(45
hours of instruction) Many people think that professional writers sit
down with a piece of paper and write one perfect sentence after another
until the final sentence is completed and the work is done. But that's
not really how the professionals do it. They follow a process that
takes them from finding a topic through editing and proofreading the
piece.
In this course, you'll develop a writing process that
works for you. As you work through the study materials and writing
exercises, you'll learn how to use effective revision strategies on
essay drafts; how to write clearly, concisely, and descriptively; how
to support a thesis statement; and how to apply rules of grammar,
punctuation, and style. By the end, you'll be proficient at writing in
a variety of modes and for a variety of audiences.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Recommended Courses:
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Effective Business Writing
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The Keys to Effective Editing
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Fundamentals of Technical Writing
Writing for ESL
This course includes all required textbooks and access to expert instructors who can be reached by phone or e-mail.
Course Schedule:
Week 1:
Prewriting, Freewriting, and Writing
Reading: Write to Learn: Chapters 1–3 and 8
Required Discussion Area Posting—Introduction
Required Journal Entry 1—Freewriting
Required Journal Entry 2—Writing Rules
Self Quiz
Week 2:
Narrative Writing
Reading: Write to Learn: "Tips on Writing Narrative," pages 304–306
The Familiar Essay:
"Writing Rape," pages 241–247
"A Hanging," pages 14–19
"A Miserable Merry Christmas," pages 56–60
"Running the Table," pages 176–183
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapter 1
Required Journal Entry 3—Practicing Dialogue
Required Journal Entry 4—Narrative Voice
Required Journal Entry 5—Directed Freewriting
Required Discussion Area Posting—Narrative Prewriting
Self Quiz
Week 3:
Drafting the Narrative Essay
Assignment: Narrative Essay
Reading: Write to Learn: Chapters 9 and 15
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 14–16 and 18
Required Journal Entry 6—Reflecting on Narrative Writing
Self Quiz
Required Submission—Narrative Essay
Week 4:
Revision Strategies, Part 1
Reading: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 17, 19, and 23
Required Journal Entry 7—Writing from Someone Else's Perspective
Self Quiz
Week 5:
Writing Clear Paragraphs
Reading: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 29-31
Required Journal Entry 8—Writing Topic and Supporting Sentences
Self Quiz
Week 6:
Revising the Narrative Essay
Assignment: Revised Narrative Essay
Reading: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 20–22 and 33
Required Journal Entry 9—Dialogue Revision
Self Quiz
Week 7:
Editing
Reading: Write to Learn: Chapter 26
The Familiar Essay: "Clutter," pages 74–77
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 2, 3, and 24
Self Quiz
Required Submission—Revised Narrative Essay
Week 8:
Defining and Describing
Reading: Write to Learn: Chapter 20, and pages 207–214
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 4 and 25
The Familiar Essay:
"The Power of Detail,"; pages 92–93
"The Death of a Moth," pages 21–24
"I Want a Wife," pages 79–81
"What, Me? Showing Off?" pages 124–129
Required Journal Entry 10—Choosing Specific Verbs
Required Journal Entry 11—Writing Descriptively
Required Journal Entry 12—Revising a Paragraph
Required Discussion Area Posting—Writing Descriptively
Self Quiz
Week 9:
The Descriptive Essay
Assignment: Descriptive Essay
Reading: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 26–28
The Familiar Essay:
"We May Be Brothers," pages 10–12
"I Have a Dream," pages 33–37
The first two paragraphs of each of the following essays:
"The Boyfriend," page 83
"I Get Born," page 95
"Women in the Wild Blue Yonder," page 113
"Just Walk On By," pages 117–118
Required Journal Entry 13—Analyzing Descriptive Essays
Required Journal Entry 14—Focusing Lines
Required Journal Entry 15—Descriptive Prewriting
Required Discussion Area Posting—Your Descriptive Essay
Self Quiz
Week 10:
Revision Strategies, Part 2
Reading: Write to Learn: Chapter 25
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 5–7 and 12–13
Self Quiz
Required Submission—Descriptive Essay
Week 11:
Reflective Writing
Assignment: Reflective Essay
Reading: Write to Learn: "The Reflective Essay," pages 308–309
The Familiar Essay:
"The Embrace of Old Age," pages 135–138
"Recalling a Father Who Died," pages 131–133
"The Angry Winter," pages 39–41
"Feeling Out of Place," pages 262–268
Required Journal Entry 16—Writing the Reflective Essay
Self Quiz
Week 12:
Reflecting on Writing: A Case History
Assignment: Case History of Reflective Essay
Self Quiz
Required Submission—Case History of Reflective Essay
Week 13:
Thesis Statements and Conclusions
Reading: Write to Learn:
Reread about the focusing line, Chapter 15
"Write to Persuade," pages 313–315
"Student Case History: Writing to Persuade," pages 214–226
Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Section 32c (on thesis statements), pages 426–431
The Familiar Essay:
"The Right to Die," pages 70-72
"The Triumph of the Yell," pages 108-111
"A Girl Needs to Know How to Defend Herself," pages 237–239
Self Quiz
Week 14:
Persuasive Writing
Reading: Hodges' Harbrace Handbook: Chapters 35-36
Required Journal Entry 17—Predicting Counterarguments
Self Quiz
Week 15:
Persuasive Writing
Assignment: Persuasive Essay
Required Discussion Area Posting—Thesis Statement
Required Journal Entry 18—Where I Am as a Writer
Required Submission: Course Journal
Self Quiz
Required Submission—Persuasive Essay
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
