How do you identify your writing weaknesses? And, even more importantly, how can you tell if something really is a weakness? In this episode, I share five ways writers can recognize recurring craft problems, strengthen weak areas, and distinguish poor execution from intentional writing style.
Every story presents its own challenges. Struggling with one beginning doesn't necessarily mean you're bad at beginnings. But when the same problem keeps cropping up across multiple stories, that's information worth paying attention to.
We'll look at how to identify writing weaknesses by listening to your story sense, noticing what you consistently avoid, comparing patterns across multiple stories, and learning from beta readers, critique partners, editors, and reader reviews. We'll also talk about the important difference between the inner critic's generalized judgments and the specific diagnostic nudges that can actually help you improve your writing.
But identifying a recurring pattern raises another question: Is it actually a weakness?
Writing craft is largely the study of patterns that work. But not every departure from those patterns is a mistake. Writers such as Kurt Vonnegut, William Faulkner, and Cormac McCarthy made unconventional choices that became part of their distinctive styles. The real question is whether your choices effectively communicate what you intend.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
• What writing weaknesses actually are
• 5 ways to identify recurring weaknesses in your writing
• How to distinguish your inner critic from your story sense
• Why patterns across multiple stories matter
• How to use feedback without surrendering your own judgment
• When breaking writing "rules" becomes a stylistic strength
• How to turn weak areas into stronger writing skills
Read the transcript: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/identify-writing-weaknesses/
LINKS & RESOURCES Want More?
WRITING MASTERCLASS: Flat Character Arcs: From Transformation to Integration
https://kmweilandstore.com/b/flat-character-arc-class
If character arcs are one of the areas you'd like to understand more deeply, my new masterclass Flat Character Arcs: From Transformation to Integration explores not just how Flat Character Arcs work, but why.
The more deeply we understand the patterns underneath story (i.e., the reasons certain choices create meaning and resonance), the less we have to rely on memorized "rules." Instead, we can begin internalizing the principles themselves and using them instinctively in our own stories.
You can also save 15% by purchasing the class as part of my Writing Steadfast and Tragic Character Arcs bundle, together with Negative Character Arcs: Hidden Patterns of Self-Deception.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Welcome! I'm K.M. Weiland, award-winning and internationally published author of writing guides such as Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs. I mentor writers in story theory, technique, and the deeper meaning of narrative, alongside all the wild and wonderful highs and lows of the writing life.
On this channel, I explore how stories work, why they matter, and how writers can approach craft with both clarity and care.
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