I’m continuing this theme of healthy ways to better writing (a theme I did not plan ahead of time, it just kinda happened) by talking about exercise and how it can have a positive impact on your creativity and writing. Exercise is obviously one of the most healthy activities one can pursue as it helps keep you in shape and reduces the risk of a lot of diseases.

Exercise and the brain

Most people think of exercise as only helping the body (as I talked about above). But staying active also has a positive impact on the brain. In fact, exercise can do everything from reduce depression to helping you feel more alert. I found an article from the website Medicine.net called Train you Brain with Exercise:

“I like to say that exercise is like taking a little Prozac or a little Ritalin at just the right moment,” says John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User’s Guide to the Brain. “Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being.”

Christin Anderson, wellness and fitness coordinator at the University of San Francisco goes on to say:

“When one exercises,” Anderson says, “you can think more clearly, perform better, and your morale is better. This is pure science — stimulate your nervous system and function at a higher level.”

Thinking clearly. Improved performance. Increased morale. All of these can have a positive impact on your writing. Just being able to think clearly will help you in terms of organizing your writing, structure, ideas, editing and so forth. For example, if you’re writing a novel, being able to think clearly could help you organize your plot and create more rounded characters.

The good part about exercise is that it really doesn’t take all that much to reap its benefits. The article states that working out (whether it’s running, walking, swimming, etc. for 30 minutes 3 times per week is enough to keep your brain in top shape. Of course, the more you exercise the more benefits.

Exercise as a creative boost

People who exercise regularly often report a ‘meditative’ aspect to their fitness routines. As I wrote in a previous post, meditation and meditative-like states can really increase your creativity and improve writing. Furthermore, when one feels that sense of well-being and euphoria, stress and other worries seem to fade away, giving your brain a chance to focus on other things.

From my own experience with exercise, after I’m finished with a workout, I really do have more energy and feel ready to tackle any writing project – often with a fresh perspective. The only problem I have is keeping a regular exercise schedule.

No drugs needed!

There is a general stereotype about creative people that they often use drugs to enhance their art. While this might apply in the short-term, in the long run, people who use drugs to increase their creativity are only hurting themselves. How many famous artists, musicians and writers have died from complications of drug use? Quite a few. This goes without saying, but it’s hard to be creative when you’re dead.

The cool part about meditation and exercise is that the benefits increase over time by improving your health. A side-effect of drugs is that you need more and more of the drug to get the same results. With meditation and exercise, that doesn’t happen. And if it does, it’s only benefiting you.

Do you exercise on a regular basis? Has it improved your writing or other creative endeavors? Leave a comment below and share your experience.

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I’m not suggesting that writers should just sit around doing nothing all day. Of course we have other obligations; some have day jobs, family, chores, social lives and so forth. Writing is just one part of our lives. So how do we give our minds the chance to relax and unwind without becoming a lazy bum?

I found the answer in meditation.

When I first began experimenting with meditation I was worried that I wouldn’t do it right and it would take years to see any results. Boy was I wrong. Mediation is not only easy, but you can feel the benefits right away.

Easy ways to meditate

Meditation is as easy as sitting in a quiet room and breathing deeply. There are a lot of methods of doing this. Some require you inhale for so many seconds, hold your breath, and then exhale. But I’ve found that just breathing in deeply, holding for a second or two and then slowly exhaling does the trick. This can be done anywhere.

A more formal approach to meditation is to sit in a quiet, comfortable place and concentrate on your breathing for an extended period of time. For me, 15 minutes is just right. During that time, I listen to very soft meditation music that is often accompanied by sounds of nature (the ocean, birds, thunderstorm, etc.). These soundtracks can be found easily on CDs and online music stores like iTunes.

There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to meditate. Close your eyes, relax your body, breath from the stomach and clear your mind. The last step is probably the hardest. Your mind is used to being bombarded with external stimuli and internal thoughts. Let your thoughts come and go, but don’t dwell on anything. Let your music soothe you. After a while you’ll find this gets easier.

How does meditation help writing?

Generally, meditation clears the mind of all those distractions that stifle creativity. And when your mind is clear, it becomes open to more possibilities. After just a few days of meditation (once a night for 15 minutes each session) I found that my writing had improved drastically and writer’s block hit less frequently. I also found that my little ‘inner editor’ turned off and I was able to just write without worrying about editing until later.

