Zindy question/plot

[jfields]

As an aside, the stories you're strongly drawn to usually will naturally play to your writing strengths. Writers who really focus on emotional connection/voice will be drawn to that even in a very episodic piece or a vignette. Also, the pieces that you're really drawn to might also be pointing you toward your age group strengths. So do notice the ones you LIKE because they'll teach you about your own strengths. And it's good to know our strengths.

But also pay close attention to PUBLISHED stories/books you don't like...not to pick out what you see as their weaknesses (because that's another way of resisting learning from them) but to really try to objectively learn from their strengths. Because often we'll shy away from those stories that are very strong in our weak spots. It's just human nature.

It's important to know our weaknesses as well and to objectively recognize them. It may be that you'll feel you're okay with them. I (for example) am very weak in the kind of writing needed for a strong historical story and I do tend to resist reading them...I tend to find them slow. But I do read them and I study what works...even though I probably will never be able to do them. I can accept it as my weakness, but I still look at objectively understanding how people who do it well manage it.

[jfields]

I do read historical, it's just not usually my first choice is I'm reading for fun. I just read THE LUCK OF THE BUTTONS which was historical and every bit as delightful as I'd been told.