Write On: the writing skills podcast
To hear the latest language research, business-writing news and expert views, see our new podcast: Communication Lab.
Write On is the podcast that’s packed full of advice and expert insight to help you get your documents to the top of the pile.
Each radio programme takes a common dilemma – be it getting the best out of email or writing press releases that really pack a punch – and offers practical tips for improvement. Hear from senior executives from major private and public-sector organisations about the writing issues they have faced and how they have tackled them.
Our podcasts are useful and entertaining – a truly winning combination – and offer a great way to learn anytime and anywhere.
Write On is an Emphasis production hosted by BBC presenter Clare McDonnell and produced by Melissa Da Silva.
December 2009
This month we round up our first series of Write On podcasts with advice on how you can grab your readers’ attention with some captivating intros and memorable endings. We hear from city law firm Nabarro about why clarity matters in their legal writing. And we give you some tips on writing for readers whose first language isn’t English.
November 2009
This month we hear why accountants Ernst and Young find it pays to invest in good writing. We announce who the lucky winner is of our competition – remember their prize is a place on one of our open courses. We give you some simple design tips to improve the layout of your documents and we find out how the economic cost of bad writing is running into millions.
October 2009
In October’s Write On, top trainer Jan Bateman reveals how to get your messages read using her effective email-writing advice. Also this month, we drop in on Kathy Gemmell as she trains delegates on a reader-centred report writing course, and Emphasis CEO Rob Ashton dissects the UK Government's swine-flu health leaflets. Plus, we offer you the chance to win a place on an Emphasis writing-skills course.
September 2009
In this edition we bring you a taster of one of our business courses as we get to grips with executive summaries.
We hear from commercial law firm Nabarro about their drive on clear business writing. And we give you some useful techniques to overcome writer’s block.
August 2009
This month, we give you advice on how to get your press release noticed. We delve into the psychology of proofreading. And we look at how the informal language of texts and blogs is creeping into business English.
July 2009
In this edition, top speech-writer Jack Elliott shares his secrets. We also hear from the high-street bank, HSBC, about how they’ve improved their customer care with the help of Emphasis Training. And we give you some simple but effective proofreading techniques that will add value to your reports.
June 2009
In this edition, we’re offering 100 free copies of our style guide, The Write Stuff, to the first people to claim them. We hear how you can win more business with high-impact sales proposals. And we look at advertisement hoardings in London to see how advertisers use language to sell us a product.
There's more on how to write bids and proposals in our Knowledge Bank.
May 2009
In this edition, we hear from windfarm engineering firm SeaRoc about how business-writing training worked for them. We ask if there's been a paradigm shift in corporate jargon. And we take to the streets to look at Birmingham's controversial decision to ban apostrophes.
For more on apostrophes, go to the Write Here forum.
Our thanks to Bobby Joe Beckley from Tennessee for permission to use his song Apostrophe Apostasy, which was sung by Ronnie Lee Hurst
