Get on the Fast Track to Better Writing

People taking notes in notebooks One of the most important aspects of informative or persuasive writing is a complete understanding of the audience. Working in groups, either in onsite classes or by interacting online through a live webinar, is a fantastic way of learning to anticipate reader reactions. What's the secret? Immediate feedback.

Improve productivity

A study by the Centre for Medical Education and Faculty of Medicine at Montreal's McGill University compared the effects of workshops, peer writing groups, and independent study on faculty writing skills. Although participants found the self-study materials useful, they particularly benefited from the feedback in the workshops and writing groups.

Although the Montreal study focused on academic writing, well-designed technical, scientific, and business writing courses offer the same benefits. Good writing doesn't take place in a vacuum. Feedback is vital, and good writing courses offer immediate, specific feedback that helps participants understand their reader's perspective.

Instant benefits

Writing workshops not only provide instant feedback, but they also offer a host of other benefits:

Regular writing time. Many professionals put off writing, especially when they don't feel up to the task or have other "real" work to do. Participating in a writing course, whether in person or online, can help attendees get in the habit of writing regularly.
Built-in deadlines. Some types of courses, such as online modules, have specific dates for turning in writing assignments. These can help participants learn to write to deadline, which is a necessary skill in business, scientific, and technical writing.
Specific suggestions for improvement. A good course or workshop can be tailored to meet the specific needs of its participants. For example, Hurley Write uses actual work samples from attendees to provide targeted feedback that they can use immediately. (See the article "Can't Bring the Team to Class? Bring the Class to the Team!" in this issue of The Write Way for an example of one such course.)

A structured writing course will make a positive difference in the writing abilities of your team. Give your employees the feedback they need to improve their writing by offering a quality workshop with Hurley Write, either online or in person.

Teaching your team to use a sound writing process is crucial to the success of your business. Hurley Write can teach your employees to write stellar content. Email us or call us toll-free at 877-24-WRITE (877-249-7483).

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