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business writing activities for adults

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business writing activities for adults

Business Writing   Course Modules

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Apostrophes

Aims: • To build an understanding of where apostrophes are required and where they are not. • To build an understanding of where to place the apostrophe when the possessive noun is a plural.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For: Staff at all levels.

You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes: This module is suitable for staff at all levels. Misuse of apostrophes is one of the most common errors in business writing. This module makes apostrophe use clear and simple to understand.

Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

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Business Planning - An Introduction

Aims: • To explore business planning as a process. • To identify the typical structure and contents of a business plan. • To identify the potential readership of a business plan. • To reflect on the contents of a business plan from a reader's perspective.

Time: This exercise will take about 45 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 75 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Staff involved in business planning for the first time.

You'll Need: Copies of recent business plans.

Notes: This module is designed for staff coming to business planning with little prior knowledge, and employed within an established organisation. It will need tailoring for participants who wish to undertake business planning for a completely new venture.

Finance issues are briefly covered but are covered in more detail in a separate module.

Before running this module you will need to obtain copies of recent business plans. If you are an internal facilitator, you could use copies of your own organisation's business plans.

Alternatively, you could search the internet for business plans of real organisations. Many organisations are happy for their plans to be used in training activities, but we do recommend that you obtain their permission first.

Job Application 2 – Understanding Job Adverts

Aims: • To assist job applicants in understanding what the employer is looking for when advertising a job.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For: Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

Notes: This is the second module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. Alternatively it can be run as a stand-alone exercise.

Job Application 3 - Completing a Job Application

Aims: • To provide good practice advice in completing applications for employment.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Notes: This is the third module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. We recommend at least running the second module of this series ( Job Application 2 – Understanding Job Adverts ) prior to this one.

Job Application 4 – The Gentle Art of Writing a CV

Aims: • To help job applicants write a compelling CV.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 70 minutes for this module.

Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants

Notes: This is the fourth module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. It may also be used as a short, stand-alone session.

We’ve provided two alternative briefs for Exercise 1, one for more senior, experienced groups and one for less experienced candidates.

Report Writing 1 - What is a Report and Where do I Start?

Aims: • To explain the different types of reports and to ensure that a sensible report writing strategy is understood and used.

Time: This exercise will take about 50 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 70 minutes to complete this module.

Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For: Anyone who currently prepares and writes reports and first time report writers.

You'll Need: • Post-it notes – enough for half a packet per team of 3–5 participants. • Sticky tack or masking tape for putting flipcharts on the walls. • Marker pens. • Flipchart paper.

Notes: This is the first in a series of modules that will explain how to prepare for, structure and write reports. 

Set up the room with a circle of chairs for the whole group and enough separate tables at the back and sides of the rooms for the team exercises. Put marker pens, masking tape, flipchart paper, post-it notes etc. on the tables.

You will need enough wall space to display flipcharts and enough room for the group to walk round to see these.

Report Writing 2 - Developing Your Writing Plan

Aims: • To consider the ways in which data can be obtained for a report-research skill - and to use a method for organising the data obtained.

Time: This exercise will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Those who write reports already, or may have to in the future as well as those who are already experienced at report writing.

Notes: This module is much easier to manage if you organise the room so that participants sit in teams of 4/5 to a table. Put marker pens, masking tape, flipchart paper, post-it notes etc. on the tables.

You will need enough wall space to display flipcharts and enough room for the participants to walk round to see these.

Report Writing 3 - Structure of a Report

Aims: • To consider how to structure a report using the Five I’s.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

You'll Need: • Post-it notes, flipchart paper and marker pens.

Notes: This module is much easier to manage if you organise the room so that participants sit in teams of 4/5 to a table. Put post-it notes and marker pens on the tables.

Report Writing 4 - Writing Your Report

Aims: • To enable participants to spot and avoid common errors in English and in report writing.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 90 minutes for this module.

Useful For: Those who are already experienced at report writing will learn how to make their reports read in a business-like and professional way. Those who have never written a report, or are less than confident in grammar and spelling, will learn how to avoid many common mistakes.

You'll Need: • Scribble paper and pens. A red pen will be required for each team/table.

Notes: This module is much easier to manage if you organise the room so that participants sit in teams of 4 or 5 to a table. Put scribble paper and pens on each table in advance.

Report Writing 5 - Presenting Your Report

Aims: • To introduce participants to basic document design principles so that they can produce a clear and readable document.

Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Useful For: Those who write reports already, or may have to in the future as well as those who are already experienced at report writing. Those who are already experienced at report writing will learn how to ensure their reports look business-like and professional.

