How To Know If You’re A Good Writer – 4 Big Signs

Writing fiction can be brutal on self-confidence for several reasons. Art is subjective, and beyond some basic rules, there’s no single “right” way to write. What one reader loves, another might hate. Criticism, even constructive, can feel deeply personal when it’s about your own work. Plus, we tend to compare our work to others and be our own harshest critics.

Today, I’ll be going over nine things that you should know that might mean you’re a much better writer than you think. In addition to touching on what causes writers to be so hard on themselves, I’ll give you some tips on what you can do to keep your perspectives more accurate and positive.

So, without further ado, let’s get into how to know you’re a good writer and the nine reasons that authors doubt themselves.

How To Know If You’re A Good Writer

First things first, let’s establish that “good” can mean quite a few different things when it comes to writing. For example, a baseline “good” could refer to well-written with correct spelling and grammar.

There’s “good” as in what sells, “good” in an artistic honesty sense, and “good” in terms of how well the story conveys its intended message. In other words, “Did you accomplish whatever you had in mind for the story?”

I mention this because there are different metrics for measuring success in each of these categories. And to plant the seed that “good” does not mean the same thing to everyone in every situation. So, consider what good writing means to you. That said, let’s look at some ways to gauge if you’re a good writer.

You Sell Books

Let’s get this out of the way early. Writing fiction and making a living from it is the dream. Who wouldn’t want their book to sell? And if people are buying your book, you’ve obviously done something right somewhere, and you’re almost certainly a good writer.

I say almost because there are some pretty terrible best-sellers out there. Go read The Da Vinci Code, and you’ll find it more of a lecture than a compelling narrative, with simplistic prose lacking nuance and relying heavily on exposition and plot twists you see coming a mile away.

Objectively, it’s not a good book. I know. Who am I to critique an author who sold 80 million copies and spawned three major motion pictures? But that’s the point I’m trying to make. The marketability of things does not always align with quality.

You May Also Like: Most Profitable Amazon KDP Niches – Top 10

So, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer if you aren’t selling books. In fact, the vast majority of books sell less than 500 copies, and most sell fewer than 100. There are exceptional writers who will never find financial success for various reasons other than their talent.

If you are selling books, you should be proud and hopefully confident that you’re a great writer. Understandably, for many, sales are the ultimate proof of talent. However, if you aren’t selling books, worry not. There are several other tell-tale signs you’ve got skills.

You Have The Fundamentals

With commercial success out of the way, we’ll start simple. If you consistently have good spelling, grammar, punctuation, and story basics (a beginning, middle, and end, for example) and you have finished stories, you’re a pretty good writer. I know what you’re thinking, “that’s just being a writer… It doesn’t mean I’m good.”

I hear you, and in some of the different categories of “good,” you may be right. However, having these seemingly basic boxes checked actually puts you leaps and bounds above many. It’s not a competition, of course, but trust me, you’re a good writer if you can consistently write a readable, well-written, complete story.

This foundation will allow you to continue to write and improve. Without the fundamentals of the craft, it will be an uphill battle to write really good stories consistently.

Well-Read People Enjoy Your Work

Success is an interesting concept when it comes to art. Most people want to feel proud of their work and have validation from others to confirm that pride is warranted. Even if you don’t have some massive fan base, unless you’re writing and then locking your manuscript away without ever sharing it, there’s some element of wanting others to like it.

If you really like what you wrote and others don’t, that can sting and lead to second-guessing. On the other hand, if you don’t think something is good, you’re likely to disregard any praise it may get. Here is where “well-read people” come into play.

Even if it’s not an editor or publisher, get your feedback from someone somewhat qualified who isn’t afraid to give you a truthful opinion. If someone who reads or writes regularly (essentially, someone who knows good books from bad books) tells you your work is good, it’s probably good.

Of course, outside opinions may not always reflect quality. Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. Edgar Allan Poe was initially criticized for his macabre style. Even The Beatles were initially dismissed by record labels.

There are countless unknown authors who do incredible work and will never get a big break for one reason or another. However, well-read readers are more likely to understand subjective quality without having to account for personal taste, marketability, and sales potential as factors.

Lastly, an affirmation of good writing will mean more coming from well-read people who’ll be able to communicate what they thought was good or bad. Meanwhile, your mom, who hasn’t read a novel since middle school, might just say, “Well, it was just good.”

You Capture Your Vision And Convey It

Writing is often an act of self-expression. Quite frequently, I sit down to write because I’ve thought of a specific feeling, mood, or message I want to convey. The ability to capture these internal ideas and get them onto the page in a way that is accurate to what you had in mind is a skill that 100% makes you a good writer.

