About
A Creative Writing Blog
Writing Forward features creative writing tips and ideas.
If creative writing is your thing, then you’ve come to the right place – this is a creative writing blog. But we’ve got the mechanics here too, with grammar tips, literary news, and writing exercises that help writers hone their skills, master the craft, and shine brightly in all that they write. You’ll also find a warm and supportive writing community here.
Mission
The Writing Forward mission is to create a fun, supportive, and inspiring place where writers can gather to get writing tips, ideas, and inspiration for their creative writing projects.
Awards and Recognition
Writing Forward was named one of Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers” in the May/June 2009 issue.
Every year, Writer’s Digest accepts suggestions for websites to be included on this prestigious list. In 2009, over 2700 entries were received and then narrowed down to just 101 of the very best.
It has been a true honor for Writing Forward to receive this recognition from the foremost publication for writers.
Who’s in Charge Around Here?
My name is Melissa Donovan. I was born and raised north of the Bay Area in California. I inherited a love of literature from my mom, who taught me how to read by the time I turned four years old.
At age thirteen, I started penning poetry and song lyrics. Shortly thereafter, I began journaling, and a writer was born. I studied creative writing at Sonoma State University, where I earned a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing. Since then, I’ve been a technical writer, a business and sales writer, a blogger, copywriter, and an article writer. As an internet enthusiast, I’m also proficient in web design and have studied it both inside and outside of academia.
Currently, I earn my keep as a web content specialist over at my other site, Scribizzy.com. I’ve got a blog there too, and if you’re looking for tips for doing business online, you might want to check it out.
When I discovered blogging, I thought it was an ideal venue for a writer, so I started learning all about it. A little more than a year later, I launched my freelance copywriting business along with this site, which keeps me grounded in creativity even when I’m up to my eyes in sales copy.
Blogging has become one of my writing passions, along with fiction and poetry. In 2008, as a NaNoWriMo participant, I wrote my first novel. The working title is Wolves at the Door. Not coincidentally, I am especially interested in using my writing skills as an advocate for animal welfare, with a focus on the No Kill movement, which seeks to end the practice of killing homeless animals in shelters. If you need a writer for an animal welfare project, please feel free to get in touch with me. I’d love to work with you!
Oh, and I love to dance. I also love cheese and chocolate (but not together) and I have a penchant for superhero movies. My best buddy is a cat named Boo. He’s my sidekick but if you ask him, he’ll say it’s me who is the sidekick.
Need Creative Writing Services?
I offer proofreading services as well as editing and professional writing critiques for creative writing projects, including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. These services are ideal if you’ve completed a project that needs polishing or are looking for feedback on your work.
To learn more, please visit my creative writing services page. There, you’ll find details about the services I offer as well as rates. Below, you can check out my credentials and experience.
Experience
Writing has been a huge part of every position I’ve held, from shift manager at a video store to technical writer at a web services start-up company. Managers asked me to draft communications to customers, and executives requested that I review documents, checking for errors. Teammates asked me to provide written step-by-step guides for work processes, and I obliged.
As the in-house English major, I was consistently tapped for my writing expertise and developed a habit of careful, concise proofreading. I started keeping writing references handy at all times and got real familiar with the dictionary, thesaurus, and The Chicago Manual of Style, tools that also helped me get through college as an English major.
Since I started working as a freelance copywriter in 2007, about a third of the work I’ve been hired to do has involved helping other creative writers, either by checking their work for grammatical accuracy or reviewing it for flow and readability.
Education
- Sonoma State University, Bachelor of Arts, English, with a concentration in creative writing
- San Francisco State University Multimedia Studies
How I Work
Although writing comes quite naturally to me, I consistently work at expanding my knowledge because I believe the best writing is born of a marriage between inherent talent and learned skill.
My working style can be summed up easily:
- Methodical and creative
- Professional and friendly
- Flexible and diversified
I’d love to learn about your creative writing project so please contact me and let’s work together!
