What is Good Writing?

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader--not the fact that it is raining, but the feel of being rained upon."

-E.L. Doctorow


I loved this quote. We don't read a stories to read about what is going on somewhere, you read a story to feel like you are there. You read to know what a hero feels like--how it feels to be smart, witty, and attractive and to save the day. We read to understand and feel. You don't read to learn factual information about a villain. You read to tag along as his shadow, deciphering his motives and trying to understand why he is stalking or killing. You read to get a thrill from being near evil, without ever being in danger.