Systematically craft compelling writing that engages, informs, and persuades
Are you tired of wrestling with words and wrangling the writing process?
In Scientific Writing Simplified™️, you get the principles, resources, and systems you need to transform your writing from complex to compelling—and the confidence to communicate your research and ideas well.
Impress readers
Influence readers with clear, concise, and compelling writing that is informative and engaging.
Persuade reviewers
Convince reviewers to support your work with writing that sparks their curiosity and fuels their excitement.
Master writing well
Master the craft of writing well so you can effectively and efficiently express your ideas.
Save time and energy
Overcome the time-consuming and mentally draining challenges of struggling to write well.
Meet length limits
Write concisely to meet word, page and character limits without sacrificing important details.
Control the process
Get control of your writing so it no longer controls you (or your valuable time and energy).
Get the skills, feedback, and accountability you need to transform your writing
Hear why our students love Scientific Writing Simplified
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“Before the course, I never thought I could be telling a story through science. I used to find it pretty challenging to understand the core message and even more challenging to stick to it through every paragraph of the Introduction and Discussion sections of my manuscript.
The course has helped me dissect every piece of content that I write from the paragraph level right down to the word level. I now think in layers, first focusing on ensuring that each paragraph aligns with the core message, then look at individual sentences to identify the different elements in each sentence, and finally, the word choice.
While the course offers numerous valuable tips and tricks for becoming an excellent writer, I believe its greatest strength lies in its practicality. You can immediately start applying any one of these techniques and observe significant improvements in your writing.
I have never seen any course so comprehensive. Given my limited financial resources, I did put in a lot of thought before committing. But now I am certainly very happy I went ahead. I can confidently say that this course has been one of the best investments I have made in my medical writing career.”
– Vinay Sridhar, CMPP, ELS, Freelance Medical Writer, Mumbai, India
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“Writing is hard. Effectively engaging readers requires clear, concise communication. Writers, including myself, sometimes struggle to navigate the path between scientific accuracy, brevity, and storytelling. Luckily, the Scientific Writing Masterclass offers writers a compass and Crystal provides a roadmap with a structured process that elevates your writing to the next level. The course is practical and informative: I loved the live sessions, interacting and learning with my peers. The checklists and practical examples add a valuable resource. Crystal transformed the writing process from an amorphous entity into an accessible framework – I’m delighted I chose this course!”
– Rhona Fraser, BVMS, Freelance Medical Writer, Medical Writing Solutions
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"Danish is my first language, English my second, and Italian my third. I live and work in Italy and often edit English texts written by native Italian speakers. This mix of languages has introduced some bad habits in my writing, and I needed some tools to structure my writing and editing processes. I had already taken Crystal’s Lay Summary Fundamentals course and knew that she has a talent for teaching clearly and effectively, so I decided to enroll in the Scientific Writing Masterclass. Crystal explains all aspects of writing, from storytelling to sentence structure and flow. Templates and checklists are provided to help with the editing process.
The Scientific Writing Masterclass not only taught me how to write better but also how to edit other people's writing. I highly recommend the masterclass to anyone who wants to improve their scientific writing and editing skills.”
– Lisa Mathiasen, PhD, Scientific Communication Manager, Estor
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“Before taking the course, I had difficulty getting started with my writing projects. I didn’t have a good plan of attack for getting them done.
The course helped me learn how to structure my writing sessions and set specific goals. This included things like the best order to write sections of the manuscript and how to connect ideas so the story flowed in a logical and compelling way. I enjoyed all the content videos and felt the concepts were clearly explained and easy to understand.
My favorite parts were the checklists and tip sheets! I found that when I was stuck, using the checklist reminded me of items I needed to explain and helped me get back on track.”
– Juliet Spencer, PhD, Director of the School of Sciences, Texas Woman's University
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“As a writer, I needed insights into the writing process to deliver impactful and concise work. The Scientific Writing Masterclass helped me to bridge that gap. Throughout the past 12 weeks, I have learned insightful and practical ways to write and expand on core ideas. This program paves the way to confidence in writing, not just for those in research but all writers. I now write confidently and use a systematic writing approach to create pieces that impact a reader's informed decision-making. The Scientific Writing Masterclass delivers valuable information with easy usage in a reasonable time frame.”
– Lola Ravid, RN, Freelance Medical Writer, Nomadic Pluma
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“This course exceeded my expectations. I had taken some other writing courses before and thought that I knew the basics, but I learned so much more than I imagined was possible.
