How To Write Better: The Clear, Concise, Effective You

Name: How To Write Better: The Clear, Concise, Effective You
Rating: 4.1 (66 reviews)

Enhance written & spoken communication. Become effective in school & business. Write your way to success.

Created byAndrew Matthews, Shaun Leonard

Last updated 8/2015

English

What you'll learn

Write anything better.
Impress prospective employers, or wow your professors into giving you the A-grade that you deserve.
Analyze any text— be it a novel, an e-mail, a memo, or a drunk text from your ex.

Course content

5 sections • 40 lectures • 1h 18m total length

Introduction to Writing1:12
Here's a little bit about everything you'll need to know. Remember, communication is key.
Sentences3:09
How many sentences did you write today? Whether it's on your phone or in an e-mail, you need to understand the building blocks before you plan the Statue of Liberty.
Essay2:42
School blues getting you down? Or have you always wondered why you didn't get better grades in Ms. McGraw's class? Here's some straight talk.
The P.E.A.R Method: Point1:39
A strong start is half the work. Make your point immediately and concisely.
The P.E.A.R Method: Evidence0:43
Here we discuss how to show people why you're the one to listen to.
The P.E.A.R Method: Analysis1:43
This is how you analyze any kind of text.
The P.E.A.R Method: Refer3:01
Here's where I show you how to reinforce your ideas in your readers' minds, right at the end of a paragraph.
Section 1: Conclusion (Where it all comes together)1:11
Tie your writing up in a neat little bow. With a REAL understanding of the basics of writing you can improve any piece of communication dramatically.
Section 1
Learn by Doing1:10

Section 2: Intro1:34
We begin to discuss how to read and analyze anything, before or after somebody writes it.
Purpose1:42
Write with purpose, live with purpose.
Audience2:50
You know who you're talking to, even if you've never met them. They're the people reading what you wrote.
Author1:41
No matter what it is being written, the writer always matters.
Text2:22
Discover how to match your content with the appropriate method of delivering that content.
Genre2:51
What's the difference between text and genre?
Context2:29
Context is key. Communication is too, but, y'know, still.
Occasion1:14
"Why now?" is a more important question than most people realize, and you should remember to always ask it.
Section 2: Conclusion1:50
Let's recount what we know about the rhetorical situation, and why it's useful.
Activity1:00
Out in the World0:55

Section 3: Intro1:05
Be kind to your teacher, boss, and readers. Watch out for the most common writing errors.
Reading before Writing2:31
You'd be surprised how many people leap before looking.
Planning before Writing2:10
Here are a few methods for organizing your thoughts so that they can best reach your target, the reader.
Grammar3:45
I promise this grammar lesson won't be boring. Much.
Informal / Formal Language2:30
"How should one speak?" is very different from "What kinda stuff should I say, innit?"
Awkward or Unnecessary Metaphors1:45
This lecture is a ball of inspirational fire, hurtling from the celestial heavens of the mind to shatter upon the... ground. The ground of your ears.
Cliché1:43
This lecture? Let's just say you'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Hyperbole1:57
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO YOU'LL EVER SEE. INCLUDING CAT VIDEOS. EVEN THE ONE WHERE THE CATS TRYING TO GET INTO THE BOX AND EVENTUALLY IT DOES.
Throat Clearing / Low Value Statements1:40
Say what you want to say from get-go, not after you've lost your readers' attention.
Section 3: Conclusion1:09
Refresh your memory with some simple ways to write better. Hey! That's the name of the course!
Section 3

Section 4: Intro2:34
One word, one line, one draft at a time.
Reading Aloud2:13
Easiste way to catch a spelling or punctuation mistake is to READ. ALOUD.
Spelling (Microsoft Word is not your friend)2:57
Word processors are useful tools. And like all tools, the better you understand them, the less chance they'll have to screw with you.
First and Last1:51
This lecture describes one of the fastest and most useful methods of editing a piece of writing.
Assignment1:30
Read, read, read. Do what you're told, so you can get to a position where you can do what you want.
Formatting2:54
The first thing we see is the shape of things.
Redundancy1:48
Don't repeat yourself, or write the same thing twice. Even if the second time is phrased slightly differently.
Section 4: Conclusion2:00
Your communication should get clearer the more you tweak it to your own purpose and design.
Activity2:00

Requirements

A commitment to expressing yourself more effectively.
A desire to avoid misunderstandings.

Description

This course is written and presented by an award-winning graduate school professor with 7 years' experience in writing improvement, editing, and teaching.

It has been recorded and produced on a studio quality level.

By enrolling in this course, you will get lifetime access to current content, as well as the ability to interact with me online via the teaching platform.

Watch our PREVIEW VIDEO to get a sense of what improvements you'll be making to your writing, and the way you communicate every day.

You read and write every day, but how often do you think about getting better at these two crucial skills? This course will provide you with the tips and lessons to improve your communication skills and succeed in school, business, and life.

This course is for everyone. Beginning with the building blocks of written communication, this course provides students and writers of all levels and experience with the tools to enhance the delivery and precision of their message, whatever that message may be. At the end of this course, you'll be better at writing EVERYTHING. From text messages to business e-mails, college essays to facebook posts, everyone will understand you better, and thank you for it.

Who this course is for:

YOU - if you want to understand and to be understood.
People who want to get better grades in school – REGARDLESS of the class. (Ok, maybe this won’t help for Calculus, sorry dudes.).
Teachers
Entrepreneurs who communicate through the written word every day.
People on the hunt for a job who want to improve their written communication (for cover letters, for example).
Readers
Writers

How To Write Better: The Clear, Concise, Effective You

What you'll learn

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Course content

The Building Blocks of Writing9 lectures • 17min

Rhetorical Situation11 lectures • 20min

Writing Mistakes10 lectures • 20min

Drafting / Editing9 lectures • 20min

What's Next?1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: