“This is perhaps the best writing course I've ever taken. That includes my time in University.”
Want to attract thousands of readers to your blog by writing addictive, shareable posts that are guaranteed to go viral?
Want to discover the secret, elite persuasive writing techniques known only to the world’s top copywriters, speechwriters and academics specialising in literature?
Want to compel your readers to take action through the power of persuasive reports, proposals, websites and marketing content?
“This is perhaps the best writing course I've ever taken. That includes my time in University.”
Want to attract thousands of readers to your blog by writing addictive, shareable posts that are guaranteed to go viral?
Want to discover the secret, elite persuasive writing techniques known only to the world’s top copywriters, speechwriters and academics specialising in literature?
Want to compel your readers to take action through the power of persuasive reports, proposals, websites and marketing content?
“This is perhaps the best writing course I've ever taken. That includes my time in University.”
Want to attract thousands of readers to your blog by writing addictive, shareable posts that are guaranteed to go viral?
Want to discover the secret, elite persuasive writing techniques known only to the world’s top copywriters, speechwriters and academics specialising in literature?
Want to compel your readers to take action through the power of persuasive reports, proposals, websites and marketing content?
Want to know how to instantly get your ideas out of your head and onto the page - in a way that makes people sit up and take notice?
Want to motivate others to buy your product? Change their mindset? Take on board your ideas?
Want to uncover the secrets of turning snooze-worthy sentences into scintillating prose?
If any of these apply to you, this is the course for you.
Top copywriters like your instructor, Dr Clare Lynch, in fact.
From the very first lectures, you’ll be inspired to beat writer’s block and get something down on the page. You'll also gain instant ideas for taking your first draft from OK to outstanding.
Next, you’ll discover a secret most writing and editing teachers won’t share with you: that good writing isn’t just about the writing. For the most part, good writing is about the thinking you do before you even sit down at your laptop or open your journal.
That’s because, when it comes to becoming a powerful writer – the sort of writer who gets the job, closes the sale or wins buy-in for your ideas - it’s not about the technicalities of spelling and grammar. It’s about your ability to connect with your reader on an emotional, intellectual and visceral level.
That’s why early on in the course, you’ll learn powerful, little-known techniques for really getting under the skin of your readers. Techniques that will allow you to write in a way that grabs people’s attention immediately – and keeps them addictively glued to your writing.
You’ll also learn expert tips and techniques for confidently honing your message down to its essentials, to keep your reader focused on what matters most to you. Tips that will save you time as a writer – and get you better results.
As the course progresses, you’ll learn what words to choose, how to turn turgid, lifeless sentences into attractive musical phrases that compel people to keep reading.
In the second half of the course, you’ll discover how to apply recent findings of neuroscience to make your messages stick. In this part of the course, you’ll learn how to use imagery to paint unforgettable word-pictures in your reader’s mind.
You’ll also discover the secret narrative structure underpinning the most persuasive stories. The narrative structure that’s made millions for the makers of Toy Story and persuaded the British to vote for Brexit. The same narrative structure that your instructor, Dr Clare Lynch, deployed in a tear-jerking speech that allowed a CEO to win over the hearts and minds of employees.
In the final section of the course, you’ll take your writing to a level only achieved by the world’s top copywriters and political speech writers. In this part of the course, you’ll learn how to apply the ancient art of rhetoric to any piece of writing to create rhythmic, emotionally resonant writing that’s totally unforgettable.
And throughout the course, you’ll have an opportunity to put into practice what you’ve learned. Every lecture in Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro delivers a short, sharp, instantly practical tip you can apply to your writing TODAY.
This course delivers what it promised.” -
Clear, concise and addictively engaging, Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro will change the way you write for ever. It's jam-packed with no-nonsense advice on how to win people over with the written word.
Previous students of the course report that within days of completing it, they've crafted a cover letter that secured them a longed-for job. Or won a regular writing gig at a publication like the Huffington Post.
In Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro, you'll learn powerful principles that can be applied to most types of non-fiction writing - including emails, reports, presentations, sales pages, advertising, blogs and more.
Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro isn’t aimed at writers of fiction, poetry or memoir. But it WILL show you how to add creative flair to all your non-fiction prose.
“Best online writing course I've ever taken. Extraordinary. ”
The course includes over 30 activities and exercises that will get you writing from the very first ten minutes of the course. And with each exercise, you’ll discover your ability to write with a style and flair you didn’t think was possible.
What’s more, expert copywriter and Cambridge writing tutor Clare Lynch is always on hand to give you one-to-one feedback on your writing.
