Writing Without Bullshit
April 16, 2019, 9:00 am (3.0 Hours)
People spend only 36 seconds on the average online news article. None of us were trained to write for this cluttered read-on-screen world. It's time to learn a new way to do business writing -- one that's bold, direct, effective, and will get you noticed -- and get your work done. From emails to blog posts to reports, learn how to write without bullshit. After a brief description of the psychology and values that have made bullshit so pervasive, this workshop quickly gets down to analyzing examples and developing skills. It’s divided into three parts: learning to get to the point quickly, purging toxic prose elements like passive voice and jargon, and restructuring your writing process for maximum efficiency and best results. Master these techniques and you'll stop wasting your reader's time -- and start getting your way at work:
•Embrace the Iron Imperative: treat the reader's time as more valuable than your own
•Results of a survey of more than 500 business writing professionals on their strengths, weaknesses and pet peeves
•Learn the trick of putting more meaning into fewer words
•Front-load your writing: bottom line up front
•Identify and correct pernicious elements including passive voice, jargon, and weasel words
•The four things to check before writing anything
•How to protect your best writing from committees, clueless reviewers, and misguided corporate policies