Good thing I enjoy solving puzzles. My writing journey involved many puzzle pieces - some assembly needed. The rookie mistakes I made way back when make me cringe now. (Thank God those stories were rejected. What was I thinking when I wrote them?)
When it comes to the Maven's theme for this week - what's your weakest writing area - I have to admit that its story cohesion, that is, putting the pieces of the puzzle together seamlessly. I believe that I have a good handle on plot, characterization, setting, dialogue, limited narrative, and tension. What's essential for me is to balance the mix so that it feels fresh and entertaining. Like blending gasoline or spicing up your salad dressing, you need to have the right mix of sweet to tart, of additive to fuel, otherwise the work doesn't fit together right.
Don't get me wrong, I still work hard on the individual elements too. But I live by Margie Lawson's multi-color EDITS system to assess the blend of story elements. Too much of the wrong element can really bog the story down. If it's an action scene, then you don't want paragraphs of introspection. If it's romance, you want to know what your POV character is feeling in the moment, so introspection (as a reaction to the current action) is needed.
So, for me the solving puzzle of a story is a labor of love. A change here shifts the puzzle there and must be incorporated into the design or else the finished puzzle isn't a picture anyone cares about. I also strongly believe in taking time to let the story sit after extensive editing, to then go back and read it fresh - before sending it out.
Happy reading and writing everyone! Maggie Toussaint
heartwarming suspense -- House of Lies ISBN 1601540310
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