How do you know if you are good at writing?

May I ask what books you read?

Might I suggest that perhaps the original question is the wrong question?

I know that sentence sounds a bit pretentious, as does the following, but I think the question is approaching the topic from the wrong frame of mind. The answer to this question (am I good or not) can really only serve nothing but our egos - which while a not totally worthless goal, should probably take a backseat to actually writing well, provided we care about writing.

Or to put it another way: If a good writer knew they were good *

, what would that change? Would they say, "Well, I'm good now. No more need to work so hard at getting better. Nah, I don't need to edit this paragraph. I'm a good writer." The only possible benefit from a positive answer, aside from self-esteem, is complacency.

It's a question of what the motivation is- to tell a story exactly as it is in your head, or "to write well." It's similar to the difference between people who want to have written, rather than who want to write.

Your question shouldn't be whether or not you're "good at writing." Your question should be whether or not you're writing the stories you want to tell, and how well they're being translated from brain to paper. The real question shouldn't be "am I good," but rather "is this good," or better yet, "how can I improve this."

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.

The last thing I read was Mistborn (there were things I liked about it, and which I specifically noticed because it dodged certain things I tend to dislike about the epic fantasy genre, but there were definitely things that made me shake my head as well. I still don't get what all the fuss is about with that series, I started the second one, I could immediately tell I wasn't going to enjoy it, so I put it down.) Also a lot of Urban Fantasies that lead me to all but give up on the genre, (Including The Cassie Palmer series, Mercedes Thompson series and Sandman Slim and Anita Blake which has very much deteriorated lately) and a few fantasy series which I find enjoyable if you don't want to think too much, but when it comes down to it are pretty standard and lacking in too much depth, despite the fact that they make a point of trying to be dark and epic they mostly end up being boring, IMO. Mercedes Lackey and Tamora Pierce, specifically.

My idols (who I am certainly not as good as) include Lois Mc Master Bujold, Robin Mc Kinley, Anne Mc Caffrey, Garth Nix, Diana Wynne Jones and John C Wright. These are the few authors who have written things that made me go Wow! after I read it. There was also some crying involved.

I want a book that will give me a catharsis or make me laugh out loud. Anything less than that can be enjoyable but it doesn't have my full respect.

But anyways, I don't know, maybe I'm just full of myself, but yesterday when I read through the little bit of the second book of the The Grimmcroft Series that I wrote, and I was so impressed with myself. I was all, man, I really wrote this? I really brought my A-game when I penned that!

edited 1st Nov '11 8:45:07 PM by NoirGrimoir

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

But do you actually consider yourself a better writer then any of those you described yourself as disliking?

Yes, except for the fact that they've actually finished things. In that, they have the better of me, and my respect.

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

: I know this is a bit off-topic, but yay! Another Diana Wynne Jones idolizer! She was the writer who first made me aware of tropes and their subversions, as Howls Moving Castle and Dark Lord Of Derkholm played significant roles in my upbringing. In other words, she made me Genre Savvy. Writing-wise, I think that's the biggest gift I've ever been given. I miss her.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada

w00t! I consider Dark Lord Of Derkholm and Year Of The Griffin to be two of my favorite books ever. I wished so much that there would be another sequel, but alas. Author Existence Failure.

edited 1st Nov '11 11:19:19 PM by NoirGrimoir

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

You know you are a good writer when you choose to keep writing even if what you wrote was not perfect, because you know you can do better and are pursuing that. In contrast, a "bad" writer is someone who write something with no intention of improving it.

Doodles

^ I dunno . . . Once I finally wrote something longer than three chapters, I came to understand how exhausting it is to go over a story again and again and again and pick out every flaw. There comes a point when you want to put the story out there, even if you still feel like you might be able to make it better. (Of course, if you put it out there and are lucky enough to get good criticism of it, you can edit according to the criticism and repost it.)

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful

"If you're wondering what drugs you were on that made you think this was acceptable, congrats. You are now a good writer."

Being able to tell that a sink is leaking does not make one a plumber.

And better than thy stroke; why swellest thou then?

The answer is simple: You don't. Ever.

No really. In fact, never ask yourself that question. When you do, and your answer leans towards yes, you will stagnate. Instead ask yourself what you need do to become a better writer, and then do those things.

Also, avoiding the mistakes outlined by How Not To Write A Novel helps.

...guys, believing you are good at writing does not always equate to "I AM PERFECT AND A GENIUS AND IF YOU DISAGREE YOU'RE A FUCKING MORON!"

I mean, okay, it can conceivably lead to a mindset that prevents further improvement. It can lead to overconfidence and all that. But these are extreme cases. One can also believe that they are good, but not perfect and there is always room for improvement. Just saying. Because all these posts that claim that believing this is totally wrong and will kill your creativity and shame on you is somewhat overkill.

For my part, I'd say there's a difference between believing that you are good at writing and believing that you cannot possibly be better at writing. The latter is always a bad thing, but the former is not.

edited 6th Nov '11 2:16:21 PM by nrjxll

Agree with Dealan and nrjxll. Believing you are good does not mean you don't believe you could be better.

When I think of 'good' at writing, I think of the basic level of writing when you can be expected to more or less know what you are doing and be reasonably thought 'acceptable' by others, and possibly get published, maybe.

That's not the same as being a master, or being an expert, or being a god of writing. If you are 'good' at writing, you've accomplished something and you can claim that skill and be proud of yourself, but it's just the first wrung on the ladder, really. You've still got a long way to go.

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)

Evocative characters (those I love and those I hate and those I hate to love) and interesting plots make for good stories in my opinion.

Robin Mc Kinley's The Hero And The Crown and The Blue Sword amaze me. I love pretty much everything written by Holly Black. I adore Julie Kagawa's Iron Court series.

I love when the character is the focus. I love when painful subjects are presented with sensitivity.

edited 30th Nov '11 5:10:49 PM by nekomoon14

Level 3 Social Justice Necromancer. Chaotic Good.

Ah, Robin Mc Kinley is one of my heroes and influences. Good choice.

Also agree on loving character focused works.

edited 30th Nov '11 8:16:36 PM by NoirGrimoir

SPATULA, Supporters of Page Altering To Urgently Lead to Amelioration (supports not going through TRS for tweaks and minor improvements.)