7 Characteristics Every Great Writer Has in Common

Summary

Great writers share common traits such as brevity, perfectionism, organization, sensory detail, and grammatical precision, which elevate their writing from good to extraordinary.

Abstract

The text outlines seven key characteristics that distinguish great writers from merely good ones. It emphasizes that great writing is not just about quality but also about the ability to communicate effectively, with a focus on conciseness, attention to detail, and a strong grasp of grammar and syntax. Great writers are depicted as individuals who strive for perfection, are meticulously organized, and enrich their content with vivid sensory details to engage readers deeply. The article suggests that while practice is essential, possessing these specific traits can significantly enhance the impact of one's writing.

Opinions

Great writing is characterized by both insight and aesthetic appeal, being concise, well-organized, and well-researched.
There is a clear distinction between great and good writing, with greatness implying an extraordinary level of skill.
Great writers are often perfectionists, spending considerable time revising and editing to produce their best work.
Organization is crucial for effective communication, allowing writers to convey their messages clearly and efficiently.
Sensory details are used to create an immersive experience for the reader, making the content more relatable and memorable.
Mastery of grammar and syntax is a hallmark of great writers, who adhere closely to language rules to ensure clarity and coherence.
The pursuit of great writing involves going beyond the basics and crafting content that resonates on a deeper level with the audience.

“It takes a lot of bad writing to get to a little good writing.” — Truman Capote

Great writing is writing that’s both insightful and beautiful. It should also be concise, well-organized, and well-researched. But what else sets it apart from good writing? Or bad writing, for that matter? Is there an objective measure of whether or not a piece of writing is superbly written in comparison to something mediocre?

Great writing and good writing aren’t the same things. For most of us, great means excellent in quality. World-class, extraordinary, or superb, all describe great. On the other hand, “good” means of moderate or high quality. “Acceptable” and “adequate” are synonyms of good in this sense.

Just as a cook that can whip up an egg scramble or a pot roast but really excels at making soufflés and crème brulees, so too does it seem that you can be either great or good at writing but not both.

While it’s true that you can be a fantastic writer without possessing all of the following characteristics or any of them for that matter, you’ll never write great pieces of content if you don’t have at least one or two of these skills down pat.

Brevity

While great writers might be quick to the untrained eye, they actually are very careful in their use of language. They’ll never write an essay or article that’s too long. When dealing with complex topics and providing them with highly meaningful details, great writers will be quick to summarize or sum up specific ideas and concepts in order to provide the reader with a clear understanding. They’ll know when it’s time to wrap up a conversation or story and will know exactly how much time they need to invest in order to do so politely.

Perfectionists

Great writers may not be perfect all the time but they’re always striving to write at their highest level. It’s not enough for them to simply practice their art and return day in and day out to put words down on paper. Great writers will spend time revising, editing, and proofreading their work in order to deliver the best product possible. They know that writing is a skill and get irritated when they make mistakes in spelling, grammar, or syntax. They’d rather delay publishing an article than pay someone else to fix it for them just because they might be too lazy to do it themselves.

Organized and Clean

Great writers understand that organization is key to communication. Great writers have a knack for organizing both themselves and their writing. The ability to arrange words in a way that best conveys a message is much easier when they know exactly where everything is located. When they sit down to write an essay, they’ll know exactly the order in which the points will be made and things will be discussed. They’ll never leave a half-finished essay in their notebook for more than a day or two, leaving it to collect dust. They’ll know where every idea, fact, and figure is located making sure that information can be found quickly.

Filled with Sensory Detail

Great writers don’t simply tell you their topic — they show you. In order to give the reader a chance to connect with their work, they’ll paint a sensory picture of their topic and the environment in which it takes place. Great writers will know when to include detail that may seem unnecessary — for example, saying “it was hot outside” when describing the temperature may seem superfluous. However, it actually serves a very important purpose for the reader. By including this little grammatical fluff in the sentence, it allows them to have a clearer visualization of the environment described.

Perfect Grammar and Syntax

Great writers are perfectionists in grammar and syntax. While good writers won’t necessarily use fresh new words every day of the week, they do tend to adhere more closely to grammar rules than their less-than-perfect counterparts. As opposed to using “imagine that” when they meant imagine what, they’ll know when it's time to end one thought and begin another. Of course, there’ll always be exceptions to the rule of grammar and syntax but it’s best to avoid them altogether.

The best writing isn’t what you might expect: it’s not flowery prose, eloquent words, or clever sentence structure. Instead, it’s the kind of writing that captures its intended audience from the first word and doesn’t let go until the very last. The kind of writing that isn’t in a hurry to get you where it wants you to be. It doesn’t rush its points or skimp on details just for the sake of being done with a subject. It sets a clear tone and uses words that make you think, not just hear. It fills your head with meaning so that you remember what it’s saying.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”― Anton Chekhov