Want to be a better writer? The Savvy Writer guides, teaches you and helps you every step of the way. From gathering your ideas, structuring your writing format, finding your voice, we work closely with you. It is easy to become a great writer and to write for various publications around the world.

The Writer’s System:

o   8 easy steps to write your essay/story/article

o    A work book

o   Story board kit

o   Writing markets

o   How to market your work

What we offer:

o   8 LIVE private writer’s calls with me [one hour long]

o   Weekly review of your material and feedback on your content for 24 weeks

o   Writers care program: includes free queries via email for 6 months after the study

o   A collection of writing markets


Your investment:

Options

o   6 instalments of $350   = $2100

o   3 instalments of $600  = $1800

o   1 instalment of $1500

Lunch was the ultimate spell. Everyone who ate Alex, the chef’s fish fingers with that mouth-watering white sauce was bound to never eat at the kafunda down the street again.

It’s one thing to call yourself a writer and never have anyone scrutinize your work. It’s another thing to tell yourself that you will go for a writers retreat and willingly have the best of the best in the writing industry, with all their red pens talk about your work. It’s an honor, a daunting one at that. But I did just that.

Thursday morning was nice and sunny; perfect beach weather. When I stepped onto the boat, I had apprehensions about so many things: Am I writer and what does that mean? Is my writing any good? Am I expected to write a book in four days? What If I’m the worst in the class? Will I be the youngest in the class? What is my style of writing? Can poetry count? What about script writing? What is my writing experience? Or, Do I have a story to tell? I tried to close out all these worries by focusing on the murky green water, then on the clouds, then on my journey companions but nothing worked.

Finally, I forced myself to come to terms with whom I was and how I wanted to this retreat-writing experience to shape me. I decided that 1. I am a writer, and 2. My work needs a critique. Once I confirmed these truths for myself my mind was immediately at ease. I hoped that the 8 other ladies whom I’d get to interact with over the weekend would be absolutely unforgiving in their critique and push me forward as a writer. Yikes, they were and it was exciting.

Jackee Batanda, our boisterous host welcomed us to the island with dancing cheer. I wanted to hush her and remind her that I’m only an amateur writer but I didn’t. I was being placed under a spell which I gladly accepted: She was dancing, the island was inviting with it’s ripened lemons, cool breeze, rocky walk way and the refreshing hot hand towels that greeted us at the entrance after an hours dry boat-ride. Pure heaven. Jackee had my attention. She could tell me to write a trilogy and I would as long as I could remain on the island.

Lunch was the ultimate spell. Everyone who ate Alex, the chef’s fish fingers with that mouth-watering white sauce was bound to never eat at the kafunda down the street again. We all ate in silent relish. We knew that the next few hours and days would be spent in deep thought and learning so don’t talk, just eat and eat slowly because there would be three courses. Plus, Jackee warned that she wouldn’t have anyone sleeping in her class. How could she put us through this delicious torture? I loved it. But as soon as our bodies were satisfied and our eyes had feasted on the islands beauties we settled for our first lesson: “Who are you? And what do you expect from this retreat? ”

No, I didn’t dare answer first. I waited to hear the other ladies announce how they had been writing for years and they just needed to “return to the basics” just to “remember how it all began”. They surprised me though. Each one was tackling a particular issue that they wanted to explore in writing. They had something to say and they wanted to learn the best way to say it. Issues like identity, patriotism, and death came up. One particular lady wanted to know why she should write and how it would help her. I felt welcome. Yes, they were all writers, some more experienced than others but all trying to grasp something through writing. I was encouraged and looked forward to the days to come.

Day 3

My writing muse has no sense of time while on Bulago. It wakes me up at 3.30 am.  Don’t ask me what a muse looks like because I have no idea! That's why I haven't assigned it a specific gender, all I feel is this persistent nagging anxiety envelope me. Eventually I give up the tug of war between the thoughts in my mind and accept the fact that I won’t be drifting back to sleep for a while. My muse knows we have an important topic to deliberate. The early hours of the morning are the best times to think through such things. The generator is off so I use my trusted torch to light up the room. I decide to make my way to the toilet quietly so as not to disturb everyone’s sleep, but I somehow end up stepping on every single one of the creakiest of wooden boards along the way. So much for being quiet….

 When I return to my bedroom, I grab a stash of Jackee’s literary magazines and place them next to me on the bed. Once I’m adjusted into a sitting position, I start to flip through each one, totally amazed at all the opportunities in the writing world.
 
