When I am in a hurry and typing, I often mix my then, and than. I will misplace words like effect and affect, and my their, they're and there also suffer. I re-use words and throw in bad similes and over use words like simply and gloss over description. I live by spell check and other such programs to help keep me on track. I am, for the time being a bad writer.
I have been reading Stephen King's "On Writing." This is a great book for me to read because he actually gives different advice then what I've heard on writing excuses, and other things I've read. Part of it is that Stephen King is a discovery writer, so he doesn't draw out a big outline etc... before he writes. He creates a situation and characters and then lets them lead the way. In comparison, one of my favorite authors Brandon Sanderson, Always knows the end of the book before he starts. Mr. Sanderson also plots out and does a large outline on his book which is closer to the method I follow.
I have had very many moments reading "On Writing," where I have disagreed greatly with Stephen King. He says that Bad Writers will never become good writers. I say anyone who works hard enough to get there, can become a good writer. You have to be willing to work for it though. He actually talks about outlining as (and I can't remember his wording) a bad tool to use. Both of these things tell me one thing.
There are a lot of opinions out there and none of them are necessarily one hundred percent right.
I am tackling the bad writer idea. I think that everyone is a bad writer. Everyone writes out a rough draft that has plot holes, flat characters, issues in pacing, and a million other glaring issues. If there is an exception to this rule you are probably looking at such a low percentage of writers that it is almost not worth mentioning. In the beginning with every word penned, every character written, everyone is a bad writer.
What makes a good writer is discipline. Sitting down over a story you have written and fixing it. This means re-writing, editing, and killing your darlings. It means letting go of some ideas and finding new ones. It means that you need to be able to go back and kill you bad writing and make it good writing.
This doesn't happen overnight. You have to hone your skill. Be willing to get some feedback and listen to it. Words have to flow from your fingers with every intent of their destination being the nearest trash bag, or deleted once you are done. No one is born a good writer. Fewer still become great writers. In the end it is all subjective anyway.
As a matter of fact I'm going to use a good example of a oft attacked "bad writer." Let's look at Stephanie Meyer of "Twilight." fame.
I have read the Twilight series. (Yes as a dude I am admitting this.) On my first read through I thought it was a decent enough series but I didn't see the greatness in it that everyone else did. I tried to re-read it more critically and couldn't get through it.
Let's be honest, Bella is a self centered depressive character whom causes all the problems she has to wade through in the first place. The books make promises they never keep, and looked at outside the narrative there are plot holes and issues with the story all the way through. There is one thing though....
The books appeal to the right demographic. They caught fire because Bella is relate able to girls every where and it's a love story with a sparkly vampire prince charming. You can stand all day and point out the flaws in the story, characters, and even about the author herself. (I have heard horror stories) At the end of the day Stephanie Meyer had a good recipe and she was successful. At the end of the day she isn't a bad writer because she had met her mission. She created a story, and entertained people with it in a way that got great notice and has her set for life.
People can praise or tear at her, but no one can take away her success.
If you are writing for other people you have to look at your success in the same way. There is not a successful author alive who doesn't have a group of people who openly criticizes them. No one is ever going to write a book so perfect that everyone will love it, let alone like it. So don't write for everyone, write for the people that matter to you.
If you don't know who you are writing for turn around and figure it out. The last thing you need to do is write horror and introduce it to a Jane Austen reading group. They are not likely to be your type of group, and you will never get good feedback or love for your writing even if it's the greatest piece of horror ever written. (Unless its a Jane Austen, meets Cujo, Meets Lestat. Then there might be something for them to enjoy.)
So, feel free to be a "bad writer." Even someday when your great you will still wear that label. I wear mine proudly because understanding that right now I am a bad writer, is the only way to become a good writer.
And someday hopefully a great writer.
Ben.
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