{I was thinking about writing earlier today. Oh gosh, I love to write. It consumes my thoughts much more often than it should. But then I started thinking… What exactly makes some writings good, others great, and some just plain bad? Of course, this is highly, HIGHLY subjective, but I thought I would share my thoughts anyway, because this is as much my writing-practice blog as it is my roleplay blog (the two just happen to overlap a lot). But, without further ado~
In my humble opinion, quality writing has these attributes:
- Clarity- people know what you are talking about without having to stop and decode your text. A picture should appear naturally in your reader’s mind- they’re waving their own paintbrush across an outline you create. A challenge is one thing (don’t treat your audience like they’re stupid), but it should not be a struggle for the reader to construct your scene in their mind.
- Flow- The text doesn’t feel stilted, rough, or patchy. You almost shouldn’t know you’re reading, it should feel utterly natural. Like thoughts.
- Poetry and Thoughtfulness-Art, vividness, rich and descriptive language. Turns of phrase that make people stop and think. Attention to minutia. Judicious and meaningful use of symbolism, allusions, etc., that compliments, (not distracts from) the rest of your piece. The challenge here, however, comes in avoiding the deadly trap of pretentiousness.
- Cohesive, Coherent Vision- Everything- every word, every pause, every punctuation mark- has a purpose and contributes somehow to the clarity, feel, characterization, or plot. Every last little shard is a tile in your mosaic.
- Effect- Your words should leave something imprinted in your reader’s heart, or mind, or spirit, or anything. To make them feel, think, glimpse inside a new paradigm. To leave a piece of yourself inside someone else (even at a subconscious level). Be resolute, individual, and unyielding in your creativity. Do not bend to society’s whims.
If your writing leaves no effect, was there a point to it at all?I hope this has been useful (or at the very least, interesting) to my fellow writers. Again, these are just my thoughts, and I firmly believe any and all ‘advice’ is to be taken with a grain of salt. Have a lovely night, everyone! ❤}