On the boat ride to the island I had asked Jackee about the possibility of doing a masters in creative writing. I was wondering whether the experience would be worth it. Anything to do with harnessing inborn creativity fuels me with energy for life and work, but a masters in creative writing? Wouldn’t it be a big risk? Masters are a necessary extravagance these days. The wrong choice can be a painful setback yet the pressure on my generation to make the right career decisions is immense. We graduated right into a global depression and every news story at the time told us that we would inevitable end up earning much less than our parents. So why am I suddenly thinking about an MFA like some rich family member with a guaranteed inheritance?

I decide that this moment of placidity in the house is a good opportunity to get down on my knees and pray. I pray for guidance and clarity of vision.

Today we will have  no classes and no assignments. It will just involve one to one sessions with Jackee and Crystal about anything we wish to discuss in regards to writing. I sent my story to them yesterday and I have no intentions of doing any work once the sun rises.
 
In fact here is my official To do List :

·         I intend to finish my two books (I have carried them in my bag for two months. They need to make a permanent exit. Unless a book is intellectual it should be finished a month from purchase. )

·         Frolic in the pool in my new bikini so that I can tick wearing a bikini off my bucket list.

·         Take the proposed nature walk around the island.

·         Enjoy not feeling guilty about focusing on myself.

·         And of course eat all Alex’s delicious meals.
salivating...
 
By 5.00 am I hear the pitter patter of rain begin outside making me drowsy. After excusing myself from my conversation with God, I sleep for another hour. 

With breakfast done.  Lynn (one of the participants) and I head to the beach. She brings her laptop. I bring my books. But we get distracted and end up turning our quiet time into a spontaneous photo shoot with Zahara. All the years of watching every single episode of America’s Next Top Model have finally paid off! Tehehehe. Look at that effortless jumping. Cover Girl *wink wink*
 
yes that's Lynn jumping with me.
 
My session with Jackee and Crystal starts a bit late. It’s clear my story needs a lot of work but their comments make a lot of sense. I am learning that one can only grow in their writing with the following three things.

·         by reading good books

·         practicing

·         and good feedback from mentors, friends, family and their target audience.

It’s rare to find people who will take the time to really read and critique your work so this retreat is an opportune moment. I noticed so many holes in my story through their conscious feedback.

Once we were done, I grabbed my To-Do list and started following it…..
 
Did I mention that dinner was a barbecue by the beach and presents from Jackee? 
EUPHORIA!
 
Everything tasted as good as it looked in the picture.
 
Day 4

I wake up rested. Last year I mourned the fact that the experience was over so quickly, this time I am not. I am at peace because I made it back and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. I pack my bags and make my Bulago bed for the last time this week, then I head for breakfast. There is time to stroll by the beach and have insightful conversations with some of participants about the last three days. It’s been magical.
 

Jackee says Seychelles next year. She had better furfill her promise because I can’t wait!

Day 1

I arrive at the beach house in a Special Hire an hour before the 8.30 am departure time. I am relieved. I silently mutter a prayer of gratitude that the Kampala morning traffic did not disrupt my schedule or my mood.  The beach house is still the same as last year. My eyes are yet to see the ACTUAL beach house they refer to on the yellow dilapidated sign post at the entrance, but that’s another story for another day.

Neglected outdoor furniture is randomly scattered across the unkempt lawn. The familiar naked headless lady statue is plonked right in middle of the garden. Seeing that statue always makes me wonder what the owner was thinking when he bought it. I mean how many Ugandans actually own a naked headless lady statue?

If my Jajja was here she would say,

“Did they not have enough money to put clothes on it?”

To which my aunt would reply with a twisted face and elaborate hand gestures,

“Her stuff is just there… hanging out for all to see!”

Wow! Woooooow, I can’t believe I am attending the Success Spark Writing Retreat again. This annual writing retreat is run by Jackee Batanda a Ugandan journalist, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Her company  Success Spark Brand Ltd is a communications and educational company.

 Bulago is a 500-acre island, located in Lake Victoria with a Villa called One Minute South offering seven bedrooms. Can you imagine dedicating four whole days on an island to exercise those creativity muscles and hone those writing skills? This is my second time attending; I am a returning student. 
 
One Minute South Villa, Bulago Island
 
Last year, I used the retreat as an opportunity to temporarily absolve myself of all my responsibilities as a daughter, a sibling, and a colleague; my creative juices flourished as a result. This blog is evidence of that, it was conceived while on the retreat.  My experience a year ago was so good I had to make it a permanent fixture in my 2016 calendar.  However, on this occasion I have failed to absolve my personal obligations tactfully. Unfortunately, as I eagerly await for the rest of the retreat participants to arrive, I am carrying an invisible bag of guilt in my chest.

