Judging Writing Quality: A Professional Writers Perspective

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You know it when you see it. It is not that hard to tell whether a piece of writing is good or bad, you just have to read it. And it is pretty important to be able to discern the difference, if you ask me. But things get more challenging if you have to explain why it is good. You might be called upon to write a report at school or you may fancy communicating your ideas online via a blog.

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And, of course, a well written CV with no spelling or grammatical mistakes is essential if you want a new job. Writing skills are an important part of communication and they have to be developed, since it is used in many areas of our daily life.

Good writing allows you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone conversations. "If you want to write well… read, read, and then read some more.

Read good writing. Read bad writing. Learn to know the difference. Note for simplicity of style: noun, verb, object; noun, verb, object. It worked for Hemingway, who often said that his ultimate goal was to create the perfect sentence. Read some Hemingway, and not just his novels, but some of his early newspaper writing. There's never been better news and feature writing, ever.

When you read the works of these and other fine writers, notice the simplicity of their language and how they vary their sentence structure and length.

Some sentences number two or three words; others run an entire paragraph. There are countless tips on writing well, but I leave you with this one: read first, then write. " –Bill Reed Therefore, you need to take into account the next steps to produce good writing (in no particular order): 1. Clarity and focus: in good writing, everything makes sense and readers don’t get lost or have to reread passages to figure out what’s going on.

Focused writing sticks with the plot or core idea without running off on too many tangents. 2. Organization: a well-organized piece of writing is not only clear, it’s presented in a way that is logical and aesthetically pleasing. You can tell non-linear stories or place your thesis at the end of an essay and get away with it as long as your scenes or ideas are well ordered. 3. Ideas and themes: is the topic of your paper relevant? Does your story come complete with themes? Can the reader visualize your poem? For a piece of writing to be considered well crafted, it has to contain clearly identifiable ideas and themes.

4. Voice: this is what sets you apart from all other writers. It’s your unique way of stringing words together, formulating ideas, and relating scenes or images to the reader. 5. Language (word choice): we writers can never underestimate or fail to appreciate our most valuable tools — words. Good writing includes smart word choices and well-crafted sentences. 6. Grammar and style: many writers would wish this one away, but for a piece of writing to be considered good (let alone great), it has to follow the rules of grammar (and break those rules only when there’s a good reason).

Style is also important in ensuring that a piece of writing is clear and consistent. Make sure you keep a grammar book and style guide handy. 7. Credibility or believability: nothing says bad writing like getting the facts wrong or misrepresenting oneself. In fiction, the story must be believable (even if it’s impossible), and in nonfiction, accurate research can make or break a writer. 8. Thought-provoking or emotionally inspiring: perhaps the most important quality of good writing is how the reader responds to it. Does she come away with a fresh perspective and new ideas?

Does he close the cover with tears in his eyes or a sense of victory? How readers react to your work will fully determine your success as a writer. 9. Sentence Fluency that is smooth and expressive: Fluent sentences are easy to understand and fun to read with expression. 10. Use transitional expressions to help readers understand where your message is going. Common transitional expressions include therefore, consequently, however, then, first, next, and although. To have a good writing not only is necessary to not make mistakes, but to follow some steps to enrich the work.

And to achieve that, you need to have qualities in terms of patience and organization. In other words, a good writing is a complicated process that takes time. But if you follow the guidelines that are set out it will be easy and successful. For that reason, is very important to practice writing. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ].

Peha, Steve. Looking for Quality in Student Writing. Teaching That Makes Sense. 2003 . [ 2 ]. Writing Skills. SkillsYouNeed. 2012 . [ 3 ]. Reed, Bill. Developing Good Writing Skills. Academic Tips. 2008 . [ 4 ]. Donovan, Melissa. Eight Characteristics of Good Writing. Writing Forward. 2012 .