What is good writing and who writes well? In my college essay writing class we have looked at three famous writers from different ages who are considered to be good writers—Seneca the Younger (3-65 A.D.), Plutarch (46-120 A.D.), and Michael de Montaigne (1533-1592 A.D.). Although they are from different times and places, these writers mastered the art of good writing. Albeit they wrote about different things, there are three aspects of their writings that they all have in common--they write about a topic that will catch the interest of the reader, they write clearly, and they are concise.Writing about something that interests your reader is a very important attribute for a writer. In Seneca’s On Noise he wrote about something that everyone can relate to, that is noise. Everyone has dealt with noise that has distracted and annoyed them, so by writing about it Seneca piques the interest of the reader because they want to see how he deals with and what he has to say about the problem. Plutarch’s Consolation to His Wife is of interest to readers because of the intimacy involved between a husband and wife even when dealing with the subject of the death of a child. There is something voyeuristic by nature in human beings, so this story captures one’s interest. Montaigne’s Of a Monstrous Child interests the reader because of the bizarre deformity of the child. Like the interest in what everyone has in common and voyeurism, people are also curious and interested in oddities.To be a well-written piece, a writing must also be clearly and understandably written. Seneca, Plutarch, and Montaigne all write with very good grammar, using common words and thoughts to express themselves. In their works these three writers are able to get their points across in a very easy to read fashion. Anyone who has had to try to stumble through a poorly written piece appreciates a work that is clearly written in an underst...
