Writing Essentials online course

A journalism and media writing course that’s fun, easy to follow and practical

Taught by a newspaper editor and journalist with over 25 years of experience, this course is ideal for those who write:

• news stories
• features
• marketing and communications copy
• press releases
• newsletters
• blog posts.

In other words, if you work in journalism, marketing, communications or PR then this is the writing course for you.

It’s also suitable if you simply want to improve your general writing skills – after all, the skills and techniques you’ll learn in this course can be applied to any kind of writing.

Designed to be fun, easy to follow and above all practical, this course doesn’t give you any quizzes, extensive theories or out-dated grammatical rules – because you don’t need them.

Instead, it’ll explain in plain English the key skills and techniques you need to make your writing compelling – and it’ll then make you comfortable and confident in using them through many practical exercises.

Study at your own pace

The Writing Essentials online course has six sessions that each take between 45 minutes to an hour and a half (plus you can pause whenever you want). In other words, it’s roughly equivalent to a full-day workshop.

You can access the course at any time, as many times as you want – there are no time limits.

You will receive:

• a handbook filled with essential writing tips and techniques (given as a PDF)
• a certificate when you complete it (given as a PDF)
• a 20% discount on all my other training packages, including one-on-one sessions
• a free copy of my ebook Dealing with Grumpy Editors.

Price: $95 US dollars

This writing course covers:

• why short sentences are key to good writing
• how to write in the active voice to make your sentences stronger – and clearer
• how to use positive language to make your writing more direct
• writing with confidence
• using the right tone of voice and style
• cutting copy
• making your intros stronger
• showing, not telling
• tips on writing in plain English
• writing with the reader in mind
• using commas correctly
• using the correct tense
• how to write in the inverted pyramid style
• top 10 news criteria (what makes a story interesting)
• frontloading content
• writing a news feature
• grammar and punctuation
• considering the medium – and the purpose – of your writing
• proofreading tips
• how to write great headlines.

Learn from an experienced editor and journalist

I have over 25 years of experience in writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and corporate communications.

More specifically, I have:

• written for and edited almost every section of The Sydney Morning Herald, covering areas from travel and entertainment to health, science and technology
• worked as a magazine editor, sub-editor and journalist
• lectured at UTS, the University of Sydney, and the Australian Independent Centre for Journalism
• worked as an online content specialist, copywriter and communications manager
• taught writing and editing workshops for over a decade.