You'll Need: • At least one copy of each example of the report for each team of 4-5 participants (we suggest one copy between two participants would be the best ratio). • Copies of the trainer’s examples printed and to hand for you. • Scribble paper and pens.

Notes: This module is much easier to manage if you organise the room so that participants sit in teams of 4/5 to a table. Put scribble paper and pens on each table.

Responding to Written Complaints

Aims: • To encourage participants to think about the importance of written complaints. • To provide a simple model for drafting an appropriate response to a complaint. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practise writing responses to customer complaints.

Time: The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Staff up to supervisor level.

Notes: We have provided 4 fictional written complaints, which can be used if real examples can't be made available, (together with a suggested response for each) but the exercise will probably be of more benefit if participants can draft responses to complaints that are relevant to their team/department/organisation.

We recommend therefore that for the practical element of this module, you gather some examples of written complaints received by your organisation (try to have a mix of letters, emails or social media postings). You should pre-prepare these by removing any information that identifies the customer and/or a particular member of staff.

Before running this module, please familiarise yourself with the handout and make sure you understand the structure used. The suggested responses to our fictional written complaints will help in your preparation.

Wrong Message, Poorly Written

Aims: • To help participants identify what is wrong with a real example of a 'customer service' email. • To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers. • To recognise the impact that poor grammar and punctuation has on a writer's credibility. • To rewrite the email, delivering the key messages in an appropriate, effective manner.

Time: The exercises in this module will take about 60 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 105 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Supervisors and above.

Notes: This module is particularly valuable because it is based upon a genuine email which was distributed to an internet hosting company's customers. It contains important lessons about culture, customer service, and writing skills. It can also be used to prompt discussion about the damaging effects of poor communication.

For the purposes of this exercise we've shortened the original email by removing a few of the more technical paragraphs.

Wrong Standard - Examination of a Real 'Standard Letter'

Aims: • To help participants identify what is wrong with a (real example) of a 'customer service' letter. • To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers. • To recognise how one badly constructed letter can lose a customer.

Time: The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Useful For: Staff at all levels, and especially people working in finance and/or customer services.

Notes: This module is suitable for staff at all levels; especially those involved in financial and/or customer services. The example shows a letter that is confusing and pretentious, both in its layout and in its content. The writer of this letter should be aiming to regain – even increase – business from this customer. In the letter's current format it is highly unlikely that this will be achieved.

This exercise would also be useful to develop a conversation in an organisation about its standard letters, which are often carelessly written and should be regularly examined and revised.

Business Writing Worksheets

business writing activities for adults

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business writing activities for adults

Writing Practice Exercises

Concise Writing Exercises Common Mistakes in Emails Common Mistakes in Emails 2 Common Mistakes in Emails 3: Collocation Errors

Enchanting Marketing

Writing advice for small business

7 Creative Writing Exercises: How to Put That Zing-Kapow Into Boring Content

by Henneke | 59 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

C reative writing exercises can help add a touch of personality to any writing. They can also make writing more fun.

This article includes 7 creative writing exercises:

business writing activities for adults

7 Creative Writing Exercises

creative writing exercises

A lot of business content is rather meh. It sounds boring. It lacks a human voice .

It feels like anyone in any marketing department could have written it.

How can you add a touch of personality?

Start by nurturing a sense of play.

When writers are having fun, they’ll connect with their readers more naturally. Readers will sense the fun in their writing.

Let’s go …

Creative writing exercise #1: Play with words

Settling for the first word that comes up in your mind?

That’s usually a word commonly used.

To add a splash of personality, try a slightly unusual or a more precise word; or play with sensory words .

This exercise works best for a single sentence, so:

Consulting a thesaurus is allowed.

Here’s an example—I’ve written several headline options for this post:

Can you think of more variations?

Be warned: This exercise is quite addictive.

Creative writing exercise #2: Hotwire your words

This exercise works especially well if you feel stuck in a wordy rut as it helps break through habitual word patterns.

We all follow habitual word patterns. Hikers roam. Shoppers stroll. A lion roars. A bird sings.

How can we break through such patterns?

Songwriter Jeff Tweedy suggests a 4-step creative exercise:

The aim of this exercise is not to produce a beautiful text instantly. As Tweedy suggests, this exercise jump-starts your brain so “language and words have [your] full attention again.”

Creative writing exercise #3: Find fascinating details

This exercise helps you express your personality by using vivid details.

On About pages or in short bios you often read boring sentences like: So-and-so loves travelling, photography, and spending time with her two kids.

Why is this boring?

Because you can’t visualize such sentences. They’re too generic.

