Two Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

If you’re reading this, I assume you’ve been doing this blogging thing for awhile now and feel you’re a fairly competent writer. Posting frequently helps build up your writing chops, and was one of the reasons I started blogging at A Mama’s Rant over five years ago. Still, at some point  you may feel like you’re stuck and could be a better writer. So what are ways to improve your writing?

Books on how to write
Many books have been written about the process of writing. Two of my favorites are:

• On Writing by Stephen King. Reviewed here by Kerrie Flanagan, Director of the Northern Colorado Writers
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott author of Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year

King’s book is partially a memoir dealing with his alcoholism and early rejection by publisher. Lamott’s book is full of self-depreciating humor. Both give great advice.
Two books for women who want to write about motherhood are:

• Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues
• Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Igniting the Writer Within by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

I have not read Pen on Fire, but have seen good reviews about it. I have read Writing Motherhood and found it full of terrific advice and inspirational writing prompts.

Take an online class or workshop to improve your writing

Speaking of writing about motherhood, Christina Katz, the author of Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids and Get Known Before The Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform offers online writing classes through her website.

My friend, Laura Bridgwater, who is a radio and humor writer, has taken two of Christina’s classes and says:

“Christina Katz offers email classes you won’t find anywhere else, like ‘Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff’ and ‘Turn Your Specialty Into Course Curriculum.’ I’ve taken both and would highly recommend them to new writers as well as established writers.”

I haven’t taken any classes with Christina yet though I may sign up for the October 9 session of Writing For the Web with Jennifer Applin. For a six week course, $250 is a good price.

Other online class options:

• PoynterOnline – These classes are more journalism focused. According to Laura, she “found the webinars at PoynterOnline helpful for improving [her] writing.” Most workshops are short (a hour or two) and very inexpensive.
• MediaBistro: Online classes to check out are Writing about Parenting and Writing and Editing for the Web – both 4 week classes cost $350. Another is Food Writing Boot Camp, which is an 8 week course for $499. In person classes are also offered in New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC and Los Angeles. Many classes are aimed at traditional media writers and teach you how to pitch to editors, so make sure to read class descriptions before signing up.
• WritersOnlineWorkshops – These are offered by Writer’s Digest, one of the top magazine for writers.
• Your local community college. Many writing courses are taught online with only the first meeting done on campus. To find classes look under “English,” “business writing,” or “writing” in the online course catalog.

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Social Media Manager at Mom Central Consulting. You can also find her blogging up some healthy recipes at This Mama Cooks!

Anne-Marie Nichols