Substance over Style

Captive to our screens, fingers flying across keyboard, phone or other device of choice, we are constantly generating thousands of pieces of text at a rate no previous generation comes close to matching. Much of it may fall (far) short of the Strunk & White standards of what is traditionally "correct" writing but that does not mean it is not "good." Of course, it may be bad for other reasons, but what makes writing good in my opinion is its ability to engage and fascinate, to put feelings, experiences, phenomenon into words in a way that is both suprising and relatable. I don't think that requires the most elevated vocabulary or a novel's worth of insight - 140 characters is admittedly short, and an Instagram caption doesn't allow for lengthy exposition, but that doesn't mean that good writing in those media can't be achieved. Not only can it be done, but it matters - good writing will get read, shared and read again - so it is both a writer's duty to create it, and the reader's task to recognize and appreciate it.