Section one – getting started
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Introduction – is this course right for you? (2:44)
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Activity: introduce yourself!
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Three tips for overcoming writer's block (2:11)
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The #1 habit that sets great writers apart (2:23)
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Activity: four AMAZING tools to develop the #1 habit of great writers!
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Quiz: Introduction to writing
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Section one summary
Section two – knowing your reader
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Introduction: Why knowing your reader is the starting point of all great writing (1:19)
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Don't write for readers! (2:46)
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Activity: who is your reader?
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How your reader really sees you (3:12)
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Activity: reflect on how your reader really sees you
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So what's your point, exactly? (3:16)
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The three questions you need to ask before you even start to write (7:11)
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Acitivity: use this guide for your next writing project!
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Does your writing pass the "so what?" test? (5:43)
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Activity: apply the "so what?" test
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How readers read... (3:55)
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...and what to do about it (6:36)
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The reason you've probably been starting in the wrong place (5:28)
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Assignment: can you make this email more compelling for the reader?
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The one word no reader can resist (3:49)
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Assignment: how would you respond?
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Two real-life reader awareness FAILS - and how to fix them (7:42)
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A brilliant technique to get inside your reader's head (9:31)
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Activity: Build an in-depth profile of your reader
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Quiz: knowing your reader
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Section 2: summary
Section three – write less, say more
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Three reasons to write less (2:17)
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The writing habit that makes you sound like a liar (4:38)
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Trimming the fat: where to start (2:48)
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Ditch these unnecessary words (4:40)
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Flabby phrases to avoid (5:04)
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The lazy descriptors that will weigh your writing down (9:10)
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A brilliant online tool for making your writing leaner (2:43)
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Assignment: Cut the lazy, unnecessary descriptors
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Mind maps are evil - here's what to do instead! (2:12)
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Activity: edit this text to make it shorter and more compelling!
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Quiz: write less, say more
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Section three summary
Section four – how to get your message across to the widest possible audience
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Why there's really no need to worry about dumbing down (4:22)
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How to get your message across to the widest possible audience (4:10)
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How to avoid the curse of knowledge (4:27)
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Activity: Try out this online tool for banishing the curse of knowledge (3:28)
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Choosing the best words for the job (5:36)
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Tips for choosing the best words (3:08)
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Quiz: winning over a wider audience
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Section four summary
Section five – how to craft sentences that sing
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The number one writing habit that's turning your readers off (4:09)
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Burn this figure into your brain! (2:11)
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Three quick ways to identify a sentence that will send your reader scuttling (3:11)
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How to tame a sentence that's out of control (7:25)
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How to structure your sentences to make them easy to read (9:28)
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More tips on structuring your sentences for maximum readability (5:12)
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How to knit your sentences together to make your writing flow (7:41)
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Activity: turn these sentences into something beautiful!
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Now we're ready to put a little music into your writing (10:41)
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Quiz: how to craft sentences that sing
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Activity: use sentence length to tell a story with music and drama
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Section five summary
Section six – incorporating stories into your business and technical writing
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What do we mean by storytelling anyway? (1:20)
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Show, don't tell (4:39)
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Your endless source of stories (2:51)
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Why you need to use concrete language (2:41)
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An unforgettable story (4:28)
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A brilliant tool for making your writing more vivid (2:54)
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Nounitis – how to spot abstract nouns (3:56)
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Activity: Identify the nouns and verbs in this extract
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Nounitis - how nouns can make your writing lifeless (3:43)
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Assignment – cure these terrible cases of 'nounitis'
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The neuroscience of stories (5:48)
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Quiz: telling your story
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How to get to the "why" with a metaphor (11:23)
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How to hit on the perfect metaphor (7:31)
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Activity: metaphor challenge #1!
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How to use storytelling techniques to bring data to life (5:15)
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Activity: metaphor challenge #2!
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Active writing: a storytelling tip from Hemingway, Orwell...and Beyonce! (6:25)
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Building trust: another reason to make your story active (10:53)
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Assignment: tackle these passives!
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The secret to making your story go viral (6:12)
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Quiz: telling your story
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Section six summary
Section seven – advanced persuasion techniques
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Introduction to rhetoric (1:03)
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Assignment: analyse this piece of business writing
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The rising tricolon (4:14)
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Activity: the rising tricolon
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Anaphora: the artful use of repetition to persuade (2:53)
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Activity: anaphora
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Epiphora: another type of artful repetition (1:27)
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Activity: epiphora
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Asyndeton: removing the 'ands' and the 'buts' (1:34)
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Activity: asyndeton
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Polysyndeton: putting in extra 'ands' and 'buts' (1:30)
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Activity: polysyndeton
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Chiasmus: the persuasive power of a criss-cross pattern (2:25)
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Activity: chiasmus
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Antithesis: why opposites attract (3:40)
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Activity: antithesis
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Hypophora: posing a question to your reader (2:48)
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Activity: hypophora
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Alliteration: using repeated sounds to make your point (2:27)
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Activity: alliteration
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Assignment: revisit the employee manifesto
