All writers have strengths and weaknesses and, in order to grow as a writer, I believe it's important to know what they are.
The weaknesses in your own writing are often easier to spot than the strengths. For me, weakness shows in the details. I'm not a detail oriented person and so the nitty gritty part of writing is often the hardest thing for me. I'm a terrible speller, I can't spell Manhattan let alone ostentatious--both of which I had to check on spell check as I wrote this. Sometimes, my misspelling is so bad that spell check has no correction and I'll substitute another word for the original. I'll often substitute a word that sounds like the one I want for the one I want. I know, beyond any doubt, the difference between your and you're and its and it's, but I still manage to use them incorrectly when I write quickly.
I think I make these mistakes because I tend to be more auditory than visual. I hear the dialog and narratives I create rather than see the words as I put them to the page. Sometimes, I get them wrong.
The greatest weakness, though, can also be a strength. I suspect my 'auditory' writing style also makes it easy for me to write dialog. I love the way language sounds, the way the sound of it can be used to set the tone of a story. I love the rhythms of speech and how it varies from place to place, and from era to era. I use these frequently and I think I've gotten pretty good at using them.
I would also suspect that writers who are more visual in their approach have a different set of strengths. The precision of language allows them to 'paint' the scene with clarity. The meaning of their words isn't ever muddled. They are better spellers and don't make the silly mistakes I make.
All writers use both sight and sound, but I believe one is dominant and takes the lead. Maybe this is true of readers as well. Some readers focus in on description, and clear storytelling, others focus on the poetry and music of language.
.Which do you 'lead' with, sight or sound?
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