A crucial element in all great books is the connection the story has with you and your world. As a writer you have to “tie-in” to the reader. There must be a true life element. Give your character a real life problem: dandruff, allergies, an unruly pet, or make it big, PTSD, a bad relationship, or the loss of a friend.
Keep it real.
Make it believable.
A good piece of writing holds your reader’s attention. Flows smoothly with everything making sense. Is interesting and a pleasure to read.
Recognizing GREAT writing:
Great writing commands the reader’s attention. The reader becomes lost in it. Can’t put it down. And when they do, they want to read it all over again.
The question is, how do we define great writing?
Great writing shows mastery of the craft, with:
- every word carefully chosen,
- every sentence thoughtfully constructed,
- and every paragraph brimming with meaning and purpose.
Think skill over talent:
Some writers do what they do because they were born with some magical storytelling gland. That is a small group of writers. Talent dies without skill. Practice what you do. Practice it by writing, reading and living a life worth writing about. You must always be learning, gaining and improving.
Lovers of words marvel over a superbly written sentence. We have all experienced this kind of writing.
Others would say that what matters most is what’s being said. If the story or ideas are communicated clearly and they are captivating, who cares how sublime the sentences are? A great story doesn’t need to use word wizardry; it just needs to carry us off to another world.
Do we identify great writing by the way words are strung together?
Does story matter more than beautiful writing?
Or do we want it all?
“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”