Online courses

Learn core writing skills

Our online courses are for busy people with limited time or who prefer to learn at their own pace.

Relevant content that’s immediately applicable

Each course focuses on solving a specific writing problem. We build awareness of the issue, teach you how to solve it, and give you practice so you master the skill.

You’ll be able to apply what you learned the second you finish each course.

  • These courses are for people who don’t have the time or budget to take our longer in-person Effective Writing courses or who would like a refresher of our core content.

    The 4 core principles with the most power to transform your writing

    Access our best ideas along with international best practices in less than an hour of your time.

    Jump to:

    Core skills for writer and reviewers

  • Business Writing Fundamentals teaches the 4 core skills you need to write well at work. Complete them all in a handful of coffee breaks!

    See course and pricing

  • Get solutions for the documents you write often
    Take advantage of our four decades of experience working with clients to solve unique document problems.

    We cover common pitfalls to watch out for and the specific tools you need to solve them. You’ll gain new skills and confidence for every document you write in the future.

    Jump to:

    Training for specific documents

  • Targeted courses for tricky writing problems
    These courses:

    • break down the most difficult aspects of writing

    • teach practical tools to write effectively

    Jump to:

    Skill-specific training

Choose the modules to fit your needs

Start with the topics that interests you most. Master one skill at a time, so each builds on the next.

Our online courses

The mixed use of video and audio slides enhances the delivery by 1000% compared to our typical online training.

—Lawyer from a federal review body

This was a revolution! It completely changed my approach to writing briefing notes.

—Writer from a provincial health ministry

Core skills for writers and reviewers

  • #1. Understand what goes wrong with writing

    One problem influences every workplace writer and document. Because of it, documents take a lot of effort but still aren’t crisp and clear. Learn to write well and struggle less.

    See course

  • #2. Think deeply about audience and purpose

    How do you make decisions as you write? How do you know you’ve done a good job? This course sets out a standard you can rely on.

    See course

  • #3. Structure documents for readability

    Learn a universal structure you can apply to create clear, readable documents. Happily, it also makes them easier and faster to draft.

    See course

  • #4. Redefine professional style

    Answer the question most workplace writers have: what is the most professional style? Learn easy ways to capture an accessible, modern style.

    See course

Document-specific online courses

  • Briefing Note Fundamentals

    Learn the common problems that undermine briefing note clarity and how to solve them

    See course

  • Demo course: choose the right issue

    Free preview unit of Briefing Note Fundamentals

    Sort through the facts and get clear about the central issue before you write.

    See course

  • Effective Email Writing

    Write emails that are task-focused, easy to read, and get the results you want

    Coming soon

Skill-specific online courses

  • How to use AI for workplace writing

    Use generative AI at the right stages of writing to speed up the process. Make sure you’re aware of and know how to manage the downsides.

    Coming soon

  • Deliver negative messages effectively

    Learn how to balance directness with empathy. Get tools for writing professional and respectful messages when readers may not want to hear what you have to say.

    Coming soon

  • Prefer the active to the passive voice

    Learn when to use and when to avoid the passive voice.

    We show the drawbacks of passive voice and how to change it to the active to improve your writing.

    Coming soon

  • This was a revolution! It completely changed my approach to writing briefing notes.

    Writer from provincial health ministry

  • This excites me! The course left me with the feeling of wanting to go write a document. I've sat through a month-long course that didn't give me a fraction of the value.

    Change management consultant

  • The mixed use of video and audio slides enhances the delivery by 1000% compared to our typical online training.

    Lawyer at a federal regulator

  • Writing has up until now been the bane of my existence. I’ve had nowhere to send people that teaches them concise, effective, tight writing for decision makers. This content is precise, engaging, and usable.

    Change management consultant

  • This will really help reduce bloat in my documents. I feel every member of our team could benefit from this—I’m almost excited to write my next briefing note! The examples were relevant and helpful.

    Writer from a public service commission