I know that I, and a lot of other writers, suffer from at least a little anxiety about writing – especially faced with the dreaded blank page. Meditation is a natural anxiety reducer and will help face those blank pages with much more optimism.

A natural alternative to drugs

I find it sad that so many writers and other creative types turn to drugs (I include alcohol, as it is a drug) to help them with their writing and to ‘be more creative.’ In the short term, drugs may help (the jury is still out on whether drugs improve writing or just give the illusion of improvement). But as time go on, drugs become more of a problem and most writers begin to spend much of their time dealing with the consequences of drug use rather than concentrating on their writing.

Meditation is just the opposite. It really does help creativity and meditation becomes more effective over time. Meditation also helps more than just your writing. You’ll see your blood pressure decrease, stress levels decrease, anxiety and depression become less of an issue and you’ll be able to deal better with all life throws at you.

I’ve cut alcohol out of my life completely. Instead I try to drink a lot of water, juice, tea, coffee and beverages like Sprite or 7up. I know that my writing has not suffered in the least because of my abstinence from alcohol. I’m not saying I’m any better than someone who has an occasional glass of wine, rather, just giving you my own personal experience.

Try meditating, you have nothing to lose

Give meditation a shot. Even if you spend 5 minutes a night, you’ll see the benefits and you will naturally want to increase your time meditating. Once you get in the habit of doing it, meditating becomes as routine as brushing your teeth.

After you try meditation, leave a comment and let us know how it works out for you. Or, if you already meditate on a regular basis, leave a comment and tell us how it has benefited your life over the long term.

Happy meditating!

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However, being a mega-selling superstar author, James Patterson is someone all struggling novelists should pay attention to and learn a thing or two.

Recently the New York Times wrote a lengthy article about the author called James Patterson Inc.. Instead of rehashing the entire article, I decided to pick out a few important bits that all of us budding writers can learn from.

Be 100% devoted to the publishing process

It doesn’t matter if you are a self-published indie author or have an agent and a contract with a large publishing house – authors cannot afford to take a backseat to the publishing and/or advertising process for their novel. Even James Patterson, who has sold more books than Stephen King, John Grisham and Dan Brown combined, is very involved in the publishing process:

…he handles all of his own advertising and closely monitors just about every other step of the publication process, from the design of his jackets to the timing of his books’ release to their placement in stores.

And this is a guy who has a full-time staff from his publisher assigned only to him. No detail is too small for Patterson. His name alone could sell a lot of books, yet he chooses to oversee the whole process to get the most exposure for each book released.

I’ve heard many writers say that once they land a book contract with a publisher, they will let the publisher worry about the marketing. Big mistake. Every writer, whether new to publishing or a veteran needs to be active in marketing his/her novel. Don’t fall into the trap that you’re just lucky to be published:

“A lot of authors are just grateful to be published,” Holly Parmelee, Patterson’s publicist from 1992 to 2002, told me several weeks earlier. “Not Jim. His attitude was that we were in business together, and he wanted us both to succeed, but it was not going to be fun and games.”

The relationship between publisher and author should be like a partnership because each party needs the other to succeed.

Believe in your own writing

Before the release of “Along Came a Spider”, Patterson wanted his publisher to produce and run a commercial spot to drum up interest in the new book. They refused. I’m guessing it was because the publisher didn’t want to pick up the tab of a costly commercial for a book. What did Patterson do? He put his own money behind his book and took control:

Patterson wrote, produced and paid for a commercial himself. It opened with a spider dropping down the screen and closed with a voice-over: “You can stop waiting for the next ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ ” Once Little, Brown saw the ad, it agreed to share the cost of rolling it out over the course of several weeks in three particularly strong thriller markets — New York, Chicago and Washington.

The article continues:

“Along Came a Spider” made its debut at No. 9 on the New York Times hardcover best-seller list, ensuring it favorable placement near the entrance of bookstores, probably the single biggest driver of book sales.

The initial success of “Along Came a Spider” was possible because Patterson took the initiative and his own money to get a commercial on the air in critical markets. The result of that commercial gave his novel the momentum to become a bestseller, thus getting his novel the best spots in the bookstores. Success breeds success. But first, you have to believe in your own writing.

