Say Hello to Writer 488:

Interview:

A good writer is someone who can engage the reader and convey information in a way that both gives over the facts, but also stimulates the reader to find out more. There are obvious features to good writing, which include accurate spelling and grammar, but also those facets that make a piece stand out - the feeling that one gains an appreciation of who the writer is.

When a person writes about a topic they will use their own particular and distinctive style to add something to the facts. This might be an opinion, humour, an aside comment from a less well known source than someone who is just interested in the facts might include.

Academic writing is a particular skill that necessitates taking a variety of sources and styles of writing and assimilating the necessary information in such a way that it becomes clear what the viewpoint is, and why the reader should be persuaded of this viewpoint. Many accounts require an element of sieving information and extracting only that which is useful to the overall argument. What marks a good writer out is one who can identify that information that is relevant and include it in such a way that it becomes clear to the reader why it is relevant.

Writers of textbooks and longer sources of information often pad out their writing with other facts in an effort to break the monotony of the factual delivery. This enables the audience / reader to take a mental break before moving on to the next topic. In a shorter piece, whether essay or journal article, it is important to minimise the asides if they detract from the main argument, but their use can still be beneficial when it comes to illuminating a given point.

In this field of academic writing a good writer is also a good researcher, as they can quickly and accurately identify details at an appropriate level, without patronising, confusing or bombarding the reader with information that is not at the level they require. Knowing how to write is as important as being confident of subject matter.