If somebody asks you what makes a good writer, what would you say? Instead of guessing, we asked our professional writers about the biggest must-have qualities. The results are not shocking, but they are quite handy for those who desire to improve their writing skills. Stay until the end of the article to get some insights on the characteristics of a good writer. You will also know whether you have these qualities and how to develop them.
You Will Be Great at Essay Writing if You Possess…
As a part of our extensive research, we asked our writers to choose three qualities of a good writer, and we also got some insights into how these qualities help with the challenging parts of writing. So, you are a good match for the writing profession if you have the following qualities:
- Research skills – 91% of respondents report that a good writer is a good researcher.
- Attention to detail – 78% of writers consider it an important quality.
- Logical thinking – 51% of respondents consider logical thinking crucial for an effective writer.
- Creativity and imagination – 48% of writers report creativity essential for all essay writing steps.
- Perseverance – 19% of writers believe that good writers are persistent in improving their skills.
Now, what do these results tell us about the successful writer? The main conclusion is that many of the needed qualities are not necessarily inherited but can be gained. The questionnaire gives hope to those who believe they cannot become a good writer.
Good Writers Have Good Research Skills (91% of Professional Writers Say That)
Strong research skills are essential for many parts of the writing process besides looking for backup information. For a professional writer, writing a paper means knowing what you are writing about first. Everything else comes as a second priority. You can always edit your spelling, add citations, and change particular sentences. However, if you mess up with the content, nothing can save you anymore.
The paper with a poor research background must be rewritten from scratch.
If you struggle with conducting research for your papers, here are a few ways to improve the situation:
- Evaluate whether the topic is relevant to your class, interests, and learning capacities.
- Practice searching for appropriate vocabulary to make your paper credible and accurately written.
- Always take notes on the topic. This way, you will only select the most crucial information.
- Develop your skills of choosing the most suitable evidence to illustrate your points. Good evidence does not develop a new topic but directly supports the one you claimed in your thesis statement and topic sentences.
- Practice developing the bibliography list. This will keep your thoughts and citations organized and well-structured.
“Good research skills are the most important strength of a good writer. You can rely on your knowledge only to an extent. Everything beyond that extent is a matter of your ability to work with information appropriately.”
Nicholas Evans, professional writer at Customwritings.com
Attention to Detail Is What Makes a Great Writer Great
Seventy-eight percent of our writers said that attention to detail is one of the major characteristics of a good writer. This quality can be more powerful than you think and more life-saving than you have ever imagined.
For instance, in 2020, Mark Edison wrote an article about the Top 100 US universities and their plans. The description of each university in this article is just a few sentences, but it has required tremendous research. Back in 2020, when everything was unclear, stagnant, and dangerous, such a list was a precious gift for students.
We asked Alice Dartnell, a life and success coach, about her tips for maintaining focus on work. Here is her reply:
Alice: My area of expertise is mainly about productivity, finances, personal management, and well-being. Attention to detail in that sphere means catching that one trigger that will make people apply some of the tips instead of reading and instantly forgetting them. When I feel that my focus and productivity decrease, here are some questions that help me get back to my usual condition:
- Is the problem physical or psychological? Sometimes, I feel absent-minded and disorganized because I had poor sleep the previous night. Sometimes, it happens because I am anxious about something. Clarifying this question helps me react to the problem more effectively and purposely.
- What type of details am I looking for? It’s true that the devil is in the details. When I go for details, it feels like the devil personally tortures me with the endlessness of these details. If you start looking for it, perfectionism wins. So, set your intentions and the particular type of details in advance.
“We all have basic literacy and a right to a voice, so all 7 billion people can say something on any topic. However, only solid research and high meticulousness make the information valuable.”
Jamie Clark, a professional writer at the Computer Science Department
Logical Thinking Is the Quality of Good Writers (51% of Respondents Report)
Among other strengths of a good writer, logical thinking is one of the hardest to get. You cannot overestimate how that trait influences the quality of the text, the tone of voice, and the clarity of arguments. Here are some ways to estimate your logical skills in different essay writing steps and in confronting typical logical fallacies.
