Are you a good writer?

JJ Cooper · Jul 25, 2008

Birol said:
When it comes to getting an acceptance, there are a lot more factors than just "is the writing good," variables that have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the writing or how "in touch" the editors and agents are with the reading public. The underlying assumption to your statement, that if writers who write good stories aren't getting published, then there must be something wrong with the system, is awfully close to the statement "no one appreciates my genius."

Is writing an art? Yes. It writing a craft? Yes. But publishing is a business and it is very important to realize that. In a business, it's not just how good your product is. It's also about matching the market's needs, the consumers desires, and understanding that there's only so many factories to produce so many widgets each year and only so many different types of widgets that the stores are willing to stock in order to meet the needs of their customers.

There's also more to writing a publishable manuscript than just stringing sentences together and making likable characters. At a deeper level of the story you have to be able to answer the "so what?" question. Even if the story is just written for entertainment purpose, their needs to be a deeper reason for the reader to care.

Lori has hit the nail on the head here. Spot on. Great post.

JJ

ynoirb · Jul 25, 2008

Birol said:
What made you proud of that piece? Why aren't you proud of your other work?

I had so much fun writing it. It was the only thing I've ever written that's ever been read by a lot of people (my teacher put it in the yearbook without me knowing). One day I hope that I can write something like that again

I'm working on it anyway.

smoothseas · Jul 25, 2008

When I work at it...

WORK being the operative word!

writersprite · Jul 25, 2008

Birol said:
their needs to be a deeper reason for the reader to care.

True, true. Every word true.

Information that I try and squelch but I've known all along.

More specifically, though, there needs to be a deeper reason for the businessmen to care about representing us to the public. It's too bad, that, but I do acknowledge that it keeps the world a little more free of the mediocre writers [or even the excellent writers] that have little to say about anything.
:e2writer:

Vincent · Jul 25, 2008

Eh, I'm better than I used to be.

Birol · Jul 25, 2008

ynoirb said:
I had so much fun writing it.

Why did you have fun writing it? Why haven't you had [as much] fun with your other writing?

Mr Flibble · Jul 25, 2008

Am I a good writer?

I ritez guud me.

Seriously? Don't know. I do know I'm improving.

ynoirb · Jul 25, 2008

Birol said:
Why did you have fun writing it? Why haven't you had [as much] fun with your other writing?

That one I got to be as silly as I liked - eveything else I've written has been really liked by everyone who has read it, I guess maybe I just started worrying too much about what other people think about my writing. I wrote a short story when I was at uni for a creative writing course (at the last minute) that my lecturer loved but I thought was wanky.

I think deep down I know I am a good writer, I just need practice

Quiet Melody · Jul 26, 2008

I think I'm a good writer, but I think there's always room for improvement. The more you write, the better your writing. I look back on some things I wrote about ten years ago. Not my greatest material (although I thought it was really good at the time). I can see how much I've improved.

Birol · Jul 26, 2008

ynoirb said:
That one I got to be as silly as I liked -

Why can't you be silly as you like with the things you're writing now? Are you under contract to write something specific?

virtue_summer · Jul 26, 2008

I think I'm a good writer, but that doesn't mean that everything I write is good. I just think that I've come to a point where I can tell the crap I write from the good stuff and that generally I write more good stuff than crap. On the other hand, I wouldn't say I'm a great writer yet. I still have a lot to learn. As for how I judge, it's a little bit of both myself and others. If I enjoy my stories, that's one point, especially because I can be pretty harsh on myself. If someone else enjoys my stories, that's double the points and I'll admit that those comments probably keep me going more than anything else. Of course that's because part of my intention with writing is to be able to communicate with and entertain others.

ynoirb · Jul 26, 2008

Birol said:
Why can't you be silly as you like with the things you're writing now? Are you under contract to write something specific?

No, no nothing like that (I wish I was under contract though!) I just haven't found the right idea yet I think.

i spy · Jul 27, 2008

no. but i try to be a good listener.

Forbidden Snowflake · Jul 27, 2008

Prity gud wraiter i fink.

Errr, I mean, I try. And I tend to think it's not too bad.

KikiteNeko · Sep 17, 2008

I think I'm a good writer. I don't always think this. There are times when I say "cripes, this sucks" or I lose sleep worrying. Even when I got an agent, I contemplated the idea that she only signed me on in a moment of temporary insanity. But overall I do put 100% into what I do and believe I'm good at it, and always welcome room for improvement.

