What are your writing strengths? (It's time we celebrated them!)

As writers, we often spend a lot of time dissecting and criticizing our work.

We're also no strangers to doubts and fears, as we discussed in last week's article on writing insecurities. But just how often do we acknowledge or even relish in what we're doing well? Friends, it's time we celebrated our writing strengths!

Today, I challenge you to consider where your strengths in writing lie, and then share them with the world. You can do so in a blog post or a video, in the comments below this article, or somewhere on social media. Whatever feels most comfortable to you. So what do you say? Are you up for the challenge? Don't worry, I'll kick things off by sharing a few of my personal writing strengths below:

#1: I'm confident in my plotting.

I absolutely love exploring plot and character arcs. I love dissecting them in the stories I read, learning about new structures and delving deeper into the ones I already know, and incorporating these structures into my own stories. Over time, I think I've grown to do this pretty well.

( I've also shared articles breaking down plot and character arcs here on the blog if you'd to check them out. )

#2: I have a strong critical eye for revisions.

As much as I despise drafting, I adore revising and editing. I tend to be very critical and do a great job of viewing my own work through an objective lens. What I've learned about the craft so far goes a long way toward helping me see exactly what isn't working with my storytelling and prose so I can rework my stories into something better.

#3: All of the theme, none of the preaching.

I grew up on a steady diet of Christian fiction books, and one of the things I didn't enjoy about many of them was the way their authors simply couldn't discuss a theme (e.g. guilt, shame, redemption, hope) without smacking readers over the head with a message — sometimes via a literal preaching scene.

Needless to say, those books taught me not to assume my readers are too dim to read between the lines. I've made a special effort to avoid this in my own stories, instead revealing my thematic statements via the ways in which my characters' arcs play out.

#4: I'm too stubborn to give up on my writing dreams.

I want to be a writer, and I am. But I also want to be a published writer, and better yet, an author for whom writing is a well-established career. No matter how difficult that path may seem, I've discovered that I’m far too hardheaded to let it go, and I’m perfectly okay with that.

In my time online, I've seen many writers lose faith in their work after facing countless rejections or disappointing sales numbers. I don't want to be that writer, and I won't. I've been labelled tenacious on my better days, pigheaded on my worst, and stubborn every day in between. I'm not giving up on my writing, and that's half the battle.

#5: I have writing endurance.

My tenacity isn't reserved for big-picture writing dreams. It's alive and kicking in my daily writing life, too! I often struggle to find the motivation to write, so for me, maintaining a daily writing habit is essential. It helps me cut through the initial resistance that plagues my writing sessions so I can make steady progress toward my dreams.  

There we have it, friends, my personal writing strengths. Now it’s your turn! Whether you do it for yourself or share it with the world, take some time today to meditate on what you’re doing well. It may just help you gain a little confidence in your writing life!