What Makes A Good Writer?
I’ve been thinking about this one a lot recently. Over the past few years, I’ve worked to improve my writing and feel in myself that I’m a “good writer”, but marketing is under threat from frivolous lockdown freelancers and ChatGPT enthusiasts who want to make a quick bit of money. Whether you’re looking to remove your own self doubt or find a copywriter who can, I’ve put together a list of what I think makes a good writer.
In the age of AI and the internet, realising you need to work with an actual copywriter is commendable. But how do you know they’re one of the good ones?
You’re investing money into these people, how do you know they’re going to provide you with a meticulously crafted piece of work that’s valuable and enjoyable to read?
You can look through their portfolios, follow their presence online, but if I’m honest neither will help you paint a true picture of your copywriters skill set.
ChatGPT is also another red flag. Is their work theirs? Or are they lifting and shifting blog posts from an AI?
While finding a good writer might seem more daunting than ever before, I promise you we’re still out there. Think of this post like you “writer spotters guide”, and keep it close to hand for when you’re ready to hit us up.
What makes a good writer?
A good writer makes content easy to read, they use straightforward language that engages and entertains the reader, making comprehension effortless. Good writing skills are part of the art of effective communiciation.
A typical list on writers usually revolves around habits you’ll find in most professions (obsession, perseverance, getting up early, reading daily etc). But thats too easy, and people with those skills come at ten a penny.
What are the skills of a good writer that no other person can claim?
They have the ability to size up content
A remarkable writer can:
Scan a sales letter and immediately identify specific problems…and then find a solution to those problems within the text.
Read a story and pinpoint where it fails, and explain WHY
Review a speech and offer advice on how to make a lecture open and close with a bang.
Other professions do the same thing in their fields - programmers with software code or military strategists with an enemy’s battle plan. What makes this unique to writers is that it lies in the mechanics of the language.
They avoid commonly misused words, common grammar mistakes, and know the different types of compound words, of course.
But they also have an instinct for the words that supercharge great email marketing tips, methods for writing magnetic copy, and techniques for formatting scannable content.
We might be able to make an argument that editors can size up content, but in the end I’d argue they just have good writing skills.
Remarkable writers are able to connect the dots
A remarkable writer is a visionary of sorts.
Although you might find her with her nose in the spine of a book (in a room strewn with scattered volumes), she’s actually 30,000 feet above, scanning her mental landscape, spotting potential material and logging these ideas away.
She’s doing this subconsciously, but it’s just a matter of time before something clicks, a web of associations light up — and she sees something she’s never seen before … how to:
Bring that character to life
Close that blog post
Tap into an emotion
In essence, she’s a problem-solver and knows how to get over a mental block.
Remarkable writer writes in their head
I keep a notebook, a journal of sorts, to try and record ideas as they come. but there are times when I have an idea, and I’m too lazy to move.
Here’s what I do:
You’ve got your mind’s eye, right?
Write your headline on that screen using the principles behind persuasive headlines.
Work that headline twenty different ways until you can settle on something useable.
When you get a chance, write it down.
Move on to the first paragraph. And so on.
Read with purpose
There are three kinds of readers.
Libertarian — He is free to read whatever he wants. Whenever he wants. However he wants. Scan his reading history and you’ll see Mashable blog posts, Stieg Larsson novels, National Geographic magazines and bottles of shampoo. Think promiscuity.
Social conservatives — He is a little more purposeful in what he reads. He might grab The Hustle or be a member of Oprah’s reading club. Either way, he narrows his reading scope by taking cues from social authorities.
Extremists — This is the PhD preparing for her doctorate in medieval chemistry. The defense attorney hunkered in the library to bone up on local moonshine statutes. The writer working on a memoir of Hungarian-Jewish physician Joseph Goldberger. The writer is absorbed (and obsessed) with one topic — and one topic alone.
Remarkable writers absorb their books. For long stretches of time. Clueless to the rest of the world. Of course, writers can’t exactly claim a monopoly on this trait.
All in all…
Good writers love what they do, they’re passionate about their writing and committed to their clients. If you’re working with a writer, and you don’t have total confidence that they share your passion for this work…bin them off.
A good writer should want to support your business and your ambitions.
Need a copywriter?
With 5 years marketing experience and a handful of clients from a scatter of sectors, I’ve got what you need to make your marketing POP! Send me a DM today and let’s get this ball rolling!