The Business Writer

Writing skills Course

Communication: How do we define it? Barriers to effective written communication - what can stop it being clear, accurate and successful? The key stages: planning, writing, editing and proofreading   Planning before you write: The importance of planning Defining the scope and purpose of the document Knowing your reader - manager, colleague, customer? Being clear about how you want the reader to respond Preparing an outline   Structuring your text: Why structure matters Essential principles - don't bury the message; create a logical sequence Elementary structure - introduction, development, conclusion Nine models for structuring and when to use them:

1. The inverted pyramid 2. Questions and answers 3. SOAP (Situation, Objective, Appraisal, Proposal) 4. Presentation structure 5. Feature structure 6. Chronological order 7. Answering points in the order they were made 8. AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) 9. Report structure

Finalising the outline   Writing powerful headlines: What makes a good headline? Tips for creating headlines   Making a strong start: Writing opening sentences   Good business style: Choosing an appropriate tone Adapting your style to the needs of the reader and document Guidelines for writing in clear, effective English   Choosing the best words: Psycholinguistics - cold words and warm words Guidelines for choosing words   Coming to a good end: Techniques for strong endings   Presentation: Creating an attractive, reader-friendly document   Exercises and feedback  

Editing skills The role of the editor: How editors improve documents The difference between editing your own and someone else's text On screen or on paper?   Making sense: Removing ambiguity   Avoiding the inappropriate: Cliché Jargon Management-speak Sexism  Aids to clarity: Headings Bullets Tables and diagrams   Grammar: Recognising and correcting errors   Punctuation: A review of the rules   Exercises and feedback  

Proofreading skills The role of the proofreader: The importance of proofreading The limitations of spell checkers   The art of proofreading: Learning a new way of reading Developing an eye for detail Knowing when to intervene   Consistency and corporate style: Alternative spellings Numbers and dates Capitals and abbreviations Italics and bold   Tips for effective proofreading: Improving your technique Things to look for - common errors An introduction to proof-correction symbols

Why use symbols? General principles for marking errors A review of the most useful symbols   Further development: Reference books Post-course support   Exercises and feedback