Better writing starts with you.

Today’s post is an edited excerpt from the introduction to 10 Core Practices for Better Writing, a book that aims to impart best practices in the craft of writing.

“When I’m writing, I know I’m doing the thing I was born to do.” — Anne Sexton

Words. They have the power to captivate the imagination, impart knowledge, express feelings, and share ideas. They are magical, and they are powerful.

A writer makes things out of words: sentences and paragraphs, essays and articles, books, poems, stories, and scripts. We use writing to create, communicate, share, and express ourselves. We use it to connect with people.

Writing is one of the most useful skills a person can possess. Think about how stories, speeches, films, and books have impacted society and culture, how they have shaped people’s thoughts and beliefs, and you’ll get an inkling of just how influential writing can be.

Everybody learns how to write. We go to school, learn our letters, practice reading, and eventually, we can put words on the page.

We aren’t born writers; we become writers.



Good writing requires an extensive set of skills. We have to organize our thoughts and ideas, express them clearly, and compose sentences that are correct and make sense.

Great writing requires a whole lot more. An expert writer understands language, syntax, and context. A firm grasp on grammar and orthography is essential. A vast vocabulary, a talent for puns, and a knack for storytelling are all skills that benefit any writer.

There’s a lot to learn, and in order to establish the skills that every successful writer needs, we must develop lifelong writing habits. We must live the writing life.

It won’t happen overnight, and you might have to make some sacrifices, but by managing your time wisely and investing in yourself and your writing, you’ll develop good habits and core practices that lead to better writing.

10 Core Practices for Better Writing

10 Core Practices for Better Writing is for people who are ready to commit to producing better writing.

It’s not a learn-how-to-write-overnight or write-a-best-selling-novel-in-thirty-days book. It won’t fill your head with story ideas. It won’t drill down into the nitty-gritty of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It won’t tell you how to land an agent or get a publishing deal, nor will it walk you through the steps of self-publishing or marketing your writing. It’s not a book about getting rich or famous.

This is the book you read before doing all that. It’s for becoming the best writer you can be.

The concepts covered in this book are beneficial for all writers. These are the core practices upon which you can build to make your writing good, then great. Think of the practices contained in 10 Core Practices for Better Writing as seeds; if you plant them, water them, and nourish them, they will flourish and you will continually grow as a writer. If you make the time and put in the effort to adopt these practices, your writing will blossom.

Why I Wrote 10 Core Practices for Better Writing

When I started my blog, Writing Forward, in 2007, I chose writing as the topic because I was passionate about writing and it’s the thing I’m best at doing. I had no idea that the site would help so many writers, that teachers would use it in their classrooms, or that I’d end up coaching other writers. Other than writing something I’m personally proud of, helping other writers has been the most rewarding aspect of my career.

I wrote 10 Core Practices for Better Writing because I love working with other writers and helping them be the best writers they can be. I especially love helping young, new, and beginning writers. To see writers develop, to see their work improve with time and effort, and to contribute to their development is incredibly fulfilling.

What separates the great writers from the mediocre ones is not luck or talent. It’s grit and determination and a lot of hard work. If you want to write well, put in the time and eventually you’ll become a master.

If you love to write, then the work will oftentimes be enjoyable. But there will also be times when the work is hard or frustrating. Sometimes it might even seem impossible.

I encourage you to push through those times when writing doesn’t come easily, when ideas aren’t readily available, and when words and sentences refuse to flow and the whole process becomes maddening.

Always remember that the ends make the means worthwhile.

I hope this book will inspire you to make a conscious commitment to strive for better writing every day.

Keep writing!