What makes good writers great

Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible. Rather, it elects to simply say it better. It only means you have to hone your own unique perspective and voice.

Writers get the byline and any glory. But behind the scenes, a good editor adds a lot to process. Remember what I said above about there being two kinds of people? And very often, both being wrong? A good editor teases the best out of so-called writers and non-writers alike.

And if so, why is that odd? Because in a world where we have an opportunity and responsibility to tell our stories online, we need to find not just the right words… but the very best ones. Great post, Ann. Part of the challenge is balancing writing for academic journals and writing for my own website as the structure and expectations can be different. Great blog. So I found it very interesting that Mark Twain mentioned that it makes you a good writer. You know what, John?

Pithy post, Annie. I love it and am convicted of it. Key to good communication. Thanks Ann — this is excellent! Excellent list. Thank you for this post! This is one of the most inspiring posts I have read about writing. And that bonus is so true and crucial in good writing! I know that my editor has been an important influence in how my writing improved over the past couple of years.

I will be sharing with them. Always a great read Ann. That being said, there are many people who can tell a great story. They might not win the Pulitzer, but they get their point across and people enjoy reading what they write.

To me that is a success. Life is long and there are so many decisions. Thank you! Thank you for a very interesting read. I am a trully dreadful writer! You have given me a little inspiration to carry on with my mediocre copy writing skills for websites in the hope that I will learn more and get better at it as I also believed that it was a skill you were born with.

Thank you for you knowledge and experience. I have been writing my lifes story for 23 years. It has been trying. Starting and stoping. I am using my honest voice and there are a lot of questions to be asked in it. I am now focused on delivering it to the universe. I dont have a editor as of yet. Shipping the work is. I remember utter terror to even start writing. Paralysis and fear of choosing the wrong words, my writing sucks, etc derailed everything.

With that being said…this was brilliant Ann. I hate using brilliant, because I feel like the social webs overuse of it has devalued the meaning somewhat, but that is the first thing that came to mind. You make it extremely simple to understand a very complex topic, and even simpler description. Absolutely spot on article on writing! Thanks for pulling together these 9 points. Though I think the advice is directed at non-fiction writing could have read it wrong , I also think all writers can learn something from your list.

And even if you are a fiction writer, you still have to market yourself and your work, which also makes you a non-fiction writer as well.

If you are interested, send me an email. Hey Mark — I was speaking more about non-fiction. I love this! Thanks so much. I started blogging about a year ago and shared our ministry experiences in Ghana, West Africa on the blog.

What a revelation! I had no idea anyone would really be interested. I believe you can help me be a better writer which will translate to being a better speaker and teacher.

I have to say, it made my day. LOL… thanks for the note, Dan. Mine was probably a gratuitous use of shitty. But it seemed to fit there. Hey Ann, Really loved reading this article. Thanks for sharing your insights! I completely agree with you that Good writing is like good teaching, making sure that it educates the readers. Here is what I like to do when creating writing for my readers. I produce content that comes from the people who understand the most about why somebody buys, the customer.

Not only will they share stories about their exposure to you, they will also have unique antidotes that can help increase the morale and performance of your company. Thanks for the great article. I have shared with a few people who, I hope, will appreciate it as much as I did. Don was a huge influence as friend and mentor; few could say so much so simply.

Valuable info. I bookmarked it. Asking questions are in fzct pleasant thing if you arre not understanding anything completely, except this paragraph offers pleasant understanding even. I really hope to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well.

This is wonderful, informative and encouraging. My manuscripts are set for edition. What are the characteristics of a good editor? The act of regularly being involved in writing can take you to greater places rather than just focusing on knowledge and information. Great writers need to act rather than just read. It helps you in improving the quality of your production.

You need to take a topic, write it, read it and rewrite again. Upon comparison, you will find your second write up to be better than the previous one. It also increases your speed and you move towards perfection. This method lets you develop the style of writing, and helps you use appropriate words and phrases when necessary.

Great writings never have repetitions. It always shed light on new and fresh writing that is more interesting to read. Sometimes people often tend to repeat sections to emphasize certain aspects.

This may not be bad. But, at times people reiterate the same elements with an aim to take the content further. By doing so you make it monotonous and this is something that can annoy the readers.

So keep your writings short and simple but unique to make it great and exclusive. A writing without logic and meaning is not at all acceptable. To be a great writer, your content should present sensible and substantial elements. You need to deliver a structural write-up. Good writers present a logical story but may not be unique. On the other hand, great writers take efforts in portraying substantial as well as exclusive write-ups.

Hence, to be a great writer, your content needs to be logical and interesting. It requires a lot of hard work to be a great writer. You need to put immense effort to pen down what you think. It should also match with the readers reviews. In addition, the content has to be uncommon, creative and knowledgeable.

We have bizarre and incomprehensible ideas about relationships and whatnot. Both perfectly fine stories. I prefer the masculine-type storylines myself. Two of the ladies have been published but have no reviews of their work. All have complimented the basic plot lines. Otherwise, they give solid line-edit critiques and they do point out the occassional hole in content. None of them read within my genre — if I even have one, that is.

Both your suggestions are solid. Thanks Paul! I think that critique groups can be immensely beneficial, but I also think that each writer has to decide which feedback to apply and which to discard. I guess you have to decide whether you want to step up the emotional levels in your characters and add more conflict or if you want to keep your work minimalist. And there is an audience for everything as popular culture demonstrates. You might also take a hard look at what the others in your writing group are producing and ask whether this group is a good match to your writing style and needs.

Final word of advice: do not give up on writing or publishing. Forge ahead! And thank you, Melissa not Melissa-me, Melissa-you for putting some analysis into the question of what makes good writing. The more you study writing, the more you begin to see the difference between good vs bad. The difficulty, I suppose, is because writing is as complex as any other language. It always goes after the subject. Is it time to make a poo-poo? Those of us who learned to read at the same time we were learning to talk have an advantage.

There is much about writing that is subjective, but I believe there is plenty that can be assessed critically and objectively: grammar, spelling, and punctuation, for starters. I have to admit, I share a lot of the insecurities that I have read in the comments here. Do I go ahead and share my thoughts with others or should I keep them to myself?

Does anyone else feel this way? Man, writing is awesome! Even if you have a degree, people can still rip your ideas apart. I believe strongly in the value of higher education, but I also know for a fact there are plenty of folks with degrees who lack common sense or good hearts. And there are plenty of bright people with good hearts and common sense who do not have degrees.

Having said all that, I think you can simply shift your focus. Most of the best writers in the literary canon did not have degrees. Many did not even finish high school. Of your favorite authors, how many have BAs or MAs? Do you know? Do you care?

I would say that if you publish a book, some people are not going to like it. So what? Focus your attention and energy on all the people who do like it. Writing well is the price of admission. But beyond the basics is where it gets squishy. What does that mean? You write until you discover. Surprises and discoveries are bonuses in the writing process for me.

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