When I first started writing, some of the early feedback I received was that my dialogue was very good. My conversations seemed real and they did not read as one would expect. They were different.

I also heard that I did not create enough conflict to keep a story going.

In the end, (or the middle as this may be -- I hope) my strength turned out to be my voice. I have a strong storytelling voice with a bent towards humor.

Finding your own strength is writing is a good thing to know. What separates you from the pack? What makes a (INSERT NAME HERE) book? Finding your strength and working that to its fullest potential can be what makes you special in this business. Look at Nicholas Sparks. His specialty is NOT voice. He tells his story pretty straight-forwardly. But he's got that gut emotional appeal that connects him to his readers in a way that makes his books addictive.

You don't have to be the best writer in the world to find your place. There are certainly GREAT writers who can't tell a story to get through a paragraph. Look over your writing. What's your strength?

1. Voice?
2. Conflict?
3. Characters?
4. Dialogue?
5. Exciting individual scenes?
6. Plot?
7. Gut Emotional Appeal?
8. Romance Scenes?
9. Action Scenes?
10. Historical Information?
11. Setting?
12. Theme?
13. Something else?

Ask yourself where you fit in -- really work up your strengths and build where you're weak. This is not rocket science, but knowing where YOU as a writer fit into the marketplace can really help hone your proposals and get your book to its rightful audience.

Labels: advice for writers, Finding your strength as a writer, Voice