The 7 Qualities of STRONG WRITING

How do you know if you're a good writer? How do you know if you're improving? The first step is being able to identity what good writing even is. While everyone has subjective tastes in what they prefer, these are qualities you can look for in your work (in both story and prose!) that are signs of a strong, well-constructed, well-written work.
FIND REEDSY HERE:
Website: reedsy.com/?...
Facebook: / wearereedsy
Twitter: / reedsyhq
Instagram: / reedsy_hq
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - Intentionality
2:23 - Economy
3:27 - Clarity
4:41 - Consistency
5:00 - Cohesiveness
5:32 - Insightfulness
6:21 - Interestingness
RESOURCES:
Reedsy Writing App: reedsy.com/write-a-book
Reedsy Discovery [indie book reviews]: reedsy.com/discovery
Webinars: blog.reedsy.com/live/
Bestseller Podcast: blog.reedsy.com/podcast/
Prompts & Writing Contest: blog.reedsy.com/creative-writ...
Plot Generator: blog.reedsy.com/plot-generator/
Character Name Generator: blog.reedsy.com/character-nam...
Pen Name Generator: blog.reedsy.com/pen-name-gene...
Book Title Generator: blog.reedsy.com/book-title-ge...
Writing Exercises: blog.reedsy.com/writing-exerc...
Writing Contest Directory: blog.reedsy.com/writing-conte...
Literary Magazine Directory: blog.reedsy.com/literary-maga...
ePub to MOBI Converter: blog.reedsy.com/epub-to-mobi-...
Reedsy Learning [free courses]: blog.reedsy.com/learning/

[@squashfan9526]

Shaelin is definitely my favourite TH-camr for all things writing-craft. Additions to these seven that come to mind include: well structured, well paced, thought provoking, authentic, challenging. A good novel is an interesting story told well.

[@TheMurricane66]

Write the book you would like to read. It makes it easier to find things that dont work. It does require objectivety or outside help.

[@AngelaKHarrell]

Ok, now your comment makes sense to me. That's why I get stuck a lot. Because I start to say: what in the world? That's a bit much or you're trying too hard or this needs to be simpler, etc. I'm selective like that so I get what you're saying!😊

[@deadeaded]

I find it useful to distinguish between quality and taste. Taste is subjective, personal, solitary. Quality, on the other hand, is intersubjective. It's not a solo thing; it exists in the communication between the author and the reader. If a writer and a reader have similar tastes, the writing may still fail because of a lack of effective communication. That's where "good" writing comes in, imho.

[@sleepinggorilla]

Perfectly describes David Brin. Fantastic world building, highly readable prose, unlikable characters and boring, predictable stories.

[@BooksRebound]

Thanks for the tips! Very helpful!

[@aaj002]

Another great video! In my mind, the trifecta of good writing is that the piece has to be Interesting, Clear, and Insightful. Interesting so readers pick it up, Clear so readers keep going, and Insightful so it stays with them.

[@BooksForever]

I would suggest that insightful prose doesn’t necessarily translate into staying power - some people simply forget everything. But you’re certainly on the right track to cite insightful prose as a hallmark of good writing because that’s the aspect that rewards the reader with something worth reading-even if it lingers all too briefly on their mind.

[@kerri-lynbryant293]

Thanks S❤x Fewest words needed. I ❤️ love that. Consistency and cohesiveness. For me originality is important.

[@vultureiraq1168]

I get that! I hate when I read books with detail that i didnt really need to know! It just makes me want to skim through the whole chapter lol 😂

[@gregorykollarus8190]

Thank you so very much you’re always an inspiration

[@jerrypeters1157]

What a great list. Thanks!

[@PhoenixCrown]

Great video, love the perspective. I loved how you spoke about insight. I read to experience something new, to learn, to be a better person, so I want to read about something you have insight on. Life is so amazing we only get one, so I want to hear about your life, your mother's, your hero's, and a million other lives I'll never live. Insight into another being enlightens us all and is one of the core elements of why humans learn by story.

[@shawn4990]

Thank you... nice video. Based on your criteria, I'm on track to becoming a better writer. I do struggle with cohesion...I tend to nail certain aspects on your list, just not all together, but that's why I keep writing, to improve. Little did I realize back when I first started writing how satisfyingly crafting great sentences and paragraphs would be.

[@hatezis]

your videos are always great, this gave me a lot of things to think about. thank you

[@weestan6214]

That's great, a great list and explanation

[@GribbleGrunger]

This is my list:
Fluidity
Rhythm
Authenticity
Clarity
Consistency
Authority
Specificity

[@SergioNatan94]

I'm not very fluent in English, but at speed 70 on the computer, I can understand it well.

[@SergioNatan94]

Where can I find a video on your TH-cam Channel that teaches "how to make a good hook in writing", if you taught it? I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I've been subscribed to your Reedsy Shaylin Channel for a long time, I'm writing a novel thanks to what I'm learning in your videos, and I'm your unconditional fan. Thank you very much for you existing. Você é dimaixxx (You are amaaaaazing) and you speak like someone with authority.

[@BGSpare]

Clarity is number one for me to try avoid ambiguity. But as you say, every reader interprets what they read differently.

[@AngelaKHarrell]

Someone here said "write what you would like to read" (and I believe Toni Morrison said something similar). Im going to add a little ti that: "write what you want to read AND buy." Would I spend money for this, or would I re-buy it? Or would I recommend it to someone?" If not, I need to go back in and rewrite. It's never going to be "perfect" because we all have different tastes. But if I would spend money on it, I think that's a good place to start. And you can get others to say if they would spend money on it. 😊

[@keithcarey6312]

I make my writing brief, but I over do it. In good novels I’ve read, often the writer draws out a scene in a compelling way.

[@rachelthompson9324]

8: Write for the reader. Always keep in mind that others will read it. Look outward and consider the audience. We all write for ourselves but that doesn't aways make it good for the other.

[@kit888]

Informative. I should learn something new, even in a fictional story. That was Michael Crichton's strength.

[@vultureiraq1168]

Its important to read books cause you see what you dont like that what authors do vs things they do like, I have a hard time engulfing in game of thrones books.. and people love that story! odd indeed!

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

One ought write as one speaks -- to begin with...

[@NeoPokebonz]

Lord, those last three are going to give me a hassle.

[@blueangel9544]

I would say the most important thing that signals to me that the writing is good, would be clarity. Making sure the reader understands what you are trying to convey is one of the most essential things. Clarity is the skeleton of making the story come to life. Something can be interesting, but unclear. And therefore it can be difficult to relate to the story. Because the reader spends time trying to interpret the meaning, and it can dislodge the flow and remove the readers mind from the world.

[@EarthenDemon126]

Is writing really that subjective? It there an objective basis to evaluating books?

[@Peter_Reed_Photography]

You could evaluate a book through grammatical accuracy and sentence structure, the English Literature sort of thinking, but that's a rather dry and academic method and won't tell you much beyond the technical.

[@livewireOrourke]

Thank you for this. Some days my writing feels like a Biden speech.

[@bathos22]

Thank God your writing does not feel like Trump's word salad. Imagine! 😂

[@boom_handled]

Your voice needs rest, Shaelin!