# How would you briefly describe what "good writing" is? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063 "2010-03-27T23:12:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/41 "2010-04-01T21:26:41Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > So have fun now, theres a wealth of missing apostrophes out there in my record,not to mention misplaced and missing spaces,no doubt spelling errors and who knows what else ? Apostrophe needed in “theres”, spaces needed after the second and third commas, and extra space before the question mark. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/42 "2010-04-02T02:20:31Z")
> [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](#): > > I once had to do a group project for university where people said they liked long sentences after I sugested to split up the 5 line sentences into smaller pieces. Probably because it’s easier to grasp relationships between ideas–especially more subtle and more complex ideas–with things like subordination, complex sentences, modifying phrases, etc. The whole “always use short/simple sentences” screed comes from middle school English teachers who don’t really know how to teach writing and just want to make correcting grammar easier. True, sometimes developing writers think they need to launch into hyper-academic terms and expressions, and that’s obviously undesirable. However, when developing writers start attempting to express more complex ideas, by necessity they are going to stumble more with mechanics and grammar. If such writers are dedicated and willing to continue–and, most importantly, hungry to read good models of writing–they will eventually pick up what they need to do. But the lazy English teacher who sees only the grammatical errors, and ignores the expression itself, just says, “Don’t try that! Use simple, short sentences. (It’s easier for me to ‘correct.’”) Imagine if you persistently forbade your two-year-old from putting more than two words together for fear that it wouldn’t be grammatically correct. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/43 "2010-04-02T06:32:32Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Apostrophe needed in “theres”, spaces needed after the second and third commas, and extra space before the question mark. Damn you arch nemesis! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/44 "2010-04-02T14:50:03Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Good writing is the clear expression of an interesting thought using the right words, and no more. Based on what I’ve seen at work lately, I’d even lower the bar to say that good writing is the clear expression of a _coherent_ thought using the right words, and no more. Sometimes a solid idea exists and the writing is the culprit when it comes to incoherence. At work, we’ve been getting the worst copy I have seen in years, and it has become obvious that the problem is not just in execution, but that the thought itself is half-baked and not fully realized from the get-go. Like when people start talking before they’ve actually decided what they are about to say. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/45 "2010-04-03T00:00:29Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Damn you arch nemesis! Come on, you know you need a comma after the “you”. Now you’re just baiting me. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/46 "2010-04-03T07:42:59Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Come on, you know you need a comma after the “you”. Now you’re just baiting me. And a hyphen between “arch” and “nemesis.” ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/47 "2010-04-03T10:07:33Z")
If other people tell you it’s good writing, then it’s good writing. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/48 "2010-04-03T10:19:32Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > I want to see how much consensus there is on the idea of what good writing is. Maybe there’s a lot of variance, maybe there isn’t. > > Suppose you had to briefly describe what “good writing” is. What would you say? All worthwhile writing must have a purpose. Good technical writing imparts knowledge with brevity and clarity. Good creative writing evokes emotion and leaves the reader a little bit wiser than when they started. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/49 "2010-04-03T10:23:54Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Come on, you know you need a comma after the “you”. Now you’re just baiting me. In case I miss out any in the future… ,“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Insert as required. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/50 "2010-04-03T10:26:31Z")
Whoops, nearly forgot… \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ //////////////////////////////////////////////// ((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/51 "2010-04-03T12:33:39Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > And a hyphen between “arch” and “nemesis.” Wow. I’ve found a new hero. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/52 "2010-04-03T15:06:35Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Wow. I’ve found a new hero. I think that you’re ever so clever. Are you going to show me how many pressups you can do now ? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063/53 "2010-04-04T06:40:22Z")
At this point, any writer who doesn’t use “sneered,” “snarled,” and “shouted” so often and so inappropriately that I want to throw the book across the room. (I’m currently reading “Enigma” by C.F. Bentley if you’re wondering.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-briefly-describe-what-good-writing-is/534063.md?page=2)