Better Writing | Writing Forward

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

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

Should You Write Fast or Write Well?

In recent years there has been a trend building around writing fast. The idea is to finish a book as quickly as possible, publish it, and start immediately on the next book. You soon have a decent sized catalog. Each release creates new opportunities for marketing, so you are constantly able to promote your works….Read More

How to Improve Your Writing

Have you ever put a project on hold because your writing skills weren’t up to par yet? Do you ever set ideas aside because they seem too ambitious and you don’t feel ready to tackle them? Have you ever wondered how to improve your writing so you would be better equipped to handle more complex…Read More

Thoughts on Becoming a Writer

People often ask me how to become a writer. It seems like a simple enough question, until you start considering the semantics of the word writer. A writer can be someone who writes, someone who has written, or someone who writes professionally. Anyone who’s been to school has written something, so this is a very…Read More

Do You Need a Place to Write?

Today’s post is an excerpt from 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This comes from “Chapter Eight: Tools and Resources,” and it examines a writer’s need for a place to write. A Place to Write “You want to be a writer, don’t know how or when? Find a quiet place, use a humble pen.” —…Read More

How to Get the Right Kind of Writing Help

I often receive requests from people who are seeking writing help. Some are seeking professional services; they want someone to edit a book they’ve written or coach them through the process of writing a novel. Other times, I get questions about writing that range from simple to complicated. One person might send me a sentence…Read More

How to Become a Writer

Today’s post is an excerpt from 10 Core Practices for Better Writing. This is from “Chapter Two: Writing,” and it’s for people who are wondering how to become a writer. First, Give Yourself Permission to Write “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” – Richard Bach I admire people who are fearless. When they…Read More

How to Practice Writing to Build Your Skills and Become a Pro

If you want to play sports on an athletic team, you must attend practice. If you want to perform in a theater production, you must attend rehearsals. If you want to become an artist, you produce many paintings before you hang one in a gallery. We broadly accept that to do anything at a professional…Read More

21 Ways to Improve Your Writing

It’s not possible to improve your writing overnight, unless you hire an expert to do it for you. People study the craft for years, decades even, and still they strive to make each piece of writing better than the last. Sure, there might be some quick tricks and shortcuts you can pick up and apply…Read More