To make your writing more fascinating:

For instance, instead of suggesting I love cooking, I could write:

Note how each sentence gives you a glimpse of personality? And how you can picture me in my kitchen?

Creative writing exercise #4: Write vivid imagery

This is a quick 5-minute exercise in sensory writing.

Sensory language has the power to transport readers to a different world because we experience sensory words as if we’re actually hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, and feeling what’s going on.

Here’s what to do:

As a writer, describing your surroundings can help ground you in the present. Plus by sharing your sensory description, you invite readers into your world. It’s as if they’re there with you.

Creative writing exercise #5: Create movies with your words

The best writers direct mental movies in their readers’ minds.

They describe actions and sensory details so readers can experience the stories they’re reading.

Here’s how to practice:

For instance, how would you describe someone who’s tired? Perhaps she’s rubbing her eyes, yawning, or dropping all her shopping in the supermarket aisle.

As Anton Chekhov said:

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Creative writing exercise #6: Strengthen your metaphoric muscles

Metaphors are connections between two unrelated topics.

With a little practice and patience anyone can dream up metaphors .

Let’s give it a try, shall we?

Let’s take the key point of this post as an example. The key point I’m making is that you can add personality to your writing by nurturing a sense of play.

One of my favorite areas to draw metaphors from is cooking. I could come up with a metaphor like this:

Imagine being a kid and you’re given permission to decorate a table full of cup cakes.

You’d play, right? One cup cake might be decorated with red M&Ms. Another gets chocolate shavings, or sprinkles, or little flags, or everything.

With writing, nurture a similar sense of experimentation. Try different words. Play with fascinating details. Dream up some metaphors. Have fun!

Writing is not just about playing with words.

It’s also about paying attention.

When we direct our attention to the small beauties around us, we can find delight and joy everywhere. The abundance of green colors in the woods. The shapes of the clouds in the sky. The cheerful birdsong. The card received from a friend. The tulips received as a present. The smile of a passerby.

This exercise on discovering delight is inspired by the poet Ross Gay. A few years ago, he set himself a target to write a daily essay about a delight. For instance, Gay describes the delight of seeing two people carrying a sack of laundry together:

It at first seems to encourage a kind of staggering, as the uninitiated, or the impatient, will try to walk at his own pace, the bag twisting this way and that, whacking shins or skidding along the ground. But as we mostly do, feeling the sack, which has become a kind of tether between us, we modulate our pace, even our sway and saunter—the good and sole rhythms we might swear we live by—to the one on the other side of the sack.

As Gay writes, his essayettes emerged from “a practice of witnessing one’s delight, of being in and with one’s delight, daily, which actually requires vigilance. It also requires faith that delight will be with you daily, that you needn’t hoard it. No scarcity of delight.”

This is not just a useful writing exercise. Noticing small beauties and acts of kindness can fortify us and keep us grounded.

Nurture your sense of play

As kids, we knew how to tell stories and draw pictures. Without worrying about results. Without worrying about what other people would think.

We got into a creative flow , just naturally.

As adults, we can rediscover that innocent creative flow.

But is your inner critic telling you you’re not creative enough?

Ask them to go out for a half-hour walk. Then, embrace your inner child and choose the exercise that appeals to you most.

Grab a drink, a sheet of paper and pen, and give yourself some time to play.

There’s no pressure. Results don’t matter.

Note: This post was originally published on 26 April 2016. It was updated and expanded on 9 August 2022.

Recommended reading on creative writing:

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Reader Interactions

Leave a comment and join the conversation cancel reply.

business writing activities for adults

August 10, 2022 at 5:48 pm

I’m forever grateful to the day I found this blog. I feel so confident selling myself these.

Having someone by the side that shows you how to stand out from the overcrowded marketplace is heaven.

Thank you Henneke for this brain decluttering exercise.

business writing activities for adults

August 10, 2022 at 6:23 pm

Thank you so much for your kind words, Zion. Happy writing!

business writing activities for adults

August 10, 2022 at 2:04 am

These all sound like really fun and interesting suggestions to play around with!

I personally love the use of metaphor, and end up using them a lot in my coaching sessions. I will experiment and use them in my writing, too!

As always, thank you Henneke for your inspiring and thoughtful posts. They’re like a breath of fresh air in my stuffy, overcrowded inbox!

August 10, 2022 at 8:27 am

I’m so glad you found this interesting, Marta.

As you’re already using metaphors in your coaching sessions, it seems a great option to start using them in your writing, too.

Thank you for stopping by and for your lovely compliment!

business writing activities for adults

March 12, 2019 at 5:49 pm

FABULOUS ideas! Got my motor running!

