Writing classes from Portland to New York

“Absolutely the best money I’ve ever spent. I learned more about writing for my audience from Ann in one day than I have in any other seminar.”

— Carie Behounek, marketing communications coordinator, COPIC Companies

“Loved it! I learned more about communications writing in two days than all of my previous trainings over the past seven years combined.”

– Christine Rochelle, content manager, iCIMS

“Amazing! I learned more in two days than I did in all my college classes combined. I feel so much more confident in writing pieces that work!”

– Katie Johnson, public relations manager, Iowa Soybean Association

Catch Your Readers

In our persuasive-writing class, you’ll learn how to:

• Think Like a Reader. Move people to act with persuasive writing.
• Go Beyond the Pyramid. Master a structure that reaches more readers.
• Cut Through the Clutter. Make your message easier to read & understand.
• Lift Ideas Off the Page. Reach nonreaders with display copy.

Get Clicked, Read, Liked & Shared

In this content writing course, you’ll learn how to:

• Think Like a Friend, Fan or Follower. Write posts and status updates that readers really want to read.
• Fill In the Blanks to a Better Blog Post. Learn Ann’s recipe for organizing content marketing pieces, then use it as a template for tipsheets, survey stories and case studies.
• Cut Through the Clutter on Social Media. Hit the right targets for blog post length, online paragraphs, sentences & words.
• Lift Ideas Off the Screen. get your message across to skimmers, scanners and other nonreaders.

Write Better, Easier & Faster

In our fast-writing training program, you’ll learn how to:

• Master a five-step writing process that works with with — not against — your brain.
• Stop staring at a blank screen when you develop a plan for your story, from research to story angle to structure.
• Experience the joy of “flow” — when your fingers fly across the keyboard to keep up with all of the great words pouring out of your head.
• Save time obsessing over commas. And let’s deal with the biggest time-suck of all: approvals.

Master the Art of Storytelling

In our creative-writing workshop, you’ll learn how to:

• Craft brilliant stories using our fill-in-the-blanks template.
• Make Magic With Metaphor. Charm readers with analogies and comparisons.
• Paint Pictures in Readers’ Minds. Make their brains light up.
• Play With Your Words. Surprise and delight readers.

NOT Your Father’s News Release

In our PR-writing workshop, you’ll learn how to:

• Think Like a Reporter. Develop stories that media outlets want to run.
• Write Hot Releases. Tap current best practices, from lead to boilerplate.
• Write Killer Bites. Turn lame-ass quotes into snappy sound bites.
• Optimize for Google and Humans. Master SEO for releases.

Reach Readers on the Small Screen

In this mobile web-writing workshop, you’ll learn how to:

• Get to the point faster. Reach web visitors where their eyes are.
• Master the Web Writing Structure. It’s been proven in the lab to be more effective than the form you’re using now.
• Cut Through the Clutter Online. Because ‘short is too long for mobile.’
• Lift Ideas Off the Screen. Reach nonreaders with display copy.

Rev Up Readability

In our clear-writing class, you’ll learn how to:

• Reach Real Readers. Get a reading-level reality check with results from the latest U.S. literacy study.
• Cut Through the Clutter. Measure, monitor and manage clarity with a cool (free) tool!
• Take the ‘Numb’ Out of Numbers. Make statistics understandable and interesting.
• Start Making Sense. Get the gobbledygook, jargon and gibberish out of your copy.

Think Inside the Inbox

In this email-writing training course, you’ll learn how to:

• Address the envelope. Recipients look at four elements — not just the subject line — to decide whether to open or delete. Are you making the most of each?
• Master an email newsletter-writing structure that boosts readership, understanding, engagement and more.
• Cut Through the Clutter in Email. Recipients spend, on average, 51 seconds reading e-zines and 11 seconds reading email marketing blasts. Now what?
• Lift Ideas Off the Email. Only 19% of people thoroughly read emails. How do you get the word out to nonreaders?