Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Communication: Drafting and Writing
Teaching staff
Students can attend office hours during the following times:
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., by appointment.
Students must arrange an appointment with the lecturer by email in order to avoid unnecessary waiting times.
Introduction
The course focuses on developing written communication, creativity, narrative skills and the ability to adapt discourse to different objectives, genres and communication contexts. The programme combines the acquisition of theoretical foundations of written communication with a predominantly practical methodology based on the analysis, writing, revision and rewriting of texts.
The sessions are structured around the general foundations of writing and progressively move towards narrative construction, storytelling, journalistic genres and new forms of written communication. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between communicative intent, audience, genre, structure, voice, style and medium, understanding writing as a decision-making process.
Each session will combine a theoretical component with a practical component aimed at the immediate application of the content. Critical text analysis, self-correction and peer assessment will also be encouraged.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are necessary.
Objectives
● To encourage reading and writing in order to improve oral and written expression.
● To learn how to generate content, relate it to other areas of knowledge and structure ideas appropriately within a text.
● To provide a theoretical foundation in narrative tools that enables students to make the most effective use of language for effective communication according to the objective established in each case.
● To experiment with different narrative genres and communication registers and understand the particular characteristics and potential of each.
● To write accurately and precisely.
● To develop an individual writing style and understand the effect of specific stylistic and narrative choices.
● To analyse texts in a well-reasoned and structured manner.
● To incorporate self-correction as part of the process of producing written texts.
● To foster students’ critical attitude and reflective capacity as both consumers and creators of texts.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Explain the foundations of classical and contemporary culture in order to interpret current communication trends and phenomena.
- CN02 - Recognise the textual, graphic and audiovisual expressive and narrative resources used to create effective persuasive messages in advertising and public relations.
- CN05 - Recognise the principal artificial intelligence tools with applications in advertising, marketing and public relations.
- CP01 - Work effectively in professional advertising and public relations teams, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.Work effectively in professional teams involved in audiovisual production, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.
- CP02 - Communicate persuasive arguments orally and in writing in Catalan, Spanish and English, demonstrating strong skills in summarising and memorisation.
- CP05 - Manage relationships between advertisers and agencies effectively, applying media planning and buying strategies in multi-channel advertising and public relations environments.
- CP07 - Produce audiovisual advertising projects using core techniques in storytelling, recording, editing and post-production for a range of formats and media channels, taking economic viability into account.
- CP09 - Create multi-platform advertising content using narrative and digital marketing strategies adapted to different formats and channels.
- CP10 - Create graphic and visual elements by applying principles of design and visual communication to advertising and public relations campaigns.
- HB04 - Design strategic communication and public relations plans that respond to the needs of organisations across different sectors.
- HB05 - Use advertising language and narrative techniques to develop persuasive messages for advertising and public relations campaigns.
- HB08 - Develop creative advertising messages, adapting language and style to different contexts and formats.
- HB09 - Critically examine information derived from advertising and public relations messages across a range of media formats and platforms in order to assess their market viability.
- HB12 - Use specialised English terminology in advertising and public relations.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
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Communicate orally and in writing with accuracy, clarity, fluency, and the ability to synthesise and memorise texts.
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Master writing techniques to create texts commonly used in commercial and institutional communication, using artificial intelligence-based tools to optimise writing and personalise messages according to the target audience.
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Become familiar with the linguistic, iconic, and visual resources that constitute persuasive language, incorporating artificial intelligence tools to analyse visual trends and improve design quality.
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Develop arguments in an intelligible and convincing manner.
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Create radio and television content.
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Master the most innovative visual communication techniques and recognise the main theories of the image in order to create impactful audiovisual content.
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Master the main techniques and tools for composition, lighting, photography, and studio recording.
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Analyse the channels through which communications targeted at a specific audience can be conveyed.
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Master verbal and body language in front of a camera, an audience, or a public gathering, applying professional voice and presentation techniques to make an impact through their communication style.
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Communicate creatively and persuasively through written or audiovisual media. Develop a deeper understanding of persuasive communication techniques.
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Master advertising language, both verbal and audiovisual, in order to create spots targeted at different audiences and adapted to various media and platforms.
Syllabus
The course covers the following topics:
BLOCK I. FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION AND WRITING
TOPIC 1. Writing to Communicate
● Written communication: foundations, factors and objectives.
● The text as a communication tool.
● Sender, receiver, message, context and communicative intent.
● Information, narration, opinion and persuasion.
● General typology of texts.
● Adapting the text to the objective and the intended audience.
TOPIC 2. The Writing Process: From Idea to Text
● The process of written composition.
● Generation, selection and organisation of ideas.
● Topic, idea and approach.
● Research and information gathering.
● Planning and structure.
● Introduction, development and conclusion.
● Writing as a process.
TOPIC 3. Good Writing: Clarity, Precision and Style
● Coherence and cohesion.
● Sentence and paragraph construction.
● Syntax, vocabulary and punctuation.
● Clarity, precision and concision.
● Economy of language.
● Register and appropriateness.
● Common writing errors.
● Individual style and stylistic choices.
TOPIC 4. Introduction to Narrative and Storytelling
● The concept of narrative.
● Difference between story and discourse.
● Basic elements of narrative.
● Event, character, conflict, space and time.
● Narrative structures.
● Introduction to storytelling.
● Narrative as a communication tool.
BLOCK II. NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION
TOPIC 5. Narrator, Voice and Point of View
● The narrator and narrative voice.
● Author and narrator.
● Internal and external narrator.
● First and third person.
● Point of view and focalisation.
● Narrative distance.
● Reliable and unreliable narrator.
● Construction of a narrative voice.