This course opened my eyes on what it means to write well and respect the reader. I would highly recommend it to anyone who communicates through writing.”
– Inga Saknite, PhD, Adjoint Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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“I took this course to gain more confidence in my writing. I learned many things in the class that continue to make my writing clear and concise. Crystal's expertise and facilitation style made the live sessions engaging. The class's content allowed me to edit a draft of a manuscript systematically. The course content and additional resources provided to us were excellent. After taking this class, I am confident in my writing and editing abilities.”
– Rachel John, PhD, MPH, LICSW, Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Social Work
The course roadmap
Module 1: Frame Your Story
Distill the details of your story
You'll learn:
The power of storytelling in science
How the structures of research papers, grant proposals, and other documents are designed to help you tell a story
How to define the central message and build a strong framework to guide readers through the story
Module 2: Develop Your Story
Engage your readers and spark their curiosity
You'll learn:
How to engage your readers by building on what they know and getting them excited about your work
How to organize and scrutinize your data to support a credible story.
How to satisfy your readers’ curiosity and leave them with a powerful impression of your work.
Module 3: Organize Your Paragraphs
Structure your paragraphs to tell substories
You'll learn:
How to use common story structures to organize your paragraphs—and the sentences within them—to support your story
How to arrange information in your paragraphs to connect ideas
How to structure paragraphs to build or make arguments that persuade readers
Module 4: Structure Your Sentences
Craft sentences with a compelling framework
You'll learn:
A framework to help you craft clear, concise, and compelling sentences
Where to place key information in sentences to build on what readers know, enhance their understanding, and emphasize important information
How your sentence length influences how your readers feel about your writing—and you
Module 5: Manage Your Flow
Connect your ideas to guide your reader
You'll learn:
How to overcome one of the biggest problems in poor scientific and medical writing
How to connect your ideas and build on what readers know
How to create flow that smoothly guides readers through your story
Module 6: Amplify Your Energy
Show action to create clear, compelling writing
You'll learn:
The power of using strong verbs to create a compelling tone in your story
How certain words and phrases add energy and confidence to your writing
When to use—and when to avoid—passive voice in your writing
Module 7: Select Your Words
Choose words that boost clarity for readers
You'll learn:
How to choose words that boost clarity in your writing
What qualifies as jargon and what to do when you find it in your writing
When to disregard advice from your English teacher by using similar terms in your writing
Module 8: Cut Your Clutter
Condense your text for concise writing
You'll learn:
How to condense your text for concise writing that meets those dreaded page, word, and character limits
How to cut unnecessary content, remove redundancy, and whittle wordiness
Our tiny tricks to take advantage of every space you can in your writing
Plus, you’ll get access to
The Grove community!
You’ll get exclusive access to a community of researchers and other professional writers to get support, stay accountable, ask for advice, exchange ideas, celebrate wins, share expertise, and more.
Monthly Writing Feedback Lab
Experiment with writing and get expert editing feedback on excerpts submitted by fellow members or selected by the instructor.
Monthly Writing Journal Club
Explore the strengths and weaknesses of the writing in manuscripts, grant proposals, and other documents in this spin on the classic journal club.
Monthly Mastermind Calls
Join members in your career path for a monthly live conversation, Q&A, and collective brainstorming about tackling writing challenges.
Weekly Skill Builders
Sharpen your writing skills with weekly exercises to apply what you learn and discover more ways to enhance your writing.
Expert Insights
Get mentorship, attend workshops, and connect with your instructor and guest speakers to enhance your writing and productivity.
Event Library
Access recordings of past events, including group coaching sessions, writing journal clubs, workshops, and guest speakers.
Resource Library
Access a library of resources to help with writing, formatting, reference management, visual design, project management, and so much more.
Annual Accelerator
Join the annual accelerator program to complete the course and get live support, accountability, and more opportunities to apply what you learn.
Hear what more students had to say about the course
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"Since I was little, I have struggled to simplify my writing. In first-grade English, I was marked down for run-on sentences. Even now, I tend to write long sentences with complex phrasing because that is how my brain works. The biggest struggle I face as a freelancer is editing my thoughts after writing them down on paper. This is a daunting part of the writing process for me.
Crystal's masterclass in scientific writing provided actionable strategies to improve the clarity and conciseness of my writing. She even suggested Microsoft Word tips that have made writing my routine deliverables faster and more streamlined.
My key takeaways from the class were as follows:
• Clear writing means clear thinking.
