What Exactly is Good Writing?

This is something that has been debated for a long time, but it's no surprise that good writing is something that "gets" to the reader and uses a variety of literary devices as well as a neat choice of words. The most important concepts or qualifications that good writing must have are: great imagery, a variety of literary devices, and amazing vocabulary.

Without these three necessities the writing piece is nowhere near good. Why? Well if it isn't descriptive enough on the setting, the reader would be confused. In addition, the piece must have great vocabulary otherwise it will be repetitive and lackluster. Nobody wants that! Finally, it has to incorporate literary devices to interest the reader and make them never put the book down. Take this passage from the book Senna vs. Prost by Malcolm Folley for example.

"The race track, rising and falling between five-star hotels, boutiques, ludicrously priced apartments and a casino with a million untold stories of misery is laughably narrow, bumpy and hemmed by Armco barriers and the Mediterranean." (222)

In this passage, the author is describing the Monte Carlo F1 circuit. Not only does he describe the setting in great detail, but he gives you an idea on how intricate and challenging the track is. He also chooses his words creatively and doesn't forget to include a bunch of similes and metaphors to spice it up. The author blends in all three concepts flawlessly!

Some may say that good writing may not have to have all of these important qualifications to be good.
While that may be true, a written work of art is something that moves the reader. Think of it like this: the author of the book is the artist, and the book he wrote is the picture he painted. He left it up to the reader to interpret the picture.