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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Good Is Bad?

Recently, I read a quote on Twitter that made me stop and think: "Only bad writers think they're good!" While I can see some truth in this statement, I believe a good writer has a more objective point of view than a bad writer, who usually believes that even his/her worst stuff is great.

To be truly "good" a writer's work must meet a minimum standard by which it can be judged, such things as: grammar, punctuation, clarity of thought, originality, ease of dialog, characterization, continuity, etc. Lacking these, no work could truthfully be judged "good". But a bad writer usually can't see the flaws in his/her work and, therefore, thinks their writing is great. Unfortunately, if you can't recognize your flaws, you have no hope of correcting them.

Recognizing that my own work is "good" doesn't automatically assign my work to the category of "bad" writing. But neither do I dare equate myself with Hemingway or Asimov or any other great writer. I am competent, not great. I accept my writing for what it is. I enjoy writing; I work hard at it. I try to create the best stories I possibly can. And I hope that my readers enjoy them

All for now,

MRTighe.

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