Start small and build your fan base slowly

Nothing in life comes overnight, and this goes double for success. A lot of writers want their first novel to hit the bestseller list and make it big right out of the gate. While this does happen, it’s very rare. Patterson took a very methodical approach when he was first starting off and concentrated his marketing efforts in cities where he knew his books would sell the best:

Patterson built his fan following methodically. Instead of simply going to the biggest book-buying markets, he focused his early tours and advertising efforts on cities where his books were selling best: like a politician aspiring to higher office, he was shoring up his base.

Knowing who you are writing for is critical, especially in the early days of your writing career. Know your audience! For example, I know most people who read this blog are writers, those interested in ebooks and publishing. I stick with that group. I don’t write posts geared towards sports enthusiasts or fishermen (for example). I might not have the most popular blog out there, but Brad’s Reader has a steady following, and that thrills me!

Persistence pays off

If you’re one of those authors who is constantly rejected by publisher after publisher, don’t despair. Even bestselling author James Patterson had to pay his dues in the slush pile:

More than a dozen publishers rejected Patterson’s manuscript before his agent, whom Patterson found in a newspaper article, finally sold it to Little, Brown for $8,500.

After more than a dozen publishers rejected his manuscript, Patterson only got $8500 when it was finally purchased. While this is a lot for a first time author getting published, it’s probably not enough to quite your day job over. But Patterson persisted by writing more books and kept his head in the game with marketing. Today, he’s a one-man cottage industry.

Embrace your fans, shrug off critics

Not everyone is going to like your writing. It’s a fact of life. Everyone will have different reasons for not liking your writing, but it still can sting. Once your writing is out there and you start getting feedback, you’ll hear the positive and negative. Embrace those who like your writing and use that as momentum to keep going.

“Thousands of people don’t like what I do,” Patterson told me, shrugging off his detractors. “Fortunately, millions do.”

If Patterson let it bother him that “thousands of people” don’t like his books, then he would’ve quite a long time ago. Instead, he pushes on and is thankful for those who do like and appreciate his books.

I guess I’m in the category of the thousands that don’t like Patterson’s novels. It’s nothing personal, they’re just not for me. The NYT article details how Patterson produces his novels. He writes an outline than someone else writes the draft and he revises and edits as he sees fit. I’m actually a little horrified by this kind of stale, assembly-line approach he takes. But who am I to judge?

Patterson doesn’t claim to be a literary great, or even a man of letters. He calls himself an entertainer. If a reader enjoyed reading his novel for the action and adventure, then Patterson is happy.

Whatever you think of James Patterson’s books, you can learn a lot from the man himself. I sure have.

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I find it hard to divide my time between two short stories, and usually end up favoring one while letting the other collect dust on my desk. The story that always collects dust is the one I have the hardest time with (either with plot, characters, etc). This is a bad habit because most problems writing fiction can be worked out with enough time and effort.

Right now I am juggling writing two short stories. While I prefer not to do this, the situation is different because both stories are in different phases of ‘production’. One is in the proofreading/editing/revising stage while the other is an incomplete and very rough draft that isn’t even a coherent story yet.

So is it a good idea to juggle multiple writing projects? Of course the answer to this question will vary with each writer you ask. The biggest benefit to working on multiple writing projects is that, if writer’s block does hit you on one story, you can move to the other for a while, until the block passes. The downside is that it’s hard to divide your time and imagination to two or more stories (the problem I have).

So my question to all you readers is: Are you able to juggle multiple writing projects? Or do you finish one story before moving on to the other? Leave a comment below and share your answers.

Photo used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

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On a simple level, all of you have seen this before (especially those with young kids). When you buy a kids book, the book has the written story, but it also has illustrations that complement the story and bring it to life in a way not possible with just words. Some childrens books even have accompanying stuffed animals and other toys (sold separately, of course).

Recently, I bought the Grateful Dead Scrapbook: The Long, Strange Trip in Stories, Photos, and Memorabilia (aff link). Yes, I’m a deadhead and not afraid to admit it. The book contained the usual written history of the band. But the real value to a reader like me came with all the extras included.