Yesterday between 8-10pm, I received seven missed calls, two Whatsapp messages, two Facebook direct messages and one missed Whatstapp call from my big brother. When I say I ‘missed’ them, what I really mean is I simply watched my phone buzzing and decided not to respond. My older brother says he ‘can’t find his ATM card’ and needs some money, but I am leaving behind two other siblings and a parent in the country, so I feel I have the right to ignore him.

Today, I have hatched a plan.  I have decided to befriend my Guilt. We shall travel together to the island and my theory is that once we get there, my Guilt will instantly fall madly in love with it and leave me alone for four whole days. Why? Because the island is so marvellous that he will completely understand why I ignored my continuously buzzing phone last night.

So, together, we patiently wait for the other writing participants.

Everyone arrives on time except for our award winning photographer Zahara Abdul. As soon as she arrives and all our luggage is quickly and tightly strapped to the black rubber speed boat. We zooooooooom across the lake to the island, with two or three brief stops. I don’t even care about the brief stops; I am elated that I made it to the boat without having to give my brother a single shilling! Even more elated as Jackee tells me there are plans to have the next one in Seychelles next year. Literally BURSTING with elation as we get further and further away from Uganda and all my responsibilities. I don’t have time to glance at the scenery, because I am catching up with Jackee, where has she been? How are the classes going? What are her other writing students like? She fills me in on all her latest antidotes with her elaborate facial and voice impressions, and dramatic pauses. I love natural born storytellers.
Just arrived on the island!
 
Freshly made lemonade greets us at the entrance to the villa on the island, we empty our sand filled shoes and just pause. We are mesmerised by our surroundings. The welcoming swimming pool shimmering in the morning light, the antique filled house and creaky wooden floor boards. Each piece is unique, it’s impossible to identify which shop or country the furniture was acquired. All one can establish is that a lot of passion went into creating the ambience. Everything, and I mean everything including the wood carved man on a bicycle with a Nile perch strapped to the back, makes it a home, not a hotel.

At 12.00pm the second batch of participants arrive, here we are all together.

The whole group!

After a sumptuous lunch made by Alex the chef (whom we are plotting to kidnap this time around) we head straight into Character Development with Jackee and Plot Development with the detail orientated and ever articulate Crystal Rutangye.  Crystal is an Editor, published writer and a blogger (her website is on hiatus). She is the ONLY Ugandan to graduate with a MLitt in Publishing Studies. After 15 minutes, I realize she is a fabulous addition to the Success Park Brand, her commitment to helping writers produce good work is evident, in fact I decide to become her official cheerleader on the island. 
Crystal Rutangye
 
By evening Guilt has detached himself from me, he found some abandoned wooden boat and sailed off into the orange yellow sunset but before he left he said,

“Put your phone on silent for the next four days, it will stop that dreadful buzzing. See you on Monday Darling!”
 
Day 2
 
The Glorious view!
 
Gloria. GLORIA.  GLOOOOOOORIAAA.  GLO O O O ORIIIIIIIIIIIYYYAAAAA

I finally understand the meaning of praise hymns.  I could happily praise God all morning today. I want to run across the beach in mismatched pyjamas singing-shouting this word. But you know it’s not a good idea to frighten people when you are alone with them on an island. In our group we have dancers, editors, engineers, lawyers, presidential advisors, and a conservationist. These are the types of people who regularly frequent overseas countries for work or study purposes. They cross oceans on planes as part of their job descriptions!

 Therefore these people might appear in my professional life at some point and I wouldn’t want them to say,

“Oh yes she was that mad case who ran across the beach at 5am in morning, possessed by some kind of spirit…”

To avoid inspiring such future conversations and maintain our cordial relations, I resist the urge go outside by opening the curtains to revel in my ocean view. Yes I have an Ocean view*! Bambi… did I forget to mention it earlier? Sorry not sorry. I stare at the harmonious waves and let my breathing fall into rhythm with them. What I adore about this place as I said earlier is it’s a home, there is nothing beige like and boring. The owner poured love into every piece, this villa is full of the fun filled experiences of all previous inhabitants. Each one of them left a little piece of their happiness here, creating an invisible bubble of contagious positive energy. I can’t help but smile.
can you see the man in the back?
 
