Centre for Continuing Education
Professional Development
Writing Well I
It can be a challenge to develop and keep a crisp, clear writing style when we work in a culture where buzzwords abound, and complex and long-winded sentences seem to be the writing norm. Yet everyone appreciates writing that is clear and direct. It saves readers time and energy and leaves them free to concentrate on the message without distractions from fuzz or ambiguity. This two-day workshop gives you tools to help you write clearer, simpler, and more precise sentences without sacrificing content or becoming simplistic. It shows you how to identify and fix trouble spots that muddy meaning, cut out the words and phrases that serve no purpose, and fine tune the ones that do. It will help you develop good habits you can rely on to keep your writing clear and sharp.
- Topics
- Audience
- Instructor
Sentence structure: what makes a sentence work, choosing structure that reinforces meaning
Sentence logic: diagnosing and fixing shifts, mixed constructions, and errors of sentence logic that make writing unclear
Clarity: rephrasing complicated, wordy, and unclear constructions, editing out ambiguous and vague pronouns
Precision: choosing precise and concrete words over empty and abstract ones
Punctuation: punctuating for accuracy and clarity
Individual focus: analyzing your own style and clearing up your problem areas
- Anyone who writes in English and wants to write clear and professional prose
- Anyone who wants to clear up problems with lack of clarity or wordiness
- Anyone who reviews or edits other people’s writing
Melanie Sexton, Ph.D., is an editor, technical writer, and instructor, with more than 20 years experience teaching University courses and workshops in grammar and writing skills. As technical writer and editor, she has designed on-line help systems for software applications, edited technical documentation suites, written style guides and standards, and managed a variety of writing projects. She also happens to be profoundly deaf and has designed and delivered workshops on deafness and disability issues for both government and private-sector clients.
“I come away with a sense of accomplishment and having learned something new.”
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