The Six Traits of Writing

To strengthen our writing muscles, we need to focus on technique. I'm talking about this awesome stuff right here:

Ideas
The ideas in your writing should keep the reader interested and show deep thinking. Stay on topic. Establish a clear main idea, and use supporting details. Give clear explanations that keep the reader from getting confused.

Organization
Organize your writing in an appropriate form. Make sure your work has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Your ideas should be sequenced in an organized manner with transitions that make sense. Each paragraph should have a main idea and supporting details.

Voice
Your style should match your purpose and audience. Whether the writing is formal or casual, your personality must shine through as intelligent and expressive. No boring spots!

Word Choice
Use vivid, but natural language. Your choice of words should be intelligent, creative, and appropriate for your audience.

Sentence Fluency
An easy flow and sentence sense make the text a delight to read. Sentence lengths and structures vary. No awkward sentences, run-on sentences, or sentence fragments.

Conventions
Good writers show excellent control over spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. There should be few or no mistakes.



As a teacher, I love to use these Six Traits of Writing standards when I grade. It keeps me focused on what matters, and prevents me from merely inking coded red messages all over student work. When you evaluate your own writing, take time to consider these traits. Discover your strengths; find ways to sprout and augment them. When you discover an area of weakness, make a goal for improvement and track your progress.