Where are your weak spots?

[inkdust]

I've known for a while now that I struggle with grounding my scenes with setting details. I'm so wary of drawn-out descriptions of places and people that I run the risk of writing scenes that read more like dialogue scripts. So one element of tackling my second draft is consciously adding in more background details.

Where are your writing weaknesses? What do you do to try to overcome them?

Comments

[belacqua]

Description is something I do have to work at sometimes (especially when, as mentioned above, I'm switching from fanfic to original fiction or vice versa), but I enjoy it. I struggle more with writing distinct dialogue. I'll write out a couple lines, then look back and realize that the characters all sound like they have the same diction, humor, etc. I just don't have a good ear for that sort of thing. Lately, I've been stopping and rewatching/rereading someone else's work just to study the dialogue, but that can get tedious and I often lose inspiration before finishing. I'd love suggestions if anyone has any.

[sarillia]

Having characters talk with different voices is really hard. I struggle with that too. I try to think about how their personality would affect the way they talk and their social class and that sort of thing, but it's definitely tough.