Along with the text, there are pull-out posters, hand drawn ads for concerts, a thank you letter from Hugh Hefner for the Dead’s appearance on his ‘After Dark’ television show, and a multitude of other memorabilia that really brought the book (and the band) to life.

Poetry and fiction also work well with this idea. Like I mentioned above, I love when novels contain those little extras alongside the text. Of course, I’ve never seen a novel or collection of poems go as far as the Grateful Dead scrapbook, and I think most publishers would balk at the idea (and added expense) of including more than is absolutely necessary.

Self publishing is the perfect avenue for this kind of idea. For example, I’m compiling a chapbook with some poetry and other goodies. It will be handmade and I plan to include a few extras to make it more than just another self published chapbook. If I had any artistic ability you can bet I would also include original artwork in the chapbook as well.

Even ebooks can get in on the action. If you publish your novel as an ebook, why not include extras like all those alternate endings you wrote and threw out, or your original plot outline, character sketches, the list can go on.

The idea of giving your reader more than just a story/poem is to give them a glimpse inside your imagination – a peek into your creative process. This gives the reader a deeper relationship with the writer. They will appreciate your work more and will spend more time with your book, rather than just reading it and then letting it collect dust on a bookshelf.

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Independent ebook websites like Smashwords and Feedbooks are giving indie authors an unprecedented advantage by letting these authors distribute their work without the gatekeeper of traditional publishers. While the digital domain has not been perfected, indie authors are coming out of hiding and setting their writing free into the world.

Authors Can Learn From Music Industry

For a long time large record labels controlled the music industry. If your band didn’t have a contract with a record label, your music career wasn’t going anywhere. But as the internet began to spread and music became digitized, the record labels fought these new distribution methods while musicians embraced the new technology.

The result? Bands have little need for large record labels today because they can do everything on their own thanks to the technology that’s available. Over the last decade the record labels have become less relevant and the RIAA has resorted to suing their own customers for alleged copyright infringement. Indie authors are following in the same footsteps as these bands who gave the virtual finger to the record labels.

I think the trend will continue and we’ll see more authors taking the indie route. There is still a stigma to self-publishing, but the stigma is slowly dying as self-publishing  becomes more mainstream and accepted. It helps that a lot of bestselling authors today self-published their book before landing a publishing contract. My favorite example is Lisa Genova’s book  Still Alice (aff link), which had been rejected by numerous publishers until she sold it on her own.

Large publishing houses still have one advantage

I will give credit where credit is due. Publishers do have the advantage of a vast distribution network and can get books onto the shelves of chain bookstores (i.e. Barnes & Noble and Borders) with ease. They have the infrastructure and network in place to move a lot of books all over the world.

To further complicate things for indie authors, however, the large bookstores usually won’t consider stocking a self-published book for one reason: The books can’t be returned if it doesn’t sell. This must-be-returnable policy has long been a controversial issue among publishers and authors alike, and a pain in the side for all indie authors. Again, this gives the large publishing houses an advantage because of agreements with the book chains and their large distribution network.

And as much as they have been criticized for putting the indie bookstores out of business, the large chain booksellers are vital for new releases and any author who wants to make the bestseller list cannot survive without the likes of Barnes & Noble. This might be a necessary evil, but it certainly doesn’t help indie authors.

A light at the end of the tunnel

I think it’s fair to say that not all indie authors have aspirations of making the bestseller list. Look at some of the titles on the list at any given time – a lot of those books are popular because they appeal to large audiences, meaning the writing can be mediocre at best. A good example is Dan Brown’s most recent book The Lost Symbol. Many around the web called Brown a hack and deeply criticized his writing.

Indie authors want to be independent for a reason. They want to write something unique, that probably won’t appeal to the masses. For indie authors, it’s not about reaching the largest possible audience, it’s more about reaching an eclectic group of readers that can truly appreciate a book or short story that is different than what you find in mainstream literature.

My own goal as a writer is not to reach the bestseller list, and not even to land a contract with a large publishing house. My goal is to write what I want to write and find a niche audience to cater to. I also want to control my own career and not be bound by a contract that takes away even the copyrights to my own writing.

Even the distribution advantage that traditional publishers have is being minimized. The internet is becoming the great equalizer and letting authors publish their works, many with great success, in digital format without the need for a large expensive distribution network. And if those indie authors want to release their novels in print, they can do so easily by self-publishing their books and selling them on their own via their author website/blog.

