Writing Coach Course

Module 1 - Breaking Through The Barrier - 7 days

• Set yourself a daily schedule for writing
• Learn how to manage your writing time
• List your reasons for procrastination
• Become more aware of your surroundings by using all your senses
• Daily writing exercise: Let if flow. Keep a journal of your daily writings
• Course work exercise: After 7 days write a paragraph and submit it.

Module 2 - Finding Topics To Write About - 7 days

• Beware of negative self-talk
• Make lists, jot down ideas and use mind maps
• Read newspapers
• Develop an interest in life - in people, projects and developments
• Apply your writing skills in your work: email, notes, descriptions, requests and replies
• Daily exercise: journal work
• Course work exercise: Make a list of all the topics you would like to write about - in your daily life or in your work. Select one topic and draw a mind map to submit.

Module 3 - Logical Writing

• Get your facts together
• Arrange them in a logical order
• Give them flesh (writing sentences and paragraphs)
• Use transitions to ensure logical flow
• Use consistency in style, tone, tenses and perspective to ensure logical flow
• Exercises: Learn the process of writing and apply it to one of your selected topics.

Module 4 - What Do You Actually Say? An Exercise In Clarity

• Become more aware of how people write and speak.
• Make lists of abstract terminology, officialese and clichés you hear or see in writing and find a better way of saying it.
• Write shorter sentences.
• Test your writing phrase by phrase and sentence by sentence
• Exercises: Rewrite a paragraph in clear English
• Write a short report or a proposal that you could use in the workplace.

Module 5 - Grammar Gremlins: What Are The Rules?

• Language as a communication tool requires vocabulary and grammar. What is vocabulary and what is grammar?
• Learn to define the parts of speech and know their function in a sentence
• Learn to use tenses effectively
• Avoid common errors
• Tips and exercises on how to improve your vocabulary
• Notes on how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus
• Exercises: Short exercises in correcting errors
• Write an essay on any topic of choice, consciously using different parts of speech and the correct tenses

Module 6- Using Perfect Punctuation

• What is a sentence?
• What is a paragraph?
• What is punctuation?
• Exercises: Correct sentences / a paragraph
• Write your own paragraph and use punctuation marks effectively.

Module 7- Is Your Writing Dull?

• Spice up your writing using figures of speech.
• Use metaphor, anecdote and descriptive language to improve your writing
• Use your senses to become aware of what you experience and apply that in writing
• Beware of: ambiguity, mixed metaphors etc.
• Exercise: Re-write a dull paragraph

Module 8 and 9: Select TWO of the following formats to specialise in:

• Find out about different types of letters, format of letters: business letter; personal letter; condolence letter; thank you letter; letter of complaint; letter to the press etc.
• Writing for the reader
• Tone of voice

• Write a letter to the press or a letter to a friend
• Write a letter of complaint
• Write a letter to your boss for a salary adjustment
• Write a cover letter for a job application

• Plan a report on a selected topic
• Draft a report
• Analyse and improve on the draft
• Add anecdote and metaphor and descriptive language in an appropriate manner to interest, influence and inform your reader
• Report formats (short report, long report)
• Reports on: projects, reporting on meetings or discussions, research
• Executive summary
• Planning a theme for an employee report
• Using storytelling techniques to create interest (metaphor, anecdote, etc)

• Use the given theory and guidelines and write a report of use to your workplace.

• Practical tips and guidelines on article writing
• Learn about writing style, article formats, checking facts, do's & don'ts

• Write a paragraph about a business, social, or sports event, a visit from a VIP, or an interesting experience - to be published in a newsletter.
• Write a technical or specialist article based on an interview, on product specifications, or meeting minutes and research.
• Write a human interest article based on an interview (e.g. interview with disabled worker, person with interesting hobbies, NGO and its work, etc.)

• Learn how to plan and do research for a speech on a chosen topic
• Use metaphor, anecdote and description
• Use rhythm and rhyme to pace the speech

• Write a business related or social speech. Select from:
• The opening of an event;
• Introducing another speaker,
• A product launch,
• A farewell speech,
• A national celebration (Heritage Day, Women's Day, etc),
• A 21st birthday celebration,
• A wedding,
• Or on a topic of your choice.

• Learn the different formats and styles of proposal writing
• Write for your reader

• Write a proposal to your boss to attend a conference, go on training, develop a new product; or
• Write a proposal to the school board, municipality, church or community group to improve a service

• Formats and styles for memos, emails and faxes
• Do's and don'ts for each
• Exercises:
• Write a memo
• Write an email on a given topic
• Write a fax following a given brief