We learn writing from an early age in school — grammar, structure, complex words, cleverness, and more. What if I told you that most of the stuff your teacher taught you in High School about writing was a lie?
You see, your English teacher wasn’t a bad person. They were just teaching you a version of writing that works really well academically and really poorly for real life. They teach you what’s best for the exams. However, the reality is different.
I know this because I believed what my teacher taught me for years. I tried to write perfect grammar, worshiped structure, and thought that if my sentences were clean, polished, and perfect enough, people would automatically read my work.
They didn’t. And it took me a long time to realize why.
The Big Lie: “Great Writing Is About Rules”
When I was in High School, writing felt like math, with all the rules, formulas, introductions that must look a certain way, and conclusions that must sound perfect. My teacher would disallow starting a sentence with “And,” “Because,” or “But.”
So, I wrote safely.
I made sure that every sentence I wrote was technically correct. I neatly dressed every paragraph.
Unfortunately, my writing was completely forgettable. Sure, it got me good grades, but at what cost?
Perfect grammar didn’t make my writing good. It just made it quiet.
Real Writing Is About Attention, Not Approval
Your teacher wasn’t deliberately trying to make your writing bad. They were doing their job. Their goal was to get you to write according to the rules.
But they didn’t tell you what writing was really about. Either they didn’t know it, or they didn’t want you to know it.
Here’s what they probably never told you:
If no one wants to read your writing, none of the rules matter.
Great writing starts by earning attention, but by proving you followed MLA format.
When I read great writers, I saw them constantly breaking the “rules.”
- They use fragments.
- They repeat themselves on purpose.
- They end paragraphs too early.
- Etc.
It’s not that they didn’t know grammar, but they know people.
So, I started breaking the rules and experimenting with my own writing style. And guess what? It worked. The rules didn’t help me. Understanding people did.
What Actually Makes Writing Great
I stopped trying to impress imaginary teachers by breaking the writing rules. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t careful about grammar or my writing structures. It’s just that I didn’t have to polish my writing anymore.
I made my own rules (sort of) — ones that built a real connection with the readers. Here’s what I learned:
1/ Clarity beats cleverness
Great writing isn’t about showing off how smart you are. It’s about how well people can understand your message.
I tried using “intellectual” words in my early articles, but to be completely honest, I didn’t understand what they actually meant. It felt as if I was trying to put on a mask and lying to my readers.
The moment I started writing the way I talk, people stayed longer.
Clear writing feels effortless to read. It’s a skill you build once you let go of showing off how smart you are.
2/ Emotion > Structure
High school essay loves structure. But readers love feelings.
People don’t remember the words you use or what you wrote as your headline. They remember how your writing made them feel — seen, challenged, relieved, or understood.
If your writing has no emotional connection with the reader, it won’t matter how perfect your headline (or structure) is.
Emotion is crucial for great writing.
3/ Specificity is everything
Teachers reward general ideas. They give you good grades for it. However, readers hate them. They want the details — how, when, what, and where.
“Hard work brings success” is grammatically acceptable. But it is entirely useless. It’s generic and doesn’t provide much value to the reader.
Tell me about failing in your business, doubting yourself, and showing up anyway. Tell me how you overcame the challenges and got back up on your feet. Now I’m listening.
Great writing lives in details, not summaries.
4/ Voice is more important than correctness
Your teacher probably never prioritized your voice. They didn’t tell you to be unique or share your personal experiences. Even if they did, they wanted you to stay within the rules of writing.
Readers don’t care about the rules. They care about your voice (subconsciously).
Voice is the difference between “this is well written” and “this feels like a real person.” It’s why two writers can say the same thing, and one feels alive while the other feels like homework.
Grammar Isn’t Useless. It’s Just Not the Point.
As I said, grammar matters. You can’t ignore all the rules because when someone reads your story, they need to understand it properly. They can easily overlook your writing because you didn’t write correctly.
However, grammar is like salt. It’s necessary, but no one eats it by itself.
Clean writing helps readers trust you, but it doesn’t make them care. That part comes from honesty, clarity, and the courage to sound human instead of “correct.”
The Real Lesson I Wish I’d Learned Earlier
Great writing isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about communicating something real, in a way someone else actually wants to hear.
Once I stopped writing to be graded and started writing to be heard (and understood), everything changed. My engagement grew, I received more feedback, and my confidence grew.
So no, your English teacher didn’t tell you the whole truth. But now, you know it. And that’s when good writing actually starts.
