Bryan Collins's Blog, page 81

How to Improve Your Writing Skills: 10 Proven Strategies

Learning how to improve your writing skills is a tough job.

Anyone can become a good writer with a little practice.

You can easily learn about topics like grammar, sentence structure and word choice from an English teacher.

But it takes a lifetime to become a great writer.

That's because you've got to master the art of storytelling and giving readers what they want.

With all that said, here are several strategies you can use to improve your writing skills faster.

1. Spend Five Minutes Prepari...

10 Great Creative Writing Activities To Try Today

What are the best creative writing activities worth your time? And how can these activities help you become a better writer? Good creative writing activities should help you write faster and enjoy the process more. It shouldn't take too long to try or require any fancy tools or software.

For years, I struggled with writer's block, until I began experimenting with various fun creative writing activities.

Now in this article, I offer several creative writing activities that will help solve a probl...

The Best Book Editing Software For Modern Authors

What book editing software should authors use?

Ask any author which part of his job he would like to avoid, and you’ll hear the same answer: editing.

The writing itself is a torturous process, since writers are struggling with a torpedo of confusing emotions and thoughts.

When they are finally done with the book, they have to face another challenge: fixing what they thought was perfect.

Writers usually like leaving this part to professional editors, but they still have to go through the first dr...

What Is Writing Voice? 5 Great Ways to Develop Yours

What is writing voice?

And how can you find it?

A writing voice basically describers what you say and how you say it.

It's kind of like your point of view as a writer.

If you write fiction, a writer's voice reflects that of the narrator, characters and protagonists.

But…

What if I were to tell you going in search of your voice is a fool’s journey?

When I first started writing non-fiction, I spent a lot of time trying to find my voice. 

I worried about writing in the first person and about using ...

How to Set an Achievable Writing Goal That Actually Works

No matter what type of writer you are, setting a writing goal will help you earn more money or build authority as a writer or non-fiction author.

In this article, I will explain the different types of writing goals you can set and how you can track your goals.

But first:

Why set goals in the first place?

Many writers don't like them.

Recently, I came across a piece of advice from David Brooks. He's an American writer for the New York Times and other publications, who said,

“Great creative minds...

How to Spark Your Passion for Writing: 7 Strategies That Work

Would you like to reignite a passion for writing?

Several years ago, I was a washed-up technology journalist. I was sick and tired of writing about the news, gears and gadgets. My freelance writing career stalled and I wondered why I had decided to earn a living from writing in the first place.

Gradually, I found my way back to writing.

With a little help from some other good writers, I got into writing short stories, blogging, self-publishing non-fiction books on Amazon and creating courses rel...

11 Common Writing Mistakes To Avoid

It’s exciting, isn’t it?

Writing your first book and then sending the final version to your editor and later it being available (and SELLING!) on stores like Amazon.

The months (or even years) of hard work are over, and now you can watch with pride as your book goes out into the world.

Now, you can sit back as your ideas and stories make an impact on readers and earn you a side-income.

You can finally call yourself an author.

But, what if you’re not there yet? What if you’re still struggling to ...

How To Write a Journal: Step-By Step

Do you want to know how to write a journal?

I've kept journals in various forms on and off for twenty years.

Journal writing is a skill that asks for commitment, practice, and honesty.

It’s also a perfect practice for creative and successful people.

And anyone can do it!

This article walks through how to write a journal step-by-step and includes some advanced journal writing tips.

But first why even bother with journaling?

The Benefits of Journal Writing

Journaling is a great pursuit for writer...

How to Write More Often: Try These 4 Steps

Would you like to learn how to write more often?

Many writers who want to write more frequently face problems like this:

Late last night, you promised yourself you’d write today. Then, you woke half an hour late for work. You got stuck in traffic and spent the day dealing with an angry customer/client/boss.

Later that evening at home, your kids needed help with their homework, and there were chores to do around the house.

When things were finally quiet, you didn’t have the desire or the energy t...

CreativeLive Review 2020: Is It Worth It?

In this CreativeLive review, I'll explain the classes I took, what you can learn and who CreativeLive is for.

But first…

If you're wondering, “What is CreativeLive?”, it's is an online education platform aimed at entrepreneurs, creative professionals and yes, writers.

Award-winning photographer Chase Jarvis and Craig Swanson founded the company in Seattle in 2010. It's similar to online education platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Masterclass and even Udemy and Skillshare.

However, CreativeLive e...