Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer

Posted: October 17th, 2013

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Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer

Strengths

One of my strengths as a writer is my good sense of humor. This is explored in my creative pieces. I tend to see life from a positive perspective, and this has helped me develop humorous stories. Most of my writings have an interesting twist of humor, which entertains and attracts the readers. I am an adamant reader. I started reading from an early age, and my love for books and knowledge has never diminished. I believe that the best writers are those who value reading. My writing highly depends on what I read. I always have a book in my backpack and I am constantly online, in libraries looking for new material. I rely on spoken vocabulary in most of my work. Spoken language is the basis of any writer, and it is essential to listen and learn from yourself and other people. This sharpens my skill and prowess in writing.

I seek perfection in everything I do. When it comes to writing, I ensure that I have done extensive research before embarking on the subject matter. I look for information in textbooks, the internet and interactions with relevant people. My research helps me to write facts, as I am a believer in the importance of truth. Expressing myself through my writing teaches me about truth and transparency. I always strive to accomplish my goals in writing. Whatever task is required of me is done to the best of my ability. Writing and proofreading my work helps me improve my writing my standards. I appreciate positive criticism for my work and this has molded me into what I am today. Listening to other people’s ideas and opinions about my writing provides opportunities for improvement. I have an excellent memory, which helps me write outstanding work. Impressive imagination comes from photographic memory especially in academic writing. I am able to remember what was taught in class and use it in my writing.

Weaknesses

One of my greatest weaknesses in writing is my speed. I am a slow writer. This is attributed by the fact that I spend a lot of time doing research. It is also because I prefer working under the last-minute pressure. After collecting my research, I organize and structure everything before I start writing, a process that takes a lot of time. My speed sometimes prevents me from beating class deadlines. Some of my strengths contribute to my weaknesses. For instance, my need for perfection reduces my speed in writing. My ideas are not always clear to other people. This makes it hard for me to appreciate my work because I consider myself quite transparent. Most times, I find myself explaining my writing to enhance cohesion in the readers. I would like to excel in this area as part of my learning process in class.

The most common mistake I have as a writer is the misuse of punctuation marks. This I have learnt through proofreading and teachers’ comments. Understanding where to place the correct punctuation marks has always been a problem to me. When structuring my sentences, I find it difficult to place commas and semicolons. I have had this problem since elementary, and even after private tuition I still get confused by the two punctuation marks. My handwriting is not decipherable. I have never been able to shape my letters and words. This makes my work quite illegible. I tend to join my letters even after a full stop and this prevents my readers from distinguishing between beginning and ending of sentences.

Sometimes I tend to write unnecessarily complex words. This weakness might be due to my extensive reading or because I indulge myself in too many conversations. I tend to complicate simple assignments by being over punctilious about vocabulary. It comes off as overstating my perspective because I try to make sure that the reader understands and to impress my teachers. As mush as I enjoy reading, I have my preferences, and this sometimes prevents me from writing satisfactory work especially when the topic does not interest me. Developing plot for ‘less interesting’ topics is an impediment to admirable writing. Research and data collection also becomes restricted because of laxity to write inspiring pieces.

Analysis

It is said that practice makes perfect. My strengths and weaknesses in writing continue to shape my inscription ability. I have attended several seminars, talks and trainings about writing across the country, and this has helped me improve especially in my weak points. I have learnt to rely on my strengths in writing and use these strengths through constant practice and criticism from my teachers and peers. To improve my speed, my older brother helps me time myself when I am at home. I allocate estimable time to my research and ensure that I hand in my work on time. I also try to use simple language when writing to enhance understanding in the readers and teachers.

I am making progress in my handwriting since I adapted writing letters and messages instead of using the phone and computer. I am learning to shape my letters with my six-year-old nephew. I carry around a pen and notebook, and this has helped me to write neater compositions and dissertations. I am still learning about correct placement of punctuation marks, thanks to my tutor. I try to read material that does not interest me so that I expand my knowledge and expression skills. I only apply complicated vocabulary when it is required of me. It is important for me to improve my writing since I am planning to write a novel.