March 12, 2019 at 7:00 pm

Yay! Happy creative writing 🙂

business writing activities for adults

January 11, 2017 at 11:47 am

I am a budding writer and work in the eLearning industry. Loved your post. Look forward to more interesting stuff fro you!

January 11, 2017 at 5:34 pm

Hi Sujata, I’m glad you like this post. Welcome 🙂 And thank you for stopping by!

business writing activities for adults

August 11, 2016 at 5:33 pm

Henneke, Lovely Post. Am looking forward to thế creative ebook you promised to make. Thanks.

August 11, 2016 at 7:18 pm

Thank you. I haven’t made much progress yet, but I WILL write that guide 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 29, 2016 at 11:19 am

Henneke I like your #3 advice to write freely and quickly before you get into the habit of self-editing for ‘perfection’ on screen. It is much easier to read hard copy and add excitement away from the PC. Thanks again for more good stuff!

Paul – Sydney Australia

April 30, 2016 at 7:28 pm

Yes, I don’t know why PCs sometimes seem so bad for creativity. Is that in our minds? Or is it something about the typing or the monitor?

Happy writing, Paul!

business writing activities for adults

April 29, 2016 at 11:09 am

Hello Henneke,

I never used to think of myself as a writer either. When I just started blogging, my first posts we’re rubbish!

My writing skills evolved over time through studying the art of writing, doing it and developing my own voice.

These creative writing excercises are fantastic. The first one is my favorite. It really fires up the brain to start making connections which is what creativity is all about.

#2 is something I already play around with regularly in my posts but my about page would definitely benefit from this. Thank you for the nudge. 😉

I’ve heard Kevin Kelly mention that writing actually helps him to think more clearly on a Tim Ferris podcast, I have a similar experience. Metaphors and good ideas just pop into my mind when I just make myself sit down and write. It’s like I’m tapping into my subconscious.

Other times I consciously construct them or fine-tune them to make my posts juicier after writing my first draft. The more time I spend on polishing and letting it simmer, the better my writing gets.

I relate to the emphasis you place on fun and play because they not only take away a lot of the resistance that writers often have, but they are also resourceful states to be in.

I also happened to notice that you said you’re thinking about writing a whole book of these kind of excercises. I would absolutely purchase that, Henneke.

Thank you for this lovely post.

Fijn weekend!

– Jasper

April 30, 2016 at 7:25 pm

Yes, writing brings a lot of clarity for me, too. It forces me to simplify my ideas and get to the essence. I love this process of discovery 🙂

I also think a lot of us feel a lot of resistance when writing our own About page. So that’s definitely a task where nurturing a sense of play can help. Same is true for social media profiles of course. Corporate life didn’t allow me much time for play, so I’m happy to be on my own and be able to dedicate more time to having fun and experimenting 🙂

Thank you for stopping by again, Jasper. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend, too!

business writing activities for adults

April 28, 2016 at 12:59 pm

Hello There,

How many times have I used the first words that came to mind? More times than a teenager takes a selfie.

There you go again, encouraging me to think. I hope I don’t hurt myself. Time to paint some word pictures. I hear you Henneke. Thanks.

April 28, 2016 at 6:35 pm

Of course you won’t hurt yourself. Have fun! 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 27, 2016 at 11:47 pm

Great ideas as usual Henneke. “boring the boots off your audience” Made me laugh. Thank you.

April 28, 2016 at 6:06 pm

I published a guest post with nearly the same title: 11 Ways to Bore the Boots Off Your Readers . 🙂

Thank you for stopping by again, Barry!

business writing activities for adults

April 27, 2016 at 5:47 pm

On Sundays, you can find her lying on a couch overlooking a church yard 😉

April 27, 2016 at 8:52 pm

Ssssht. We don’t want people to know how lazy I am 😉

business writing activities for adults

April 27, 2016 at 5:08 pm

Because I received your email this morning. It motivated me to go back and tweak a blog post I was working on one more time before I publish it this weekend. Thank you for your writing inspiration and tips! Julie

April 27, 2016 at 8:51 pm

Yay! That sounds great 🙂

Thank you for stopping by, Julie.

business writing activities for adults

April 27, 2016 at 3:04 pm

This comment is unrelated to this article but the email I received that landed me here. Regarding the email, I initially thought it was spam. Why? #1 the sender’s name was “Henneke Duistermaat”, a name I didn’t recognize. So I would consider changing the sender’s name to “Enchanting Marketing” so future subscribers can immediately recognize the sender and know its not spam. #2 When I opened the email, I still thought it was spam until I browsed to the bottom and saw “Enchanting Marketing”. At this point I still wasn’t sure how I knew Enchanting Marketing but it sounded familiar enough for me to read and click the link. To solve this problem I would add a visual reference within the email. In your case the visual reference I would add is the book cover “How to Write Seductive Web Copy”. If I saw that, I would immediately recognize and know who its from.

