Introduction

We think of great writing in English, especially of writing that revolves around social change and commentary, and we think of writers like Arundhathi Roy and William Dalrymple. Writing that is bold and incisive, and has both clarity and vision. And most of us shy away from even setting pen to paper (metaphorically), because if we cannot write well, why write at all? Right? Wrong.

Almost all of us are capable of good writing. Even better, if we start today and keep at it for a year, we will be much better writers than we were 365 days ago. Pretty much like anything else, writing is a craft, a skill that can be honed. I am not arguing here that talent is nothing, but someone who practises diligently is way ahead of the curve compared to the person of talent who does no put in any practice.

It is just as important to get good at editing as we are at writing. Maybe, even better. At least once a day, I remember the words of one of my mentors, from my days as a 20-something trainee in a large newsroom. He would give us our edited copies back, and tell us, "There are no great writers, only great editors." Not a statement that is taken lightly in an ego-ridden place like a news desk. But as I grew as a writer, I began to understand what he meant, that he was not referring to the superiority of editors over writers. He was talking about how the writer should learn to approach their written work from the eyes of an editor. This often makes the difference between good writing and great, memorable writing.