Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery

Course details

Truly great nonfiction writers do more than just clearly communicate their ideas—they dazzle. These elite professionals have the uncanny ability to craft taut, elegant sentences that flow together in a way that's almost musical. In this course, instructor Shani Raja—a former editor for the Wall Street Journal—shares tactics that can help to take you to the summit of flawless writing. Here, Shani explains how to tap into the power of the four levels—narrative, paragraphs, sentences, and words—to sharpen your writing so that it stands out from your peers. Discover how to craft impactful intros that grab your reader's attention, choose evocative words, and avoid common mistakes. Whether you're tasked with writing a marketing email, an essay, or a cover letter, this course can help you communicate with style.

Learning objectives
Kickstarting and organizing a narrative
Writing killer intros
Different paragraph styles
Sharpening sentences
Producing poetic sentences
Choosing precise words
Words that sound good together
How to boost your vocabulary

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - The rocket science of writing
02 - The four ninja levels
03 - A quick proof

1. The Narrative

04 - Find your voice
05 - Kickstart a narrative
06 - Organize your narrative
07 - Killer intros
08 - Cool kickers
09 - Other types of narrative
10 - Embed imagery
11 - Ninja writing exercises
12 - Bonus ninja tactics - Symmetry
13 - Bonus ninja tactics - Extend a narrative
14 - Bonus ninja tactics - Get a fresh perspective

2. Paragraphs

15 - Why have paragraphs
16 - Different paragraph styles
17 - Ninja writing exercises - Paragraphs
18 - Bonus ninja tactics - Superthick paragraphs

3. Sentences

19 - Recognize a non-sentence
20 - Tighten sentences
21 - Sharpen sentences
22 - Give sentences rhythm
23 - Produce poetic sentences
24 - Create emphasis
25 - Whip up drama
26 - Don't give readers whiplash
27 - Stick to what's necessary
28 - Avoid back referencing
29 - Avoid run-on ambiguity
30 - Ninja writing exercises - Sentences
31 - Bonus ninja tactics - Write for your grandma
32 - Bonus ninja tactics - The one breath readback

4. Words

33 - Choose precise words
34 - Avoid technical, abstract words
35 - Choose colorful words
36 - Notice implied words
37 - Avoid pointless distinctions
38 - Degrees of orderliness
39 - Create more special effects
40 - The power of reminder words
41 - Words that sound good together
42 - Numbers into words, titles into descriptions
43 - Don't overemphasize
44 - Slice syllables
45 - Ninja writing exercises - Words
46 - Bonus ninja tactics - How to boost your vocabulary
47 - Bonus ninja tactics - Obsolete hyphens

Conclusion

48 - Summary

Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery

Authors

Shani Raja