What makes a good writer?

[Rhabbi]

I think the most important thing to being a good writer is a love of the word. As you said, we can learn the mechanics, but if we do not appreciate the word in its spoken and writtten form, we will never really write.

The reason that imagination is not number one is that we can always write non-fiction. Not a lot of imagination in that.

[Mad Lews]

I think to write well an author needs to be empathetic. Maybe not in real life but he/she needs to empathize with those poor characters he's created. When that's achieved it's very easy to breath life into their actions and words. They become believable because the writer knows them well and knows what they'll do, how they'll react, what they'll feel and what they'll say in a given situation. A good way to practice is sit in a very public place, listen in on other's conversations and then make up the story that should go along with your victi... I mean subject.
Mad

[Dragon's muse]

I think to write well an author needs to be empathetic. Maybe not in real life but he/she needs to empathize with those poor characters he's created. When that's achieved it's very easy to breath life into their actions and words. They become believable because the writer knows them well and knows what they'll do, how they'll react, what they'll feel and what they'll say in a given situation. A good way to practice is sit in a very public place, listen in on other's conversations and then make up the story that should go along with your victi... I mean subject.
Mad

i have a character worksheet that i complete for all my main character in my major work. Characterization is my big hobby horse with the students i work with in real time.

[Eponine]

That sounds like such a good idea, Dragon's Muse!- like a great way to stay focused on keeping the characters true to themselves. When I write, i just let it flow and then go back and revise and go back and revise and go back and revise.....
BUT, some kind of character outline would help me to remember important things to include to bring them to life.

Troubles I'm having, though, are titles and endings.. i haven't gotten to look yet if there's anything on that already...if not, i might think about starting a thread.. but any thoughts on that would be appreciated.... Sorry, that got off the topic of the original question, which I can answer again...

to respond to the imaginationers- yes, of course you must be creative- but i think it's very difficult to come up with a truly original, never-been-done before storyline- therefore the writer's originality can and will shine through his tender molding and manipulations of the language into pleasing form- just like a good Master (or Mistress) over a strong, submissive woman. But too often, our poor American English (already mangled British English in their eyes lol) is abused and shattered. And to me, a good storyline cannot compensate enough for stampeding recklessly upon our language....