OK, guys, time to do a little work.  I'm in the mood for an argument.

What do you consider the essence of good writing?  Is it Literature (with a capital L), or fluff, or something in between?  Is Dickens a better writer than Pratchett, and if so why?  And if not, why?  Who decides?  If it's readers as expressed in sales, some of the best writers on the planet need help filling in forms.  If it's judging panels wading through serious Literature, then the best writers on the planet struggle to find an audience.

What do you read?  What do you write?  Where would you place both in the Order of Excellence, where 1 is the guy who writes mottos for crackers and 10 is Literature so rarefied no one can understand it?

Thoughts, please.