Creative Business Writing Course

Public Creative Business Writing Course

(Click here for Tailored Creative Business Writing)

This one day Public Creative Business Writing Course is aimed at everyone who wants to feel and perform better as a writer. It's for anyone who has to write reports, press releases, marketing copy, newsletters, annual reports or sit-up-and-take-notice letters.

Creative Business Writing courses are run by

Julie Wales

Trixie Rawlinson

Joe Britto

You may be one of those people struck with snow blindness when it comes to getting started on that dreaded piece of writing. Or maybe you just feel stale and that you're re-writing the same thing over and over; maybe you have an inkling of what's not working, but just don't know how to put it right.

Or maybe you'd just like a fresh look at how to approach your business writing more creatively.

We'll look at practical ways to get started and to build upon the unique strengths of each author. You'll leave us with a variety of practical tips and techniques to promote greater writing confidence.

Click here for our Building Compelling PowerPoint Presentations - Effective Report Writing Course - Writing for the Web and Other Media Course - Writing Winning Tenders and Proposals - Writing Effective Press Releases - One to One Writing Skills Training

Our Creative Business Writing workshop aims to:

* Promote writing that is easy to read, understand and act upon
* Define effective professional writing protocols
* Examine techniques to overcome writer's block
* Practice easy ways to structure your writing
* Investigate how to entice your readership
* Look at shortcuts to finding appropriate tone
* Explore useful ways to self-edit
* Offer practical writing solutions and choices
* Support writing confidence

Creative Business Writing inspires greater confidence to produce:

Creative Business Writing Course Programme

The course content may include many of the exercises listed below, and any additional material that the trainers feel is relevant to the delegates on the day.

Under the widest umbrella aim of increasing writing confidence, our objectives are to help participants produce business writing that is -

Easy to read
Easy to understand
Easy to act upon

Our Style

We don't deliver "sheep dip" training. We don't talk at people. We don't follow scripts. We do follow what the aspiring or developing writers in the room want on any particular day.

We appreciate that the majority of our attendees are experienced professionals, usually busy people who want practical solutions and fresh ideas. They want to apply what they have learnt, at work tomorrow.

Refreshing Understanding about Written Communication

We'll unpick what you already know about how communication works. With a greater conscious awareness it becomes clear that there are a series of choices to be made during the writing process. We'll make explicit what these choices are and offer different ways to plan and prepare.

Foundations to Effective Business Writing

The key to truly effective writing is being absolutely clear about what we want to say, what we want people to do, think or feel as a result of reading our writing.

We'll start by looking at these outcomes and ways to connect with our readership. We have a great exercise which helps crystallise writing purpose before we even put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.

Writing - The Reader's Perspective

We'll spend time considering things from the reader's point of view or terms of reference. Even the most skillful writer, who seems to be getting it all right technically, can be getting it all wrong. At Impact Factory we believe that 'miscommunication is the norm'. So we will unpick how our assumptions can get in the way of effective communication, especially written communication. Ever been SHOUTED at in an email?

Type-face, lay out, choice of words, font-size, the use of BOLD or italics, grammar and speeeeling accuracy, quality of paper, etc, etc. Everything makes an impact upon the reader!!!

To labour the point, what was the effect of those last exclamation marks? Or what do you make of the writer who asks too many questions? How do you feel about being addressed directly? Too touchy-feely? Annoying? Patronising?

Back to practicalities - what will you get from the workshop?

Practical Writing Work

We'll suggest all sorts of possibilities and offer you new writing choices drawn from a wealth of practical exercises. Expect the day to be active, interactive, and as we said before, it will follow the stated wants of the individuals in the group.

Core exercises may include ways to overcome writer's block, tips on getting started and on writing structure, ways to achieve impact and find the WOW factor (there goes those capitals again), as well as how to achieve the desired tone. We'll also share some easy self-editing techniques, which can help our business writing achieve clarity and accuracy.

We'll offer practical tips, suggestions and techniques to promote best business writing practice. There will be something for everyone. We believe that if you apply just one or two of the many choices on offer you'll see tangible results. These prompt the confidence to experiment with other suggestions in the future.

We believe that small changes make an enormous impact. A small change is remembered, is do-able, can be practiced. For example, a small change in how to plan for, structure or open reports, or else a renewed focus upon clear and punchy summaries can make a huge difference to their readability and impact.

Individual Writing Feedback

There'll be a chance to troubleshoot your personal writing, to have another go at writing you found tricky in the past, or writing that still keeps you awake at night.

We'll share observations, feelings and feedback about the business writing samples you bring with you. We'll be focusing on strengths and you'll benefit from the insights of readers who tell you what already works about your style.

Implicit, over the course of the whole day, is a model of best writing practice. We'll cover any "how to" questions, if and when they arise.

In terms of your personal writing development, the emphasis will be upon your alternative options, as opposed to trying to squash you into a one- size- fits-all model.

Explicit, is the idea that some writing techniques may work better for some readers.

When we know what works for our readers we can turn the volume control up (or down) on those things. Personal writing feedback is vital feedback. Knowing what works means we can do more of it, knowing what doesn't, means we try something else next time.

Business Writing Pitfalls

We'll be asking everyone to own up to their personal writing pitfalls. This trainer will own up to hers too, but only on the day. While I don't want to spoil the suspense, the point is that when you've read this far you'll have spotted them already.

What you'll get from our Creative Business Writing Course

Our Creative Business Writing Course won't leave you with a shopping list of all the ways in which you may have failed as a writer, nor feelings that there is a mountain to climb in terms of getting it right. Instead, we'll give you lots of options to try and the inspiration and confidence to have a go.