How do I define whether I have good logical thinking?
If you are good at seeing things for what they are, you are likely to be good at the following questions and steps of essay writing.
| Step of the essay writing process | Questions to evaluate a writer’s critical thinking |
| Preparation for writing, research |
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| Outline |
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| Writing |
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How can I practice my logical thinking?
The best way to practice logical thinking is through confronting the most typical issues and mistakes. Your best punching bags to practice logical thinking are logical fallacies. Here are some of the most typical logical mistakes that students regularly miss in their essays. Look for them in your daily life, and you will become much more critical within a few weeks.
- Ad hominem or assaulting the opponent’s personality. Students sometimes judge the opposition’s points based on unrelated moral or ethical questions. For example, when writing about political ideas, such as liberal or conservative affiliations, people discuss the behavior of the doctrine’s supporters.
- Switching between topics. The argument in the discussion must always directly relate to the topic. If you use association methods instead of clear logic, the argument is no longer credible enough for the conversation.
- Generalizations. “All people agree” or “most people disagree” are not the actual arguments. Even as a part of figurative speech, it’s better to avoid those phrases in your essay writing. Instead, use logical thinking to find what exact category of people supports the particular idea and what research has been done on the topic.
Creativity and Imagination. What Makes a Great Writer Successful?
Have you read the list of the Best Essays of All Time? If not, then do read it. You will find such famous names as George Orwell, Scott Fitzgerald, and Virginia Woolf. And no wonder you will because these are people who transformed the technical writing craft into art.
If only they were alive, they would admit that all technical skills, like writing, editing, and citing, make up only about 10% of a writer’s success. The other 90% come from the writer’s qualities and creativity to make them all work together.
Are you creative enough for the essay writing profession? Here is a simple task to figure that out: name five techniques you will use to generate fresh essay ideas.
Do you struggle to name all five? Okay, then try an easier task. Get some inspiration about ways to generate essay ideas here. Then, come back and transform one idea into something completely new. If you perform one of these easy tasks, you definitely have the chance of becoming a professional writer.
Good Writers Are Persistent
The qualities of a good writer are a matter of practice and perseverance. Do you want to know whether you are stubborn and enthusiastic enough to become a good writer? Check out these simple questions, and you will have some clues about it:
- Do you remember the four qualities of a good writer from above?
- Did you just return to check them out after reading the first question?
- Did you check them after reading the second question?
If the answer for all three questions is “no,” you have some practicing to do. If you answered “yes” to at least one of them, you have the potential to become a good essay writer. Here are some soft skills that require solid perseverance to start your practice:
- Dealing with writer’s block
- Revising and editing the text
- Staying motivated
- Meeting deadlines
- Receiving feedback
Start with these skills by practicing them daily and emphasizing your perseverance as a number-one priority. You will grow as a writer within months.
A Few Extra Qualities to Boost Your Chances to Become a Good Essay Writer
Becoming a good writer takes more than just a few qualities. It requires consistent, restless, and tenacious work on your personality, skills, and talents. If you feel like you are already proud of your research skills, attentiveness, logic, creativity, and perseverance, we have a few more qualities for you to think about:
- Good writers are good readers and good listeners. To make people understand your perspective, you have to understand theirs first.
- Good writers are humble, concise, and clear in their writing. Your text is not an advertisement of your personality; you don’t have to prove anything to the reader. You have to engage your readers in conversation and be equals.
- Outstanding writers can educate and entertain their readers simultaneously. Of course, it is easier said than done. However, even the most rigorous academic style will allow a little bit of your personality in writing. Make the readers see a living human behind the letters, and they will trust you.
Being a great writer requires many skills and personal qualities. However, the good news is that they are manageable, and you can develop each and every single one of them!