April 27, 2016 at 8:59 pm

Thank you for your suggestion, Richard. I’m glad you still decided to click through! 🙂

You might have first learned about me and Enchanting Marketing via my book, so the book would be a good visual cue for you, but most people find my blog first and then decide to buy one of my books. I’ve also been told that in general, emails that look like they come from a person (without design elements) tend to get read and clicked more often than emails with a slick design. I appreciate there are pros and cons to every approach; and will think about what I can do to ensure people know my name before they get my first email. I might be able to improve the confirmation email or confirmation page.

April 30, 2016 at 1:15 am

Thanks for replying,

The email I got from this response was fantastic. I immediately noticed the email name was Enchanting Marketing. That’s perfect for me. 🙂

You’re right on how I learned about you. I’m not sure how I found your book but when I did I think I clicked on a link within the book that took me to your site. From there I signed up to your e-newsletter.

As for a visual reference, I do agree for some people if the content has visual design elements, engagement levels might be lower because the content appears and feels more commercial. But I wasn’t thinking about adding or changing design elements to the email content but more along the lines of adding an image somewhere within the email.

I’ve seen other emails I receive where the writer’s automated signature is at the bottom of the content with their head shot next to it. So in your case to appeal to the book and blog audience, I would consider experimenting adding an image of your book and your head shot at the closing remarks next to your name to see if your response rates improves. I’m assuming this won’t change the design elements of your emails.

Having these visual references is primarily designed and useful for early subscribers who may not remember you or your work. After maybe their 8th opened email, your subscribers maybe familiar with you enough to where you may not need the visual references anymore.

I hope this helps. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s great work.

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 8:27 pm

Hey Henneke,

This post really motivated me as I’m writing a new post.

There’s always a need for improvement and you have given me some ideas I can apply to my old posts. I can put a little more personality by adding more descriptive words into each point I convey.

But in all it makes the posts more engaging, keeping your audience interested. Thanks for sharing Henneke! Have a good one!

April 26, 2016 at 8:58 pm

Even choosing only three sentences or so and making them a little more sensory can make a big difference to a post.

Happy writing, Sherman. And thank you for stopping by again!

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 7:24 pm

Hi Henneke,

Since I began freelancing full-time in July 2014, I’ve signed up with quite a few writing “gurus.” I ended up opting out of several. Others, I get but usually delete. They send too much email and there’s too much selling.

I appreciate the volume of your communication but mostly, I appreciate the value. Today’s post in particular.

I write business content full-time and yeah, it gets grey and “boooring.” Thanks to this post, I was able to spice up the title, which helped increase my interest in what I was writing, which brought up from gray to a subtle shade of green (hey, it’s an improvement).

Thanks for being helpful,

Steve stevewagnercopy.com

April 26, 2016 at 8:57 pm

A subtle shade of green sounds quite pleasant, Steve! No need to go for loud and garish colors 😉

Thank you so much for your lovely comment — it puts a smile on my face 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 5:39 pm

Love this Henneke, especially the parts about playing with a first draft and picking visual words. I’m always working on those. Writing is a constant work in progress. We never learn everything, which is what makes it so meaningful. Thanks. Laurie

April 26, 2016 at 6:44 pm

Yep, so true! I love learning more about writing and collecting new words.

Thank you for stopping by again, Laurie!

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 5:17 pm

Skipping to the swings and slides now with a fairy cup cake in my hand. That’s how happy your post made me feel.

Thanks for your sweet and tasty writing sprinkles Henneke. Do please create your ebook/cookbook of similar excercises. You have hundreds and thousands of fans waiting hungrily to download it.

April 26, 2016 at 5:35 pm

I love the imagery of you skipping to the swings and slides with a cup cake in your hand 🙂

And thank you for the thumbs up on the ebook idea. I appreciate your input.

Happy writing!

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 4:55 pm

Great post here. Really love exercise #1 and playing with words.

Every post a person writes has so much potential to be better. I think most writers, me included, get lazy and don’t ‘do the work’ to make our blog titles pop. And if we really want to stand out, we have to start doing that.

So #1 is definitely what I’m planning to focus on for now.

Great overall post here. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

– Andrew

April 26, 2016 at 5:34 pm

Yeah, I know … it’s hard to make time to play with your headlines sometimes. But it pays off!

