Falling Short.

I am constantly amazed at how other authors sculpt words.

I read a wide variety of books - short stories, novels, series, non-fiction - across a variety of genres. And as I read, I find myself analysing whole sections, and trying to understand how the writer achieved certain effects. I've found this doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the text - I find it actually enhances it. The more I read, the more I realise I have to learn. And yes, I find it frustrates me from time to time. I'm filled with self doubts and feelings of writing inadequacy, but it's always followed by a determined optimism to learn and improve.

I'm currently writing a story that I really like. I like the ideas, the setting, the characters, but there are a couple of elements of storytelling I want to achieve that I haven't successfully managed to do.

But that's what the first draft is for. And the second draft will fix those parts, improve the story and the writing.

And hopefully, one day, all this will permeate my brain, and my first drafts will be closer to the second drafts.

Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.