how do you define a bad writer?
By sashakiddo
@sashakiddo (1102)
United States
April 21, 2011 6:52pm CST
I am a fan of any attempt to write, but sometimes I just have to stop and say this is bad writing! I'm not talking about grammar or vocabulary, I'm talking about writing that just wastes the reader's time. My friend always asks me to read his stories and they are always exaggerations about his life, and about his thoughts, but they are never related to other people.
Now I know that many autobiographical stories are interesting to people, because if one person experienced something, others are likely to have experienced it as well. If someone is thinking about a problem chances are people will be able to relate to it. But with this one writer, I was really depressed by the way he wrote like he was superior to other people. One story was about many women in his life, especially the ones he didn't like.. so he would write about how one woman was not too attractive, how she wasn't desirable.. etc..
I thought to myself what woman would want to read this?
Are there times when you think a book is completely foolish or pointless?
1 person likes this
11 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
22 Apr 11
I personally do not feel there are bad writers when it comes to published articles and or books. There may be times that some readings are foolish and or pointless for me but that does not mean hundreds of others may not enjoy it.
So my thinking basically derives from interest and marketing it to that particular type of readers.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
22 Apr 11
yes, if it is published chances are someone likes it.. but what if it isn't published?
@Alnitak (423)
• Italy
22 Apr 11
Uhm... we could also say that if hundreds of people like a book that doesn't necessarily mean that it's "good writing" and vice versa a good book could also been rejected from an editor because they know nobody would buy it, even if it's good.
A very famous contemporary Italian author (Andrea Camilleri), which is well known for creating a series of books about a Sicilian detective, once said in an interview that he was fine with 2 or 3 books about that character and he wanted to move on but the publishers convinced him to go on with the "saga" because without that he wouldn't be able to sell anything else.
So "easy reading" always comes first and many times it has nothing to do with quality.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
22 Apr 11
Hey there my thinking is that if it is not published then how will anyone read it to know if they like it or not. So even if not publishing it has to go before the eyes of readers to know whether it is liked or not. My thinking is sort of derived towards the fact that we cannot predict outside of knowing the audience likes the area of interest.
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
22 Apr 11
I tried to read some Autobiographies but I just could get into them. I was like you I could really see the point of some of them. I would read a chapter or two and then set the book down. Never to be touched again. I now read fictional dramas and crimes. That appears to be my thing. Best Wishes!
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
30 Apr 11
I really like JA Jance and Janet Evanovich. They are both write mystery and crime solving series.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
I've never gotten into crimes for some reason. what are the best crime writers?
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
22 Apr 11
Though i am fond of reading i have stopped reading all books other than books on spirituality.The last time i read a novel or bestseller is in 1980 and that is a very long time back.So i haven`t come across any book, so far, which did not impress me or made me to put it aside in disgust.Since my tastes have changed completely i don`t think that i will ever come across any books like the one you have mentioned.
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
23 Apr 11
KenWest. there is nothing to be ashamed of.Sometimes something takes place in ones life,which we call a life changing moment, during which time my life changed drastically and dramatically.From being a complete materialist i became a spiritually awakened person. Therefore my reading habits also changed drastically.Now i just cannot bring myself to read books other than that on spiritual subjects.There is no question of vanity here.It is a natural process which happened naturally.Hope you understand.If you don`t then there is nothing i can say.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
29 Apr 11
I once read a book where there were no punctuation and no paragraphs whatsoever. It was very hard to figure out where one sentence ended and the next one started, and it was very annoying to read a book that was written that way. It was an interesting story, but because of the author's writing style I lost interest in his other books.
I don't like books with a lot of loose ends either. Sometimes the book is very long and when you finally get to the end you discover that there are no answers to your questions. I once read a detective story, it was a very good story, and I was trying to guess who committed the crime, but I never found out. In the end of the story the detective gave up and he never found out who committed the crime.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
I read a book that deliberately had no punctuation. It was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I thought it had an interesting effect. It added emotion because the thoughts were supposed to be running really fast, and the intention was to add confusion.
I have read some really long books that I felt should have been shorter, but they are considered classics. I am surprised that people have so much patience to read them.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
I've read some fictions that still tell about the author. I like it when a writer can turn life experiences into fictions that everyone enjoys reading. I also like fiction and adventure. Jurassic Park is my favorite adventure.. I think it fits into that category.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
ohh i never read those books, i think i watched the movie but i don't really remember it. endings are really important. The Great Gatsby had a great ending.
@Alnitak (423)
• Italy
22 Apr 11
In my opinion a bad writer is someone who lacks both creativity and writing style.
An author can have a great imagination and write about beautiful/smart stories or have an original way to describe things and make you see things you weren't able to see. If he has both abilities he's a great writer, but one of them is usually good enough.
Maybe your friend could also be a good writer but he seems to be too self-centred. Maybe he's still young (and proud)? 
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
that's true, he is young just out of college. So maybe he will be better in a few years. I guess it's great that he persists as a young writer. He is bound to be a good writer if he keeps it up.
@AdalieM (1134)
• United States
18 May 11
When it comes to being a writer, you can't make everybody happy. Go and take a look at some of the amazon reviews. What you find pointless or foolish, others find it entertaining and claimed they couldn't put the book down.
For me a bad writer is not one that can't capture your imagination because as I said what I found boring others don't and vice-versa. A bad writer is one that has many grammatical errors and never bothers to fix the errors. Not somebody with plot wholes, writers can deal with plot wholes in many different ways.
@misterMR (796)
• Philippines
22 Apr 11
I have not yet encountered people writing about autobiographies before, but I had read something that was really pointless. It was not a book, it was an article. It's content is really full of racism and other weird things that I despise. 
There are times though that I keep on telling myself, why did the author even tried to write this? It was weird. 
I guess you felt the same way too when you read about your friend's book.
There are times though that I keep on telling myself, why did the author even tried to write this? It was weird. I guess you felt the same way too when you read about your friend's book.@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
29 Apr 11
wow that's really sad, I can't see how racist writing could become popular. I doubt it would be respected by many people.
@EstiiBabii (685)
• United States
22 Apr 11
Depending on the genre of the book, if it's fiction then I decide the book is pointless or foolish when it's lacking creativity or just some special ump.
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
22 Apr 11
interesting, yeah i guess the ump is important.
i actually like a story with a message about society, but if it's thoughtful in anyway I also like it.
@elaidha (95)
• Philippines
22 Apr 11
Francis Bacon says, "Some books re to be tasted, some to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."
There are no bad writers, if you come to think of it. A work may be flawed for bad grammar and logic, or poor organization, or use of trite expressions or cliches, the so-called verbal deadwood that are soooo boring. Have you read the classics? They're fine reading, and very educational, although perhaps not so entertaining. As of late, I've been reading the Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky and the Divina Comedia by Dante Alighieri. Read fiction at times to vary your menu. Best regards!
@sashakiddo (1102)
• United States
22 Apr 11
Oh I meant to say that the writer I didn't like was writing fiction. it was fiction based on his life, but not really autobiography. Anyway, I do love classics.. they are the most satisfying for me.. I guess I only read the modern classics though, like F.Scott Fitzgerald and Emerson.
I read a philosophical chapter by dostoevsky but never read his fiction.. i'd like to get into your suggestions when I can.
