Rhabbis First Level Two Assignment

[Rhabbi]

These articles were very well written and informative. I especially liked the tips about characterization. I have often find myself going back and rereading a previous description to see what I said. This often bothered me, and i wondered why. I actually adapted a character sheet from my favorite RPG to my writing so that I could keep track of the various things that I needed to about my characters.

I have always felt uncomfortable in writing dialogue, I think it is because I do not think about what I am going to say, and trying to think out the responses of two characters means i actually have to switch from one way of thinking/feeling/instinct to another inside my head for nearly every sentence. I am still working on this aspect of my writing and will probably always dread it.

I love conflict though. This is, to me is the essential element in any story. I feel that the internal conflict of a character is the most important, and have some writing trouble seeing a character without knowing about that conflict. From my earliest reading and steps into writing character conflict has been the driving point of the best stories, even if it is not always brought out. Motive is the basis to understanding everything and everyone.

As for external conflict, this is often only a reflection of the internal conflict. I often use the external dram of a story to help resolve internal issues. Does the fact that the character is being opposed by his family strengthen his resolve to do what he thinks he should, or does he decide to go with what his family wants?

Since I write mostly short fiction I have not had too much opportunity to delve into scene and sequel, so I am looking forward to working on it. I do think this ties in with my thoughts on internal character conflict and its effect on motivation. I think I will need to concentrate on resolving these issues a bit quicker though, not having the characters dwell on the options for page after.

The tips about deadwood are all pretty good, and something I really need to concentrate on. I tend to not use one word where I can use ten, a bad habit at any time, but especially when writing.

The tips about letting the characters tell the story actually reflect the way I write. Quite often in the middle of a story I find that the character has made a decision about what to that goes against what I had planned to happen. I often tell people that my characters have a life of their own, and that all I do is follow them around and record what they do.

Dialect and accents often distract from a story when I read it, and so I do not think I will ever use them in a story myself. It is usually easier to simply let a character talk in the local slang than to write out a story with an accent. I do have one character that I write with an accent, this is because the situation calls for him to be incomprehensible. If he could be understood the reader would wonder why other characters react the way they do.

I intend to become a better writer by using as many different techniques as possible, and then adapting the ones that work best for me. I like to experiment with styles and voices to see how well I can use them. I have read so many different authors that I often want to emulate something I have read before to see if I can make it work. This sometimes results in some interesting juxtapositions, but occasionally I find a new technique that really works for a specific character or story.

I want to become the best possible writer, and am striving to accomplish that through this site, and practice in other areas of my life also. If the only way to improve my writing is by throwing it up to objective criticism, then I will do so.

[Aussiegirl1]

Thank you Rhabbi, for an excellent response to the readings. I can see that you really thought about the ideas presented in each article. Of course, like all ideas, you take what works for you and leave the rest.

I am sure you will continue to improve your writing, not only because you are determined to do so, but also because you are open to new ideas and criticism. This view will take you far.

You can begin work on your second assignment as soon you are able to. Remember, though you are not to use a spell / grammar check, or anyone to edit your work, you can check over your work as many times as you wish.

The topic is up to you, so you can let your imagination fly!

Have fun and I look forward to reading more of your work.

Aussiegirl