Udemy

Master the Comma

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  • 298 Students
  • Updated 11/2020
4.6
(84 Ratings)
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Course Information

Registration period
Year-round Recruitment
Course Level
Study Mode
Duration
2 Hour(s) 38 Minute(s)
Language
English
Taught by
Nicole C. Ayers
Rating
4.6
(84 Ratings)

Course Overview

Master the Comma

Save Face, Time, and Money


It’s time to solve all your comma conundrums.

Learn from a word maven extraordinaire who has taught thousands of students, edited hundreds of manuscripts, and written three books of her own.

  • Do you still question where to put your commas?

  • Do you randomly throw commas into your manuscript and hope they’re in the right place?

  • Do you frequently apologize for your commas?

  • Do you get manuscripts back from editors or critique partners with so many redlines (corrections)?

This is the course for YOU!

You are going to learn when to use commas. When to never use commas. And how to apply all the comma “rules” to your self-editing practice.


Why do you need an e-course about commas?

There are so many reasons!

1. Commas have more uses than any other punctuation mark.

2. Commas are chameleons.

3. Commas allow readers to understand your writing.

4. Commas save lives!

5. Commas do NOT actually indicate a pause.

6. Comma usage can be nuanced.

7. Commas separate words, phrases, and clauses.

8. Commas show you when information is critical for meaning. And when it is not.

9. Comma mastery is the mark of a skilled writer.


Benefits List

Empower yourself as a writer with clear communication.

Mastering comma usage will boost your creativity and give you the freedom to tell the story you’re meant to write.

You’ll have fun playing with commas while you refine your writing style.

You can be confident that your readers won’t get distracted by your comma usage, or lack thereof, even in your earliest drafts.

Become a sought-after critique partner because of your knowledge.

Improve your self-editing skills by learning the ins and outs of comma usage.


What You Will Get

Content is bite sized and easily digestible.

· Video lessons for 20+ comma rules

· Clear examples

· Sample edits with actual manuscripts from real authors

· Multiple ways to practice


What We Will Cover

I’ll teach you WHY commas are chameleons. We’ll also dig into:

· Comma Rules to Always Use

· Comma Rules to Never Use

· Comma Rules to Choose

· And more

Best of all, I’ll teach you how to apply all this new knowledge to dramatically level up your self-editing game.


Who This Is For and Who This Is Not For

This Is For:

· Writers who are serious about improving their craft

· Writers on a budget

· Writers who want clarity on the Chicago Manual of Style’s expectations

· New writers

· Veteran writers

· Writers of short stories, personal essays, and books (fiction and nonfiction)

· Writers who use American English

This Is Not For:

· Writers who don’t care about their readers

· Writers with no interest in growing

· Writers with scads of money to throw at editors for multiple rounds of editing

· Writers who make the Chicago Manual of Style bedtime reading

· Writers who already know all the comma rules and how to use them

· Writers of poetry


Why Learn From Me

I’m a word maven extraordinaire. A client once dubbed me the “Comma Queen.” I know what I’m doing.

I have over twelve years’ experience in classrooms, teaching real live people how to write (and use commas).

I worked for a National Writing Project affiliate and taught other teachers how to teach writing (and use commas).

I’ve been a professional editor for six years, and I’ve seen hundreds of manuscripts and edited millions of words.

I’m friendly and approachable. Some people even think I’m fun.

I’m also a writer, with three books publishing in early 2020, so I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the editing pen.

Teaching writers how to make their work shine is my passion. Let me help you.


FAQs

I’ve never been able to understand how commas work. What makes you different?

I learned about commas in school. Why do I need a course on commas?

Will I have to complete boring practice worksheets?

What do I need to know to do well?

I’m worried that I’m a terrible writer. Are you grading me?

What if I have a question during the course?

What if I can’t attend the LIVE call?

If I fall behind, can I catch up later?

What is your refund policy?

What if I have a writing question that’s not about commas?


Dear Writers,

Now is the time to master the comma so you can save face (no more embarrassing mishaps), time (no more googling “how to use commas”), and money (no more extra rounds of edits). I can’t wait to see you in the course.

Take care,

Nicole Ayers

Course Content

  • 10 section(s)
  • 51 lecture(s)
  • Section 1 Welcome to Master the Comma!
  • Section 2 Commas Are Chameleons
  • Section 3 Comma Rules to Always Use
  • Section 4 Comma Rules to Never Use
  • Section 5 Comma Rules to Use Like This, But Not Like That
  • Section 6 Commas You Choose
  • Section 7 Commas and Introductory Phrases
  • Section 8 Comma Splices
  • Section 9 Commas and Self-Editing
  • Section 10 You Made It!

What You’ll Learn

  • Comma usage, following Chicago Manual of Style, the style guide for US authors, Punctuation rules for commas, Greater confidence in writing, Self-editing skills


Reviews

  • R
    Rachel Ukawa
    4.0

    This is a good basic to intermediate course on commas. I was hoping it would be a bit more of a deep dive, because I am working on a course to become a proofreader, and need to know commas backwards and forwards. That said, it did help me on my journey, and the homework practices were useful. I also found the instructor to be extremely responsive. I'm taking the course at least 4 years after it was published, but the instructor still responded to my homework question promptly and thoroughly.

  • C
    Cecilia Jorgeson
    4.0

    I think this course is a great overview of comma usage, but I wish it were even more in-depth. For example, one thing I've struggled with recently is when to use a comma before a dependent clause when an independent clause precedes it. I don't think this was covered in the course. (My apologies if it was.) So I'd love this course even more if it went even further into the nitty-gritty of comma usage. One of the things I really enjoyed and found helpful was the homework. It was a lot of fun going through the sample documents and figuring out the correct comma placement.

  • M
    Melissa Goodall
    3.0

    The course was fine until she talked about her extra marital sexual arrangement with her husband in module 29. That ruined the professionalism of the course for me.

  • B
    Brooklyn Sorenson
    3.5

    I was almost hoping this would be more in-depth than CMOS, but it was essentially reviewing the manual with simpler terms. Still a great course for anybody who doesn't already know how to navigate the CMOS, but not really the course for me. Thank you for putting this together, though! It can be a very useful tool to many authors I work with, and I'll be sure to pass along the rec.

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