Writing Weaknesses

There are very few world-class writers who can handle every aspect of writing well. Most writers are lacking in one or more areas. Some writers struggle with plots, others with character development, and still others with dialogue. They could shine in other areas, but there is always that one ingredient that they can't get a grip on, and it's not hard to spot if you've been reading for a long time.

My issue is description. Whether it's simply describing a person, or setting the scene for the upcoming action, I struggle with creating vivid, memorable descriptions. I've found myself writing an entire page of nothing but dialogue between two or three characters, and having to go back to interject some sort of description outside of the quote marks. Not because it's difficult to tell the speakers apart; I've gotten pretty good at differentiating people's voices so it's easy for the reader to figure out who is speaking what line. But sometimes they might as well be two nondescript people in an empty room, for all the description I've given them.

It's something I've always had a hard time with; I like getting to the action, and getting bogged down in describing things doesn't interest me. I trace it back to when I first read Lord of the Rings, whose author, J.R.R. Tolkien, is one of those world-class writers I mentioned at the beginning. He told a great story, his characters were memorable and realistic, he wrote dramatic action and dialogue filled with hooks. And he described everything. And I do mean, everything. I remember snarkily commenting more than once that Tolkien took the opportunity to describe every blade of grass and puddle the heroes stepped on. Frankly, it bored me. But looking back at it now, it really was an immersion into the world he had created. The next time I read through it, I'm going to pay more attention to the descriptions he gives.

I mention this because I've been going over my new mystery, Spoiled Ballot. And yes, I gave it that name long before the U.S. Election. I just didn't finish writing it until now. But the biggest issue I have with it is the lack of description. Thinking about it, I don't know if I've ever described Bill and Cameron so that people can visualize them. I'll have to re-read the first couple of books to see. It's weird; I can picture them in my head, I just have a hard time writing that picture down. So, with the new one, I'm going to try to add some more descriptions to give the readers more to work with. And to hide the clues better, of course. That's part of the fun, hiding the clues that will lead to the murderer.

So, while you're waiting for that book, might I suggest you take a look at some other Cameron Vail mysteries, such as the second one I wrote (but the third chronologically), The Missing Magnate? It's got family drama, new characters, and a very well-hidden murderer. It's available in e-book format on Amazon, so check it out.