What makes a good writer?

[tmazonga]

Three things as far as I`m concerned, clarity, clarity, and clarity.

[Amystl26]

To be a writer or any type of artist you need imagination. To have others see your work you must be brave. To become good at it you must have persistence and a willingness to learn.

"To have others see your work, you must be brave." If that isn't the truth!? I never had so much respect for writers as when I decided to start my very own blog. I realized then-- their writing is their mind/soul/ heart spelled out in words-- how vulnerable! I agree with your comment 100 percent!

[Newdimension]

Great contributions here.

A quick add: A good writer for me is one who understands what he wants to communicate and how best to communicate it to his readers. He constantly finds a connecting point to make his readers feel like there is a one on one ongoing conversation.

[pauljames_03]

I think that the standards placed on being a good writer are very objective when it should be the other way around. Only the writer knows if he was really good or not. That is if he stayed true to his purpose of writing, and the emotions he felt while writing.

[Clinical1]

I think that a good writer knows their audience and writes with that in mind. I author magazine articles in my profession and blog spots for the same. Because my audience is mid-level professional, I keep my language straight forward and am always aware not to write down to them or over their head.

[Yung Senpai]

Imagination and skill.

[brayoe]

I think a good writer is one who knows what he/she wants from his/her readers and constructs a story based on that. At the same time, he/she is able to make the literature as realistic as possible in a way that the audience will relate in an intrinsic way with him/her. Most importantly, writing comes from the depths of the soul and only passion to tell a story as vividly as possible will set you apart from the rest.

[Joy2810]

I think writing is a confluence of talent, perseverance and passion. Some lack in talent, the sanguinary flow of words that form a netted mesh of characters, engaging plot and credibility of the facts. Others, lack passion, the urge to write down the rush of emotions on a piece of paper and make peace with it.
However, perseverance truly decides if a writer is good or not.
Without perseverance, a writer having a natural talent and passion, can get nowhere.

[Arrigo_Lupori]

A good writer knows how to keep someone hooked to the pages. He's able to tell a story without having to resort to weird caveats, where he tries to enchant people forcefully. He knows that what he writes has tremendous value and that only his own imagination could ever stop him from achieving what he could transfer onto those pages.

A good writer is also quite clearly a person who knows how to make use of a wide vocabulary, using specific words where they best fit and specific expressions where they can be understood.

A good writer is an overall talented, smart man (or woman), who can quickly decipher his own mind to then "stamp" his knowledge. It does take quite some time, becoming a good writer is all but a simple task, but it shouldn't be seen as an impossible goal. Instead, one should write more and more to gather experience and then reassess his level as a writer.

[Van112]

For me a good writer has to be adventurous in nature, in real life and in their writings. I don't mean to say that they have to be out in the great outdoors just experiencing life, but adventurous in all aspect whether it is through their thoughts or imagination.

[lbhatters]

A good writer has a voice that flows like poetry. You are reading prose, but the way the sentences are structured and how good the descriptions are at forming imagery in the mind, appealing to any of the five senses, is good work. Grammar and spelling has to be great too. Believable characters that the reader can empathize with and a great plot helps a lot, as well as a memorable lesson or theme.

[Mr Benji]

A good writer must be a critical thinker that is able to use words to express his ideas without any form of ambiguity. The style used is as important as the message he wants the readers to get.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. Benji.

[DATo]

A good writer must be a critical thinker that is able to use words to express his ideas without any form of ambiguity. The style used is as important as the message he wants the readers to get.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. Benji.

Excellent point. I've been saying the same thing for years. I can't speak for others but the story itself and how it is presented are of equal importance to me when reading a book.

There is another thread which asks the question (paraphrased) When was the movie better than the book? I offered a couple of examples and in both cases it was because the movie maker was better at conveying the essence of the story and was able to present it in a manner which was more consistent with the subject matter than the original author.

[shanlife-2]

Being a good writer is putting your thoughts or idea and being able to express them in a way that flows,should use the correct tense, grammar and spelling should be on point.Should be very Creative.

[Wyocate]

Hello all. I am new to this forum/website and so very excited to be here!

A good writer? Who can say. But I imagine curiosity, a life-long learner; and being an observer of people, places and things make for the ability to hone the craft.

A person who is an avid reader of anything they get their hands on is also key.

Courage and determination too.