No other writing course on Udemy gives you access to personal mentorship from a University of Cambridge writing teacher. Or so many opportunities to benefit from the guidance of a proven, trusted expert in the field of writing.
“I have taken quite a few courses on Udemy, and I have never seen a professor so interested in the progress of her students.” - And that means Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro is as engaging and entertaining as it is clear and concise.
Unlike some writing courses out there, Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro, contains zero fluff. Zero padding. Zero repetition.
Just six hours of clear, practical advice for taking even the driest material from dull to dazzling.
What’s more, Clare’s students consistently rate her courses as not simply invaluable – but also fun, varied and entertaining to watch.
“I love this course. Truly engaging and it made an impact in my writing, almost immediately.” - Clare hasn’t simply edited the work of other journalists at elite publications, such as The Financial Times. She’s also herself a hugely successful copywriter in her own right.
In her 20+ year career, Clare has crafted copy from scratch for elite clients in a wide range of fields, including lifestyle, retail, property, tech, pharma, finance and government.
Over the course of that career, Clare has honed her techniques for getting under any reader’s skin – and crafting messages that instantly resonate with the target audience. Techniques she now shares with over 25,000 students on Udemy.
Clare’s experience as a writer embraces a huge range of writing formats and styles – including case studies, white papers, feature articles, direct mail campaigns, web content, ad copy, video scripts, CEO speeches and brand messaging.
And as the author of the popular blog Good Copy, Bad Copy, Clare herself has attracted hundreds of thousands of readers to her own writing. Good Copy, Bad Copy has been named on Copyblogger's list of 15 copywriting and content marketing blogs that will make you more money.
What’s more, Clare has a PhD in English Literature and teaches at the University of Cambridge. She’s also a qualified and highly experienced corporate trainer.
So Clare isn’t merely an expert at her craft. She also knows how to communicate her expertise in a way that’s memorable, entertaining and addictively engaging.
“She is an incredible teacher that has a special unique ability of keeping her students minds engaged and hanging on her every word.” -” - I could not have done this without Clare's wonderful course.” -” -” -” - I can comfortably state that it is one of the best courses that I have bought on Udemy.” - T.O _ It is exceptional value for money.” -” -” -” -” - This is by far the most complete and thorough course on business writing.” - I finished it all in one day and went straight to work putting the concepts into my writing.” -” - I've been using every technique from the course in my academic life.” -” You’ll be glad you signed up."
What's inside
Learning objectives
- Find your voice as a business writer, blogger or writer of other non-fiction
- Transform writing from dull to dazzling - within the first 10 mins of the course
- Uncover the secret persuasion tactics known only to the world’s top copywriters
- Create musical sentences that readers can’t resist
- Craft addictively readable text that keeps readers glued to the page
- Discover a wealth of free online tools to take your writing to the next level
- Find your voice as a business writer, blogger or writer of other non-fiction
- Transform writing from dull to dazzling - within the first 10 mins of the course
- Uncover the secret persuasion tactics known only to the world’s top copywriters
- Create musical sentences that readers can’t resist
- Craft addictively readable text that keeps readers glued to the page
- Discover a wealth of free online tools to take your writing to the next level
Syllabus
Getting started
Let's get ready to write!
Tell me and your fellow writers about yourself!
What to do when you're faced with the horror of the blank page.
Read more
Syllabus
Let's get ready to write!
Tell me and your fellow writers about yourself!
What to do when you're faced with the horror of the blank page.
What's the one thing all powerful writers do? Hint: it's not about the writing.
Get into the habit that sets great writers apart - a willingness to edit their own work.
A quick overview of what you've learned in this section.
Great grammar? Perfect punctuation? Nah, the secret to brilliant writing is knowing who you're writing for.
A little tip for making your writing more engaging and direct.
Create a short profile of your reader.
Adopt this little mind trick if you really want to please your reader.
A little story about understanding what matters to your reader.
Asking these questions is the first step in crafting a message that resonates with your reader.
Build a profile of your reader, using the guide in the resources, which is yours to download and keep for all your future writing jobs. For your convenience, the guide is available in both PDF and Word format.
Features and benefits - and how to tell the difference.
Complete this exercise to practise distinguishing between features and benefits.
Journalists are masters at getting their message across. Here's what you can learn from them.
Ways to help your reader find the information that matters most to them.
Why you may need to "unlearn" a lot of what you learned at school.
It's every professional copywriter's favourite word. Here's why you should incorporate it into your writing.
In these two examples, the writers were so keen to impress their bosses, they forgot their end readers.
