This category focuses on clear, effective writing and the editing skills that make it possible. Posts here break down common writing habits that weaken prose, explain why they don’t work, and show how to fix them with stronger structure, sharper verbs, and cleaner sentences. You’ll find practical guidance on self-editing, craft fundamentals, and revision techniques writers can apply immediately—whether you’re drafting fiction, nonfiction, memoir, or business content.
Read the Polished Sentences Series currently running here in the blog or subscribe for free on Substack @wendyspurlin.
If you keep a daily journal, where you spill thoughts and track progress on your various projects, there are three items you should add to help increase your productivity. These items are quick and easy to add at the beginning of your journal each day. And they all provide a little kick in the butt to keep your goals on track. 1. Note the Week # and Day # I bet that at the beginning … Read more
If you are a writer or aspire to write, you soon discover it’s not as easy as it looks. In fact, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve been writing professionally for over thirty years. It’s a career where the minute you think you’ve mastered the craft, your editor returns a document covered in markups and comments that triples the size of your MS Word file. Hence, writers learn quickly to stick together … Read more
Today, I decided to share a paper I wrote a few years ago, when I returned to college for a short time. Surprisingly, I had to retake an English class because it had been too many years since I’d had one. I could have challenged the class, but I thought it might be fun to retake it. What’s funny is that they were willing to accept credits for English classes that are much more complicated. … Read more