What Makes a Good Writer

What makes a good writer is a question which crosses every avid reader’s mind whenever he or she reads something which he or she has really liked. There is no concrete recipe or formula to become a good writer. However, if you want to be a good writer, there are some things you can follow to achieve that. Scroll down to know what can be done to become a good writer.

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the best writer of them all.” If you are a voracious reader, I am sure you must have encountered this dilemma if you had to choose between the best amongst your favorites. It is certainly a tough task considering the greats of fiction, like William Shakespeare, Sidney Sheldon, Ayn Rand, Jules Verne and innumerable such fantastic authors. As a child I always thought what makes these ‘gods of words’ tick? Then as I started reading and writing more and more, I started to fathom the secrets of what makes a good writer. But it was not before I realized that writing is an art as well as science. Although I don’t have the exact recipe, this is something which needs to be shared with all those who are in love with words.

Making of a Good Writer Read On: Just as they say that you need to listen meticulously to develop your singing or music skills, you would ideally want to read a lot to become a good writer. The more you read, the better your vocabulary, your writing style, your sense of usage of words would become. Thus, reading is very crucial when you are aspiring to become a good writer.

It’s Only Words: You need to have a linguistic sense and interest in a language. Language opens the doors of that culture for you, helping you to understand and portray it better. Thus, taking an avid interest in any language and then learning it to the best of your capabilities can help you become a good writer. Good language skills and expression in that language is imperative for a writer. Your language needs to be catchy and appealing and should hold the interest of the readers. You can cultivate language skills, but then I think some are born with that tiny little germ of writing, while some might be not. If you have that, it becomes a bit easier otherwise it could be a tough task. More about creative writing activities

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Elementary, My Dear Watson: Okay, writing skills are necessary, but you should have knowledge of what you are writing about, otherwise your writing skills

are bound to go in vain. Therefore, my dear aspiring writers, make sure you get your facts right. This is a very important issue when you are addressing the issue of what makes a good writer.

No Ambiguity: You have the knowledge, you have great vocabulary and linguistic expression, and are an avid reader. These things might prove to be a hindrance in writing as well. That is if you are a good writer, you may tend to use flowery language and try to show off your prolific language skills rather than putting across your point clearly. That may prove to be an hindrance to your writing skills and will lead to unnecessary ambiguity. Thus, being lucid is important and using flowery language with discretion is what is ideal. More on writing in creative writing tips

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All these were the basics for becoming a good writer. Now we will try to understand how personality impacts the way we write and how sometimes what we write makes a huge impact on the person we are. There are a few traits one needs to have to be a good writer.

Personality Traits of a Writer

A writer needs to be original in his thinking and should be perceptive.

Agatha Christie

once wrote in a Hercule Poirot book, ‘From Peril at End House’

“

Poirot

“,

I said.

“

I have been thinking.

“

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An admirable exercise my friend. Continue it.

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Creativity and passion form the base of the iceberg called writing! Add to that a dash of imagination and considerable wit, and you are there. The writer should also be empathetic towards the target readership. If a writer is not empathetic and sensitive enough to others, then he would not be able to strike a chord with his or her readers. And that, is surely not a sign of good writer. Last, but not the least, no one can claim that these things are what makes a good writer. Because after all this in not a geometry theorem that if you get the method correct with precision, the answer has to be correct. Still at the same time, these are the things which are the essence of being a good writer.

At the end, to distinguish a good writer from not a very good writer, this is what Mark Twain, a great author had said – “

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

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