Try this technique for understanding how your reader experiences the world - so you can target your words at their needs and desires.
You've seen me demonstrate a brilliant technique for getting inside your reader's head. Now it's over to you!
A quick overview of what you've learned in this section of the course. If you haven't already, download the PDF featuring your lecture-by-lecture summary.
Why you should make your writing clear and concise.
Discover what you can learn about business writing from Bill Clinton's denial of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
How to charm your reader by saving them time.
An easy win for cutting extra wordage.
Wordy phrases to ditch for simpler alternatives.
The road to hell is paved with certain types of words. Learn how to spot them - and avoid them.
Discover this handy tool for diagnosing wordy, sluggish writing.
Mind maps just create mental clutter. Here's a method for cutting through that clutter and getting straight to the point.
This writer got a bit carried away with her word count. Can you add some punch to her prose?
It's not about how clever you look, but how clever your reader feels.
Why being an expert can be a weakness not a strength when it comes to getting your message across.
Tips to stop you bamboozling your reader with specialist language.
Check out this tool for dramatically simplifying your writing - and take the challenge I set you at the end of the lecture!
What the history of the English language can tell us about better business writing.
Eight top tips for finding the best words for the job.
Ditch this habit for instantly more readable writing.
When it comes to sentences, how long is too long?
How to develop an eye and an ear for overlong sentences - plus an online shortcut for weeding them out.
A step-by-step guide to unpicking a meandering sentence.
How to structure your sentences to make life easy for your reader.
Two sentences that say exactly the same thing - but one is much easier to read. Here's why.
A chance to put your sentence-slashing skills into practice!
Tips for keeping your reader with you.
How to charm your reader by varying your sentence lengths.
A writing exercise on sentence length that will get your creative juices flowing.
The idea of telling stories in business has become a bit of a cliche. But here's why there's something in it.
Some age-old advice for would-be novelists is also applicable to business writing.
Scared of storytelling because you're not exactly the world's greatest raconteur? Here's why you don't need to worry.
A revealing exercise that will show you why you need to root your writing in the real.
If only more business writing were like this.
Does your writing need to go on a diet? This free tool will tell you.
A little trick for making your writing more dynamic.
Let's add some life to your prose by ditching some nouns!
How to make your reader's brain light up - so your message sticks.
Metaphors are a great way to make your writing more vivid, concrete and, most importantly of all, persuasive.
Tips for building your metaphor muscles.
A writing challenge to warm up your metaphor muscles.
Here's how to boost the persuasive power of numbers.
Another exercise to help you further develop your metaphor muscles!
Make your writing more dynamic by ditching dull passives.
Another big problem with writing that's too passive.
A powerful storytelling technique from Pixar.
Tips for getting them to click on, forward or like your story.
Welcome to this new section of the course - brought to you from Rome, where rhetorical technique was honed.
What do you think of this example of business writing?
Discover why three is the magic number - and learn how to incorporate threes into your writing to make it more persuasive.
Master the power of three!
Discover how to use the rhetorical device of anaphora - or the intentional repetion of a word or phrase at the start of a series of phrases.
Try your hand at artful repetition!
Discover how to use the rhetorical device of epiphora - or the intentional repetition of a word or phrase at the end of a series of phrases.
Try your hand at another type of artful repetition!
Learn to use the rhetorical device of asyndeton - to give your writing drama and punch.
Write the conclusion to a speech, using asyndeton
Learn to use the rhetorical device of polysyndeton - to give your words a feeling of excitement and spontaneity.
Compare the effects of asyndeton and polysyndeton
The use of inverted parallelism known as chiasmus - is one of the most powerfully persuasive tools in the rhetorician's toolbox.
Get creative with a criss-cross pattern!
How to cleverly use contrast to persuasive effect.
Traffic lights
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Reviews summary
Clear, practical writing for professionals
Rare and valuable 1-to-1 feedback.
Hands-on activities reinforce learning.
Helps students feel more confident.
Well-organized, clear, and concise.
Emphasizes audience and persuasive skills.
Highly relevant for career writing.
Provides techniques for immediate application.
Instructor praised for clarity and style.
Activities
Review Basic Grammar Rules
Show steps
Strengthen your understanding of fundamental grammar concepts. This will provide a solid foundation for improving writing clarity and precision.
Show steps
-
Review parts of speech and sentence structure.
-
Complete online grammar quizzes.
-
Identify and correct grammatical errors in sample texts.
Read 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser
Show steps
Learn the principles of clear and effective writing. This book provides practical advice on simplifying language and developing a unique writing style.
