The first version of this course used two tutors. On the first day they alternated with presentations about the specifications of journal articles, after which they invited participants  to write and submit a draft paper for comment. On the second day, some two months later, they gave feedback on the draft papers and gave presentations on writing style, submission and dealing with editors.

It quickly became clear that this course was good at creating critics; less so at creating writers. So I designed a second-generation course that took participants - and their material - step-by-step through a logical writing process. This enabled them to think and write rather than listen - and by the end of the course they could take with them plans, and an early draft - and a timetable for completion.

The course has been run successfully for university departments, research groups, pharmaceutical writers, government bodies and charities. We also developed a version for more experienced writers (dubbed the professors' course), which one tutor described as like the 'normal' course, but slower and with better food.