Breakfast is fresh Ugandan coffee or tea, our choice of eggs, with sausages, bacon and sliced avocado and tomatoes. The staff are always pleasant, from the minute we set foot on the dock they have remained consistently accessible. It is only day two and the participants are already discussing how best to tip them.  Did I mention I love this place? I red heart emoji this place.

We shy away from each other in the morning, so that we can take time to write our assigments from yesterday. Around 9.00am we nervously come together to read our pieces out loud to each other.  The fear of rejection is laced in all our deliveries, but it soon disappears with the escape of snort covered giggles or with each peal of laughter at the end. The process of revealing our inner thoughts and struggles about the journey to this island is self-healing. Just like that we are friends, no longer acquaintances, that’s what the island and Jackee’s personality does for us. We share our deepest worries about this journey and it subtly unwraps our restrictive layers and barriers to successful creative writing. Jackee and Crystal ensure that through our sharing we are learning the technical skills of good writing. “Taking you from good to great.” She calls it.  It’s effortless, my mind is not bogged down with theory, and the bonding continues to build right through each session of Self Editing and Settings with Crystal, and Point of View and Dramatic Tension with Jackee.
 
The delicious three course lunch slows us down. It stalls our thinking process during afternoon sessions even after ten cups of coffee. Despite this discomfort nobody dares miss any of Alex’s meals. Nobody says they have overeaten or that they are on a special diet. I think even if one of us was allergic to nuts we would have gleefully eaten groundnut sauce and died at the table just because dear Alex has taken the time to prepare it.  When was the last time you had zucchini soup? Have you ever eaten Pork Luwombo with baked matooke before?  In fact, Jackee prepared a special drink to boost her metabolism during the four days. We had a shared Ugandan mentality.
We paid in D. O. L. L. A.R.S, for this experience....
 
We shall eat and we shall enjoy every single meal placed before us. And we shall threaten our bodies if they dare appear ungrateful!

“Write a story about your journey from the beach house to One Minute South” Jackee instructed. I sat at the back of the class because I had always found it easier to listen if my eyes could focus better. But, now, with this new instruction from Jackee, the back of the class presented more distractions than enabling me to focus. I watched some of the eager students like Maria and Leah sneakily start their stories and I saw how Sharon and Catherine became suddenly overwhelmed at this writing task. Their shoulders sagged and they seemed to have zoned out just like I had. Jackee was saying something about starting the task later but I had already started in my head. Sitting next to the door, I could feel the cool breeze from the water down below. I wondered how I would start the story, how would I end it, would it be long? Jackee was saying something about including smells, sounds and sounds, which I immediately incorporated into my story. Later in the day, I finally typed out my story:

    Fine brown dust greeted Anna’s feet as she stepped down from the high Land-Rover car doors. “Eeww!” Sand would have been better even though she hated sand but this disgusting brown dirt just ruined her red toenail glow. She stared at the bushy, swampy and cobweb filled environment around her and decided that, despite the names of the premises, this place should simply be called Ggaba Landing site and not The Beach House. “It’s not even close to a beach house. The House has an apartment like structure that judging from it’s dirt stained white walls and overgrown bougainvillea it may actually be the bar mans house or belongs simply to some sad old family who have lived here for years.” She thought.

I don’t know why I referred to myself as Anna in the story. It felt cool to refer to myself in third person and change my name but then I wondered if I had misunderstood Jackee’s instructions. Was this to be a true story? Was I to stick to the actual facts of the journey? But I didn’t want to. Maybe this was part of the writing experience. I wondered what the other ladies were writing. Was there a word limit? I didn’t care I just kept writing. Zahara, our retreat photographer, found my puzzled writing face humorous and so she positioned herself strategically in front of me to catch all my writing faces. She would just sit and wait till I made a face.

I couldn’t end my story. I’ve admired writers for their ability to end their stories and leave me feeling hopelessly in love or cursing a character and their decisions. I also knew that I wanted to leave my audience hanging and begging for more without trying so hard but my muse was fading out fast. I had taken about five cups of tea, a bowl of popcorn, a cup cake, and cup of water and nothing was working. I figured that the magnificent island was missing me and I should go hug her. So I did just that. Laptop aside. Notebook closed. Out to the beach. It was dusk, one of my favorite times of the day. The sun was resting her tired legs over the lake victoria and the water was washing up onto shore in steady rhythmic waves. I found Zahara and Lynn trying to take silhouettes at the pier. Actually, I found them arguing about how Lynn should be bold and jump higher on the pier. Zahara with one of those complicated, weighing a ton camera around her neck was shouting, gesturing and stomping her little feet to a shrieking Lynn. I watched amused. The pier wasn’t high so I ruled out Lynn being afraid of heights. It was about a meter and half wide so I ruled off the possibility of her falling off.