It can help to move away from your normal work place, perhaps go to the park or a local cafe. I’ve also found that a short train trip can be great for a short burst of creative energy.

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 4:40 pm

Like bland food, meh writing is everywhere.

This is good news for a bad reason–you have little competition,. So a sparkling piece of writing sweeps and soars above the dismal landscape.

Your recipes to spice things up should do the trick!

Love reading your posts, Henneke!

April 26, 2016 at 5:27 pm

Yep so true, when we make a little more effort to polish our words, then it’s quite easy to stand out from the crowd!

Thank you for your lovely comment, Saleem. 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 3:42 pm

Love the cupcake imagery, Henneke. And I don’t even like sweets. 😉 Metaphors are one of my favorites. I had a boss in my corporate days who I said had a metaphor for every occasion. But you know what? You never forgot his example. 🙂

April 26, 2016 at 5:26 pm

I don’t have a sweet tooth either! I originally made this drawing for my sister who loves baking cupcakes. 🙂

Good to see you again, Cathy!

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 3:35 pm

Still slaving over my About page and desperate to think of all these helps as I write. How timely this is for me this morning, to launch a thorough edit! Last night, I actually wrote, “I can show you the door so you can get out and get a break, sometimes…” and thought that was a metaphor, and in a very weak way, it was, but how about “I know how to shine a beacon on that secret escape hatch, so you can slip (float?) away to a simpler world…” At first, I thought that if I wrote this way, I’d be using a voice that was too “Henneke” for my readers, but I see, now, that if I gravitate to your voice, why shouldn’t I adopt some of the qualities that do fit my topic! Probably I am a turtle in this race to create web content, but Slow and Steady is the preferred pace for multitudes, right? Oh, me!

April 26, 2016 at 5:25 pm

When I was learning how to write, I studied writers I liked most, trying to figure out why I liked their writing, and then used their writing techniques in my writing, too. As Austin Kleon suggests: “We learn by copying.”

So, go ahead, “steal” the qualities you like. You’ll automatically mix in some of your own. 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 3:11 pm

Very helpful! Thank you. Looking forward to writing some juicy headlines!

April 26, 2016 at 5:19 pm

Great! Have fun! 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 3:10 pm

Henneke, I often cook when I’m having a writing day. I’ll intersperse my writing time with cooking something simple but delicious. This brings in a sense of play and freedom. It helps free up my writing. Love your examples!

April 26, 2016 at 5:18 pm

A day of cooking and writing – is there a better way to spend the day? 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 1:30 pm

Yes, I like your advice, Henneke, first to have fun with writing, with a pen and paper. Our creative ideas flow. We can make a first draft and then fine tune it.

Good article, Henneke, Thank you.

April 26, 2016 at 2:21 pm

Yes, I find a computer can sometimes stifle creativity. Perhaps because I associate it too much with trying to be productive?

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 12:27 pm

Creative and imaginative! Your article is just what I needed. Thanks Henneke 🙂 Kind regards Mark

April 26, 2016 at 2:20 pm

Great! Happy writing, Mark 🙂

PS It’s cloudy with sunny intervals today and the wind is surprisingly cold.

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 12:24 pm

Thank you so much for this wonderful post and for suggesting these exercises, Henneke! I often feel I can’t get rid of the boring-bug and my mind gets stuck on the same old. But these should definitely help coming up with something better, hopefully more appealing to the reader. 🙂

April 26, 2016 at 2:19 pm

Yes, it’s normal to get stuck in the same old rut. We all experience it from time to time. I find reading fiction can also help us get out of a rut.

Happy writing, Ralitsa! And thank you for stopping by.

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 12:17 pm

This was fantastic! I teach adults who are learning a new hobby and the struggle is to get them to play, to move them into the ‘right’ side of their brain, so they can experiment and experience flow. Without the play, they are too analytical, and their performance is rigid.

April 26, 2016 at 2:18 pm

Thank you, Kathy!

Have you read the book Play by Stuart Brown? It’s an interesting take on how important play is not just for our imagination, but also for our happiness.

April 26, 2016 at 3:25 pm

I haven’t, but I just added it to my Kindle! 🙂

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 12:05 pm

This has been one of the most practical posts you have ever written. Although some of these suggestions may be obvious to you, they aren’t. The compelling way in which you introduce each excercise is very helpful. Loved tip #2!

Maybe more practical examples in the future?

April 26, 2016 at 1:20 pm

Thank you, Virginia.