Indie authors becoming a formidable foe

In conclusion, traditional publishers have a lot to fear from indie authors. Their role as gatekeepers to the collective literary canon is being chipped away at with great speed. These publishers are decreasing the number of new authors they sign, and giving these new authors only minimal marketing support. They are throwing most of their money behind the big-name popular authors who can rake in millions of dollars.

Authors now have a choice when publishing their work. They can go the traditional route or the indie route. What real advantage does the traditional route to publishing offer?

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fcb/ / CC BY 2.0

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Indie authors have several advantages over authors who go with a traditional publishing house. And it’s these advantages that could be the downfall of  the traditional publishing business.

- Indie authors can distribute their books in any manner they please. They can sell ebooks online and sell print books out of the trunk of their car. The distribution channels for authors is opening, thanks to the internet (the great neutralizer, as I call it).

- Indie authors can seriously undercut large publishers’ prices on books. These authors don’t have a very high overhead and can offer their books at much lower prices and still make a tidy profit.

- Indie authors become their own brand. They create an online presence through their own websites, Twitter, Facebook and other sites. They sell their books to a built-in fan base.

- Indie authors can control the copyrights to their works.

Example: Joe Konrath

Even when publishers do get into the ebook game, it does not always benefit the author – at least not financially. One of my favorite author blogs is A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing by Joe Konrath. He talks about making a living as a writer, including a lot of discussion about ebooks.

In a post he wrote back in October entitled Kindle Numbers: Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing. Joe “spills the beans” about his earnings and posts what he has made on ebooks from Hyperion (a traditional publisher) that have been published on the Amazon Kindle. And then he posts his earnings from ebooks he has self-published on the Kindle. Here’s how it breaks down:

Ebooks from Hyperion sold on Kindle

- Earnings from Jan. 1 to June 31, 2009.

- 6 titles published on Kindle.

- Price range per book: $3.96 -$7.99

- 1237 ebooks sold in 6 months.

- Total royalties: $2008

Self-published ebooks sold on Kindle

- Earnings from Jan. 1 to June 31, 2009

- 4 titles published on Kindle.

- Price range per book: $1.99

- 9800 books sold in 6 months.

- Total earnings: $6860

Joe made $4853 more self-publishing his titles on the Kindle. He offered fewer titles sold at a much lower price ($1.99). Why so much success with self-publishing? I think this big difference is due to the fact that when Joe self-published on Amazon, he got roughly $0.70 per book sold (35% of the price he sets).

For the books published by Hyperion Joe receives 25% of whatever the publisher receives. It’s also worth noting that Hyperion and Amazon have to strike an agreement regarding these prices. This leaves Joe with a lot less control and a lot less money in his pocket.

Here’s the interesting part, however, Joe does not own the rights to the books sold by Hyperion. If he did?

If I had the rights to all six of my Hyperion books, and sold them on Kindle for $1.99, I’d be making $20,580 per year off of them, total, rather than $4818 a year off of them, total.

Just by owning the copyrights to his own works, Joe can increase his own earnings by several thousand dollars. This makes a great case why copyright (especially in the digital realm) is becoming such a hot button issue.

Do you think I’m right in my assessment that indie authors will eventually bring the large publishers to their knees? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

In Part 2 (to be posted on Wednesday) I’ll be writing about the one large advantage publishers have over indie authors and how that advantage can be minimized.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylemay/ / CC BY 2.0

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The app is a no-frills way to simply write. You can save your work for later, and even transfer it to your Google account and onto your computer. You can also email your writing to a friend or to yourself. My Writing Nook does come with some basic features like showing your word count, dictionary/thesaurus and autosave. The app can be used in landscape mode, giving your thumbs ample room for typing.

I downloaded My Writing Nook last night, so I haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces yet. Although it seems promising. As of this writing the app costs $1.99 and has received great ratings at 4 1/2 stars.

The only real downside to this app is the virtual keyboard one must use on the iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s not ideal for long writing sessions and takes some getting used to. But that’s not the developer’s fault.

This simple word processor is perfect for writing the next chapter of your novel, writing a quick drabble while waiting at the doctor’s office, or working on your essay for English class hours before it’s due.