“LYNN WHY DON’T YOU JUST JUMP?” I asked coming closer.

She looked at me as if I was the wife of the devil.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I COULD FALL OFF. THERE ARE CRACKS ON THE BOARDS.” She responded as she found evidence for her worries.

Zahara rolled her eyes stomped off to a perfect picture taking spot and ordered me to show Lynn how the “professionals” do it. Filled the flattery from a professional photographer I boldly walked up onto the pier with all it’s cracks and sticking out nails and conjured the ballerina in me. I jumped till Lynn had no choice but to join me.

 I recently had the pleasure of attending Jackee Batanda’s Success Spark Brand Writing Retreat on Bulago Island, and here are the top 10 reasons why I think you should be a part of  the next one:

1. They will accept you at whatever level of writing you find yourself. You don’t have to be published, or be an active blogger. You just need to have a passion for writing, and be willing to share and learn.
2. You will spend five days with people who are natural born storytellers like yourself. For four nights, you will no longer be the outcast in the family who has decided to pursue a writing profession. Apart from the resourceful workshops, breakfast, lunch and dinner conversations will surprisingly become the highlight of your day. You will probably laugh like you have never laughed before, but remember Jackee has one rule, “what is spoken on the island stays on the island.”
3. It’s a safe place to share your writing. Take it as a great opportunity to gain insights on your work from experienced facilitators like Nyana Kakoma of ‘Sooo Many Stories’, and other budding writers like yourself.  The constructive criticism from the facilitators will help you start to polish your own unique style and voice.
4. Jackee’s goal is to make sure that you actually get published.  The facilitators will help you think through your writing goals, and consider publishing platforms that are relevant to your work. Rejoice! Your one-on-one mentoring session will occur on the beach and not some dingy classroom that was built in the 1970’s.
5. You will most likely gain weight, but don’t panic because it is totally guilt free. Not once in the five days will you ever set foot in the kitchen to prepare a meal or to wash the dishes.  The food cooked by the resident chef is so mouth-wateringly good, that it would be considered RUDE of you and the other participants not to gain weight. The chef makes fresh orange muffins for breakfast from scratch; no Nakumatt-bought cake mix is involved in the process at all! Take a minute to pause, smile, and fully grasp the meaning of the last few sentences, because during the retreat Jackee’s only task for you will be to focus on honing your writing skills. Alas, gaining weight is the only way you will be able to show your appreciation and gratitude to the chef who is working so hard in the kitchen to prepare your delicious meals.
6. Prepare yourself to be mesmerized by the majestic sunrises and sunsets. Every day you’ll find yourself either standing by the window, or outside watching the sun like a zombie.  I have a whole new kind of adoration and respect for God, and the first two chapters of the book of Genesis. In my head, I’d like to think that this island is the spot where God first told the sun to rise.
7. For all you social media junkies, let me confirm that the internet does work on the island. We were not totally cut off from civilization. You can still access all your accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and share your wonderful experience with the friends and family members who told you not to come *wink wink*.
8. Imagine falling asleep to the sound of waves at night, instead of the sound of the mosquitoes you usually fight with, or the prayer shouts from the local church, or even the road-side disco and bar. Just relax to the melodic sound of the waves as they entice you into dreamland, because it’s a well known fact that writers need their beauty sleep too.
9. This is not a drug or alcohol fueled retreat!  You should definitely leave behind in Kampala, the belief that you will find your muse while using illegal substances.  We are all upstanding citizens, who just happen to be writers. So tell your Dad, Mum, your hubby and your wifey, that they can stop hyperventilating, you are not being abducted or brainwashed. All you need to do, is come prepared to take writing and storytelling seriously.
10. You will return to your normal life and anxiously await for Jackee to announce the dates of the next writing retreat.  You’ll have had so much fun, that these retreats will just have to become a permanent fixture on your annual calendar.

I’ve already booked my place at the next writing retreat, so make sure you contact Jackee and book yours. You can reach Jackee  via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I am looking forward to meeting you, and hearing your stories. 