I’m thinking about creating a whole ebook with exercises like this. 🙂

April 27, 2016 at 3:25 pm

An ebook with exercises would awesome! I will be looking for it.

business writing activities for adults

April 26, 2016 at 11:47 am

Thanks so much! Very interesting and useful post.

April 26, 2016 at 11:49 am

Thank you, Daniela. Happy writing! 🙂

business writing activities for adults

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business writing activities for adults

About Henneke

I never saw myself as a writer, but in my early forties, I learned how to write and discovered the joy of writing. Now, I’d like to empower you to find your voice, share your ideas and inspire your audience. Learn how I can help you

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5 creative writing exercises to improve your business writing.

Posted by Conni Eversull   Jun 15, 2017 7:30:00 AM

creative writing

Creative writing does a lot more for you than make you more creative. Completing creative writing exercises on a regular basis also reduces stress, enhances critical thinking and comprehension skills, endorses effective communication, and promotes empathy. And having all those skills are extremely important in the business world.

Here are some exercises you can complete to fine-tune your writing skills today.  

    

Collect Vocabulary Words to Inspire Scenes in a Short Story

Sign up to receive a word-of-the day from an online dictionary, or create your own list of words as you read articles or books throughout the day. Then, at least four to five times a week, set aside fifteen to twenty minutes to write a scene inspired by one of the words on your list. Each day, add a scene to your story that’s related to the one you wrote the previous day, a different scene inspired by a different word on your list. By the end of the week you'll have a short story that you can review over the weekend.

This exercise will help you build your vocabulary, fine-tune your critical thinking and comprehension skills, and build your levels of empathy if you decide to develop more complex characters.

Generate Ideas from Photos or Illustrations

Gather photos from online magazines or social media posts periodically and save them in a folder that you can access on any device. Open this folder a few times a week, or whenever you need inspiration for your writing. Be careful not to share or redistribute any images without the owners’ consent.

While you can write a story about the photos, the main purpose of this exercise is simply to generate ideas for your writing. Try to come up with titles to articles or books that the image inspires. If it helps, write a short caption or journal entry about the photo, what it makes you think about or how it makes you feel. When you generate ideas from images, you’re building critical thinking and comprehension skills. And if the photos contain people, you’ll develop empathy skills as you try to envision yourself in their world.

Rewrite a News Story or Academic Article

If you want to test your overall comprehension of a subject, you should complete this exercise. To rewrite a news story or academic article, you’ll first have to conduct your own research. Take research from diverse and reputable resources to compile your own piece of writing. After you summarize the popular argument or stance on a subject from the research you collected, then insert your own take on it.

This might seem like a dull exercise that you would have completed in school, but remember that you can write about any subject that you want to be an expert on, a subject not assigned to you by a teacher or a boss. Whether you’re passionate about wine and cheese pairings or the political climate in Afghanistan, you get to decide what you want to learn more about and write about.      

Use the First Line of a Novel for Speed Writing

Grab any novel sitting on your shelf at home or in your office. Open it to the first page. Write down the first line you read. Then keep writing as fast as you can without stopping for fifteen minutes. It doesn’t matter if all you write is gibberish, and you don’t even have to read it once you’re done. Just keep writing.

Completing this exercise whenever you have writer’s block will reduce your stress levels because it encourages you to be uninhibited while you’re writing. If you want to reduce your stress levels even more, keep reading the novel for fifteen to twenty minutes after you’ve completed the exercise.  

Write a Review   or Opinion, Then Play Devil's Advocate

First write down why you like something you have seen, read, owned, or experienced. You can also write an opinion you have on a topic. The stronger your view point about what you’re writing about, the better. Next, write the opposing view to your argument or opinion. If you can't see the topic from the opposing viewpoint, then talk to someone who has a different view from the one you hold and summarize their viewpoint.

This exercise enhances comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills. You’re not only expanding your comprehension of a topic, you’re developing the communication skills required to explain it to an opposing party, which will also require an increased level of empathy.

Creative writing is a wonderful way to simultaneously let your mind wander and make it sharper. The best part about enhancing your business writing skills with creative writing exercises is, of course, that it’s not boring or tedious, and each exercise is driven by you.   

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The Kickass Entrepreneur

7 Exercises to Improve Business Writing Skills

No one becomes a good or highly qualified essay writer overnight; it takes years of practice for one to perfect the art of writing. Some of the best professional essay writers in the world all say they have taken a variety of exercises to sharpen their skills and keep their creative juices flowing.

Business writing is different from academic writing or custom research papers. After all, it is used in professional settings because it conveys important information to a reader in a very effective, concise, and clear manner. 

