What makes a great writer?

Penelope Trunk argues that the internet has created more great writers than any other generation, because people must communicate well and persuade others to listen to their point of view. Twitter forces writers to edit scrupulously to fit their writing into the 140 character limit. The ability to self-publish has created more writers who are able to communicate well outside of a classroom setting, it's true - but does that make them great writers?

We think not. Great writing does more than just communicate, or even be persuasive.  It makes the reader think. It exercises the mind by requiring the holding or stacking of ideas. It amuses with the structure of sentences as well as their content. (The works of Charles Dickens and the writings of noted physicist Richard Feynman are both full of great examples of this.)

Although we are not linguists, in most languages we believe there exists a possibility for the elegant use of grammar that is enormously pleasing in its own right – and which is often lost in short, straightforward communications.  This gives interested readers exactly the same pleasure as elegance in proofs gives to mathematicians or the structure of Bach’s fugues gives to musicians.  I might love rock and roll – but Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello or violin definitely do something quite different to my brain. And the musical effect of cadence, pacing and rhymes can be lost in short communications.

Imagine if Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address was presented through Twitter or on PowerPoint. It would probably look something like this:

• New nation
• Civil war
• Dedicate field
• Dedicated to unfinished work
• They want to be networked and linked together.
• New birth of freedom
• Government not perish

Would that have made Lincoln an inspiration to the American people? Would the words of the Gettysburg address be published on his memorial, 10m high?

So while there is a lot of good (and persuasive) writing around, great writing is an art form. And like all art it takes diligence, practice and application to produce something good.

Becoming a great writer involves:

• Being a good reader. The purpose is twofold. Having access to many different types of thoughts and words enables the writer to be fluid in their approach. And by reading a wide range of texts, the writer gains an understanding of the mechanics by which great writing is constructed. 
• Practice, practice and more practice!
• Refinement of that which is put down on paper

The last word goes to Samuel Johnson (well known pre-digital age writer and lexicographer): “That which is written without effort is usually read without pleasure.”

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