Good Writing

What is good writing? I don't claim to be a good writer, but that is not going to stop me from pontificating on the subject (and here I am going to confine the discussion to personal essays/blogs/autobiographies). Is it writing about your feelings? In my opinion, writing based on feelings can be excessively sentimental. If it is about bad feelings, it can seem like therapeutic writing. If its about good feelings, it can seem cheesy. I believe reflection and nuance are two important features of good writing. I am not trying to diminish the value of being able to express your feelings but I don't think that is enough for a piece to qualify as good writing. Feelings are fleeting and often illusory. Good writing tries to say something about the human condition. Calling it a quest for eternity sounds a little ridiculous but I do think it reaches for something more solid than the froth of feelings. It also demands an openness that writing about your feelings doesn't demand. Realizing truths about yourself and your life and having the courage to show them to the world is no easy feat (Truth is a complicated topic and I am going to talk about it in another blog, so please don't jump on me). It takes skill and courage in equal measure. So, if I had to sum it up in one sentence, it would be that good writing seeks truth and isn't afraid to go wherever this quest takes it.

P.S. It might seem like I am dismissive of feelings but I am not. Feelings and sensations are, after all, how we experience the world. It is impossible to conceive of the human experience without feelings and being able to feel freely is a gift. I am strictly speaking in the context of writing.