How Do I Know If I'm A Good Writer?

Question from AngelNatari via email to say: how do I know if I'm a good writer or not?

To which my answer is: well, first it depends what you mean by a good writer, and second it's not really that important what your opinion of your writing is. It is, however, important to improve your writing in any way you can.

So let me give you a few suggestions for that.

[Valdagast]

"Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very"; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."
- Mark Twain

[theCodyReeder]

1:24 looking at a blank page and going: "well what now?"


Ha! that was good.

[aronpuma]

As someone who has recently been transitioning from casual fanfiction writing to, actual professional work I hope to get published, I feel like adding in the maxim, all writing is re-writing. Especially for those who want to go professional, then it's probably best to give your draft a couple of days, and go back and edit it yourself, and by edit I don't just mean typos, I mean large scale things. Rarely is a first draft really that good. Your story may change substantially, but that's a good thing. And the time you spent on the first draft wasn't wasted. The more time you write, the better a writer you'll be, and even professional writers don't tend to make their best work until later into their careers writing.

[ryanrobotham]

The point about "not everyone being able to look at bad writing and pinpoint what's wrong" is something I've learnt the hard way. Even the most creative and talented people you know don't always have the critical thinking to assess why something might be good or bad. I had embarrassing experiences where some of my more creative friends looked at my work and weren't always able to articulate how it could be improved, they might as well have just told me to stick to the daytime job. A lot of improvements I made came from really going over the draft to see what works and what doesn't.

[youremakingprogress]

One of the things that keeps me motivated to write is reminding myself that I don't have to be a good writer at all. Writing is just fun. I can go back and revise the story and try to make it better, and I might even write a Good Story eventually - but at the end of the day, I spent time doing something enjoyable, and that's mostly what I'm trying to get out of it.

[brumbybailey]

My vehicle is rusty and 40 years old, and I love him passionately. I also love proofreading. I feel somewhat offended. 😂

[tcshack]

To everyone regarding feedback, sometimes negative feedback can be a good thing, it gives you something to improve on. In a story I am still working on a friend of mine told pointed out that one aspect of a main character made no sense. The result was adding a minor character who was able to give the main character more of a back story and also set up future plot point relating to both characters and the rest of plot.

[AndroidOO]

I'm trying to write. Advice I give myself is to not ask "so what happens next" about the story. This pulls from memory so you just write what you've read. Focus on the feeling you want to convey from the scene and write that. The feeling usually comes from the char's current emotional state.
So, know your chars, know how they feel, express that feeling with the words they would use, and continue your story by working through that feeling to whatever comes next.

[tentphantoka]

Well said. I hope I can improve as a writer based on this advice.

[Oxyte]

Grammar and punctuation, that’s a plus for me. Grammar is a wonderful weapon when used correctly.
It was fabulous to meet you at VidCon.

[avouleance]

As someone trying to start out as a writer, this is something I wonder about as well. I've been posting my work online for a while now and have gotten a good mix of feedback often decently in depth. I've also tried to give feedback on other people's work as a way to figure out my tastes in more detail. I'm not sure I totally agree that someone's opinion of their own work isn't so important. The reason I say this is that for any work (once you're past the stage where you're writing is legible and coherent) there's not such a thing as objective quality, so you'll get people who will argue in any direction for all aspects of your work. For example, a lot of what I write is fairly strange and personal as well as being based in a fair few niche sensibilities (I'm trying to use different scientific concepts as metaphore/ allegories for emotional issues) and I'm making choices that have proven polarising. I think it's important to acknowledge that you'll only have any confidence that someone else will like your work you have the potential to like (I'd struggle to tell a good and bad sports narrative apart). In those cases it helps to have a sense of self, because they'll be people who tell you your work isn't good, or suggest changes that don't fit what you want to do. I think writing is as much about refining your own tastes so you get your own work closer to how you want it as it is about meeting other people's standards. Much like how there aren't bad jokes, there isn't bad writing really, human tastes are too diverse for you not to have an audience somewhere. So it's about being a writer you'd like to read and finding people who agree. So get out there.

[brianarbenz]

I have become a better writer by learning from very good editors. Over the years I have learned that editing which once angered me because I felt it defaced my masterpieces actually was constructive criticism, and a gift to me.

[lukedogwalker]

Rust on a car. That's an excellent analogy 👍

[Valdagast]

Steven Pinker has a book called "The Sense of Style", which goes into tricks for clear writing and the cognitive background to why those tricks work. Although it's mostly aimed at technical writing, it contains tips for all authors.

[JLPrice-kcuy]

My God, you're right on every point. Lol
To hear you speak was like having a bigger kid come and kick a bullies ass :)

Your first recommendation of, “to write something, ” then wait for a reaction is best; but then I would have to be aware of the fact of getting over myself.
No one likes being judged, but the way I figure it, I'll leave that up to the jealous hearted.
(that's not being overly confident is it..?)
I never new I was able to write, until I took a placement test to enter college. I not only was praised by individuals, but had the score to back it up. I left school early in life in 1968 at the height of the Vietnam war. I managed to continue my education while in the service.
As a former ghost-writer, I came highly recommended; especially when it came to making love between the front and back cover. God is correct, man's imagination is sinful from his youth.
As life would have-it, I matured in what matters most in life.
I think you may be wondering, or not; how did I come about having the ability of writing without a firm basic education and the answer is, reading books of good writers. To be honest, I never knew at the time that I was adopting their style of writing and the way they pronounce themselves in thought.

Great job on your video 👍

[djpal]

Both writing for and working on my school's lit mag helped a lot. I got honest feedback and had the space to improve. So I recommend participating in a group like this if available to y'all

[marcusdowning]

A trick I've picked up for proofreading is to use text-to-speech to read it to you. A word can *look* correct no matter how many times you look at it, but *sound* wrong when you hear it read to you.

[hatfieldrick]

I'm a relative novice, in the middle of writing my first novel, but what you're saying is entirely in line with everything I've learned from more experienced writers or picked up on my own. My beta readers from local writers groups are, by the way, almost embarrassingly enthusiastic about my work (as were my teachers in school) and I feel rather confident that I will be published when my novel is done. Wish me luck, please!

[dragonskunkstudio]

One thing that helps me is using a good text-to-speech, a computer will point out every mistake indicate that you are not properly punctuating. Also, you have the story read to you helps very much.

[basilsigerson]

This aged well. I am here after reading Jill debut novel, which I very much enjoyed, even though I do not typically read romance. What is great about the story is the character work, the characters are clearly defined and there aren't a lot of things that happen, "because plot". If in a few years Jill returns to Just stab me now I will glady pick up all the sequels, prequels and in betweenquels.

Just wrinting this, because it is mentioned that feedback is very important, and in my eyes Jill is a successful writer.
Greetings from Germany.