Good writing speaks to a specific audience. If you write a letter to the editor of the newspaper, your tone will be much different than in an email you shoot off to a friend about weekend plans. Consider your audience before you write — who your audience is will determine your tone: Will your writing be funny? Serious? Flippant? Will you use slang? How formal or casual will your writing style be? Will you use first, second or third person point of view? Consider these questions once you have determined for whom you are writing.
Mechanics encompasses the parts of speech, grammar and punctuation. Parts of speech define the purpose of each word you write — nouns name something, verbs show action, adjectives describe nouns, and so on. Grammar is simply how those words are put together on the page. Punctuation is a series of symbols that help organize your writing and guide the meaning and inflections of words and sentences. A question mark tells you the sentence is to be read as a question, a period denotes a statement, and a comma gives rise to a pause. Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of the words and can make writing difficult to read. Correct usage of grammar, parts of speech and punctuation are a must for effective writing.
How you organize your writing will either make it easy to read, or it will make the piece confusing to the reader. Organization is the sequence of your piece. One standard model of writing is the five-paragraph essay. The introduction paragraph gives an overview of what you will talk about. Each of the three body paragraphs will make a point and then explain the point or back it up with evidence. The conclusion paragraph sums up the points and ends with a statement that makes the reader feel like everything that can be said, has been said. When you set out to write, think about where you will start, what should come second, third, fourth, and so on.
Now that you have the fundamental ingredients for a good piece of writing, dress it up a bit with effective word choice and a unique voice. A good piece of writing transports the reader to what's on your mind; add adjectives that evoke the senses: smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. Always read what you've written out loud, even if to yourself; it will help you determine how well the piece flows, and any mistakes will be evident.