1. (And now you know it, too.)
What Good Writers Know
(And now you know it, too.)

2. They are aware of how sentence structure affects a piece of writing.

3. Complete Sentences:
Long sentences can feel formal. Short sentences can feel informal.
A mix of long and short sentences creates flow.
A very short sentence (especially when it follows a long one) gives that idea impact.

4. Run-ons and Fragments
Accidental run-ons and fragments look sloppy and amateur.
Keep an eye on your FANBOYS (For And Nor But Or Yet So): too many can create a run on, and beginning a sentence with one creates a kind of fragment.

5. Breaking the rules
A purposeful run-on gives a feeling of anxiety or breathlessness.
A purposeful fragment feels conversational, informal, and relaxed.

6. They know when to break paragraph.

7. What you’ve been taught
In a 5-Paragraph essay style of writing, the introduction has 5-6 sentences, each body paragraph has 7-10 sentences, and the conclusion has 4-5 sentences.
These are long paragraphs designed for deep analysis.

8. In modern writing A writing piece has
an introductory section, not necessarily a paragraph.
Each main point of the body (or facet of the argument) is given a section, not just one paragraph.
The conclusion may also require more than one paragraph.
Each section may have as many paragraphs as it needs to get the job done.
Each paragraph has as many sentences as are necessary to properly handle that specific topic.

9. In modern writing The writer breaks paragraph when
the topic shifts
a new speaker opens his or her mouth for dialogue
or there is a change in location.
Writers get a feel for when to break paragraph by practicing writing and by reading the work of professional writers.

10. They use precise language
(They instinctively “show not tell” )

11. They tend toward concrete description
Like yellow, round, spongy, calloused…
Not nice, pretty, very, ugly, gross…

12. They use active verbs
Active verbs are verbs once can imagine or “see.”
He devoured rather than had a sandwich.
He stumbled rather than went down the hall.
They avoid using copula (linking verbs).
IS, AM, WAS, WERE, ARE, BE, BEING, BEEN.
Also watch out for has, have, had

13. They avoid the blah More examples of Blahness: Avoid saying “very.”
If you want to say “very happy” or “very tall,” not just pick a more specific word? “She was ecstatic,” or “he towered over the heads of the other students”.
More examples of Blahness:
Many, lots, a lot (never a lot), really, aspects, stuff, kind of, sort of…

14. They are detailed.

15. They always provide examples to support their argument or illustrate their points.
This is how they create length.
This is how they create a relationship with the reader.

16. They edit.
(No, really. They do. “A lot.”)

17. They get help. They bounce ideas off others. They have editors.
They research.
They have writing groups made up of peers.
They allow themselves time to complete their work.

18. They Punctuate!
They use more punctuation than just commas, periods and question marks.
The colon ( : )
The semicolon (;)
The dash (--)
The hyphen (-)
Parentheses ( ( ) )
Ellipses (…)
Exclamation points (!)

19. The eyes of your smilies:
The colon (:) Works like an equal sign. After an independent clause, it says “an explanation is to follow.” The semicolon (;) Joins two related (complete) sentences. It often takes the place of For And Nor But Or Yet So. It cannot be used WITH one of these words. Use it sparingly. It’s stuffy.

20. The hyphen The hyphen is a “joiner.”
If you have two words working together as one ADECTIVE, you must hyphenate them.
A little-known fact the slow-moving Lark Motor Scooter
The sequin-clad woman the never-ending English class
The under-fed super model that god-awful time of night

21. The dash
THE DASH is used to emphasize a point or to set off an explanatory comment. It is less formal than a comma, colon or parenthesis, and thus you will see it used much more often in modern examples of writing.
Think of THE DASH as a Pause button. It tells readers, "Don't lose the thread of my sentence, for I need to add something before I go on." When a period or another dash appears, readers know it is time to return to the original train of thought.
Spam does little good for the consumer's health--not to mention the pig's.
Just reading the ingredients--Spam, Velveeta, mayonnaise--can raise your cholesterol.

22. And finally Parentheses—enclose incidental information. Ellipses (…)
Just three dots, please.
Use these to say some piece of information has been removed.
In formal writing, do not use them to signal thought or time passing or suspense.
Exclamation points
Don’t use these in academic, formal writing. It’s like yelling, or like smiling in that annoying too-much-caffeine sort of way.

23. They do not see writing as a linear process.

24. Jump Around.
The writing process is not simply plan, draft, revise, edit, print. All steps in the writing process can happen at all points. Revise while you draft. Brainstorm when you revise.