• Scientific writing doesn't have to be jargon soup. You are trying to share what you know, not impress other people with big words and complex sentences.
• Treat everything you write as if it were a story and you are the storyteller. This method makes your writing so much more enjoyable to read.
• Communication is a critical life skill required for success. If you want to be understood and supported, make it easy for others to comprehend what you are trying to say.
My favorite part of the course was actually participating in office hours. You never knew where the conversation was going to go or what insights people would share. I would highly recommend Crystal's course to improve your writing (and ultimately your thinking) process!"
– Maria Arini Lopez, PT, DPT, CSCS, CIMT, CMTPT, Freelance Medical Writer and Owner, Inspire Medical Communications, LLC
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“The course helped me to become aware of a number of things that I think I did unconsciously. By making these aspects of writing conscious, I now can be more systematic in addressing them in my writing.”
– Jeffry Ricker, PhD, Freelance Medical Writer, A Flock of Scientists, LLC
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“Thank you for your time and teaching us new tools and introducing us to fundamental concepts to be better at writing scientific documents. I really enjoyed this course. I learned a lot in these last 12 weeks! I will apply everything I have learned in this course in my future writing, you can count on it!”
– Lionel Faure, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Texas Woman’s University
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“It's an amazing, eye-opening class for us non-native speakers of English. It helps greatly to show you how efficient and succinct you can become as a writer.”
– Mosleh Alkhatatbeh, Graduate Student, Texas Woman's University
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"Thank you so much for your help! The writing class was so beneficial for improving the quality of my writing in every detail. Every lesson was extremely practical, so I immediately applied the skills to my paper. Also, Crystal's thoughtful comments helped to make my manuscript much easier and smoother. I greatly appreciate it."
– PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
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"No matter how well you think you write, you will still learn much that is new. Writing is one of those subjects that one can always learn more about, especially when the teacher has given so much thought to the subject.”
– PhD, A Flock of Scientists, LLC
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“This course opened my eyes on what it means to write well and respect the reader. I would highly recommend it to anyone who communicates through writing. The world would be a better place if everyone took this course.”
– PhD, Vanderbilt University
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“Exceptional content. Very clear, easy-to-follow, and exciting. Made me want to learn more, watch the next video, and get back to work on my own manuscript.”
– PhD, Vanderbilt University
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"The course that Crystal provides is clear, concise and infinitely readable. I've taken the course and thoroughly recommend it. I still refer to the course material and find hidden gems that I previously missed."
– MBA, Freelance Medical Writer
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“The Scientific Writing Masterclass has made me rethink how I write. It has been eye-opening.”
– RN, Freelance Medical Writer
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“The course provided actionable strategies to improve writing and made it immediately applicable to your current writing.”
– DPT, Freelance Medical Writer
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"You will learn a lot, and Crystal teaches you in a very fun and accessible way with new tools to write better grants, articles, emails, etc."
– PhD, Texas Woman’s University
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“I really enjoyed the format of the course and especially enjoyed meeting new colleagues. Hearing other people's stories in the live session was helpful. I hope to grow these connections.”
– MPH, Project Manager
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“Very enjoyable course, well worth the time and money investment.”
– PhD, Scientist
Not sure if Scientific Writing Simplified is right for you?
Here are a few recommendations to help you choose.
This course is right for you if…
You want to learn to craft clear, concise, and compelling writing that engages, informs, and persuades readers.
You’re an ambitious graduate student or postdoc who wants to learn to write well from the start and prevent the writing challenges that many researchers face.
You’re an early career researcher who wants to learn writing principles that will support your career and ensure your work is not rejected for being too clear.
You’re an established researcher who wants to learn principles and systems that will help you write better, faster, and easier so that you can advance your career.
You’re a medical and scientific communicator who wants to hone your skills and learn principles, perspectives, and tools that will expand your writing tool belt.
Other courses will serve you better if…
You’re looking for “rules” for writing. Writing is about principles and knowing when and how to use them. This course will teach you writing principles and give you tools to help you get control of your writing.
You’re looking to learn the fundamentals of writing in English, such as spelling and grammar. This course will go beyond the fundamentals and teach you principles you need to craft clear, concise, and compelling writing.
You’re looking to passively consume information. This course is designed for you to take action and apply the skills you learn. Only through deliberate practice will you develop your skills and become a better writer.
Risk-free guarantee
We believe that this course will help you learn to write well, and we back that belief with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
If you participate for up to 14 days and no longer think the course is right for you, send us an email at courses@redwoodink.com. We’ll ask why the course didn’t work for you so we can get better, but you’ll get a full refund. Simple as that!
