post my answer on my WRITING blog … Words from a Wordsmith.
http://wordsfromawordsmith.blogspot.com
September 18th, 2007 12:46 pm
Hmm, interesting post, interesting question to answer. Funny, I’ve never thought what my writing strengths might be… Now I shall have to ponder. I suspect an untamed imagination might be in there somewhere!
September 18th, 2007 1:36 pm
Wonderful list, Colleen. I especially like #1 where you say, “a vein of emotion that shows me that I’m about to mine a truth.” I love that. I can’t list my strengths yet, since I can’t quite bring myself to even call myself a “writer.” I always say “aspiring writer.” I’ve noticed that blogging has given me a little boost of confidence,though. So, maybe someday…But, like you, I do love words and wordplay. Once, I was a finalist in a poetry competition, and both judges’ comments were similar. Something along the lines of, “Nice poem, but your pun is intrusive.” That made me laugh.
September 18th, 2007 2:47 pm
I have reached a point where I love made up words that are soo descriptive. yoyoing , tulipish . you know better ones. I’m too old tomorrow is my birthday
September 18th, 2007 2:47 pm
I have reached a point where I love made up words that are soo descriptive. yoyoing , tulipish . you know better ones. I’m too old tomorrow is my birthday
September 18th, 2007 2:56 pm
I’ve given it some thought and here are my five. Disclaimer: I certainly don’t think these qualities are unique to my writing!
1. My writing is physically fit. There’s no flab, just meat. 2. My writing is easy to remember. This makes it something you can carry with you and recall when the situation fits. 3. My writing is honest. 4. My writing is free from the boundaries of style and form. Its lack of structure gives the reader permission to be imperfect too. 5. My writing has breathing room. There’s plenty of space for the reader to fill in his/her own blanks.
September 18th, 2007 3:03 pm
Thing is, I honestly don’t know. Aside from vocabulary, and occasionally insight, I got nothing.
September 18th, 2007 3:20 pm
Beth, It took me many years to say I was a writer, as opposed to one who writes. I feel that claiming it made it more true and drew more writing opportunities to me. More on in this post “Who is a Writer?”
http://looseleafnotes.com/notes/2005/04/who_is_a_writer.html
Sandy, Happy Birfday! I love your attitude.
June, Great list. You could also add that you are decisively quick. I’m a slow writer, which would go in my weakness column, if we were making one (more than five on that).
September 18th, 2007 5:03 pm
ok mine is up too. Thanks for the invite Colleen. Your #2 is a wonderful gift. I considered saying to convolute and complexify is one of my skills, but then, it’s rarely a strength. 😉
September 18th, 2007 5:16 pm
Okay, I posted the meme. It can be found at:
http://dsmoya31410.blogspot.com/2007/09/meme-by-any-other-name-would-smell-as.html
I took the meme to heart and wrote 5, and then I played around and did 5 more – the second five are not really strengths. Not weaknesses either. Just an attempt at humor.
Interesting topic.
September 18th, 2007 8:46 pm
These are ALL so wonderful, my dear Colleen…You ARE a true true “writer”….I really enjoyed reading them and it is food for thought, too! Thank you for sharing your private thoughts about your strengths as a writer. I think you are right ‘on the money’, my dear.
September 18th, 2007 9:09 pm
No Time To Be Humble
I was in the middle of packing for my trip to San Francisco, when I get a tag from my
September 18th, 2007 9:36 pm
I enjoyed reading this, Colleen! You understand yourself as a writer very well. And I loved the quote by Elmore Leonard. Good advice!
Now off to read the answers of those you tagged. 🙂
September 18th, 2007 10:13 pm
Leave out the parts that most people skip… brilliant, I adore that quote!
My 5… I think if I wrote that down, it would be the part people skip. lol
~S 🙂
September 19th, 2007 8:16 am
Hey, that was pretty good. Sorry I haven’t been around in awhile. I’ll get better at it.
September 19th, 2007 9:36 am
Now Colleen I can’t imagine you not picking me…you know how eloquently my words flow, how I always use them correctly and how great my grammar and spelling comes across in my posts!
I’m just teasing you. I have to slow down when I blog just like when I talk or I just have a mess. And I have a mess alot! Plus we only have room for one writer in the family. Kinda like 2 can’t share the mirror….so I’ll take the looks and he can have the talent! lol.
You are very good with words and getting your point across. Even times when I might not agree with you at least you can make me see your side and understand things better. I don’t know anything about poetry yet I can come here and read a cheerful little poetry post and leave with a smile on my face. There are so many blogs out there declaring they are writers or wanne be’s but not all of them have talent. You have the talent my dear. You are gifted and I know sooooo many non bloggers who come here just to enjoy your wonderful writings.
I better do a spell check!
Wow, I can’t believe I got eloquently right!
September 19th, 2007 9:41 am
You make me smile too, Deana. Both here as I read your words and when I visit your blog and read them there. Thank you!
The truth is I’m a little Yogi Berra to your Lucille Ball. But Yogi talk can come in handy with poetry and I try to use it to my advantage. It’s what I mean when I say I read and write in other ways than from left to right.
September 19th, 2007 3:05 pm
Sorry for taking so long, Colleen, but I had fun with this meme and have posted it here:
http://wordsfromawordsmith.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-are-your-strengths-as-writer.html
September 19th, 2007 7:02 pm
I can tell I am not a writer……I am not as fascinated with words as you are. But I sure do like writing in my journal and I like writing poetry.
You are gifted Colleen and I always knew it………way back when we shared the same bedroom.
September 19th, 2007 7:19 pm
Hey Coll, I know I don’t get to comment often but here goes. When I write….I edit the heck out of it. I think it comes out better that way. LU xoxo
September 19th, 2007 9:03 pm
I edit too. But the raw material that comes through first tends to be the most valuable part for me. Like mining a gem that then has to be cleaned off and polished. xo
September 19th, 2007 9:44 pm
Great post, Colleen!! It actually made me think of why I like to write, whether I’m good at it or not! I may have to come back and answer you on that one. And also — love the “reds” picture — harvest time must be beautiful and delicious!!!
September 19th, 2007 10:54 pm
I like the many facets of the individual words and I play a bit with them too. I especially like rhyme and it has been a trademark of mine to write poems and songs for people’s birthdays, weddings, retirements, etc.
I can sometimes nail descriptions with imagery, and I love metaphors. Some of my endings are kinda neat.
September 20th, 2007 7:21 am
Great list, Colleen. Thank you for thinking of me.
I’ve never thought of such a question. So interesting, so difficult to answer… I shall ponder it, but at this moment all I can think of are insecurities not strengths.
September 23rd, 2007 12:54 pm
Excellent idea to focus on the positive! You’ve offered us a good list too!