This comprehensive class is designed to enhance participants' writing proficiency by reviewing best practices and providing tools, techniques, and the preferred style for government writing in the 21st century. Using practical writing exercises, you will discuss and practice approaches to clear, concise, effective writing that follows the Federal Plain Language guidelines, empowering you to become a stronger, more competent writer.
Target Audience
If you need a refresher course on writing, this course will be a good fit.
What You'll Learn at a Glance
- Identify the foundations of complete, coherent, effective written communication: the 7 Traits and the four-step writing process.
- Define and practice the tasks associated with identifying your reader and ensuring a clear, coherent writing purpose.
- Examine organizational techniques: three-part structure (open, middle, close) and headings ensure a clear, logical flow of information.
- Define and discuss the Plain Writing Act of 2010, the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, and their relevance in your writing.
- Apply Federal Plain Language guidelines to your writing to improve clarity and conciseness.
- Highlight common grammatical and punctuation errors to avoid.
- Apply accessibility and design techniques for readability.
- Apply revising and refining techniques and tools for flawless final drafts.
Course Syllabus
Module 1: The Foundations
- Define the Seven Traits of effective writing.
- Identify the four steps in the writing process.
- Highlight the importance of using all four steps for effective writing.
Module 2: Write With Purpose
- Examine tasks in step one of the writing process: analyze the writing situation, determine the writing purpose, and outline your work.
- Apply step one of the writing process to a practice document.
Module 3: Tell Them What You’re Going to Tell Them
- Define the three-part structure: open, middle, and close.
- Examine the role of each part in the structure.
- Identify other techniques for clear organization: headings, subheadings, and lists.
Module 4: The Plain Writing Act of 2010
- Define the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and its importance.
- Review the Federal Plain Language Guidelines and how to apply them.
- Learn to use the PLAIN website for resources and support.
Module 5: Applying the Federal Plain Language Guidelines
- Use the guidelines to clarify and declutter your writing.
- Write in conversational language using the Plain Language techniques.
Module 6: Achieving Clarity Through Correctness
- Identify and practice key grammatical rules and punctuation.
- Ensure correct sentence structure and grammar usage in professional writing.
Module 7: Accessibility and Readability
- Implement accessibility features to ensure readability.
- Practice design techniques to enhance the clarity of your writing.
Module 8: Flawless Final Drafts
- Review the two-step editing process: revise for content-level improvements and refine sentence-level improvements.
- Apply the Seven Traits checklist as an editing tool.
