What Makes Writing Good

1382 Words6 Pages
We see authors like Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare going down in history as great writers of their time. But even today, these men are still considered illustrious men of the pen, along with modern authors such as Amy Tan and J.D. Salinger. So what is it that makes writing that is hundreds of years old still “good” along with today’s “good” writing that is so very different from the classics? What do all these books, essays and poems have in common that makes them so high in quality? Rules for writing have changed over time, but it is still as easy as ever to distinguish good writing over bad writing. The challenge is trying to explain why something is good and analyzing the tools used to produce this “good writing.” Tools such as choosing the right topic or theme to discuss, creating an effective organization throughout their writing, maintaining a narrative that invokes feeling within the reader, and creating a cohesive and fluent writing style. These techniques have remained generally the same over time, but they have been changed and tweaked as society grows. But the tools used to put Jane Austin’s name in literary history still continue to do so even with today’s great writers. The subject matter of any writing is where the heart of the author beats. It is important for an author to decide whom they want to engage with their writing, because it is impossible to appeal to every single reader. A writer must find a target audience for their writing. Amy Tan for example, targets mostly mothers and daughters with her books The Joy Luck Club and Mother Tongue (“Norton Mix”). Her writing is also intended for Asian-American citizens, because she can relate to them. The relationship that is formed between writer and reader is created due to the writer’s understanding of the reader. And if this relationship is strong, then the reader will no doubt find the
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