As a writer, you pride yourself in the fact that you are able, on a higher level than the ordinary man, to put into words what exactly it is that you are feeling, what it is that you see, smell, hear, name it. Whether it is a terribly scrumptious heaped plate of spaghetti with a slightly orange tinge that tastes like ocean waves at sunset or a large tree with red and brown leaves that bends slightly to the right whenever the wind blows and has endless trails of tiny black insects harvesting sweet cold nectar up from its pale pink flowers down to its partially hidden roots...you get the picture. That was not the case with the writer’s retreat on Bulago Island over the Independence Day weekend.This retreat was organised by Jackee Batanda of SuccessSpark Brand and Nyana Kakooma of Sooo Many Stories. Don't let the fact that this was the first of it's kind fool you...

Imagine a big orange house, with large glass windows that cover almost fifty percent of the walls. Imagine that this house is on a cliff, overlooking the lake in every direction that you face. Imagine large spacious rooms with an old-fashioned feel and every bit of furniture made from carefully recycled material. Imagine sitting at a large dining table, with a wooden base and a heavy marble glass top the color of the ocean, and sipping on a cup of freshly ground coffee and some freshly baked date muffins.

Imagine your heart beating faster each and every time you look out your front door, because you cannot believe that such beauty still exists in Uganda. Imagine this happening thirty times a day, because that’s how often you absent-mindedly turn your face to the front door. Imagine being left speechless each and every one of these thirty times. Imagine being speechless, and yet you are also a writer.

Imagine absolute silence.

The kind where you can hear the wings of a butterfly flap. The kind where your mind is so clear, you are actually afraid it might be transparent.

Now imagine laughter; the now-you’re-home kind, the kind that starts from the bottom of your belly, comes out through your eyes and fills the room with warmth. The kind that makes you throw your head back and hold your stomach.

Imagine knowledge; the in-depth profound kind that opens you up to a whole new way of thinking. The kind that is tailor-made to fit you like a glove. You know those things you know but actually you don’t really know; this is where you find that out. Imagine learning the ancient secrets of the trade, sitting cross-legged on the floor, knee to knee with five or so people with similar interests. Imagine brain-storming at 8pm in the night, under an orangish yellow light, in a bedroom where the only sound you can hear is the chirping of crickets.

Imagine food! Your very own resident chef! Food of all kinds of shapes, colors and sizes. Imagine baby-bum soft and warm muffins, mouth watering desserts that you have only ever seen on Food network, a barbecue on the beach by a roaring fire, the aroma of which leaves you feeling dizzy, coupled with wine, and presents and books.

Imagine hugging the sun, imagine old fireplaces, a swimming pool with an out-door shower, night lights on the lake, reading autographed novels on beach beds, guided nature walks around the island. Imagine clear air that smells of…nothing.


I’m not one to be at a loss for words often, but this retreat left me speechless. It went over and beyond my greatest expectations. I gained knowledge, I made friends, I found peace and through it all, I was at home.

This half-day session answers queries on writing, editing, publishing and marketing of your work. Prospective authors will learn about the writing process, what goes in the editing process and the steps needed for a good piece of writing.  You will also learn about publishing in Uganda and will explore the different options to becoming a published author.

This session answers all your questions and in doing so, will bring you closer to publishing that book you have always wanted to write.

Did you know that poor corporate writing – in press releases, ads, brochures, websites and more – is costing companies credibility and revenues? Not only is poor corporate writing embarrassing and time wasting, it also makes your organization vulnerable to lawsuits.
A 2011 Communicare survey of Canadian workers revealed that 58 percent of workers spend as many as 4 hours each day reading emails, reports, memos, and online text, which is about 50 percent of a day’s work!
 
According to this survey, because of poor writing, much of that time is wasted: “71 percent of respondents have heard complaints about writing quality, 63 percent noted writing errors, 70 percent claimed lost productivity as results, and 85 percent say poor writing wastes time.”
 
The numbers may be much higher in our context because most employees leave the Ugandan education system with poor writing skills.
So while your top management may only see the finished product, they are not involved in the planning, drafting and revising of the final product, and may not understand the time staff waste when faced with a writing task they are not familiar with.
 
Wasting readers’ time affects your company’s profitability and worker productivity, not only in the actual time spent reading, but in answering the questions that are sure to arise and in clarifying points of the original document.
 
SuccessSpark Brand Limited, a communications and educational company, is committed to helping you increase your bottom line though equipping you with professional writing skills.
 
This intense 3 day Specialized Writing Retreat will equip you with more persuasive writing skills.  You will leave with strong writing skillswhich will help improve sales, increase return on your investment, response rate, reader interest or better understanding of policies and benefits.
 
You will be required to submit a finished report and a report in progress to us before the start of the programme. These reports will be used as case studies during the programme, so that participants can apply the lessons learnt during the workshop to their work.