Does your prose need to sound more “literary?”

The other day I was browsing through an online writing group I’m part of, and someone posted a question about what makes “good writing” and why so many popular books were apparently “bad.” In response, another commenter cited a wildly popular YA series, and said something to the effect of, “The author isn’t even a good writer. She’s just really good at creating characters and plots.”

From our teen years onward, we are often schooled in what “Good Writing” should mean. Good Writing wins Pulitz...