Writers Checklist! Make Sure You Have All The Qualities Of a Great Writer Here!

[aggs]

Thanks! These are very helpful steps!!

[DesertFlower]

This is a very helpful thread! Thanks for writing it!

[girlzluv2play]

This really helped me!

[GHRS]

This is great advice! So glad it's now a sticky!

As you can see, I used your advice on my signature!

[uniquecowgirl]

Bravo on the guide, I will be using this.

[Sunscreenstick]

One of a kind tips! I think the 5-2-2 method is probably valued on simplicity but then again it should bring me back to assist with complicated stories I write for my friends. I appreciate it

[VGMeigs]

I'm so happy to say that I have most if not all of those things when writing, Thank you so much for posting it, though, because it reminds me that it's really important to have those qualities!

[catsareawesome2]

Great post, all great qualities of a good story.

[Metaphor]

I know I'm late to the party, but just a little more advice to add to the description bit:

Adjectives adverbs can be great, but try not to overuse them. Good writing is not necessarily "fancy writing"; it's prose that is clear, coherent, and precise. Try to put all the power in your nouns and verbs. For instance, if you're writing about a blue jay and not just a generic bird, be sure to specify in your description. All the adjectives in the world won't mean much if your reader can't get a clear picture of what you're precisely talking about it. If that said blue jay is flying high in the sky, use a precise verb like "soar." Most of the time, short, crisp sentences have a much greater effect than do long, rambling ones.

So, just to clarify:

Good: "The blue jay soared above the treetops." (add description as necessary)
A little too much: The gorgeous blue jay flew gracefully above the magnificent oak trees."

I'm not saying adding more description would be bad. Remember, though, that words like "beautiful" and "magnificent" and "gorgeous" actually say very little. Try showing the reader why the trees are magnificent. If it's their height, you could try the describing them as "the oak trees that towered [over the valley/whatever] and cast large, brooding shadows on the ground."

Ick, that's not a very good description, but I hope that at least gets the point across somewhat.^^

[shuggylay]

Thank you SO much for this, you're the best! Now I've got to go write a story, bye!