Writer, editor, writing coach
Unit 1: About this course
How this course is different: The cognitive approach
Definitions of ‘effective’, ‘productive’ and ‘efficient’
The four functions of writing
Writing as product, process, speech made visible, tool for thinking, a form of power
Unit 2: Changing the way you think about writing
An insight
Unit 3: Some basic concepts
A definition of writing
Genre and discourse
Unit 4: Structure
Structure at the level of genre
Unit 5: Finding structure
Where to find ready-made structures for specific writing tasks
Unit 6: The magic of rhetoric
What is rhetoric and how can I use it?
Unit 7: No structure: an illustration
How structure helps us think
Unit 8: Your words in the reader’s brain 1
Using words to influence readers’ decision making processes
Psychology, neuroscience and neuroeconomics
Unit 9: Your words in the reader’s brain 2
A lesson from neuroeconomics
Unit 10: Anchors and frames
Using anchors and frames to influence readers
Unit 11: Thinking fast and slow
Understanding how readers process your words
Unit 12: Writing as process
Process versus product and why it matters
Processing techniques, from layering to outlining
Unit 13: Your personal process
Understanding and refining your personal writing process
Unit 14: Where to next?
Becoming a self-reliant writer