I don’t care if it’s a short story, poem, or a single paragraph; if it evokes a genuine feeling in the reader, it can be considered a triumph, regardless of its overall narrative structure or plot complexity.

The caveat here is length. If your story is all over the place, you probably need to get that point across sooner rather than later. Having someone read 50k words of a “bad” story for a payoff is quite different than a flash fiction story or poem.

You May Also Like: Novels Vs. Short Stories – 5 Clear Differences

In a perfect world, the writing would be objectively good and make people feel what you feel. If you manage this, you’re a good writer indeed! But that’s not always the case. Maybe the idea doesn’t carry the plot well, or you’re doing something experimental.

Even if they would never revisit that work, if that fleeting connection, that momentary spark of recognition, is achieved, the piece has served its purpose. When your work invokes strong emotions, you’re a good writer.

If you often find yourself in these situations where the passion is there, but you need to work on the storytelling fundamentals, these will help:

• Writing Mistakes You Must Avoid
• Writing Your First Novel – 7 Key Tips To Know
• Mastering Pacing In Novels And Screenplays
• Write Better Characters And Plots – 5 Tips

You can also quickly and easily reach your fullest potential by writing with LivingWriter. It’s like a word processor created to help you write your best. For example, there are story structure templates that you can apply directly to your manuscript so that you don’t have to think too much about your structure.

You’ve also got AI Analysis and Manuscript Chat features that can give you tailored feedback and advice on various aspects of your story. This includes technical aspects like how to improve problem sections, the plot, or the characters.

Aside from technical stuff, you can ask theoretical questions like, “Are the themes of grief and loss” coming across enough in chapter 2 without being too obvious?” Since the LivingWriter AI is familiar with your story, the answers are very helpful and specific to your work.

5 Self-Doubt Traps for Writers

Most of us don’t need any special reason at all to doubt ourselves as writers. For most, that seems to be the default setting, at least more often than not. That said, there are a few specific things that I find are common traps that reinforce these negative feelings.

Hopefully, by pointing them out, I can help spare you from falling into these traps and keep a more positive, likely more accurate, approach to your writing.

Negative to Positive Feedback

Most writers end up with more negative feedback than positive; that’s just the nature of writing. And the bad tends to stick for a long time compared to the good. First, remember that all other writers get negative feedback. Secondly, be sure to allow yourself to take the positive feedback, too.

Lag Time Between Writing And Publishing

The entire process, from writing something to people actually reading it in its finished form, can take a long time. 5+ years, easy. If not longer. This means you constantly get feedback on older work, and you’ve probably improved quite a bit since then if you’ve continued to write.

So, don’t let feedback on old stuff get to you. You may always be better than your most published work.

Negativity From Editing

Ah, the editing trap. You have to be highly critical of your work when editing, but it’s easy to get hung up on all the “bad” things. To avoid this, have devoted “positive feedback sessions” where you focus only on what you’re doing well.

If you are part of a writing group, you can do this in a group setting where members read each other’s work and can only provide positive feedback. You’d be surprised how much this helps to identify your strong suits, reinforces good habits, and builds confidence.

Comparing Yourself To Only The Best

Every day, writers read books from some of the greatest authors around and compare themselves to that incredibly high standard. As we mentioned, the vast majority of books do not sell many copies, and tons of self-published stuff has mediocre reviews.

So, remember those books exist, and consider your work in the grand scheme of things instead of competing with the best in the business. As I said in the section above, if you can consistently write a readable, well-written, complete story, you’re doing much better than most.

You Don’t Get All The Feedback

Even if you’ve been published and your work is in circulation or selling well, you’ll never know how much readers may have enjoyed it. Even if you’re getting some reviews, there are many more people who read it, liked it, and didn’t say anything.

How many novels have you read from an author you didn’t know and loved it? Assuming you read enough, I’m sure it’s happened. Did you track down the author and email them your rave review? Probably not.

If you have been published (and haven’t already done this), I suggest you make social media pages for yourself as an author so that readers who would like to reach out to you have an easy option of doing so. In my experience, everyone who takes the time to reach out is usually pretty friendly and isn’t hunting you down to tell you how bad your book was.

Conclusion

There you have it, my friends; you know how to tell if you’re a good writer and a few common traps that lead us to believe we aren’t, even when we are. I hope you’ve found today’s article helpful and can build confidence with these tips. Until next time, all that’s left to do is get out there and write something… And don’t be too hard on yourself.