The next session opens in Fall 2022!

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Thank You

Why We Created This Course

As a researcher, you are a professional writer. And your success comes not just from writing, but from writing effectively. Yet, you likely haven’t had any formal training in writing.

In fact, few graduate and medical programs offer courses in writing. Some scientists and clinicians are fortunate to learn from a great mentor, but most learn by mimicking what they read in the literature. And the literature is plagued with poor writing.

When we learn to write from examples of poor writing, we learn to write poorly ourselves. And poor writing leads to poor outcomes.

To be successful, you need to learn to write effectively. You need to write in a way that compels readers to fund your proposals, publish your manuscripts, and cite your publications.

We created the Scientific Writing Masterclass to help you master the craft of writing effectively. In this course, you will learn key skills that will help you transform your writing into clear, concise, and compelling stories—and support the success of your career in the process.

What Will You Learn in This Course?

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • Communicate your ideas more effectively

  • Organize and express your ideas in a clear, compelling way

  • Teach and inform readers without confusion

  • Craft stories that engage and compel readers

  • Write concisely to meet word and page limits

  • Make your work more accessible, fundable, and citable

Testimonials

“The faculty really valued your knowledge and personal attention to helping them improve their writing.”

— Director of Grants and Contracts, University of San Francisco


“Thank you SO much for your clear and beautiful slides, your helpful and encouraging manner of presenting, and your generosity with information and answering questions. I wish I could tell you how many times you and your slides have come to my mind as examples of what to strive for.”

– Director of Medical Writing, Audentes Therapeutics 


“Thank you so much for an outstanding presentation. It was crystal clear, very easy to follow, and very informative at the same time.”

— Director, Advancement, Recruitment and Retention of Women (ARROW) at the Medical University of South Carolina

Who Would Benefit From This Course?

  • Faculty at science and medical institutions

  • Clinicians, nurses, fellows, and residents

  • Postdoctoral fellows and students

  • Biotech and Pharma employees

  • Government researchers and staff

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome
  2. 2

    • Storytelling in Science

    • Story Structure in Science

    • Key Elements of Stories

    • Stories That Stick

    • Supporting the Story

    • Assignment

    • Find Your Story Transcript

    • Find Your Story Slides
  3. 3

    • Master the Setup

    • Master the Tension

    • Master the Action

    • Master the Climax

    • Master the Resolution

    • Assignment

    • Build Your Story Transcript

    • Build Your Story Slides

    • Build Your Story Examples
  4. 4

    • Complete and Connected Story Arcs

    • Variations of Story Arcs

    • Arranging Story Arcs

    • Mini-Stories in Subsections

    • Micro-Stories in Paragraphs

    • Assignment

    • Arrange Your Paragraphs Examples

    • Arrange Your Paragraphs Slides

    • Arrange Your Paragraphs Transcript
  5. 5

    • Nano-Stories in Sentences

    • Topic and Stress Positions

    • Choosing Clear Topics

    • Managing the Topic

    • Strengthening the Stress

    • Using Parallel Structure

    • Varying Sentence Length

    • Assignment

    • Structure Your Sentences Examples

    • Structure Your Sentences Slides

    • Structure Your Sentences Transcript
  6. 6

    • Flow Relies on Schemas

    • Schemas in Sentences

    • Connect Schemas for Flow

    • Flow Between Sentences

    • Flow Between Paragraphs

    • Isolated Prounouns

    • Running Starts

    • Transitions

    • Assignment

    • Manage Your Flow Examples

    • Manage Your Flow Slides

    • Manage Your Flow Transcript
  7. 7

    • The Power of Verbs

    • Strong vs Weak Verbs

    • Active and Passive Voice

    • Nominalizations

    • Assignment

    • Energize Your Writing Examples

    • Energize Your Writing Slides

    • Energize Your Writing Transcript
  8. 8

    • Jargon

    • Word Length

    • Noun Strings

    • Similar Terms

    • Assignment

    • Choose Your Words Examples

    • Choose Your Words Slides

    • Choose Your Words Transcript
  9. 9

    • Cut Content

    • Remove Redundancy

    • Whittle Wordiness

    • Target Tiny Things

    • Polish Pages

    • Full Paragraph Example

    • Assignment

    • Cut Your Clutter Examples

    • Cut Your Clutter Slides

    • Cut Your Clutter Transcript
  10. 10

    • Systematic Editing

    • Stages of Writing

    • Practice Your Skills

    • Book Recommendations

    • Hone Your Craft Example

    • Hone Your Craft Slides

    • Hone Your Craft Transcript

What Will You Get in This Course?

  • 9 pre-recorded classes broken into short lessons

  • 9 live Q&A sessions with a curated group of researchers

  • 3 one-on-one coaching sessions with the instructor

  • Templates and cheat sheets to maximize your efficiency

  • A polished draft of your writing project*

  • Certificate of completion

  • *Participants will need a draft of a writing project (eg, manuscript, grant proposal) to fully participate in the class. The draft can be rough, near final, submitted, or published/awarded.

Comments From Trainees

  • “Extremely useful and wonderfully presented! I am excited to start applying it directly in my everyday life from now on.”

  • “Crystal walked through these topics so clearly and I am excited to implement her suggestions into my writing!"

  • “Crystal is an excellent, thoughtful presenter who uses helpful graphics and thoughtfully answers questions.”

  • “You are very engaging, and your content is superb! thank you!”

  • “I enjoyed the way you presented the material. I am excited to implementing these tools in my writing moving forward!”

  • “This was very practical information and I learned about tools I didn't know existed! I'll definitely be putting this new knowledge to use.”

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why does the course run for 12 weeks?

    According to research, we retain information better when we learn it over longer periods of time rather than in a condensed, multi-day workshop. Also, we wanted to set a realistic pace for the course – one that you could manage as a busy professional or student. We want the course to help you learn skills that you can use and continue to develop over time.

  • How much time do I need to commit?

    During the course, we recommend delegating between two and three hours per week to watch the videos, attend the live Q&A sessions, and practice the skills you learn. After the course, we recommend that you apply the skills you learn to everything you write, from proposals and manuscripts to letters and emails. The more you practice, the more the skills will become a natural part of your writing.

  • Can I expense the course?

    Many organizations encourage their faculty and trainees to continue their education. And some grant funds can be used for professional development. If you need a custom invoice or in-depth syllabus, let us know.

  • What is your refund policy?

    We believe this masterclass will help you learn to write effectively. If you participate for up to two weeks and no longer think the course is right for you, send us an email at [email protected]. You’ll get a refund minus a 10% handling fee.

  • Will I have access to the course materials after the class ends?

    You will have access to all pre-recorded lessons, templates, and cheatsheets for 1 year after the course begins.

Meet the Instructor

Crystal is an editor, educator, coach, writer, and founder of Redwood Ink. She consults with scientists, clinicians, and other academic authors all over the world to help them successfully compete for funding and publish their findings with effective writing. She has worked with members of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, as well as two Nobel Prize winners.

Crystal is a BELS-certified Editor in the Life Sciences and has more than a decade of experience as an editor and educator. She completed her graduate work in biomedical science and worked in clinical research for several years before pursuing her passion for working with words.

For more professional details about Crystal, visit her profile on LinkedIn.

Have Questions About the Masterclass?

Contact us at [email protected]