Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer
5h 10mGeneral2018-05-29
Authors

Shani Raja
Editor, Writer, Trainer, Journalist
Course details
Have you ever pored over a beautifully-written article and wished you could write with the same kind of flair? If so, this course is for you. Join Shani Raja—a former editor for the Wall Street Journal—as he shares practical techniques for making your writing sparkle. Shani dives into the mindset of an elite writer, spelling out the key principles that help great wordsmiths keep their writing purposeful, concise, and pleasurable to read. Learn how to avoid common issues that can weaken your prose, such as careless repetition and out-of-focus ideas. Plus, learn strategies that can help you craft elegant paragraphs and transitions, add freshness to your writing, and more.
Learning objectives
Writing with integrity
Knowing your intent
Writing in plain English
Avoiding excessive punctuation
Removing clutter
Mastering timing, rhythm, and musicality
Crafting elegant transitions
Adding freshness
Creating variety
Crafting prose with economy and precision
Eliminating ambiguity
Creating beautiful narratives
Learning objectives
Writing with integrity
Knowing your intent
Writing in plain English
Avoiding excessive punctuation
Removing clutter
Mastering timing, rhythm, and musicality
Crafting elegant transitions
Adding freshness
Creating variety
Crafting prose with economy and precision
Eliminating ambiguity
Creating beautiful narratives
Skills covered
WritingProfessional DevelopmentOne-Off
Concepts
1. The World of Elite Writing
- 01 - Welcome
- 02 - Tools, not rules
- 03 - Proof the secret sauce works
2. Mindset of an Elite Writer
- 04 - Mindset principle - Write with integrity
- 05 - Mindset principle - Yearn to connect
- 06 - Mindset principle - Know your intent
- 07 - Mindset principle - Aspire for beauty
- 08 - Mindset principle - Balance the ingredients like an artist
- 09 - Mindset principle - Don't be obsessed with perfection
3. Simplicity
- 10 - The beauty of simplicity
- 11 - Fancy, flowery, and official language
- 12 - Fancy, flowery, and official language - Exercises
- 13 - Economical ( tight ) writing
- 14 - Economical ( tight ) writing - Exercises
- 15 - Redundant words
- 16 - Redundant words - Exercises
- 17 - More implied words
- 18 - More implied words - Exercises
- 19 - Long words
- 20 - Long words - Exercises
- 21 - Careless repetition
- 22 - Careless repetition - Exercises
- 23 - Rambling (saying too much)
- 24 - Double negatives
- 25 - Multiply entities
- 26 - Overstretching thoughts
- 27 - Unnecessary ceremony
- 28 - Unnecessary ceremony - Exercises
- 29 - Excessive punctuation
4. Clarity
- 30 - The beauty of clarity
- 31 - Fuzzy thinking
- 32 - Missing links
- 33 - Out-of-focus ideas
- 34 - Misplaced modifiers
- 35 - Ambiguity
- 36 - Ambiguity - Exercises
- 37 - Careless comparisons
- 38 - Clumsy contrasts
- 39 - Dubious distinctions
- 40 - Curly writing
- 41 - Jargon and buzzwords
- 42 - Mixed tenses
- 43 - It versus they
- 44 - This, that, and the
- 45 - Remove clutter
5. Elegance
- 46 - The beauty of elegance
- 47 - Presentational elegance or house style
- 48 - Narrative elegance
- 49 - Narrative elegance - Exercises
- 50 - Stray thoughts
- 51 - Elegant paragraphs
- 52 - Elegant paragraphs - Exercises
- 53 - Timing, rhythm, and musicality
- 54 - Timing, rhythm, and musicality - Exercises
- 55 - Elegant transitions
- 56 - Parallel ideas
- 57 - Parallel ideas - Exercises
- 58 - Word echoes
6. Evocativeness
- 59 - The beauty of evocativeness
- 60 - Create variety
- 61 - Create variety - Exercises
- 62 - Add freshness
- 63 - Dramatic and forceful writing
- 64 - Dramatic and forceful writing - Exercises
- 65 - Arouse the senses
- 66 - Reversing into sentences - Part 1
- 67 - Reversing into sentences - Part 2
- 68 - Passive sentences
- 69 - Passive sentences - Exercises
- 70 - Voice, tone, and character
- 71 - Voice, tone, and character - Exercises
Conclusion
- 72 - Summary
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