Deciphering good writing

Nearly every freelancer wants to find the elusive keys to good writing. All technical, short story and essay writers want to discover the secrets that will give their writing an edge.

Writing is a subjective art. That said, putting a few time-tested suggestions in place will enable it to reach out to others.

In this digital age, writing skills may seem redundant. People resort to using abbreviations to send messages on their mobile phones. "U" is short for "you" in a short text message.
Credible writing skills are essential. They help a person travel the road of life, managing all its aspects. Important for most jobs, they offer monetary value.

Writing provides order. It is a way for people to organize their thoughts and expressions. They structure the many goings-on in the mind.

Writing skills help writers to know their audiences. The types of responses writers get to their writing allows them to know who connects best with them. Indeed, writing is an indispensable way of engaging readers over the internet.

Many writers wonder why, after trying hard to get rid of annoying errors, their writing fails to get the attention it should.

The truth is that it takes more than freedom from grammatical errors to make a piece of writing outstanding. Good, clear writing is not necessarily talented writing. A writer may have applied the rules of polished penmanship, but it may still fall short.

Fiction that is banal, or too much like other fiction is still powerless fiction. To make his writing a cut above the rest, a writer needs to make it energetic. Whether through pieces of information or a well-crafted story, he must make things happen in the reader's mind.

Technical writing, for many aspiring authors, may seem a breeze. After all, it just takes is knowing some essential facts.

Though this is true, it takes more than mere research and fact production to produce credible pieces of technical writing.

For a start, such writing anticipates questions. Skilled technical writers need to know about a subject, and what their readers will likely ask. With their skills, they get to the hearts of topics.

Essentially, technical writers teach. They present information simply, without being too simple.

They ground their writing in data. All the facts that a writer has at hand are completely verified and supported. These writers make sure that they proofread their writing before presenting it.

Good story writers are always aching to know what will make their stories stand out. The answer is elusive, yet simple.

Good story writers use body language. They describe a character and his actions, letting his body language bring him to life. They rely on a character's idiosyncracies to make him interesting.

These writers are not afraid to 'get it wrong'. They free their writing and let the words flow before the editing process begins. They keep their words simple, but never lose the depth of their ideas.

Good story writers experiment with different points of view. A unique voice can give the reader a completely different focus and experience. This said, a common mistake short story writers make is to give their story to a non-essential character. They narrate the story through these secondary characters, often confusing their readers.

Short story writers use twists. They often introduce unpredictable ideas that work against what readers expect from the central characters. They craft strong titles, and keep their stories short.

A writer may simply want to communicate his ideas on different topics, be they politics, pets, religion or technology. The essay becomes a highly useful tool. Producing one takes skill, time and effort.

Good essay writing is readable. It does not rely on verbose language that will confuse. The writer's aim is to reach out to his readers, so anyone should understand it.

To add, an essay should develop gradually. Small ideas should flow to form bigger, concrete and compelling ones. Focused, a good essay is not a mish-mash of convoluted ideas.

Most importantly, good essay writers know their audience. They write for their readers, provoking their thoughts, compelling their actions and touching their hearts.

Deciphering good writing is the key to producing it.