It’s one of the biggest worries that most new course creators have (in fact it’s not just newbies ;-))…
The dreaded prospect of writing.
There’s just no avoiding it (unless you can afford to outsource it)…
You need to write course content… webinar or video scripts… copy for your website and emails… Facebook ads and sales pages.
And I can understand why this might be daunting.
We tend to think of ‘writing’ as something that must be done by trained wordsmiths, brimming with creative talent and natural flair.
Well, that maybe true for an advertising agency, a film script or a novel.
But that’s not the kind of writing you ever need to do.
When it comes to course creation, good writing is about being simple, direct and natural – using the same language as you use in everyday speech.
That means no flowery prose…
No big, complicated words…
No trying to ‘get into character’ or capture someone else’s voice…
Basically, it’s about being yourself.
After all, the reader KNOWS that you aren’t a professional writer. They’re signing up because they trust you to deliver practical information that will help them.
So they only care that you pass on that information clearly and without fuss.
After all, if they want amazing prose they can go and read a novel!
This is why I believe that ANYONE can write content.
You just need to know how to strip it back so that it’s really easy to read.
So actually, it’s editing that’s the real skill.
Thankfully, there are plenty of free online editing tools that help you create written content, without training or experience.
They’re the equivalent of having your own team of virtual editors and proofers whenever you need them.
Here are 7 of my favourites you should try (I’m not an affiliate for these – so I don’t make any gains from recommending them to you… I just thought you might find them useful)
The author Ernest Hemingway was famous for his stripped-down writing style. He used short, simple sentences that got across his meaning as directly as possible. This free tool applies his principles to your copy. It automatically critiques what you’ve written, then helps you edit it for readability. First write your copy. It might be a blog post or some sales copy, it doesn’t matter. Delete the copy that’s there on screen, then paste in your copy to see the critique.
This is one you might have heard of, and it’s definitely worth your time. Grammarly will flash any problems – or areas for improvement – in grammar, spelling, style and tone, helping you find better and more accurate words to get your message across.
This gives you proofing critiques on your drafts. If you want suggestions on how you could simplify or improve your copy just click the ‘SIMPLIFY’ button and it will email you over a list of suggestions. This tool mainly covers the use of passive words and words used multiple times in the same sentence. However, the most useful tool Draft In offers is the ‘SHARE’ option.
This lets you send the document to others who can then make and suggest edits. You can sign up here: https://draftin.com/draft/users/sign_up
Clichés are like kryptonite to your writing. They sound tired, weak and unoriginal. The reality is we all use them from time to time and it’s very easy (and totally normal) for a few to slip into our copy. If you’re not sure whether some rogue clichés have snuck into yours, this fun little tool can help you spot them. It’s also handy if you’re outsourcing your content to a freelancer and want to check up on copy they’ve sent through. Just copy and paste the text in the box provided, hit ‘Find Clichés’ and it’ll colour any offending areas in red.
A synonym finder that’s crowd sourced. The thesaurus is a must-have for any course writer. This one is a little different in that the synonyms it provides you with are all crowdsourced. That means people have actually rated how good they think each of the synonyms are so you can quickly identify and use words that readers are more likely to understand and empathise with.
This gives you more synonyms and lets you quickly drill down into adjectives, nouns, adverbs and verbs.
This is a very slick site to try out. Just sign up for an account with your email and you can use their online copy checker for free. When you paste in your copy you’ll see a set of icons along the top. These include clichés… overused words… grammar… repeats… echoes… pacing and LOTS more. Effectively this tool points out which copy crimes you have committed.
How to use these tools…
These free online tools will be a real help to you, particularly when you start writing material for the first time.
However, I advise that you follow this process to make best use of them…
1. Gather all the info first
When you’re about to write a piece of content – for instance a course chapter or a webinar script – gather all the info first. Just get it all down without worrying about ‘writing’.
2. Put the information in order
Next, get the info into the logical order in which you need to share it. Arrange it all into a series of headings and bullet points.
3. Write a rough draft
Now you can start work with a screen that’s already full of written information, which is much less intimidating than a blinking curser on a blank white screen! Don’t worry about style, just write those notes into something that’s starting to make sense.
4. Read it aloud
Read what you’ve written aloud and if you hear anything that sounds unnatural, clunky or forced, then delete it or change it so that it sounds like something you’d say.
5. Use the editing tools
Now you can start to use the above editing tools to cut, shape and craft your rough draft into something clear and readable.
Always remember, your only aim is to get information across in the most direct way possible – it’s not to impress the reader with your wordsmithery!
I hope you find this useful.
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