Who Am I

Who Am I? What Am I Missing?
by Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick (AKA May McGoldrick)

No matter where we are in our writing vocation-regardless of how many stories we have in our heads or how many books we have written-the time always comes when we ask ourselves, "Why we are not moving on to that next step?"

Well, after going to the corner psychic and after consulting Chita St. Lawrence's fabulous book on reading the cards, the next thing we recommend is doing a survey of your strengths and weaknesses. And believe us, this is much easier than Madame Rouge's suggestion to bury a live chicken up to its neck in the neighbor's yard by the light of a full moon!

To prepare, look back at any writing that you've done. The purpose of this is not to depress you or to pump up your ego. We simply want you to look as honestly as possible at yourself as a writer. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Then jot down answers to these questions…

Are you one of those people with a constant surge of ideas? When you read the paper, watch the news, watch people in a mall, do you often ask, what if?

Is it easy for you to create the people in your fiction? Do you know what they look like? Do you know their past, present, and future? Do you feel their pain, their motivation, their aspirations? Do your characters talk back to you? (If you answered yes to the last question, you may need a therapist.)

Do your characters have identifiable internal and external conflicts? Is their conflict more than a mere misunderstanding that can be resolved by simply talking it out? Will the resolution of their internal conflict directly enable them to resolve their external conflict?

Do you like creating detailed plots? Are you familiar with plotting techniques? Do you have the ability to see a beginning, middle, and end to your story before you begin to write? Do you have enough key points of action built into your novel to keep the reader turning the pages?

As with plot, are you able to see a beginning, middle, and end in your subplots? Do you have the ability to weave the subplots effectively into your story?

How effective are you in writing dialogue? Are you able to create different voices for the different characters in your novel? Can you capture diverse feelings in the course of a conversation?

Can you use descriptive language to effectively depict what you have personally experienced? Can you effectively describe what you have researched, but never seen (as in historical fiction)? Can you effectively conjure the language to describe what you have never seen (or what may not even exist-as in fantasy, futuristic, or science fiction novels)?

Can you effectively maintain a single point of view for an extended passage? Have you intentionally given the dog, the cat, and the rocking chair a point of view? Do you have a preference (or an obsession) with writing from single versus multiple points of view?

Do you know when to end a chapter? Does your ending include an element of surprise or misunderstanding or mystery that will encourage a reader to turn the page (rather than put down the book)? Do you use subplots to delay the reader's gratification of expectation?

Do you write a first draft with revision in mind? Do you see revision as a positive part of the writing process? Do you have the ability to look objectively and critically at your own work? Are you willing to throw away large sections of your work in the revision process?

Does the time-consuming, detailed process of "finish work" give you great satisfaction? Is grammar prominent in your repertoire of writer's skills? Can you punctuate effectively?

Do you have a good sense of balance regarding the mix of fact and fiction? Do you have the discipline to set a deadline on the amount of research in your preparation to write? Do you have a good network and understanding of available resources?
13. Writing Habits...Discipline

Are you a goal setter? Are you driven to achieve those goals? Do you need positive incentives to motivate you?

Do you refuse to pout, sulk, or kick the dog because of something your critique partner pointed out about your work? Can you separate yourself from your work and take a positive approach to criticism that is being offered objectively? Can you separate the person (the critique partner) from the comments and forgive them some time in the next century? Do you revel in retaliation?

Are you able to put as much energy into the business aspects of your work as you do on the creative aspects? Are you confident in your knowledge and skills in both areas? Can you (once again) separate yourself from your creative efforts and see your writing as a "product"?
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You've finished the quiz! What you do next should fall under one of the following categories:

· Borrow a copy of Marriage of Minds: Collaborative Fiction Writing (Heinemann, June 2000) by Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick, and then consider collaborating with someone who complements your strengths and weaknesses.

When they are not busy barbecuing chickens, Jim and Nikoo McGoldrick write historical romances under the name of May McGoldrick for NAL, suspense thrillers under the name of Jan Coffey for MIRA, and nonfiction for Heinemann. Jim and Nikoo's 2000 releases are:

..Highland Treasure Trilogy:
THE DREAMER (Onyx, May 2000)
THE ENCHANTRESS (Onyx, August 2000)
THE FIREBRAND (Onyx, November 2000)
and
..MARRIAGE OF MINDS: Collaborative Fiction Writing (Heinemann, June 2000)

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