"It is a common failing of all people with little talent and more learning than understanding that they call more on an artistic illustration than a natural one."
Georg Cristoph Lichtenberg, quoted by Clive James, quoted by Mills, who adds much more on the art of writing Squashed also weighs in with some thoughts.
As both an aspiring novelist and an amateur blogger, my goal is the same: Make my point the best I can. The point may vary: to entertain, to enlighten, even to provoke. But there should always be a point.
If my reader’s first thought is, “He’s a good writer,” I’ve probably failed. If his first thought is, “He makes a good point,” then I’ve succeeded. Good writing is simply a tool; it is never the end. You can fashion a Potemkin village out of pretty phrases. But to build a metropolis, you need meaning and substance.
