I'd say that having a good vocabulary and a good working knowledge of English grammar is fundamental to good writing, but as others have pointed out, you need practice. Also, there's nothing I write that isn't read and re-read 3 or 4 times before I commit to it. My approach is to try and put myself in the shoes of the reader as I'm writing so that, as I compose something, it will be clear to my reader. I also try diligently to use words and combinations of words that accurately describe my thoughts. To do that successfully, you not only have to know the words themselves, but also their connotations, and that takes practice and experience. For example, if I wanted to say that my neighbor's dog just gave birth to a litter of pups, I would never describe it as "that bitch next door just had her babies," even though "bitch" does technically describe a female dog.
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A truly open mind will seriously consider all points of view, even those with which it strongly disagrees for there may be a grain of truth in even the most ridiculous of opinions. |