What is Your Biggest Challenge as a Writer?

[CDawson]

For me, the biggest challenge is utilizing words that sound like one another but have different meanings. When done correctly, this technique can be very good. When used incorrectly, it can be terrible. Here are some examples:

hare
hair

see
sea

eye
I

read
reed

[tremor]

My biggest issue I have is focusing too much on story, and not delving into what the people and places look like.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy S4 Using Tapatalk

[K.S. Crooks]

Find the time to write and edit. For my writing, portraying the flavour of my story- Taking the colours, sounds, smells and textures I envision and conveying them to a reader.

[Loser&Loner]

Building a social media platform when I avoid social media...

[Grace Gabriel]

Sausage rolls.

The flaky pastry gets stuck in the keyboard..

I underestimated the power of my vacuum cleaner and lost three keys.

Hard to write anything with only two vowels at your disposal.

Don't be ridiculous and suggest I eat sausage rolls elsewhere - I've got it covered - I'm packing spare keyboards now.

[SecretDurham]

Dialogue.

Sometimes can't get it to flow right, and it seems strained.

Characters.

Getting the right feel for them, who they are and what they are likely to say.

World building.

Descriptions don't always go down too well, Purple Prose shows its face to annoy me.

Quite a lot when i think about it... Haha!

Aporica "Don't give up, just give in. Give in to what your head says, clean it up later."

"Thanks for that, Aporica. Will do!"

[Leila]

Devising plots. Guess that's why I stick to poetry these days ...

[Nisaba]

Originally Posted by Leila

Devising plots. Guess that's why I stick to poetry these days ...

I'm terrible at plotting, too. Even when following a structure it never goes my way. I have a collection of characters without stories because of this.

However, I think my biggest challenge as a writer is consistently wanting perfection. It's healthy to criticize your own work but sometimes I do it so much that it inhibits my ability to write.

[Theresajcbs]

My grammar sucks I have great idea's and finish the work, but I get beat down for my lack of proper grammar. That's why I am in places like this, to write and learn and get tips.
Plus I just joined a grammar class, so hope it all helps, cause I have a book coming out in Oct! LOL

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by Theresajcbs

My grammar sucks I have great idea's and finish the work, but I get beat down for my lack of proper grammar. That's why I am in places like this, to write and learn and get tips.
Plus I just joined a grammar class, so hope it all helps, cause I have a book coming out in Oct! LOL

You can learn grammar, but you can't 'learn' to tell a good story.

[Elenita]

My recent biggest challenge is being unable to write something that's not depressing. I want to write something that would make people smile and feel positive but every time I sit down to write my mind throws itself off a cliff and I get sucked into this dark abyss of dismal stories.

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by Elenita

My recent biggest challenge is being unable to write something that's not depressing. I want to write something that would make people smile and feel positive but every time I sit down to write my mind throws itself off a cliff and I get sucked into this dark abyss of dismal stories.

I love dismal stories. I think it was Owen who recently wrote a happy bunny story. You should look it up; maybe it will inspire you😀


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Lockette]

Originally Posted by Elenita

My recent biggest challenge is being unable to write something that's not depressing. I want to write something that would make people smile and feel positive but every time I sit down to write my mind throws itself off a cliff and I get sucked into this dark abyss of dismal stories.

Do it. Most of the stuff I've written on here is depressing. It's a form of expression. If it comes easier than stuff with a positive outlook, embrace it. We read sad stories and depressing tales because we need to feel better about our lives. You could have a career in there ( or at least a dedicated following on here)

I struggle with revising. I hate it. I do it, but it always seems like I'm doing something wrong. I always get that feeling of regret when I rewrite a paragraph. Am I making a mistake? It sucks.

[Lockette]

Originally Posted by brianpatrick

I love dismal stories. I think it was Owen who recently wrote a happy bunny story. You should look it up; maybe it will inspire you😀


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I laughed. That story was amazing. 'They fucking loved it.'

[brianpatrick]

Originally Posted by Lockette

Do it. Most of the stuff I've written on here is depressing. It's a form of expression. If it comes easier than stuff with a positive outlook, embrace it. We read sad stories and depressing tales because we need to feel better about our lives. You could have a career in there ( or at least a dedicated following on here)



I struggle with revising. I hate it. I do it, but it always seems like I'm doing something wrong. I always get that feeling of regret when I rewrite a paragraph. Am I making a mistake? It sucks.

I started writing at age 44. Before that I wrote songs and played the bass guitar.

Once I learned how to write a short story rejected the idea of re-writes for a long time. I thought if I could just make it “perfect” the first time I wouldn’t need to.

I’ve learned in the last six years it’s pretty much impossible to ignore the rules, much as I tried.

Write a first draft (edit as you go, fine).

Let it sit.

Revise first draft.

Seek outside criticism (really listen to what others say about specifics).

Rewrite, refine.

Let a real editor have his shot (I have free access to several; YMMV).

Fix what he/she says (mostly).

Then you have a finished product.

I don’t think there are many short-cuts.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Elenita]

Originally Posted by Lockette

Do it. Most of the stuff I've written on here is depressing. It's a form of expression. If it comes easier than stuff with a positive outlook, embrace it. We read sad stories and depressing tales because we need to feel better about our lives. You could have a career in there ( or at least a dedicated following on here)

I struggle with revising. I hate it. I do it, but it always seems like I'm doing something wrong. I always get that feeling of regret when I rewrite a paragraph. Am I making a mistake? It sucks.

A dedicated following on here is motivation enough for me 😆

[fleamailman]

("...perhaps it's the challenge of becoming that which I am while here I suppose..." related the goblin in all honesty, adding "...I mean if you don't believe in what you write while writing it then do you really think that your readers will believe in it any more than you do...", the old man typed on, ignoring the goblin for a moment as halloween had been that chance to say what must be said to the dead, all summed up in those simple words of "I miss you now", but the goblin in reading his thoughts intervened with the words "...couldn't we just have one halloween where you're not thinking back like that..." their eyes met, then in guilt the old man's eye gaze hit the floor, of course the goblin hadn't meant it like that even if it was like that between them, relating "...remember the plot is a creature one tries to capture for those readers there simply by outlining its footprints to them, yet the real challenge for us at least is not falling too far behind the plot itself while not going too far ahead of those reading you, a steady pace of following the plot while guiding the readers onwards, either way old man it's this online here online or just your dailylife there, so wish the past well and on with the show while it lasts...")

[Birb]

I think the biggest challenge for me is putting my thoughts down on the page. Where I went to school grammar was taught only very briefly, so it is a sore point for me. I also have problems with motivation. Whenever I write something and put it somewhere (say, discord) either nobody reads it or it gets the rather unhelpful "it's gud." Criticism and visible improvement are a big thing for me and seeing as I rarely see that in the stuff that I write it makes it more difficult to start writing.

[fleamailman]

("...you're good and getting better still..." observed the goblin on Birb's side in this, then adding "...I mean what doesn't come with the practice of it then, but if ever you feel that you're in a rut, or that you're not being read, just add the postcount together with the hitcount inconspicuously at the bottom of your post, then bump the thread with more content returning at some time later point to see if the hitcount has increased, where more often than not you'll be both surprised and encouraged...", in fact, the goblin had sometimes wondered how those without posts could possibly write books, relating "...for me, a writer without posts is like a painter without sketches...")

[Gaines]

Finding the proper writing quills.