Evaluating a Writer's Strengths; Challenges in Writing a Novel: Volume II

O boy, here goes senior Pretentious yet again, eh?  What's with this whole "Challenges in Writing a Novel" series about anyway?  Does crackpot know anything about anything!?

Well, self-doubt, I'm sorry but at least for today I'm going to put you on the shelf, and rave about the things I'm good at, or at least think I'm good in my self-dilusional ways.

The truth of the matter there are A LOT of things that I think I'm good at as pertains to writing a novel, and just plain old writing in general.  So let's dive right in and explore what E.C.Henry thinks about himself as pertains to being a writer and what he thinks he's good at.

Things E.C. Henry thinks he's good at as a writer:

1. E.C. Henry is GREAT at writing in the 3rd person omnicient point-of-view.  And what does that mean?  That means I can functionally jump arround and get you, the reader, inside the heads of the characters in my stories beter that most--if not all--writers you will run across in your lifetime.  
2. E.C. Henry is tenacious and never gives up.  I don't let problems stand in my way.  Rather, I choose to acknowlege their existence and look for possible solutions.  Case and point writing and bringing to completion, "A Heart Built on the Sand", this dark urban drama was SUPPOSED to be the easiest story I ever wrote, as it it loosely based on a woman I worked for, and what COULD have happened to her given the pressures I figured she was under.  The world of "A Heart Built on the Sand" was one that I knew very well.  But the subject matter of a woman pushed to the edge, who ultimately succumbs to the pressure and goes on a shooting rampage was a world that I had a hard time staying in.  It was like two poles of the magnet that repell each other.  BUT, though it took 3 times the time I thought it would to write, I saw it through and brought this story to completion.  E.C. Henry is a finisher.  Believe it!
3. E.C. Henry is willing to spend a lot of time devoping the characters of his stories.  I do not believe that great characters are born overnight.  Sure there are times of great inspiration, and other times where it's a total grind.  But I believe in a mult-tiered approach to character building.  I'm a big believer in character bio.  That's a GREAT place to start: what does the character look like, what's their backstory, ultimately what do they want and what's their goal.  This is however a staring place.  Afterwhich time I like to exlore how these characters interact with each other, and how that changes them, OR how they want to change other characters.  Great characters are the life-blood of a story, this in making them I believe each character needs it's own magic point: the time and place where they become alive in the mind of the writer, then hopefully alive in the mind of the reader.  Life is the ultimate end-all as I see character develpment being.  I think I do a very good job at pulling that off.
4. E.C. Henry is GREAT at delivering a vision.  You may not like what I have to say, but I honestly believe that by the time I set a story down and say it's ready to go, it's ready to go.  I have a finalized vision to present, and I think I can articulate that vision to anyone who asks it of me.  One caveat: please realize that the writer's mind is in the moment of what he or she is in process of writing RIGHT NOW, thus if someone were to show intererest in any past story I've written it's going to take me a moment to readjust my mind to address that story once again.  Case and point: "The Judas Project", it's been YEARS since I did anything with that dark urban drama.  I know what it's about, and the feelings in conjures up in me, but to discuss it's intimate details would require me re-readig the story myself, and refamiliarizing myself with its details.  
5. E.C. Henry goes the extra mile to do every story he commits to the justice it deserves.  I do not believe in JUST doing one draft.  I tend to go a little overboard and write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more untill I push myself to a point of burnout where any more writing actually hurts the final product.  The first instance of burnout I remember came with the completion of "Revenge of the Fat Chicks".  I wrote, and rewrote that story untill I was blue in the face.  Finally, I started to realize that the fatigue of beating a dead horse was hurting the story more that in was helping, and I had to set it aside.  Still, I don't believe in one and done; I think great writing and great story ONLY comes when a writer really pushes him or herself to the point to burnout.  First drafts only layout the basic narrative.  It's in the later drafts that great description is found.  
6. E.C. Henry writes great bad guys.  I think I have a knack for crafting a good, original vilian.  Part of the reason for that is that I NEVER look at what's been done before, but rather try to let the vilian emmurge on his or her own.  Best villian I think I've ever created.  Hmmm... That's a good question.  The one that jumps to my mind the quickest is Orin Bjornson, a.k.a "The Brick" from "The Commune."  I liked Orin because at the beginning of the story I feel as though he's set-up to be the hero, but then by the end of the story he's cleary the main vilian, and a new new hero has emerged. Besides that, I just like spending time with the vilian, and getting to know what makes him or her tick.  I try to make my vilians so that though the audience has a rooting interest against them, they also understand why they feel led to do the things that they're doing.  
7. E.C.Henry is great at being able to move on from a writing project that he's fully vested in, and creating something new and original.  Look, I LOVE romantic comedies.  If I could I thinks that's all I would write.  Yes, I love them that much.  BUT that's not the healthiest way for a writer to behave.  I think a good writer needs to be diverse and be willing to write in different genres.  Why?  It keeps you fresh.  Sure, you may have a knack for writing well in a given genre, but eventually the creative mind wants to be stimulated in a new way.  I am of the mind a writer needs to be fearless and willing to branch off and try someting new, otherwise you risk the quality of your work going down as your mind bores with a given subject.

Okay, so that's me.  That's how E.C.Henry sees himself as a writer.  Am I off my rocker or what?  That's what the comment section is for, you dipshits!  And if you don't feel comfortable with that you can always hit me up on that e-mail link.

Notice a lot of things I didn't site: mastery of the English language, writiing great poetic lines, writing good guys, mastery of a given genre.  The truth of the mater is, there's a lot of things I struggle with--but I'm resolved to get better at.  A long time ago when I was in college my English skills were sited as being sub-standard.  I had to take a rememedial class in college for English.  That's always stuck with me.  BUT their is more to being a writer than getting stuck on English.  

Pretentiousness can go a long way.  FUCK my weaknesses, I'm moving forward, man!  Don't like my roll, don't read my shit.  I don't care.  I'm looking for people and an audience who likes me.  Sigh, I may be looking my whole life for that, but that's how I roll!  Pretentious as all fuck.  Get used to it!  I can't let me doubters get the best of me.  Why?  Because I have gifts to share with the world.  Wonderfull stories that only I am capable of delivering.  Regardless of what you may think of me, I have some great attributes that make for a great writer of great stories.   A little self-confidence can go a long way.  And that's what this post is about.

Sure, there are a lot of challegnes in writing a novel, but I am up to that challenge and will deliver a novel that is second to none.  Why?  Because E.C. Henry has a lot strengths that he can draw off.