Writing Fiction pt. 2

One problem that my writing presents, however, is that I don't know how good it really is. I have a good vocabulary, I have a decent handle of writing mechanics. But there is something in good fiction writing that is not fully describable, not graspable through definite terms and measurements. A kind of breezy, natural flow that creates a distinct voice and tells an easily understandable story that is both interesting and engaging. Here's a sample paragraph from a fiction piece I wrote:

Of course, he could shut one eye, and still have another perfectly good one left to observe himself. He batted his right eye, testing his musings, and noted ruefully that he looked like an idiot. The skin around his face wrinkled and curled undesirably around the eye he was testing each time he attempted this. It was not a handsome spectacle; he hoped quietly that the other might look slightly more flattering. He supposed that by carefully examination of the remaining eye, he could gather some mental data on that particular appearance, work some abstract thought and ascertain within a reasonable doubt what the two actions would look like in combination. But reasonable doubt was for white criminals and unfaithful spouses, of which he was neither. So he threw his bottle up by the neck and drained it a bit more.

It sounds so damn heavy and disgusting and I largely hate it. The words just don't flow. Everything sounds choppy and weighted down by my heavy-handed word choice. It's funny because I absolutely have no interest in writing essay or non-fiction, but I've found that my concentrated efforts in that particular genre are a hundred thousand million times more entertaining and readable.

The ideas are there, but I wonder about the execution. I'd like to get into some sort of summer creative writing workshop program before I start attending a real college, KIRKWOOD RITE?!, and see how much of this can be ironed out. I've never been taught how to write fiction so there is hopefully promise to be had in the prospect that I can get all learned up and clean up my writing some more.

But more than that, the problem is I still don't finish anything! Anything! I have at least 6 unfinished short fiction stories, and I have a dozen more ideas for stories that I have yet to begin. The first of these stories dates back like two years, and I wait so long with these things that my writing style ends up changing enough between work dates that I end up scrapping the story entirely and chalking it up to conflicting perspectives. With the same author. Okay then.

Clearly, it also ties back into work ethic. It's simply not there, even in the things I love. I'm just not a finisher. A little less than two hours of blogging to be done. I might take a break, I think that's fair. Hopefully I can at least finish this. Maybe high school, too.