Better Writing | Writing Forward

From 10 Core Practices for Better Writing: Revising Your Writing

I’d like to share a few excerpts from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. “Chapter Three: Revision” explores the importance of revising your work and includes tips and ideas for editing and proofreading. Enjoy! “The best writing is rewriting.” – E.B. White We use the terms first draft or rough draft when we…Read More

The All-Important Relationship Between Grammar and Writing

Today I’d like to share an excerpt from my book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This excerpt is from “Chapter Four: Grammar,” which explores the relationship between grammar and writing and includes tips and resources for mastering grammar. Enjoy! Grammar and Writing Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are the most basic components of good writing. Grammatically…Read More

Daily Writing Leads to Better Writing

Today’s post is an excerpt from 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This is from “Chapter Two: Writing.” Enjoy! “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” – William Faulkner Ideally, you would write every day. Writers who come to the craft out of passion rarely have a…Read More

Eight Common Writing Mistakes

We all make mistakes in our writing. The most common mistake is the typo — a missing word, an extra punctuation mark, a misspelling, or some other minor error that is an oversight rather than a reflection of the writer’s skills (or lack thereof). A more serious kind of mistake is a deep flaw in…Read More

Keeping a Journal Makes You a Better Writer

The more you write, the better your writing becomes. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact. Experience breeds expertise, so if you write a lot, you’ll become an expert writer. Writing every day is the best way to acquire lots of experience. Writers who come to the craft out of passion never have a problem…Read More

100 Common-Sense Ways to Write Better

Nobody’s born knowing how to read and write. Sure, the lucky ones have talent, but we all start out learning our ABCs. We memorize the sounds that letters make, and we learn how they come together to form words. Pretty soon, we’re reading. Someone puts pencils in our hands and then we’re scribbling letters on…Read More

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better

As I travel around the internet reading blogs, watching interviews, and listening to podcasts on writing, I’ve noticed that much of the focus is not on writing at all. There’s a lot of talk about writing fast, e-books versus paper books, and the fate of brick-and-mortar bookstores. But most of the chatter is focused on…Read More

What’s the Difference Between Good Writing and Great Writing?

A good piece of writing holds your attention. It flows smoothly and everything makes sense. It’s interesting and a pleasure to read. Great writing, on the other hand, doesn’t just hold your attention; it commands your attention. You become lost in it. You can’t put it down, and when you do, you want to read…Read More

How to Conduct Credible Research for Writers

Today’s post is an excerpt from the book 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. Enjoy! “‘Research’ is a wonderful word for writers. It serves as an excuse for EVERYTHING.” — Rayne Hall Almost all writers rely on research for facts and information. Even fiction writers and memoirists, whose work is either made up from imagination…Read More

Writing and Editing Polished Prose

Writing leaves an impression. Readers will come away from your work feeling informed, entertained, inspired, even moved. Or will they? When I was in high school and during my early college days, I wrote papers and turned them in without giving them so much as a second glance — no revisions or rewriting and no…Read More