What makes a good writing piece?

[MinishArcticFox]

It's pretty much exactly what the title says, what do you think makes a piece of writing good? Most of my past English teachers say that adhering to a strict format that they've laid out is what makes something good yet poets have defied traditional writing styles for years. So what do you guys think makes a piece of writing great?

I personally think a good piece of writing is something that evokes a thought. Something that causes you to stop and consider something that you might not have otherwise. Or even persuade you that an old topic is worth taking a new look at. However the piece itself will hopefully be interesting and somewhat funny and if it's eloquently written then that's a bonus.

 

[LobsterFeng]

Yeah what you said. I think if it triggers enough positive emotions, then it's good.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Yeah what you said. I think if it triggers enough positive emotions, then it's good.

Some of the world's most evocative and searing writings produce anything but positive emotions.

 

[alandavidson]

If it is able to produce emotion and challenge the reader in some way I believe it to be good.

 

[MostlyHarmless]

If you can honestly make the reader cry at a part you wrote to make sad, then you're doing a damn good job. But that's not it. A good piece of writing has to have a good, steady flow. You can't just jump from one idea to another. Try not to use cliches. It's incredibly difficult this day and age considering a lot of ideas are the same but in a different location. Just try. That's all writing takes. And please, for the love of writing, use spell check. If you misspell a word in a beautiful writing piece, it throws everything else off balance.

 

[Catalyst6]

If your teachers' "structure" is the typical dramatic structure, then sure, that works the best. A good story might not go up and down like your typical school writing pyramid, but that's the thing: a story needs structure and flow. It can't be something that's jarring and hard to read, where it ends every other page and there's nothing but rising action.

In all, it has to have a good structure. Yes, people break this structure, but unless those writers are damn good their stories rarely turn out well.

EDIT: And laying off the purple prose. It's annoying and doesn't serve much purpose.

 

[Mark D. Stroyer]

Perhaps I am alone in this, but...

Good writing is emotionally engaging and intellectually challenging.

Every single story is about humanity, even the most disconnected from people, and the ability to connect on a larger scale dramatically (if you'll excuse the pun) increases the power of it. Specific emotions are unimportant, they fit the story.

Then. It will make people think. Something that sticks with people, and they carry it with them, something that will habitually reoccur in their minds, cause them to reconsider things they'd long thought set in stone... That is how it lasts. And if it is unique enough, it will.

There is a very, very strong connection between these two working in unison.

Construction is simply the base requirement. However, beyond some technical form, there is truly no way to just 'become' a good writer in this regard. It involves long, ceaseless training and simply develops from an innate sense caused by intimate understanding of language. There are no tricks or shortcuts.

However, the most important thing to consider when contemplating 'good writing' is that, in every instance, it conveys meaning. Language is the conveyance of ideas. Empty words are worthless.

 

[Hader]

I would generally agree with what you have said. Eloquence, thought provoking, and just overall good writing in terms of vocabulary and grammar. That is what will make any bit of writing great. Adhering to guidelines is something I have always hated (when we are talking essay length restrictions, 5-paragraph format bullcrap, etc.) and doing that shows nothing but conforming to a standard. It is good for seeing your adaptability as a writer, sometimes it is good to attempt getting a point across in fewer words than you would like.

 

[LobsterFeng]

Yeah what you said. I think if it triggers enough positive emotions, then it's good.

Some of the world's most evocative and searing writings produce anything but positive emotions.

I guess what I mean by that is, if the topic is something horrible that makes you want to change something in the world, that's positive. Right?

 

[Professor James]

So what I'm getting from this thread is, good writing is really quotable?

 

[Rawne1980]

What's with the necromancy lately?

This is the fourth thread i've noticed in the past few days from around a year ago.

 

[thesilentman]

So what I'm getting from this thread is, good writing is really quotable?

THHHREADOMANCY!

OT- Good writing has life. It breathes, eats, dances, slumps, depresses, excites and so much more. I sure as hell am not going to read the world's most sophisticated sentence if it doesn't present itself in such a way that constitutes as lively.

 

[Spinozaad]

A good piece is written by a good author. What makes a good author?

An author who knows the technical rules of writing (the "structure", the OP abhorred so long ago), the tropes of the genre, etc.

Mastery comes from being able to transcend and invert the structure. Although Cicero aimed his critique towards public speakers, I think his philosophy fits writing perfectly: A good speaker knows the rules and acknowledges them, but he plays with them, not according to them.