MegaMaester

Communication & Argumentation · Module 7

The Craft of Writing

Earlier modules covered communication in many forms. This module focuses on the one skill that shapes how the world judges your thinking more than almost any other: writing. Emails, reports, posts, applications — clear writing is clear thinking made visible, and it is a craft anyone can learn.

You will build the foundations of clear prose, learn to write for busy readers at work, construct persuasive arguments, write for how people read online, use narrative and voice to engage, edit and rewrite ruthlessly, and develop a lifelong writing practice that sharpens your mind as well as your prose.

Lessons
7 lessons
Estimated time
~6-8 hours
Assessment
Module quiz included

Not started yet

Lessons

Lesson 1 · 16 min

The Foundations of Good Writing

Lesson 2 · 16 min

Writing for Work: Emails, Reports, and Messages

Lesson 3 · 16 min

Persuasive and Argumentative Writing

Lesson 4 · 16 min

Writing to Be Read Online

Lesson 5 · 16 min

Narrative and Voice in Writing

Lesson 6 · 16 min

Editing and Rewriting

Lesson 7 · 16 min

The Writer's Craft

Check your understanding

Finish the lessons, then test yourself. Your best score is saved on this device. You can also open this quiz on its own page.

The Craft of Writing — Module Assessment

14 questions · pass mark 75%

  1. 1.The most-quoted rule of 'The Elements of Style' is:
  2. 2.The active voice ('the team missed the deadline') is generally preferred because it is:
  3. 3.'Bottom line up front' (BLUF) means:
  4. 4.The US Plain Writing Act of 2010 required federal agencies to:
  5. 5.Addressing the strongest counterargument in persuasive writing tends to:
  6. 6.Aristotle's three appeals — ethos, pathos, logos — refer respectively to:
  7. 7.Usability research (e.g., Jakob Nielsen) found that online readers primarily:
  8. 8.The inverted pyramid structure means putting:
  9. 9.'Show, don't tell' advises writers to:
  10. 10.'Voice' in writing refers to:
  11. 11.The single biggest secret of good writing, per this lesson, is that:
  12. 12.'Kill your darlings' advises writers to:
  13. 13.A central idea of this lesson is that writing:
  14. 14.The most reliable way to improve as a writer is:
Answer every question to submit.