Business writing includes things like notices, proposals, emails, reports, memos, and more. To get the message across, a piece needs to be proficient in its writing, especially when it comes to a workplace setting.

This article by a pro essay writer from AdvancedWriters will look at the 7 exercises one can take to improve their business writing skills. 

Why Are Business Writing Skills Very Important?

1. effective communication.

Business writing skills help everyone from stakeholders, shareholders, business partners , and more stay connected because everything written in a business piece is informative, comprehensive, and proficient.

This helps the recipients mentioned above digest the message easily, even if it was by an employee or an essay writing company. 

2. Helps Organizations Highlight Top Employees 

Business writing helps highlight which employees have a strong command of the English language and those that don’t, based on a cover letter they submit for their job application, for example.

Applicants who submit a piece with fewer grammar errors will create a good impression compared to those who submit something full of mistakes.

3.  Business Writing Shows One’s Level of Intelligence 

Even if one applies for a job that doesn’t require any writing, the way they present themselves is very significant.

Making a few grammar mistakes might seem small, but HR departments at various companies will pick up on that. 

They will immediately conclude that those who are not good at writing are not as intelligent as those that are good at writing. Don’t be turned down for a job due to poor writing skills.

Before you submit anything like a job application, for example, proofread it because presenting flawless documents will make you come across as smart.

4. Good Record Keeping 

Everyone who works in business knows that information that is passed through word of mouth doesn’t last long. The same applies in colleges, and that is why students take notes during lectures.

Having information on a piece of paper or in writing helps preserve their research for many years, and that is what business writing skills bring to the table. They help one keep accurate records that can be used when needed, even if it is in 5 or 10 years. 

Exercises to Improve Business Writing Skills

There are plenty of exercises out there that one can take to help them improve their business writing skills.

These exercises do a great job in helping one generate ideas, practice a different form of writing, develop a new style, and more.

1. Practice Free Writing

This is where a professional essay writer follows their intuition and brings to life in writing whatever is on their mind. Everything writing is premeditated and not planned, that is what freewriting is all about.

You can set yourself a time of 1 hour or 30 mins for example and begin writing down thoughts that come to your mind. The things written down do not need to make sense or be cohesive; the whole idea here is practicing how to brainstorm.

Any edits you wish to make in the piece can be done once everything you had in your head has been written down.

2.  Practice With Random Sentences 

For this exercise, what you need to do is choose a sentence from a particular piece of writing you’ve been reading and use that as your first sentence.

As far as the story you write, you can take it in any direction, but the most important thing is starting with words written by someone else. This exercise is helpful because it gives you a foundation to begin your piece and requires you to come up with your ideas after that.

3.  Read Content That Is Written by Others 

There are plenty of pieces out there that have been written by so many amazing writers. You can take inspiration from them and incorporate the style and tone that the authors use into your piece.

Pick up as much as possible from the way the paper is paced, the theme, the images, sentence structure, and more. By taking note of the various techniques experts use, one will improve their writing.

4.  Edit Someone Else’s Work 

To consider yourself a master writer, you must not only be able to write well but edit well as well. The best way to do this is to go to blogging sites, choose an article that you like, and try to proofread the content to see if there are any spelling mistakes.

Mark any areas you feel need improvement in the content and make corrections or practice editing. This will help you improve your overall writing and produce work that isn’t filled with grammar mistakes, just like professional writing services.

5.  Produce a Guide 

If there is a topic that you are good at or process a respectable amount of knowledge, you can put together a “how-to guide”. You can practice how to break down complicated concepts into easy pieces for people who don’t have a lot of knowledge to understand.

Research takes time, but what this will do is improve your organizational and analytical skills. The research you produce might inspire new content that can be written by someone else in the future.

6.  Watch People

Observation is very important in this exercise, and you need to write about things that you’re seeing when you are out watching people in public. Hit the park or the local supermarket, watch what people are doing and see where your thoughts will take you.

Not only will this help you become more creative, but watching people lets you interact with the world and makes your writing more natural.

7.  Try Using Vocabulary Builder Prompts 

There is a great as well as a horrible way to use words you’re not familiar with when it comes to your writing. Using vocabulary prompts does help because one can build on their grammar and better their writing to make it more accurate and better express their best ideas.

Final Thoughts 

Overall, the better your business writing skills, the more responsibility you’ll be given either at college or university to get effective results . If you are working for a big company, they will want the pieces that they put out to be accurate and should show clarity. If you are the best communicator they have, they will often come to you to draft posts, emails, newsletters, essays, and more. Good business writing skills give you the chance to have a long and successful career in any field, even if it is very competitive.

_____________________________________

Some other articles you might find of interest:

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