The Real Sign Your Writing (Or Any Creative Skill) Is Improving

I was surprised after opening my first book again

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

I was supposed to unplug during the holidays.

But I decided to pick an easy project. I’m revamping Unit Testing 101, the first book I wrote. I called it an ebook because “book” felt too big a deal. Back then, I was even scared to put a price tag on it.

After finishing Street-Smart Coding, my first “official” release, I wanted Unit Testing 101 to match that standard: editing, formatting, and a stronger cover.

Last week, I opened the draft in Google Docs and realized I’d structure chapters more clearly, tighten explanations, and reduce duplicated concepts.

If you cringe at your past work and think, “I’d do it way better now,” that’s the clearest sign you’ve grown.

How do you know if your writing, coding, or any other creative skill has improved?