Some might say My Writing Nook needs more formatting features, more fonts, etc. I think it’s great the way it is because there’s little to distract you from your actual writing. This is a definite case of ’simple is better.’

How do you get writing done when you’re on the go? Pen and paper? Laptop? My Writing Nook? Leave a comment below and share your secrets.

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The premise of the novel is interesting: A clear dome falls over a town and they must somehow survive the consequences of being cut off from the rest of the world. There is a great book review in the NYT – and the review is also where I got the inspiration for this post.

You probably remember from your English classes or creative writing classes to show, not tell. This means that instead of simply describing attributes characters, settings, etc. you should show these attributes through action. Long narrative can be boring. Certainly, there is a place for narrative but it’s not always the best way to pull your readers into your fiction.

Stephen King’s Under the Dome is a great example of how King shows without telling, and without taking anything away from the story. Here’s an example from the NYT book review:

Consider the book’s step-by-step way of defining the Dome. Mr. King isn’t about to do the easy thing, which would be to give a straightforward description of what it is and how it works. Instead he offers a textbook demonstration of how to make action and explication one and the same. First step: A woodchuck on the ground and a pilot in the air named Chuck are sudden victims of the Dome’s guillotinelike slicing descent.

A transparent dome that falls over a town could be hard to describe. But showing the effects of the dome is a much more interesting way to describe the dome without a long narrative.

Another more subtle example of showing and not telling in King’s novel is how he handles the reaction of the town citizens and those on the outside the dome. Again, King could have easily just described the heartache and panic that sets in, although that is not effective:

News crews (notably CNN’s) arrive at the perimeter of the Dome to stake out this colossal human-interest story. And what they observe, on a visiting day when loved ones outside of Chester’s Mill are allowed to venture near the Dome’s dangerous surface, conveys genuine tragedy. As Mr. King puts it, describing what the TV cameras see:

“They observe the townspeople and the visitors pressing their hands together, with the invisible barrier between; they watch them try to kiss; they examine men and women weeping as they look into each other’s eyes; they note the ones who faint, both inside the Dome and out, and those who fall to their knees and pray facing each other with their folded hands raised…

While this is a narrative, it’s not a straightforward description of people feeling lonely and isolated because of the dome. Instead, King gives concrete, realistic examples of how people are reacting to the dome through the eyes of a news crew (CNN) that captures the drama as a human interest story.

The ability to ’show and not tell’ effectively can be challenging, especially for writers just starting out in the world of fiction. Like everything else, it takes a lot of practice.

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In an attempt to satisfy my curiosity, I did a few Google searches to see if there is anything on the web that could shed some light on what makes good writing. I really didn’t find much in the way of trustworthy sources that I could quote for this post. There were a lot of forum posts and other bits and pieces scattered around the web. But nothing that satisfied me.

I do have my own personal opinions about good writing that I’ve formed over the years of being a chronic reader. Here’s what I think:

- The foundation of good writing is technical. All authors adhere to the same rules of grammar and spelling. There are obvious exceptions, but if you pick any book off the shelf at your local bookstore you’ll find the technical parts of writing will be there.

- Good writing makes sense and is understandable. All good writing must, to some degree, make sense. The level of this measurement can vary (i.e. different reading levels), the premise is still the same. Even if a sentence or paragraph of a book doesn’t seem to make sense or is understandable, it still fits within the larger context of the book.

- Good writing is entertaining and/or informative. In other words, there should be a point to any written piece. It doesn’t really matter what that point is, just as long as a point is made. This begs the reader to ask: Why should I care enough to read this?

- Overall, good writing is very subjective. Look at the books on the bestseller list compared to that of books that have won prestigious prizes, like that of the Man Booker Prize. What a lot of readers will say is really good writing, others will say it’s complete crap. I don’t think either opinion is right or wrong.

Notice that we start with something very technical; good grammar and spelling. This is the foundation for everything else. And as we progress through the list, the criteria for good writing becomes more and more subjective.

I answered my own question that what constitutes ‘good writing’ is very subjective. However, the foundation of good writing, no matter what our standards might be are based on more technical criteria.

What do you think makes good writing? How do you judge a piece of writing as good or not? Share your ideas in the comments below!

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