
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.
Sell a product with the power of opposites.
Learn how to counter your audience's arguments by asking the right questions
Ask the right questions!
Discover the power - and pitfalls - of this popular rhetorical device
Sell your hometown as a destination!
A lecture to Cambridge post-graduate students on how to sell your big idea.
Easy-to-access links to the online tools mentioned in the course.
At the suggestion of a student, here's a one-page writing checklist to use every time you write something.
What to do if you can't find your certificate.
Got the writing bug and want to dig deeper into the topic? Check out our other courses.
“This is perhaps the best writing course I've ever taken. That includes my time in University.” STEPHEN L HEWITT, UDEMY STUDENT
Want to craft irresistible content that has your readers glued to the page?
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.
BENEFIT FROM THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE WRITING COURSE ON UDEMY
As its name suggests, Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro takes you from the writing fundamentals right through to the elite techniques practised by the world’s top copywriters. 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.
HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM WRITING WITH CONFIDENCE: WRITING BEGINNER TO WRITING PRO
SECTION 1: GETTING STARTED
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Beat writer’s block by developing the mindset of a professional writer
Instantly improve a piece of your own writing – with the help four free tools
Improve your writing with one-to-one feedback from Dr Clare Lynch
SECTION 2: KNOWING YOUR READER
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Ask the 3 essential questions you MUST ask before writing anything
Produce a detailed portrait of your reader – so they connect with you on a deep, visceral level
Craft reader-centric, benefit-led copy that will get your readers to take notice
Structure your writing to hook your readers in – and keep them reading
SECTION 3: WRITE LESS, SAY MORE
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Decide with confidence exactly what to cut - and what to keep
Ditch flabby phrases for sparkling copy that’s clear, concise and compelling
SECTION 4: HOW TO GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Identify and fix off-putting jargon
Communicate your expertise in a way that anyone can understand and relate to
Choose the best words for the job
SECTION 5: HOW TO CRAFT SENTENCES THAT SING
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Dramatically boost your readability with shorter, sharper sentences
Vary your sentences for musical effect
SECTION 6: INCORPORATING STORIES INTO YOUR BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL WRITING
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Apply recent findings from neuroscience to make your message stick
Structure a story for maximum persuasion
Use metaphor to communicate complex ideas clearly and creatively
SECTION 7: RHETORIC: ADVANCED PERSUASION TECHNIQUES
In this section you’ll learn how to:
Employ the world’s most advanced techniques for persuasive writing - techniques no other big-name writing instructor on Udemy shows you
Apply elite writing strategies known only to the world’s top executives, advertising copywriters, political speech writers and academics
Craft more inspiring, creative copy that sounds irresistible to the ear – techniques that will set you apart from all the jobbing journalists and ten-a-penny content marketers out there
REASONS TO TAKE THIS COURSE
Benefit from one-to-one feedback on your writing from a University of Cambridge writing tutor
Learn the skills that allow the top copywriters (like your instructor Dr Clare Lynch) to earn up to £2000+ a day
Use words to persuade your employees, your bosses, your customers or investors
Communicate complex ideas in a way that inspires your readers
Build your confidence and find your voice as a writer
Hook your readers in from the outset – and have them glued to your words
Save you and your readers’ time by writing less but saying more
Hone your message down to the stuff that will get you results
Structure your work for maximum persuasive power
Understand the difference between elegant simplicity and dumbing down
Edit your work so you say what you mean (and mean what you say)
Craft sentences that are clear, succinct and persuasive
Use online tools for assessing and boosting your writing’s readability
Find and tell addictive stories that make people see the world your way – and compel them to take action
Use the latest findings from neuroscience to craft powerful messages that stick
Use advanced rhetorical techniques to win over your audience
See dozens of practical, real-life examples to illustrate the theory
Access countless free resources for powering up your prose
Get writing with a host of challenges to practise what you've learned
Have fun while you learn with a course that’s entertaining and humorous, but never lightweight - students say it's addictively engaging
Stay hooked with a course that’s clear, concise and never repetitive - this is one writing instructor who practises what she preaches
ENROL IN THE BEST WRITING COURSE ON UDEMY
“This is the best course I’ve ever taken on Udemy! This course delivers what it promised.” - DENISE HUBBARD, UDEMY STUDENT
Enrol in Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro and discover why, over and over again, students describe it as the best writing course on Udemy - in fact, the best course on Udemy.
