Discourse Consultants

How does a Discourse Consultant work?

Writing is rewriting. Writing is discarding. Writing is starting with the wrong words saying things you don't mean in order to eventually say things you do mean with the right words.

We work with professionals, business people, scientists, academics, artists and writers, with all of those who have ever checked a piece of their own written work and wondered why it did not say what they really wanted to say; why, in spite of the absence of any obvious vocabulary or grammar mistakes, it seemed wrong, inadequate or clumsy in some mysterious, inexplicable way.

What matters is not the subject matter or the type of text. It could be a politician's speech, a researcher's presentation at a conference or a lawyer's submission to a judge. In each case the emphasis is on working together to produce a text - written or spoken - that takes into account the expectations of its audience, has a clearly defined aim and uses appropriate discursive resources to achieve that aim.

First comes listening. We listen to what our clients say, we think about it and we ask questions. We keep listening, thinking and asking until a sense is arrived at of what the client really wants to say, to whom they want to say it and to what purpose. This process may be brief or lengthy. It all depends on the individual client and their particular needs. Once an aim is defined we devise a plan, in conjunction with the client, for the development of an appropriate text within an agreed time frame.

The plan usually involves a process of where the client writes a draft, we review the draft together with reference to the agreed aims for the text. The text and/or the aims will then be revised in the light of what the writing process throws up, a new draft is written and the whole process begins again and continues until a satisfactory text is arrived at. Again, the process may be long or short, it all depends on the needs of the individual client and the kind of text they are trying to write.

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:: Versión en Castellano ::
\| Home \| Who we are \| FAQ \| Our services \| How we work \| Press \| Contact	How does a Discourse Consultant work? Writing is rewriting. Writing is discarding. Writing is starting with the wrong words saying things you don't mean in order to eventually say things you do mean with the right words. We work with professionals, business people, scientists, academics, artists and writers, with all of those who have ever checked a piece of their own written work and wondered why it did not say what they really wanted to say; why, in spite of the absence of any obvious vocabulary or grammar mistakes, it seemed wrong, inadequate or clumsy in some mysterious, inexplicable way. What matters is not the subject matter or the type of text. It could be a politician's speech, a researcher's presentation at a conference or a lawyer's submission to a judge. In each case the emphasis is on working together to produce a text - written or spoken - that takes into account the expectations of its audience, has a clearly defined aim and uses appropriate discursive resources to achieve that aim. First comes listening. We listen to what our clients say, we think about it and we ask questions. We keep listening, thinking and asking until a sense is arrived at of what the client really wants to say, to whom they want to say it and to what purpose. This process may be brief or lengthy. It all depends on the individual client and their particular needs. Once an aim is defined we devise a plan, in conjunction with the client, for the development of an appropriate text within an agreed time frame. The plan usually involves a process of where the client writes a draft, we review the draft together with reference to the agreed aims for the text. The text and/or the aims will then be revised in the light of what the writing process throws up, a new draft is written and the whole process begins again and continues until a satisfactory text is arrived at. Again, the process may be long or short, it all depends on the needs of the individual client and the kind of text they are trying to write. [return home]
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