Remember: You are a writer.

Here's the most important thing to know about writing. Also, a writing prompt for your midlife reinvention.

I’ll never forget my first attempt at executive scriptwriting in the early days of my career. The speaker crossed out almost every word except the introductory line, “Hi, my name is ____.” My writing was too emotional, my sentences too complex, and my metaphors obscure. “In business,” he said, “you write for an eighth-grade reader.”

I learned that day th…