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!” JAMES CHISHOLM, UDEMY STUDENT
APPLY YOUR SKILLS WITH THE MOST PRACTICAL WRITING COURSE ON UDEMY
One of the things that sets Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro apart is its practicality.
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.” - GIANCARLO M. GUERRA, UDEMY STUDENT
ENJOY THE MOST ENGAGING WRITING COURSE ON UDEMY
Dr Clare Lynch practises what she preaches. 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.” - SAMUNDSWARY IYERDOURIA, UDEMY STUDENT
GET ONE-TO-ONE FEEDBACK FROM THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED WRITING INSTRUCTOR ON UDEMY
University of Cambridge tutor Dr Clare Lynch is an expert writer with decades of experience. 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.” - BRAD MACE, UDEMY STUDENT
PREVIOUS STUDENTS WHO’VE BENEFITED FROM THE COURSE INCLUDE
Copywriters
Corporate communicators
Bloggers
Memoirists
Book writers
Small business owners
Job seekers
Technical experts
DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT – SEE WHAT OTHER STUDENTS OF WRITING WITH CONFIDENCE: WRITING BEGINNER TO WRITING PRO SAY ABOUT THE COURSE
“Yours is the single most valuable course I've had in the past six years—my BA and MA seminars included” - AKOS CSERNAK, UDEMY STUDENT
“Best writing course i have taken so far.” - IBRAHIM HALILU ABUBAKAR, UDEMY STUDENT
“One month later and I have secured a regular blog spot on the Huffington Post! I could not have done this without Clare's wonderful course.” - FRAN DIAMOND, UDEMY STUDENT
“Best Udemy course I ever bought.” - ANNA CARLA DELLA VALLE, UDEMY STUDENT
“Trust me, you'll be immediately satisfied with this course” - MARK SIMPSON, UDEMY STUDENT
“A week later I'd landed my first gig as a writer.” - DAVID PULLAN, UDEMY STUDENT
“One of the best courses I've ever taken.” - NADER RUSTOM, UDEMY STUDENT
“To those doubting if you should buy this course, please do, as there is so much valuable information in this course. I can comfortably state that it is one of the best courses that I have bought on Udemy.” - T.O _, UDEMY STUDENT
“I loved it from beginning to end. It is exceptional value for money.” - DEBORAH SOWERBY, UDEMY STUDENT
“a game changer.” - GEORGY THOMAS, UDEMY STUDENT
“One of the best writing courses I have taken to date, love it!” - BEN WALTERS, UDEMY STUDENT
“I challenge any business writer not to pick up a few gems from this engaging course.” - SACHA VAUGHAN, UDEMY STUDENT
“I very much liked this course because it was #1 goal-oriented, #2 it used concrete examples, #3 everything was fascinating.” - FREDERIK, UDEMY STUDENT
“a course you do not want to miss” - MA YUANFENG, UDEMY STUDENT
“Fantastic course. This is by far the most complete and thorough course on business writing.” - CARSTEN PLEISER, UDEMY STUDENT
“This course is amazing! I finished it all in one day and went straight to work putting the concepts into my writing.” - URIEL MACGILLIVARY, UDEMY STUDENT
“Life changing at its simplest.” - SUSAN PARKER, UDEMY STUDENT
“This course is amazing. I've been using every technique from the course in my academic life.” - MINH HA, UDEMY STUDENT
“This is the best course I've taken on udemy thus far.” BILL SCHAEFER, UDEMY STUDENT
"This course is priceless. You’ll be glad you signed up." LIAT MIRIAM GAT, UDEMY STUDENT
Enrol now - and change the way you write forever!