Juliana Haygert

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RTW: Writing superpower and kryptonite

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival,” where YA Highway’s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.”

This week’s topic:

What are your writing and publishing superpowers (drafting? beta-reading? writing queries? plotting? character creation? etc.) — and what’s your kryptonite?

My superpowers:

1) Passion for writing. I just love writing. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. This is my dream job.

2) Ideas. My ideas and premises are all sort of original. For my paranormal stuff, I create monsters on my own (no more vamps and werewolves and angels, pls!) and create fantastic worlds and all the rest. It’s really good.

3) Opening and closing of scenes and chapters. At least that’s what my beta-readers and editors tell me. I’m quick to identify setting, identify the conflict and expose the tension, and finish with something hanging so the reader wants to keep reading. I guess that’s good, right?

4) Main Character. I add layers and layers of awesomeness and more layers and layers with flaws we can relate to. Also, they all have a hobby that enriches and adds to their personality, like singing, dancing, playing some sports, painting, collecting something, whatever …

 

My kryptonites:

1) Self-doubt. I start a story with all the confidence in the whole, then, half-way through it, I’m doubting it’s going anywhere. Will it be good? Will others like it? It’s the same when I’m querying and I have fulls out. Omg, why did I send that crap, it wasn’t good enough, it wasn’t ready LOL

2) Deadline. In the meaning that I need one. Self-imposed deadlines work for a while … and I confess I’m better when I know someone expects to see my work after that deadline. I work better under pressure.

3) Ideas. Same as my superpower Ideas, but the next part of it. My ideas are awesome, but then I start adding complications and sub-plots … and it suddenly starts to look too big for simple me to handle. It’s like I don’t feel I’m the right writer for them, like they need a much, much better writer …

4) Grammar. English is my Second Language. Some people swear they would never know if I didn’t tell them and a freelance proofreader once said my grammar is better than many American writers she already worked with (poor girl, had very bad clients lol), but I know it’s not perfect. I always hire a freelance editor before sending my work out.

5) Age. Not in the sense that it’s bad, but it brings me down when I stop to think about it too much. I like to write what some people call New Adult, but it’s not very accepted by agents and editors. Many, many people suggest I switch to YA or adult, and the thought of rewriting all my manuscripts just to adjust that freaks me out. I’ve been trying to adjust my NaNo novel from NA to YA and oh what a headache, and it also makes me blue.

6) Impatience. I’m the most impatient person I ever known. Oh, believe me, I know publishing and writing are all about waiting and waiting and waiting … but don’t you want to strangle waiting and impatience and time sometimes? I do. I wish I was a calm and very patient person. Unfortunately, I’m not.

 

As I suspected when I started this post, I found more weak spots than strong ones. And I bet that if I spent a lot of time thinking about this topic I would find many more kryptonites and a few other super powers, but these are the ones that came up on the top of my head.

 

Your turn. What are your writing/publishing superpowers and kryptonites?

Cheers,

Comments

  1. Wow, English is your second language?! I’m in awe and, if I’m honest, a little jealous! (I so wish that I could speak two languages fluently).

    I adore your lists. I can relate to you on the self-doubt, ideas and impatience!

  2. You know, I think it’s those stories–the ones where you’re scared you’re not the right writer for them because you think someone better could do them justice–are the ones you HAVE to write. They’re the challenges, the stories that will make you grow as a writer. They’ll push you and keep your passion strong. As long as you don’t give into that self-doubt!

  3. I’m so jealous of your first chapter powers. I should have put them as part of my kryptonite…I get them eventually, but they take forever…they’re usually the first and last thing I work on in a book.

  5. I share a lot of the same kryptonites as you. Your superpowers are pretty awesome, and I’m a little envious of the last three :) Great post!

  6. I can relate to so many of your superpowers and Kryptonites! I share yours self doubt and ideas that complicate too much. I’m envious of your superpowers of opening and closing scenes–I feel like I have to put tons of effort to get mine shiny enough.

  7. I like reading “New Adult” even if it isn’t a recognized genre yet. I think in a few years it will take off, it just needs a big break out best seller to show publishers there is a market for it. Maybe that break out writer will be you.

  8. I agree writing is my dream job too, I say write what your heart wants and not worry about the ages. I wish I could pick up another language I’ve been giving serious thought to the Rosetta Stone!

  10. I’m totally with you on the superpowers and Kryptonite.I love daydreaming and that’s what led me to writing. I like my ideas. I hope others will too. I like to think I have a good eye for plots and what’s missing. I think I’m a pretty good critiquer/beta. Tho I haven’t done many.

    My weakness is probably editing, because I get so frustrated being a newbie. I just keep educating myself. I know it will come with time.

    I completely doubt myself at times but then I think, its my story, I can make it as stupid as I like and I’m allowed to write poorly. As long as I keep writing. There’s time to make fixes later.

    Great post, Juliana :)

    • Oh, editing is a b*tch! That’s why I work so hard on my first draft, b/c I want to minimize my revising time …
      Thanks for stopping by!

  11. Great post. I have no idea what my super-powers and kryptonite are as I am only on the beginning of my journey with y first wip! Maybe I should find a beta-reader to examine what I have written so far and let me know what they think!? ;)

  12. Great post! I’m in favor of more New Adult, too! I think it creates an outlet for more edgy work.

  14. I have a friend who writes what I’d call “New Adult” and she has the same problem you do–it just doesn’t seem to fit well with anyone. Which is a shame, because it’s an interesting stage of life and I feel like it would have a big audience.

  15. I’m good with character creation and editing. Not so good with beginnings. I also rarely have lots that needs to be cut, but that has its drawbacks, because that means I need to add a lot later.

  16. What a great way to look at strengths and weaknesses. My own superpowers include grammar queen, plot ideas, likeable characters, and perseverence with research. My Kryptonite is probably the same as the first one you listed – self-doubt. I also get frustrated with myself for not starting this career path 20 years ago when I didn’t have family and household to juggle with it (and I don’t want to neglect those!).

  17. I’m super impressed that you write in your second language. I hope I’m that fluent in another language at some point!

    I also struggle with self-doubt (I think all writers have that!) but my passion for writing trumps it. :)

  21. Ok, I changed my mind about writing my own blog post on this, so I’ll just answer here!

    Superpowers:
    Copyediting – especially now that I do a lot of it at work
    Ideas – in terms of having oh so many! It’s ridiculous sometimes.

    Kryptonite:
    Description – I can’t visualize as well as other people, and I really hate writing/reading description. I need to fix this!
    Antagonists – mine all seem really generic. And not very cool…
    Ideas – in terms of they are shiny and distracting.