What makes a good writer?

The hallmarks of a good writer are fairly easy to distinguish. A good writer pulls you into their world. Without cliché or hyperbole, you want to know what they think or feel, you are hanging on to their every word, losing track of time. The most important thing is their voice in your head and how easily this voice stimulates your mind and emotions. You may agree or disagree with the words, but they compel you to read on, you follow the simple written construction, as the children followed the pied piper.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

You might even laugh out loud, oblivious to your surroundings, or take out a note book to scribble down a quote or sentence. A good writer will embellish their words with a good measure of authority but not superiority. You believe them, and in return for your time their words leave you feeling subtly changed.