What Makes Great Writing—Great

Years ago a friend of mine and I were meeting for lunch. Terry (not her real name) wrote a business book on marketing, which did well and helped her business. I asked if she had another book idea.

What she said stuck with me for the last thirty years.

Terry said, “I always wanted to write a novel.”

“So why don’t you do it?”

“I don’t want to share that much of myself.”

That was the day I understood what made for great writing.

The writer must be willing to share themselves—their hopes, dreams, fears, pains, and failures.

Those stories, personal stories that make their life, their life.

The stories that make a person’s life interesting.

The stories touch the reader because the reader can relate on a very personal level.

The struggle.

The guilt.

The embarrassment.

The emotion of the situation.

In short, the writer must be real and raw with the reader.

The writer must be authentic.