Friday, October 12, 2007

News and a Tag

The wedding came off with a hitch, as in we got hitched. (Ha ha ha. I just crack myself up.)

But seriously, we had a great day. The ceremony was short and sweet and Lana looked beautiful. Many pictures were taken by our friend Katya, but she has to download them for us. I will be posting some in time. Afterward, we took the entire wedding party to dinner at Trey Yuen, the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. Of course, the entire party consisted of Lana, me, Katya, my son Josh and his girlfriend Heidi, and Mark, our friend and minister. Today we plan to have a picnic and then spend the weekend relaxing and enjoying our deck. It’ll be a quiet honeymoon, just like we like it.

In other items, I’ve been tagged by Lisa over at Eudaemonia to list five of my writing strengths. This has proven quite difficult because I keep wanting to qualify whatever strengths I come up with. I wonder why writers so often have trouble tooting their own horns. Anyway, here is the best I can do.

1. I do a pretty good job at description. Most people say they have no trouble visualizing what I’m writing about. This can be a bit overwhelming for some folks when I’m writing horror scenes, though.

2. From years of reading, I think I have a pretty decent vocabulary. I know words like swive and ophidian and aspergillum and squamous. Unfortunately, one seldom gets to use such words. Sigh!

3. I can put together a decent action scene. This is probably because I really enjoy writing them.

4. I’m my own worst critic. I consider this a strength rather than a weakness. Whatever I write, I write it to the best of my ability. That ability may not be so great, but I don’t shirk my duty to the reader and I don’t let laziness make me send out a piece that I know is inferior.

5. Perhaps my most important strength is that I actually enjoy rewriting. It’s fun to take something as ugly as my first drafts and make them look decent. Rewriting has definitely been the key to whatever small success I’ve had.

As for tagging others, I will politely resist the urge.

16 comments:

Shauna Roberts said...

It sounds like a great wedding and after-party. Trey Yuen was one of our favorite restaurants on the North Shore. Looking forward to seeing the pix.

I enjoyed reading about your strengths. It's useful for us aspiring novelists to see what published novelists consider their best writing traits.

Lisa said...

The best kind of wedding is the kind you described -- with all your closest friends and loved ones :)

Gosh, I was thinking you published authors would be much less self-critical! I guess we never grow out of questioning our talents!

You are right on about your descriptions. In few short bits of fiction you've posted here, I'm always right there.

Now see, that wasn't so bad, was it?

the walking man said...

sounds like a good tieing of the knot, jumping over the broom stick or what have you. Many years to you both.

Peace

TWM

Travis Erwin said...

Congrats!

I agree it is hard to toot your own horn, but you put toghether a fine list of strengths.

Bernita said...

Good job on all counts, Charles.

Charles Gramlich said...

Shauna, Trey Yuen is a kind of heaven. Thanks for the kind comments.

Lisa, I figure if I savage my own work first then I won't feel so bad about any other criticism I get.

Mark, thanks.

Travis, I appreciate it.

Bernita, your descriptions are certainly wonderful.

Jo said...

Omigosh! Congratulations. I love happy endings. How wonderful for you. Well, it's really a happy beginning, isn't it? Best wishes to your bride. It sounds like you have a perfect wedding.

Cheers!
Josie

Travis Cody said...

Congratulations.

Great list of strengths. Your descriptive writing has been a good guideline for me to follow. One of the things I struggle with is economy in my descriptions.

Erik Donald France said...

Sounds like the ideal wedding party. Fun!

The five things are interesting. "Own worst critic" is not uncommon among writers, but you have the (admirable) discipline to forge ahead regardless. Cheers!

Heather said...

HUGE Congrats Charles!!

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Sounds like it was a great day! So happy for your both. And I like your posted strengths! And I think you should definitely find a use for squamous. THat is just too good a word!

Drizel said...

Congrats Charles....YAY for you and your Lana....

Interesting about your writing always love reading about it:)

Charles Gramlich said...

Josie, thanks for dropping by. Yes, definetely a great beginning.

Travis (as in wolfman), I love good description, but yes, it has to be tight or it can get boring quickly.

Erik, I think it's definetely a benefit. Sort of like guilt for a person likely to sin? :)

H.E., thanks very much.

Ello, I have used it a couple of times in stories, but none recently. I'll get to work on that.

Etain, thanks, thanks.

writtenwyrdd said...

Great list of strengths. I think that knowing your strengths and weaknesses as best you can is one of the best tools a writer can have.

As for the wedding, congrats and I'm glad it went off with minimal fuss and bother. Weddings are so complicated.

I think the most complicated one I ever participated in was a pagan broom-jumping one with catholic elements to keep the in-laws from freaking too badly. Very colorful, and we had lots of fire, beer and a big party.

Erik Donald France said...

Haha -- there's the Catholic in ya ;)

Michelle's Spell said...

Hey Charles,
The wedding sounds fantastic! Congratulations. As for your writing strengths, your list looks good to me. I would be hard-pressed to give mine -- sometimes I'm on and sometimes not.