Common questions you might have
“What if I don’t have time to participate fully?”
This course is designed with flexibility in mind. You can complete the course and engage with the community at your own pace, with asynchronous skill builders, peer-to-peer discussions, and recorded resources that fit into any schedule.
“I don’t know if I’ll be comfortable in a community setting.”
The Grove community is welcoming, inclusive, and built around collective support. No matter your comfort level, you’ll find a space that respects your pace, appreciates your perspectives, and provides a network of peers to cheer you on.
“Is the investment in this course worth it?”
Think of this course as an investment in yourself. You’ll gain access to a valuable course and resources, and you’ll join a community that supports and challenges you. Many students have said that this course alone is one of the best investments they have made.
“Will my institution help cover the cost of the course?”
Many organizations encourage their faculty, staff, and trainees to continue their education. And some grant or startup funds can be used for professional development. If you need help figuring out how to ask your mentor or institution for support, check out this in-depth guide.
Frequently asked questions
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This course includes 8 self-paced modules that contain a series of shorter pre-recorded video lessons. You’ll also get a course workbook that contains cheat sheets, bonus pro tips, and exercises for you to take action and practice the skills you learn with a draft of your own writing. With this approach, all the practicing you do will help you craft a polished writing project that you can submit to an agency or program.
You can complete the course as fast or as slow as you like. If you want extra accountability to complete the course, you can join our annual accelerator program.
The course also includes exclusive access to The Grove community of researchers and other professional writers. In the community, you can connect with your peers to attend virtual events, get support, ask for advice, exchange ideas, celebrate wins, and share your expertise.
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We know that you might like self-paced courses. But we also know that you might like the idea of self-paced courses, but you need some accountability.
We compromised by creating a hybrid course. The course lessons are pre-recorded videos that you can watch on your own schedule and as many times as you want. Then you can get live support in The Grove community to help you stay accountable, implement what you learn, and accomplish your writing goals.
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We offer both live and recorded events to support accountability, learning, and connection.
Writing Feedback Labs are recorded and available in the event library for at least 12 months after the date the event took place.
Writing Journal Clubs, workshops, and guest speaker sessions are recorded and available in the event library.
Live mastermind sessions may include sensitive discussions and are not recorded. These sessions are held on a rotating schedule. (Your group's calls will always be at the same time on the same day of the month so you can plan accordingly.)
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Yes! We welcome people from all over the world. We are US-based, and all our events are held between 9 AM PT and 6 PM PT. All events (except mastermind calls) will be recorded for replay and available for viewing in the event library.
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We do not offer discounts. We’ve priced our course to ensure we are providing outstanding value.
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Please email courses@redwoodink.com and let us know more about your team size and your goals.
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Send them to courses@redwoodink.com. We’ll get back to you ASAP.
Meet the instructor
Hi, I’m Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS
I’m not one to talk about myself or toot my own horn. But I am passionate about what I do.
I enjoy wrangling words and heading down thesaurus rabbit holes. And I’m one of those weirdos who loves the challenge of condensing text to meet a word limit.
Like many researchers, I did not get adequate training in how to write well while I was in graduate school. In fact, most training programs and research institutions do not offer adequate support in writing. Yet, these institutions expect researchers to write successful manuscripts and grants. Their success depends on it.
Now I’m on a mission to support researchers’ success by helping them clearly and persuasively convey their research and ideas. I’ve spent more than a decade learning from the greats in writing and more than two decades teaching topics in the sciences and writing. Over my career, I’ve had the joy and honor of helping thousands of brilliant scientists, clinicians, and medical communicators to write well.
Together, we can pinpoint your writing challenges and arm you with the principles, resources, and systems you need to refine your writing, showcase your expertise, and advance your career.
If you’d like more professional details about me, you can read my official bios and visit my profile on LinkedIn.
Get the principles, resources, systems, and support you need to transform your writing
Benefits of joining Scientific Writing Simplified
8 modules with self-paced video lessons
Exclusive access to The Grove community
Hundreds of examples to help you learn
Downloadable workbook, templates, checklists, and cheat sheets
Monthly Writing Feedback Lab (+ recordings)
Monthly Writing Journal Club (+ recordings)
Monthly live mastermind sessions
Pop-up events (guest presentations, writing accelerators, and more)
Resource and event libraries
Weekly skill builders
Annual accelerator program
Our risk-free guarantee
Ready to join Scientific Writing Simplified?
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