TOPIC 6. Telling and Showing: Description, Scene and Atmosphere
● The principle of “telling” and “showing”.
● Description and narration.
● The narrative scene.
● Character construction through actions and details.
● Space and atmosphere.
● Use of the senses.
● Significant detail.
● Explicit and implicit information.
TOPIC 7. Rhythm, Tone and Register
● Narrative rhythm.
● Story time and discourse time.
● Scene, summary, pause and ellipsis.
● Tone and register.
● Literary, academic, journalistic and advertising language.
● Linguistic appropriateness.
● The relationship between form, content and communication context.
TOPIC 8. Storytelling: Structure, Conflict, Character and Emotion
● Fundamentals of storytelling.
● Structure and narrative arc.
● Conflict and tension.
● Expectation and anticipation.
● Character and transformation.
● Emotion and empathy.
● Beginning, development and ending.
● Applications of storytelling in communication and the media.
BLOCK III. JOURNALISTIC WRITING AND NARRATING REALITY
TOPIC 9. The News Story: Writing to Inform
● Information and opinion.
● Objectivity and subjectivity.
● The newsworthy event.
● Newsworthiness criteria.
● The 5 Ws + H.
● News story structure.
● The inverted pyramid.
● Headline, lead and body.
● Selection and prioritisation of information.
● Sources and information verification.
TOPIC 10. Journalistic Genres: Information, Interpretation and Opinion
● Concept and classification of journalistic genres.
● Informative genres.
● Interpretive genres.
● Opinion genres.
● News story.
● Feature article.
● Interview.
● News chronicle.
● Opinion article and column.
● Differences between information, interpretation and opinion.
TOPIC 11. Feature Writing, News Chronicles and Narrative Journalism
● Feature writing and news chronicles.
● Narrative journalism.
● Narrating real events.
● Scene, description and contextualisation.
● Real people and testimonies.
● The journalist’s voice.
● Information and narrative techniques.
● Boundaries between narration, recreation and fiction.
● Responsibility and ethics in narrating real events.
TOPIC 12. The Interview and the Journalistic Profile
● The interview as a genre and journalistic tool.
● Research and preparation.
● Types of questions.
● Open and closed questions.
● Active listening.
● Selection and editing of statements.
● Character construction.
● The journalistic profile.
TOPIC 13. Digital Writing and New Narratives
● The technological environment and written communication.
● Characteristics of digital writing.
● Adapting text to the medium and channel.
● Brevity, fragmentation and screen reading.
● Headlines and writing for digital media.
● Social media and written communication.
● Digital storytelling.
● New narratives and formats.
● Hypertextuality and transmedia narratives.
● Ethics and responsibility in digital communication.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.2 |
| Focused Praxis. Handing in occasional exercises to learn theory through practice. | 1.5 |
| E-learning. Virtual learning based on ICT. | 1 |
| Lab. Working groups that combine theory and practice. The aim of these is not to undertake already known techniques, but instead to make progress that is both theoretical and technical. These Lab sessions will culminate in the creation of a professional or semi-professional product. | 0.4 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 2.4 |
| Peer learning. The aim of this activity is to ensure that students gain the ability to analyse and be critical. One way of achieving this is by correcting their peers' exercises and results, etc. Each student will be evaluated twice: as both a recipient and a transmitter of critical knowledge. | 0.5 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Writing accurately is essential in all courses and, particularly, in this one. In accordance with Faculty regulations, spelling mistakes will result in a deduction of one point from written assignments and half a point from examinations. The Faculty regulations regarding spelling mistakes and, of course, plagiarism will therefore be strictly applied. In this regard, plagiarism will result in failure of the entire course and may constitute a minor academic offence as established by the University’s Governing Board.
Assessment is divided into two parts:
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Continuous assessment: 50%
4 assessed in-person activities at the end of each theoretical block, 25% each.
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Final course project: 50%
Other examination periods:
Second examination period: If a student fails the first examination period, they must sit the written examination in the second examination period.
Third examination period: If a student fails the second examination period, they must re-enrol in the entire course, attend it and pass it.
Fourth examination period: If a student fails the third examination period, they must sit the examination in the fourth examination period.
Fifth examination period: If a student fails the fourth examination period, they must comply with the conditions established for extraordinary examination periods.
Bibliography and resources
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Camps, O. (2013). Llibre d’estil de la Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (I. Amadeo, Ed.). Generalitat de Catalunya.
Cassany, D. (1989). Describir el escribir. Austral.
Cassany, D. (2006). La cocina de la escritura. Anagrama.
Eco, U. (1996). Seis paseos por los bosques narrativos. Lumen.
Fuentes, C. (2011). Guía práctica de escritura y redacción. Espasa Libros.
García Márquez, G. (1995). Cómo se cuenta un cuento. Ollero y Ramos.
Goldberg, N. (2003). El rayo y el trueno. La Liebre de Marzo.
Goldberg, N. (2004). El gozo de escribir. La Liebre de Marzo.
King, S. (2012). Mientras escribo. Plaza y Janés.
Lázaro, F. (2015). El dardo en la palabra. Debolsillo.
Martínez Sousa, J. (2001). Manual de estilo de la lengua española. Ediciones Trea.
Páez, E. (2006). Manual de técnicas narrativas. Editorial SM.
Queneau, R. (1989). Ejercicios de estilo. Cátedra.
Rodari, G. (2002). Gramática de la fantasía: Introducción al arte de contar historias. Editorial del Bronce.
Rosillo, E. (2023). Underground: El camino de la desviación. Fuera de Ruta.
Spang, K. (2005). Persuasión: Fundamentos de retórica. Eunsa.
Zapata, A. (2003). La práctica del relato. Fuentetaja.