I've written two novels. One has an agent, the other was bypassed by my own agent. The unagented novel was something that took a lot out of me. I wrote it while I was grieving the loss of a loved one, and the story, though fictional, is about loss. I'm okay with the idea that it will never go to print. The final product was exactly what I wanted it to be. It's not commercial and won't sell, but it's dead-on what I set out to do, which gave me the confidence to write a novel that DID get an agent--incidentally that agented novel was also what I'd set out to create. Right now it's being subbed out, and I have publishers suggesting changes. And I'll play with those changes and possibly make something stronger out of it. There's always room for humility.

This concludes my ~~rant~~ essay on why I think I'm a good writer.

Charlie Horse · Sep 17, 2008

This whole 'good' thing is a bit of a gray area to me. If I say I'm not a good writer does that make me a bad one? If I say I am good (as I'm probably expected to) does that mean I have some special quality others don't? Whether I'm good isn't for me to say, nor do I really care.

I could go on about those who have read my work and complemented me on it, but does that make me good? I could talk about how I am sometimes pleased with what I've written. That also isn't a litmus test for whether I'm a good writer or not.

The only thing I know for certain, and what really matters to me, is that I'm a writer, period. That's what I do and will continue to do for the rest of my life, or as long as I'm mentally capable, whichever comes first.

Ms Hollands · Sep 17, 2008

I know I'm a good technical author since that's paid the bills for most of my working life and given me the funding to move countries several times, but I don't know if I'm a good fiction writer yet. For example, my boss has been a respected journalist all his life, and is known to all in the industry he now specialises in, but he gave up writing his first novel when he realised he was so god damn awful at it!

And yet, he's the one who has motivated me to write: when I asked him if he wants to see my first few chapters, he said he did not. How is that motivational? Well, he added he'd prefer to read them when they're published. With faith like that, I *have* to keep writing fiction!

eyelash · Sep 17, 2008

Honestly, i don't think i am and i'll probably never know because i'd be too shy to show anybody my work. I just like to write, so i figure if i get to the end of it and it does suck, as long as i've enjoyed it then that's ok.

scheherazade · Sep 17, 2008

I've always felt like I had a natural talent for writing. Teachers always told me I had a gift, a natural voice, whether this was in the context of essays, stories, whatever. In retrospect I think this was partly just that my literary skill was well-developed for my age - I spent a lot of time writing and reading compared to other 6 year olds or 12 year olds or whatever.

These days I've been doubting my talent and I've needed to get a lot of external reassurance to know that I can write appealing stuff. I can tell when I've written something that is a strong piece for me (or a weak piece for me). But I really can't judge my strength relative to other writers, aside from reactions I get from other people (eg in a workshop).

I'd say, ultimately, I'm happy with a piece if it makes me happy to re-read it. But the circle is never complete until I've shared it with others (especially a few key readers who are themselves writers) and found that I'm not the only one who enjoys reading it.

tehuti88 · Sep 17, 2008

I believe I'm a good writer, at least compared to other amateur writers, and published stuff. I know grammar and spelling and I can bring a story from beginning to end, and create interesting plots and situations and characters. I do my best to make something the best I can make it, and I've seen my style improve over the years. I learn from reading and from experience. I'm prolific and can actually finish what I start (if I'm so inclined). I've been told I'm good, and not to be bigheaded, but looking at a lot of other people's material, I believe I am.

But if people don't want to read it it doesn't matter if I'm the best writer in the world. I'm a terrible writer if nobody's interested in my work for more than two minutes. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case.

So I figure that means I'm not a very good writer.

Prawn · Sep 17, 2008

Right now I think I am great, but soon it will swing back the other way and everything I write will be sh*t. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

ccarver30 · Sep 17, 2008

I used to think I was, but I am questioning myself more than ever. :\

Ugawa · Sep 17, 2008

Am i a good writer? To be honest, as long as i enjoy writing it i couldn't care less if it's good or not.

*But i do enjoy touching it up to make it better *

XX

CR.Casanova · Sep 17, 2008

I think I will

I don't think I have all I need just yet, but I'm sure as hell I will.

Aschenbach · Sep 17, 2008

Goodness me, what a long thread.

In answer to the question, I think I am OK. But when I read over my stuff I have this sense that something isn't quite there; there is something intangible missing, some spark. That is why I am only OK, not good.

Some writers can launch into passages that keep you riveted for page after page. Brilliant stylistic flourishes, lots of ideas, moving and funny, almost makes your jaw drop.
I don't think i'll ever be that good, sadly, no matter how much practice I do.

Are you a good writer?

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