Three Questions
My students and I are delving deep into how writers write, so I'm indulging my curiosity tonight. Here are three questions, with my answers,
1) When you develop a new story, what usually comes to you first? Characters, setting, plot?
My answer: Usually, a character and the plot, etc. spawn from there.
2) Where do you get your best ideas? Shower, driving, etc.?
My answer: There is no specific place. If I'm driving alone, I'll get good ideas sometimes. Shower works, too. A testing situation, when the kids are quiet and I'm bored is great.
3) What is your greatest strength as a writer? Your weakness?
My answer: I know how to use a comma. ;-) It's hard for me to say what is my greatest strength -- diction, maybe? Imagery? My greatest weakness? Lately, it's lack of stick-to-it-iveness.
So what are your answers? Satisfy my curiosity!
1) When you develop a new story, what usually comes to you first? Characters, setting, plot?
My answer: Usually, a character and the plot, etc. spawn from there.
2) Where do you get your best ideas? Shower, driving, etc.?
My answer: There is no specific place. If I'm driving alone, I'll get good ideas sometimes. Shower works, too. A testing situation, when the kids are quiet and I'm bored is great.
3) What is your greatest strength as a writer? Your weakness?
My answer: I know how to use a comma. ;-) It's hard for me to say what is my greatest strength -- diction, maybe? Imagery? My greatest weakness? Lately, it's lack of stick-to-it-iveness.
So what are your answers? Satisfy my curiosity!
posted by Linda Winfree at 6:56 PM
4Comments:
I always get the plot first, then start mulling over what type of person would be most affected by the plot.
I get my best ideas, snippets of dialog, little nuggets of characterization while out walking the dog--or while driving.
I would say my greatest strength is characterization. My greatest weakness is setting a schedule and sticking to it.
1. Characters. Always.
2. Bathtub. My muse appears to live there. (Maybe she's a mermaid?)
3. Strengths and weaknesses? Gosh, I don't know. I think my CP's could answer that question for me better than I could. Personally, I'd say emotional black moments are my strength. Really gut wrenching ones. And weakness? Well, it used to be commas, but I've pretty much figured that one out thanks to you-know-who. ;) So I guess I'd have to say my biggest weakness is thinking everything I write is drivel.
Elisabeth - you do not write drivel. Ok, moving on.
1. Plot 100% of the time. It's always "wouldn't it be cool if this happened?" Not "wouldn't it be cool if I wrote about this person?" Which is definitely a weakness when it comes to writing romance.
2. Anywhere it seems. I always keep my cell phone with my so I can text message myself things I think of in ridiculous places.
3. Strength: not getting too attached to what I'm working on so that I accept if it doesn't sell or work for the market. Weakness: not writing as fast as I know I'm capable of and wasting time not-writing.
I haven't written enough to really know what my writing strengths and weaknesses are.
All three! It depends, sometimes a great character will pop into my head and I'll come up with a plot to work around him/her, or I'll be researching and a setting will jump out at me and want to be used in a story, or I'll read some incident and think, Wow! That would make a great story!
My best ideas come when I am doing something physical. My body is working and my mind is free to just amble through ideas.
My greatest strength is characters, my weakness plot.
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