Post History

Grammar is to writing as driving a nail is to architecture. Yes, you need the nails to be driven in straight, but it is not what architecture is about. 

A good writer is, first of all, a good observer. They have a full picture of the thing or event they are trying to describe. 

Secondly, they have a good sense of what to say and what not to say to convey what they have seen to the reader. Often this is about choosing the right details to focus on. A perfect detail can paint the whole of a scene in the reader's mind. A perfect detail can bring out the essential point of a piece. A perfect detail can move the reader to profound emotion. 

What you see, and what you choose to describe out of what you see, are the essence of compelling writing. Figuring out this stuff is what makes a better writer. 

People will rightly tell you that you need to read to become a better writer. But your need to read with a particular kind of attention if it is going to help. And this is what you should be paying attention to. What does the writer choose to say, what detail do the choose to focus on, and what is the effect of their doing so. Learn that, and you will be a better writer.