Sherley Anne Williams: What Makes A Good Writer?

Often people wonder whether anyone can be taught to write and why so often we don’t know how to write by now. To understand what makes writers, “good” we first need to define and ask ourselves, “What is writing?” Sherley Anne Williams, an African-American poet, and professor describes writing as, “I think writing is really a process of communication. It’s the sense of being in contact with people who are part of a particular audience that really makes a difference to me in writing.” Writing is a way of response to our reader; when we write, we want our audience to receive the purpose of our ideas and react to it. We want to communicate the purpose effectively. To recognize good writing, one must see evidence of good structure, logic, grammar and flow …show more content…
A good writer includes data, research, statistics and personal testimony into their writing. By doing so, it establishes credibility and connection with the readers. Offering personal experiences in your writing provides the reader an understanding of your firsthand experience, and it enhances your credibility as a writer. To convince the readers that your writing is solid, you will need to offer support for each of your ideas. It is important when incorporating the sources into your writing that you ask yourself: Is the evidence appropriate for my readers and does this evidence support my particular idea?
In a 2011 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine: Inside the Writers Mind, six authors were asked, “What’s is the best thing about being a writer?” here are some of the responses:
• Mary Gaitskill (American novelist, essayist): “ The best thing about writing is being able to clearly express things in a way you can’t express in conversation.”
• John Edgar Wideman (American writer, a professor at Brown University): “ Novelist must learn the skill of listening, practice listening as discipline and