Robert Ward was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Towson State University in 1965, and would go on to earn his MFA from the University of Arkansas. Afterwards he went on to teach English at Miami University and then moved to Geneva, New York, where he taught at Hobart and William Smith College.

In 1972, he published his first novel Shedding Skin. Soon after, Ward would quit teaching and begin writing full time, including for magazines like New Times, Sport, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Penthouse. During this time he published his second novel Cattle Annie and Little Britches, and sold the movie rights for which he wrote the script; the movie starred Diane Lane and Burt Lancaster and was a success. In 1985 his most successful novel Red Baker was published to rave reviews in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Village Voice. It would also go on to win the Pen West Award as the best novel published in 1985.

Ward then begin writing and producing for the hit TV show, Hill Street Blues. After Hill Street Blues ended in 1987, Ward was hired as the showrunner for Miami Vice at Universal Studios, where he continued writing after the show ended. During this time he also published his fourth novel, The King of Cards and has since continued to write novels while residing in California with his wife.