Course Details
Writing Essentials: Clear, Concise & Compelling
12 Sep 2014
Professional Development
Communication
Victoria University Professional and Executive Development
Level 2, Rutherford House, 23 Lambton Quay, Wellington City
Full Day
9:00am - 4:30pm
9:00am - 4:30pm
$695.00
Victoria University Staff 15% Discount Fee $590.75 excl GST
Victoria University Staff 15% Discount Fee $590.75 excl GST
Overview:
Good professional writing is about being clearer, more concise and more compelling. This one-day course is designed to teach the essential skills and strategies behind successful professional and business writing.
Who Should Attend:
Anyone who lacks confidence about their writing skills, or who wishes to write more efficiently and effectively. This course is relevant for those at any level within an organisation, and teaches skills that apply to all forms of communication.
Course Objectives:
Gain a clear and confident understanding of:
* the overall purpose of communication
* the principles of successful communication
* the impact of the words and punctuation you choose
* the impact of style in general, and verbosity in particular
Learn:
* the purpose and effective usage of all punctuation marks
* why we overwrite and how to avoid doing it
* effective document structure for any document
* how to critique and edit any document, including your own
Course Outline:
The 'system'
* Why we communicate
* The principles of successful communication - defining success
* The skills required to write successfully - defining the task
The tools of written communication
* Choosing words and punctuation wisely
* Using style to condense, clarify, and compel
The writing process
* Five-step checklist to ensure new skills and understanding are put to use
Course Format:
This course uses a seminar and workshop format. There will be opportunities to practice the skills learnt and receive feedback. All attendees receive a copy of Clear, Concise, Compelling: How to write less and achieve more, an 80-page, full-colour, spiral-bound guidebook written by course presenter, Simon Hertnon. The guidebook provides a useful resource for maintaining and expanding on knowledge gained on the day.
Limit per course: 14
Good professional writing is about being clearer, more concise and more compelling. This one-day course is designed to teach the essential skills and strategies behind successful professional and business writing.
Who Should Attend:
Anyone who lacks confidence about their writing skills, or who wishes to write more efficiently and effectively. This course is relevant for those at any level within an organisation, and teaches skills that apply to all forms of communication.
Course Objectives:
Gain a clear and confident understanding of:
* the overall purpose of communication
* the principles of successful communication
* the impact of the words and punctuation you choose
* the impact of style in general, and verbosity in particular
Learn:
* the purpose and effective usage of all punctuation marks
* why we overwrite and how to avoid doing it
* effective document structure for any document
* how to critique and edit any document, including your own
Course Outline:
The 'system'
* Why we communicate
* The principles of successful communication - defining success
* The skills required to write successfully - defining the task
The tools of written communication
* Choosing words and punctuation wisely
* Using style to condense, clarify, and compel
The writing process
* Five-step checklist to ensure new skills and understanding are put to use
Course Format:
This course uses a seminar and workshop format. There will be opportunities to practice the skills learnt and receive feedback. All attendees receive a copy of Clear, Concise, Compelling: How to write less and achieve more, an 80-page, full-colour, spiral-bound guidebook written by course presenter, Simon Hertnon. The guidebook provides a useful resource for maintaining and expanding on knowledge gained on the day.
Limit per course: 14
Simon Hertnon is an author, philosopher, company director, and communications consultant. Clear, Concise, Compelling (the course guidebook) is Simon's second book and he has recently completed From Afterwit to Zemblanity: 100 endangered words brought to life (New Holland, June 2008). Simon is currently working on a book about the financial costs of verbosity and infoglut. He is a graduate of VUW (Linguistics). Simon has been teaching professional writing skills in both the public and private sector since 2002.