Solutions - Day 4

16. Not Knowing What Your Theme/Intent Is. Theme was something that I always had trouble with when I was in school. I could never figure out what theme was. Then, one day it just clicked. I finally realized that all I start with is a theme...the feeling I have about the story, the overarching idea of it all, and then I build around it until what I have on paper matches what's in my head (or at least a close approximation).

17. Not Knowing Who Your Audience Is. This is a little tough for me, since technically I don't have an audience yet. My audience is me. But up until now, I was the target audience for many other writers. I think people might like what I write though. I hope so. Only time will tell. DSP seems to think they might, and as much as the self-conscious thirteen year old girl inside of me keeps pestering that I'm not good enough, I trust DSP. They put out good books. I like their books. A lot. So if they like me, then I must have done something right.

18. Playing Out Your Personal Demons on the Page. I think that every author leaves a piece of themselves on the page. How could you not? But leaving your mark on your work and blatantly psychoanalyzing your relationships in thinly veiled characters is something completely different. My life is pretty dull. I know that. No one would want to read about it. Ever. Not even me. The editing alone would be painful.

19. Not Having a Hook. Oh God. I am having horrifying flashbacks from debate. I get it though. I do. Be interesting, or no one will get past the first chapter.

20. Telling, Not Showing. This is yet another problem I am working to overcome. The telling is so much easier than the showing. I like the telling. The actions are much more difficult for me to write. The exposition, and background information just flies from my fingertips, but dialogue and actions are a struggle akin to Wesley pulling Buttercup from quicksand. Difficult, but necessary.