Know Your Writing Strengths

I recently watched an interview with best-selling author John Grisham and was delighted to hear him talk about his strengths in writing. On the opposite end, he also spoke of his weaknesses.

In this interview, done on the release of his 5,000^th book—perhaps I exaggerate—he shared a story about writing a love scene for one of his novels. He said he asked his wife to read it to see what she thought. Instead of constructive feedback, he said he could hear her upstairs, laughing uproariously. Having read a “love scene” in one of his many books, I wasn’t laughing at him but I definitely agreed with his wife that writing romance was not his strength. 😉

As a writer of historical romance, I can testify that kissing scenes can be a challenge. But when it’s well written, it will bring your readers back to your swoony novels again and again.

Now, if you were to ask me about writing scenes in an action thriller or a fantasy novel, I’d probably stare at you with a lost expression on my face. I’m always in wonder when others can carry these genres off well, with believable plots and characters. Me? I’ll stick with a tender kissing scene any day. 😉

So what are your strengths? If you’re not sure, ask yourself a few questions:

1. What are your favorite books to read? Do you ever imagine certain scenes being written in a different way?
2. Can you imagine scenes playing in your mind as though they are a movie image in your brain?
3. When you write a scene and read it back to yourself, does it move you in some way, whether to tears or perhaps to stir adrenaline from the suspense?
4. Perhaps most important, do you have an honest person who supports you in your writing endeavors yet will be truthful in their critique? Someone like John Grisham’s wife?

By understanding your strengths, it helps you then to understand your weaknesses. Does that mean you should never write anything in which you feel lacking? Not necessarily. But it should send you a signal that, if you want to write a love scene or a police drama or a comedy, you may need to study up and improve your skills in that area.

Perhaps for Mr. Grisham, he is wiser to stick with his legal dramas that he pens so well. Even he had to admit in his interview that he was not adept at writing a love scene.

I actually found encouragement in his interview. Not every writer has to do everything well.

Carry on

Elaine Marie Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her latest release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She penned the three-book Deer Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. She freely admits to being a history geek. Look for her upcoming series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. The 4-book series is entitled Dawn of America and begins with a prequel novella (War’s Respite) and Book 2, a novel entitled Love’s Kindling. You can visit her site at www.elainemariecooper.com