Topic: What is "good writing"

[zedhatch]

Up front let me say I have no clue where to put something like this so I will put it here since it stems from a PM on another board about my Photonovel/Diostory/Webcomic.

So I get a PM on another board about Scale wars in which someone gives me several compliments but at the end says "your writing could use some work."

Now I never have thought of myself as Shakespear or anything, but the comment got me off guard a bit. I admit I have had jokes, ect. that have fallen flat, but many comedians have stated "They can't all be gems" and after a few seconds I thought maybe that was the problem, the guy hated comedy (oddly noticed several people who do hate it, not sure what the deal is on that, beside the point). So I responded pretty much as "Hey jokes aren't easy" and seeing if I get a responce which isn't my point at all.

My point is, it seems to me that most of the time, good writing is very subjective at the least. Many people like the new GI Joe and Transformers cartoons whereas I feel they are written poorly. I know several of my friends who dislike Lost due to the way it is written (I do argue they haven't watched all of it but that is beside the point), I have watched hundreds of movies that have won awards and feel the plots and stories were weak as hell, how many of us have debated different comic books or regular books, ect.

So my thoughts are that the guy really should have said "This just isn't my kind of story." rather than point to my writing, then again maybe I am biased LOL. But seriously what really constitutes "good writing."

[Phatty]

To me, good writing consists of simple grammar and spelling.  As long as there are few, if any, misspelled words and the sentances make sense the first time I read it, then it's good in my book.  Now, I've read a GREAT deal of your writings in both your reviews and web comics, and I have never really had a problem with anything.  Now granted, occasionally you have a misspelled word here or there, but so what?  Furthermore, they are meant to be single frame graphical comic pages, and they work wonderfully.  I don't know what this person who had the time to critique your writings was looking for necessarily, and that's not to say that feedback of ANY kind isn't warranted by all for all, but it'd be nice to know what it was he meant by that.

[Spookymufu]

it depends on the type of writing you're doing. Take books for instance, a fiction book should be "easy" to read. I like it to be written like people really talk, if I need a dictionary to understand it (ie. words most people dont use in everyday conversation) then I dont want to read it, I get bored and wont finish it.
If you're writing a fact base book then you want to include technical terms with explanations of what they mean.
For story writing like I think you mean, then I want it to be creative, realistic situations, written in simple english like people really speak day to day, and it needs to be clear and easy to understand where the writer is going with the story.
A lot of people dont know how to make their point in writing, you ever read someones review or even a simple post and wonder "what the heck are they talking about?". Also, I'm not a very good speller but I do know the difference between to, two, and too, and hole and whole, and their, there, and they're.....these things are a must as well as commas and periods.

[Kualan]

There is no such thing as 'good writing' as, like you said, it is incredibly subjective. Even within specific genres, there is no way one good way to write a story - it all depends on the reader. Take novels, for example; some readers like their novels to be filled with huge paragraphs dedicated to describing the landscape and history of the world the story is taking place in (a la Lord of the Rings), whereas others prefer quick-paced action (James Bond novels), and others still prefer complex twists and turns (a la The Da Vinci Code). A fan of the LOTR might criticise The Da Vinci Code for not featuring enough descriptive prose, whilst a fan of The Da Vinci Code might claim LOTR is no good because the plot is too straightforward.

It is the same with writing comics. At the end of the day, some readers are going to be looking for something 'different' to what you're offering, but you shouldn't be disheartened. As long as there are some people who think what you're doing is good, then you've done a good job.

[zedhatch]

See that is the thing, with the exception of Di Vinci Code I would call all your exampels pretty darn good.   I have issues with the Di Vinci code (note nothing to do with the subject matter, some other stuff I will not exponge here cause it convolutes my point) but I never would say it was bad writing, just not appealing to me.

I have said several times I hate a book or a movie, but I know try not to get into the writing nessessarly. 

But in this case the guy spent several sentaces talking about how great the visuals are, the poseing of the figures (Kind of chuckled since I have cheated several times on that one by just moving an arm for a figure), and how great the backgrounds are (I chuckled again cause I keep making sure to make jokes about how the whole thing is fake anyway), effect ect.  then the comment on the writing.  I could be reading into this but it was almost like just because I made it a comedy was the issue, maybe just me reading into things but I have gotten flak (that I have often ignored) for joking, but really how do you possibly explain Vader, deadpool, Spock, Hulk, Snake Eyes, Triple-H, ect in the same frame without it being a comedy and not have a mental breakdown trying to figure out the continuity.  I wouldn't even want to try LOL. 

Eh some people I guess love serious stuffs, just not what I feel like doing cause I wanna have fun. 

[kreeper2]

Theres no such thing as the right way to write its all about the perspective of the writer . Some might like it some will not its all  a matter of opinion so just keep doing your thing and as long as youre happy with it its ok . Remember there will ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS be someone who for some reason or  other  have something to say about it be it negative or positive. Do your thing bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!