View
Extraordinary Lives
on Amazon
Show steps
-
Read the book, taking notes on key concepts.
-
Apply Zinsser's principles to your own writing.
-
Reflect on how the book has changed your approach to writing.
Sentence Combining Exercises
Show steps
Improve sentence fluency and conciseness. Practice combining short, choppy sentences into more complex and engaging ones.
Show steps
-
Find sentence combining exercises online or in writing workbooks.
-
Combine the sentences, focusing on clarity and flow.
-
Compare your combined sentences to model answers.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Blog Post on a Topic You're Passionate About
Show steps
Apply the course's principles to a real-world writing task. This will help you solidify your understanding of persuasive writing techniques.
Show steps
-
Choose a topic that genuinely interests you.
-
Research your topic and gather supporting information.
-
Write a draft, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and engaging your reader.
-
Edit and revise your post, paying attention to grammar, style, and flow.
-
Publish your post on a blog or online platform.
Read 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk & White
Show steps
Reinforce your understanding of grammar and style. This book provides a quick reference for common writing errors and offers clear guidelines for effective communication.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
-
Read the book, focusing on the sections relevant to your writing challenges.
-
Refer to the book when editing your own writing.
-
Discuss the book's principles with other writers.
Analyze Persuasive Writing in Advertisements
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of persuasive techniques. By analyzing real-world examples, you can identify effective strategies and apply them to your own writing.
Show steps
-
Collect examples of advertisements from various media.
-
Identify the persuasive techniques used in each advertisement.
-
Analyze the effectiveness of these techniques.
-
Write a short report summarizing your findings.
Develop a Style Guide for Your Writing
Show steps
Establish a consistent writing style and voice. This project will help you refine your writing habits and create a recognizable brand.
Show steps
-
Define your target audience and writing goals.
-
Identify your preferred writing style and tone.
-
Create a set of guidelines for grammar, punctuation, and word choice.
-
Document your style guide and share it with others.
Review Basic Grammar Rules
Show steps
Strengthen your understanding of fundamental grammar concepts. This will provide a solid foundation for improving writing clarity and precision.
Show steps
- Review parts of speech and sentence structure.
- Complete online grammar quizzes.
- Identify and correct grammatical errors in sample texts.
Read 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser
Show steps
Learn the principles of clear and effective writing. This book provides practical advice on simplifying language and developing a unique writing style.
View
Extraordinary Lives
on Amazon
Show steps
- Read the book, taking notes on key concepts.
- Apply Zinsser's principles to your own writing.
- Reflect on how the book has changed your approach to writing.
Sentence Combining Exercises
Show steps
Improve sentence fluency and conciseness. Practice combining short, choppy sentences into more complex and engaging ones.
Show steps
- Find sentence combining exercises online or in writing workbooks.
- Combine the sentences, focusing on clarity and flow.
- Compare your combined sentences to model answers.
Write a Blog Post on a Topic You're Passionate About
Show steps
Apply the course's principles to a real-world writing task. This will help you solidify your understanding of persuasive writing techniques.
Show steps
- Choose a topic that genuinely interests you.
- Research your topic and gather supporting information.
- Write a draft, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and engaging your reader.
- Edit and revise your post, paying attention to grammar, style, and flow.
- Publish your post on a blog or online platform.
Read 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk & White
Show steps
Reinforce your understanding of grammar and style. This book provides a quick reference for common writing errors and offers clear guidelines for effective communication.
View
Melania
on Amazon
Show steps
- Read the book, focusing on the sections relevant to your writing challenges.
- Refer to the book when editing your own writing.
- Discuss the book's principles with other writers.
Analyze Persuasive Writing in Advertisements
Show steps
Deepen your understanding of persuasive techniques. By analyzing real-world examples, you can identify effective strategies and apply them to your own writing.
Show steps
- Collect examples of advertisements from various media.
- Identify the persuasive techniques used in each advertisement.
- Analyze the effectiveness of these techniques.
- Write a short report summarizing your findings.
Develop a Style Guide for Your Writing
Show steps
Establish a consistent writing style and voice. This project will help you refine your writing habits and create a recognizable brand.
Show steps
- Define your target audience and writing goals.
- Identify your preferred writing style and tone.
- Create a set of guidelines for grammar, punctuation, and word choice.
- Document your style guide and share it with others.
Career center
Copywriter
Speechwriter
Content Strategist
Blogger
Grant Writer
Proposal Writer
Communication Specialist
Social Media Manager
Technical Writer
Editor
Public Relations Specialist
Marketing Manager
Journalist
Author
Curriculum Developer
Reading list
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