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How do you define a good writer or a beginner writer?


SilverBullet 1 / -  
Jun 11, 2012   #1
Everyone is still saying I'm a beginner, even though I have been writing for almost three years. However, I started becoming more careful of my writing last year and have been working on trying to write professionally. How many years should a writer write for them to NOT be considered a beginner anymore?
ah_zafari [Contributor] 40 / 672 148  
Jun 11, 2012   #2
I think writing is a complex skill. The definition of a beginner writer can be varied according to the criteria which are considered for evaluating a writer. The expectation about a person who wants to just get a good score in the IELTS or TOEFL tests is totally different from a professional writer. If the criterion be an excellent novelist, we will found us as a beginner in writing as compare ourselves to him/her. Thus, there is no clear definition about the word "beginner".

If you are not a professional writer, u should have the following abilities to view yourself as a good writer:
1) having information about the structures and organization of essays or paragraphs
2) A good information about grammar
3) vocabulary or lexical resource is another factor
4) A little creativity to write an interesting passage
5) The ability to discuss a wide range of topics and convey your message to a reader in an effective way

This is my view toward your question

Regards
Ahmad
inform 8 / 21  
Jun 11, 2012   #3
I am in agreement to what Ahmed mentioned. In addition, I would also include that a writer must be able to create interest for the reader to continue reading. This is a very important as no matter great vocab skill , structural skills and other technical skills a writer has if he or she is not able to create that interest his creations will be lost.

With this I don't want to lessen the importance of the skills required but I want to mention that a writer thinks from that perspective also. Moreover, a writer must also be a good reader.

This is my view to a professional writer.
dumi 1 / 6,925 1592  
Jun 12, 2012   #4
I quite agree with what Sudhir said... Writer's successfulness depends on how he is received by the readers. So he's got to maintain the reader's interest and curiosity throughout his writing and should not let any room for the reader to feel boring. So this demands that the writer should be creative and presents his writing in a very unique style that captures reader's heart. To accomplish this level of writing, of course the writer needs everything that Ahmad mentioned. :)
justivy03 - / 2,366 607  
Apr 12, 2015   #5
What habit do you think one should develop in order to become a good writer?

Please identify your answers in points and their importance.

If I were to embark a new career of becoming a professional writer, I should develop the following;

> knowledge in vocabulary and its usage
> grammar, tenses and punctuation marks usage
> be able to identify ways to improve my journal in order to send my message across

Now, what do you think?
tomurcuk 1 / 4  
Apr 13, 2015   #6
a good writer can surprise us with the things that he wrote and olso his writings has a fluency . I think, if his sentences remain in my mind, i can say that he is a good writer. but of course all the features of a good writer are not these..
Blair_K 3 / 4 4  
May 30, 2015   #7
Everyone is still saying I'm a beginner, even though I have been writing for almost three years. However, I started becoming more careful of my writing last year and have been working on trying to write professionally. How many years should a writer write for them to NOT be considered a beginner anymore?

To answer your question I am going to write a little bit about my personal experience with writing. I started to become serious about my essay writing skills when I was in my senior year of high school. I wanted to be a good writer essay writer when I was in grade 10 but it wasn't until grade 12 when I realized exactly what kind of work ethic it would take for me to become a great writer. I started writing poetry and creative pieces at a young age when I was in elementary school and won a few awards in my school for my writing. From the time I was in grade 6 all the way until my second year of university I always got the same comment given to me from experienced writers and professors: "you have potential". I started to hate it when people would tell me that "I have potential", I wanted to be a good writer not just have the potential to be a good writer. When you calculate how many years I have been working on my writing, you could say it has been 12 years (from grade 6 till now in my fifth year of my undergraduate degree). In all honesty, years and numbers aren't as important but attitude and character is very important in the years it takes you to develop as a great writer. Don't get too caught up in the "how many years will it take me" mindset. Instead, focus on these few concepts:

1) Really get a good handle on writing mechanics and vocabulary (grammar, punctuation, tense, lexicon, etc).

2) Know that you will make mistakes. I still make mistakes even though I can get between an 85-90% on most of my English papers at the undergraduate level. You will always make mistakes, it's what you do with those mistakes that count.

3) Know what your strengths and weakness are as a writer. If you know what your strengths are you can play up on those strengths. If you know what your weaknesses are then you can work to improve them.

4) Have some kind of creativity to be able to write an intriguing passage that will get the attention of the reader. Practice your brainstorming skills because often your creativity will come out in the brainstorming process. I often use a technique called timed-writing to help with creative flow.

5) Know who your readership/audience is and cater your writing style and message to that particular readership/audience.

6) Editing is of utmost importance. A good writer will spend a lot of time editing. Writing is, after all, the art of re-writing.

7) Be willing to take risks and try new writing techniques to expand your skills and style. You might not like writing essays but if you are used to writing creative pieces like poetry and short-stories then try practicing your essay writing skills or writing articles. Trying different writing styles will help to expand your skills but it will also give you an idea of what areas you work well in.

8) Be resilient and patient and always be willing to learn. An important key to becoming a good/professional writer is recognizing that writing involves a never-ending learning experience. If you are passionate about writing you will always find room to improve and this is a good thing. When you look back at your writing from three years ago you are bound to see differences and areas where you have improved. Looking back at old work will give you an idea of how your writing style has changed and what writing skills have improved. If you are not seeing any improvement from your old work then you are doing something wrong or you are not looking at things in the right perspective. Do not get caught up in the "how long will it take me to be a good/professional writer", focus instead on the progress that you have made and accept the fact that becoming a good/excellent writer is a process that will be continual. You should always be learning and improving your writing no matter how comfortable you get with your writing skills.

Cheers,
Kameela Amer


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