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Writing and Editing: Drafting

Approx. 14 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course teaches the essential skills for effective writing, editing and drafting. Learn how to develop clear and concise writing styles that engage and persuade your readers.

Key Learning Points

Learn how to write effectively for different audiences and purposes
Develop editing and proofreading skills to improve your writing
Discover techniques for drafting and revising documents quickly and efficiently

Learning Outcomes

Develop clear and concise writing skills for different audiences and purposes
Master editing and proofreading techniques to improve your writing
Draft and revise documents quickly and efficiently

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of English language
Access to a computer with internet connection

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced

Similar Courses

Business Writing
Writing Professional Emails and Memos
Writing for Social Media

Notable People in This Field

Ann Handley
Brian Clark

Related Books

Description

This third course in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will give you a number of strategies to help with what is often the most intimidating, even paralyzing part of the writing process: getting started.

You’ll learn about the “planning fallacy” and “temptation bundling.” You’ll get a chance to experiment with “freewriting” and “writing before you are ready.” And you’ll continue to benefit, through our ongoing “Good Sentences” and “Takeaways” segments, from the models and advice of a diverse set of writers. As with the other three courses in this series, you will also get access to a wide range of books and other resources you can use even after you finish the course. These include: (1)the readings and exercises provided to the students who have taken the in-person version of this course at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago; (2)two digital libraries of excellent writing from a diverse collection of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs; (3)a monthly “Good Sentences” email.

Knowledge

Understand and reflect on the cost of perfectionism in writing
Conduct a “pre-mortem” before starting a writing draft
Identify summaries and scenes
Apply the “nothing else” and “need to know” principles

Outline

The Fantasy of the Uninitiated
Introduction
Personalize Your Defaults
Temptation Bundling
Lamott and Elbow
Punctuation and Professionalism: Semicolons
Notes on Nuance: "Simultaneously"
Takeaways
Student Takeaways: Garbage in Your Head
Teaching Style + Resources
Help Us Learn More About You!
Class Clips
Writer's Block
Madman, Architect, Carpenter, Judge
Edit Our Edits
Exercise—The Cost of Perfectionism (Optional)
Punctuation and Professionalism: Introduction and Review
Notes on Nuance: Introduction and Review
Good Sentences: Introduction and Review
Good Sentences (Children)
Exercise—Takeaways Reflection
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Punctuation Practice: Semicolons
Nuance Practice: Simultaneously
Weekly Review (Graded)

The Planning Fallacy
Previously On
Previously On: Personalized Defaults
The Planning Fallacy and Buffer or Suffer
Punctuation and Professionalism: Semicolon Substitution
Notes on Nuance: Equal Parts
Takeaways
Student Takeaway: Buffer or Suffer
Previously On: Introduction and Review
Exercise—Previously On
The Planning Fallacy
The Boss as "Buffer"
Exercise—Predicting Projects
Exercise—Predicting Projects (Low Stakes)
Exercise—Predicting Projects (High Stakes)
Class Clips
My First Time (The Paris Review)
Fresh-Start Effect
Habits
Habitats
Exercise: Punctuation Portfolio
Notes on Nuance: "Equal Parts"
Good Sentences (Jobs)
Exercise—Takeaways Reflection
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Punctuation Practice: Semicolon Substitution
Weekly Review (Graded)

Write Before You Are Ready
Previously On
Previously On: The Key to Getting Ahead Is Getting Started
Write Before You Are Ready
Punctuation and Professionalism: Semicolons and Complex Lists
Notes on Nuance: "However"
Takeaways
Student Takeaways: Write Before You Are Ready #1
Student Takeaways: Write Before You Are Ready #2
Exercise—Previously On
Class Clips
Start Fast
Pitches and Proposals (Resources)
Student-->Teacher (Optional)
(Optional) Word Choice, Word Confusion
Good vs. Well
Notes on Nuance: "However"
Exercise—Good Sentences (Environment)
Exercise—Takeaways Reflection
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Word Choice, Word Confusion
Low-Stakes Practice
Punctuation Practice: Semicolons and Complex Lists
Notes on Nuance Practice: "However"
Weekly Review (Graded)

To Name is To Know and Remember
Previously On
To Name is to Know and Remember
Punctuation and Professionalism: Semicolon Deviation
Notes on Nuance: "At Best, At Worst"
Takeaways
Exercise—Previously On
Good with Words Chapter 10 ("To Name is to Know and Remember")
Class Clips
Notes on Nuance: "At Best, At Worst"
Exercise—Good Sentences (Property)
Exercise—Takeaways Reflection
Book Recommendations (Psychology)
(Optional) Exercise—Thank You Letter
Course Feedback
Keep Learning with Michigan Online
Low-Stakes Practice
Low-Stakes Practice
Punctuation Practice: Semicolon Deviation
Notes on Nuance Practice "At Best, At Worst"
Weekly Review (Graded)

Summary of User Reviews

The Writing, Editing, and Drafting course on Coursera has received positive reviews from students. Many users found the course to be informative and engaging, with helpful feedback from instructors. Overall, the course has a high rating among students.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

The course was praised for its informative and engaging content, with students finding it helpful to receive feedback from instructors.

Pros from User Reviews

Informative and engaging content
Helpful feedback from instructors
Opportunities to practice writing skills
Flexible schedule
Access to course materials after completion

Cons from User Reviews

Some students found the course to be too basic
Limited interaction with other students
Some technical difficulties with the online platform
Not enough focus on specific writing genres
Some students felt the course was overpriced

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