Sums up what's wrong with my writing:

[delboy]

Great quote from the back of Norman Mailer's book on writing. Haven't read the book yet, but I think this sums up everything that I fail to do - and the reasons why:

"It's not easy to write in the first person about a man who's stronger or braver than yourself. It's too close to self-serving. All the same, you have to be able to do it. Because if every one of your characters is kept down to your level, you do not take on large subjects. You need people more heroic than yourself, more enterprising, less timid, sexier, more romantic, more tragic."

Looking forward to reading more!

Derek

[Rev. Austin]

You need people more heroic than yourself, more enterprising, less timid, sexier, more romantic, more tragic.

Not possible, in my case 

[marc_chagall]

I think that sums up what's most fun about writing. You CAN be all those people. 

[carcharor6]

You need people more heroic than yourself, more enterprising, less timid, sexier, more romantic, more tragic.

Not possible, in my case 

Haha!   

[Pharosian]

The one saving grace about writing characters who are more capable, decisive, and quick-witted than you are is that you as the author have weeks, months, even years to come up with the perfect rejoinder or plan or action that your MC executes in the heat of the moment without breaking a sweat.

That being said, sometimes when I'm reading novels and a character stubbornly sticks to a principle or unreasonable position even at great personal cost or in the face of extreme pressure, I find myself thinking, "I could never write that."

I'm way too eager to let my characters off the hook, to find compromises and solutions that don't involve confrontation. I'm doomed to being reasonable, and as a wise man once said, "All progress depends on the unreasonable man." * 



* The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
   persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
   depends on the unreasonable man.

   ~~ attributed to George Bernard Shaw

[jsorensen]

Very nice and definitely true, but I prefer writing characters that are Joe normal with a serious flaw or two that need to face something that looks beyond their abilities but they try anyway... bit cliched I know, but I like it...

[Geoff_N]

You need people more heroic than yourself, more enterprising, less timid, sexier, more romantic, more tragic.

Not possible, in my case 

Haha!   

Extra Ha!

[Ed]

This is why the best writers tend to have tempestuous lives -- I'm thinking Hemingway, Carver, Virginia Wolf, Ellison, etc., etc. None of them are/were afraid of confrontation.

[LashSlash]

This is why the best writers tend to have tempestuous lives -- I'm thinking Hemingway, Carver, Virginia Wolf, Ellison, etc., etc. None of them are/were afraid of confrontation.

.... without checking the facts: it was probably alchohol or drugs that led 'em astray.

[Robert Essig]

Very nice quote.  Has me thinking about my latest WIP.  My protagonist has been leading a ife I could NEVER lead, although it does sound fascinating at times.  I try desperately to step outside of my comfort zone with my characters if for nothing more than to have dimension.

It's hard at times.  Particularly because the Rev and I are such stunning individuals.

[Rev. Austin]

Hear hear!  Let's start a club, Robert haha When I've got my teaching qualification, I'll actually be able to teach people how to be more like me.  Imagine that!

[Geoff_N]

over the years I've taught 5,000 kids. Hopefully, they're not all like me!

[LashSlash]

over the years I've taught 5,000 kids. Hopefully, they're not all like me!

.....i'm sure one or two of the more special ones -- clever, witty, co-ordinated enough to balance on a bike etc - are xactly like you!