What is a great writer?

There are many responses to this question. If I ask my professors, they will list off the classics: Shakespeare, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, etc. Yes, these men are great. I love reading their stuff, except Shakespeare. I think he is a genius, but honestly, just say what you mean! (haha) But I'm not asking "who is a great writer" I am asking "what is a great writer." To this, I don't know what they would say. My friends say that a great writer is someone who can write with feeling, can take something bland and make it beautiful. I agree, this would constitute a pretty good writer. However, i think that a great writer can write something without feelings too. I write about things that I do not experience, most likely will not experience. But I try to put myself in that person's shoes, in that moment, and I write what I would think I would feel. Usually, when I write, I cannot write when I am emotional. I have to wait awhile. To me, a great writer is someone that can make you think that they are feeling everything that they write on paper, when in reality, they may not have felt or experienced this at all. I believe a great writer can write about anything. They can look at a pencil and write 50 lines about its "beauty." They can hear a conversation and take just a few lines and turn it into a story. To me, these are great writers. My friends don't necessarily agree. I guess the question still stands: What is a great writer?