Sally Kerrigan on A List Apart:

Because writing—that first leap into taking your idea and making it a Thing People Read—isn’t really about wording. It’s about thinking. And if you can tell the difference between an article that knows what it’s about and one that exists purely to sell ad space, then you’re pretty good at that already.

Start with something messy, get to the point, get an editor, and make it good. Kerrigan’s excellent advice finishes with one of my favorite lines in her piece, “This is what crafting purposefulness looks like.”