Good writers consider their audience, state their main point up front, and take a clear position while addressing alternative views. They organize their writing with structure, use transition words, and tailor the argument to the reader's questions. Bad writers fail to consider purpose and audience, bury the main point, and remain ambiguous or entrenched without addressing other perspectives. They also lack structure, transitions, and tailoring to the reader.

1. Good vs Bad Writing
Good Writers make sure to: Bad Writers, on the other hand:
1 Always consider their audience before
beginning a writing project.
Give little thought to why they are writing, who
they are writing to, or what they hope to
accomplish.
2 Never “bury the lead.” Torture their reader by not making their point
until late in their writing, if at all.
3 Always take a position when writing
persuasively while also addressing counter
arguments.
Either never get off the fence or become so
entrenched in their opinion that they fail to
adequately address other points of view.
4 Organize their writing by effectively using
headings, subheadings, and topic sentences.
Present their reader with no ‘sign posts’ signaling
where their argument is heading or why the reader
should care.
5 Use transition words and phrases to tie their
argument together.
Don’t take the time to make sure that their
argument flows.
6 Organize the structure of their argument
around their reader’s likely questions.
Use a boilerplate structure usually revolving
around their authoritative cases.
7 Ruthlessly cut needless words. Fill their writing with passive verbs, prepositions,
adverbs, and bloated phrases.
8 Use colorful words like “plunged,”“pluck,”
and “thwart.”
Fail to bring their story and argument to life by
using wilted and shriveled prose.
9 Understand grammatical rules and conventions
but are not entirely beholden to them.
Are unreasonably pedantic for someone who
doesn’t know what pedantic means.
10 Realize that good writing takes hard work. Don't realize that their writing is bad.