I spoke for nearly three solid hours today about a seventh-grade English class I'll be teaching next fall. What did parents want to know most about? Grammar. As if grammar is the end all and be all of an English class. What's up with that?

Lots of people believe there's safety in grammar because it fences writing in. Gives writing rules and boundaries. Lays out a checklist where you can just tick off each tidy little box and bammo! Instantaneous good writing.

Yeah. Not so much. That line of thinking works well for left-brainers, science geeks, math nerds and such ilk, but here's the deal . . . you can't reduce great writing to a list of "Do This, Not That" because writing is subjective and standards change.

Sure, it's a given that some grammar is needed. Sentences must flow and make sense. Spelling mistakes and basic punctuation needs to be mastered or the reader will give up trying to decipher the words. But other than that, delving deeper into sentence diagramming isn't going to make you a more marketable writer. In fact, in a recent study at York University there was no evidence found that teaching grammar helped pupils aged 5-16 write more fluently or accurately.

So, if grammar isn't the key to great writing, then what is? Learning to grab the reader by the throat via powerful storytelling and beautiful word choice. How is that accomplished?

5 Keys to Unlocking Great Writing

1. Read.
Exposing yourself to literature of all sorts broadens and improves your own writing.

2. Re-write.
James Michener once said, "I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." Editing and polishing kicks your writing up a notch.

3. Write tight.
Kill verbosity. Ain't nobody got time for that.

4. Be real.
Write like you speak and think. That's your voice. That's believable.

5. Be fearless.
Take chances with your writing. Mix it up. Don't care about what others or the market may think.

There you have it . . . and you'll notice grammar isn't in the list.