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Bill Di Nome | Burney 181 | 962-7138 | dinomew@uncw.edu University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Department of English Class Hours: 6:30–7:45 p.m. | Tuesday& Thursday @ MO 204 Office Hours: Tuesdays 2–3 p.m. & by appointment
English 311-001 Professional Magazine Writing Spring 2006
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Course Description Our focus is on writing nonfiction prose intended for magazines (consumer and trade), newspapers, journals, and newsletters. We will stress thematic development, story structure, literary style, marketing, and journalistic integrity. Our approach is hands-on: you will produce three full-length stories targeted to real markets. Additional work includes technical exercises, reports designed to help us to understand the magazine industry, and quizzes. Discussions of prize-winning articles and articles produced in class are a key component of the course. You are strongly encouraged to submit your articles for publication. Objectives
“The news writer tells you the bridge fell in and how many cars fell off. The feature writer tells you what it was like to have been there.” ~ Jules Loh, AP feature writer
Required Texts & Resources
Regular attendance, active participation and punctuality are expected. Attendance will be recorded 10 times on random, unanounced dates. Your engagement and interaction are critical to your success in this class and beyond, as discussions will range widely. Poor attendance will negatively affect final grade (see Grading, below). Regular attendance is a minimum expectation for tuition-paying, mature adults in pursuit of a worthwhile goal. Written assignments and quizzes (full descriptions provided below). All stories must be new, neither reworked from other classes nor previously published. Reporting must be authoritative and original, based on interviews you conduct with relevant experts. Four Story Assignments: (S1) 750- to 1,500-word how-to, service, or personal experience plus supporting components (S2) 500-word scene-setter lead (S3) 1,000- to 1,500-word profile plus supporting components (S4) 2,500+ word thematic feature plus supporting components (and a preliminary nut draft)
Seven Exercises: (E1) Analysis of How-to, service or personal experience article (E6) Thematic feature analysis Two Reports (R2) Author bio and “personal beat” Three AP style quizzes and one libel & copyright quiz Mid-Semester Conference. You are required to have at least one brief conference with me no later than Friday, March 03, either by telephone or in person. Please schedule in advance. Discussing the thematic feature (S4), the course capstone, is especially important. Ungraded Exercises, as needed. Computer Competence is necessary to this course as well as to a successful writing career: handling e-mail attachments, saving files in various formats, properly identifying files, etc. Access to University E-mail. E-mail is our official mode of communication and assignment submission, so check your campus e-mail frequently. I will use only your campus e-mail address via Seaport. If you run into difficulties with your campus e-mail account, it is your responsibility to contact the Help Desk to resolve the problem, or to submit assignments in hard copy on deadline. Remember: Managing your files effectively is your own responsibility. Regular Reading is foundational. Do not fall behind. You are expected to be conversant in all readings regardless of whether we address them explicitly in class.
“Style can't carry a story if you haven't done the reporting.” ~ Tom Wolfe Ethics The importance of preserving journalistic integrity and credibility cannot be overstated, especially today, when abuses seem rampant. No less than our democracy depends on the credibility of a free press. As our first principle, then, plagiarism, academic dishonesty, and any fabrication of fact, quotation, chronology, or intention cannot be tolerated. You are expected to be familiar with UNCW's academic honor policy (download the UNCW Code of Student Life here). Violations of this honor code will result in an F for the course and university judicial action as well. The two most serious types of academic dishonesty are plagiarism and fabrication. What is plagiarism?
What is fabrication?
Everyone is expected to do honest, original work at all times. Deadlines Assignments are due when specified to be eligible for full credit. Except for the final assignment, late assignments will be accepted up to two weeks after the due date, but the highest score possible will be a B. (Your actual grade may be lower.) The final story assignment, if submitted late, will receive no credit. Take careful note of the final deadline's date & time. When in doubt, make no assumptions. Speak with your instructor in advance. Deadlines are not negotiable. Submission Components for Stories IMPORTANT: Each story submission except the scene-setter (S2) must include the following six components, edited into a single document when possible. Failure to meet the minimum criteria for length or quoted sources indicated in the detailed descriptions below, or to supply all the submission components, renders a story unacceptable—equivalent to a grade of D. This may put an assignment in danger of failing, should additional shortcomings exist. Please note the value of each component relative to the whole assignment. 1. The story itself (40%). In addition to being written to the correct style and voice for the chosen publication, the story also should meet the relevant requirements stated in the publication’s guidelines. If a magazine does not accept feature articles longer than 1,500 words, do not pitch an 1800-word story. 2. Your query letter (20%), written to the correct style for the chosen publication and addressed to a real editor. Only choose publications for which your stories are of suitable length, subject and style. 3. A brief, specific explanation (10%) of why you chose the publication queried. Example: “Grit is 90% freelance written, open to new writers, geared to the same audience my article addresses rural Baby Boomers, runs two features monthly, and pays 25¢ per word for features. I have been reading the magazine for years and understand its editorial stance. The magazine has not published a similar article since....” 4. A copy of the publication's writer's guidelines (10%). I'll accept Writer's Market listings only as a last resort if the publication does not publish guidelines and you've discussed it with me in advance. Writers' guidelines are frequently available by request or online. If a publication does not offer guidelines, it is up to you examine several issues of the magazine and to derive guidelines based on your own examination of their practices. 5. A sources list (10%) showing the names of people you interviewed, including their phone numbers or e-mail addresses in case I have questions. 6. Checklist (10%). Use the form provided here to assess the quality of your work and to check that you have met all the assignment's requirements. When submitting assignments electronically, preferred file formats are rich-text format (RTF) and MS Word document. Please do not send WordPerfect or MS Works documents unless saved as RTF. File Management: Always, always back up your files by copying them to an external medium or remote server. (Backup tips here.) If you have problems with your computer or e-mail account, notify your instructor immediately. Failure to submit work on time due to computer problems is inexcusable. You are solely responsible for managing your materials. Identifying Assignments: When submitting assignments electronically, please identify the file by your last name. Appending the abbreviation for the assignment also helps. For example: SmithS1; SerranoS3.doc; BambergE5.rtf. Accuracy and Appearance are taken into account for grading. Obvious errors in names and facts, egregious lapses in spelling or grammar, and violations AP style will have a negative effect. Use the AP Stylebook habitually. The physical appearance of submissions influences the editors assessing them. So take great pains in creating attractive, professional manuscripts and query letters. Typescripts for all assignments should use the following format:
Sources: Typically the number of sources you interview for a story is directly proportional to the length of the story. Minimum standards appear in the assignment descriptions below. For all stories, you should independently corroborate the validity of what sources tell you. Use quotations and paraphrases liberally. Your notes and your tape recordings (yes, taping interviews is recommended) must be available for me to review on demand. Maintain your files. Four timed quizzes will be given, each worth five points: Three open-book quizzes on AP style derive from a list of commonly used terms (available here). One short-answer quiz on libel and copyright will be drawn from our textbook and the AP Stylebook's "Briefing on Media Law." The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. “An ounce of example is worth a ton of generalities.” ~ Henry James Classroom Policies Classes will begin and end on time; please be punctual. Also, be mindful of not clamoring to pack your belongings before our scheduled closing time. Please do not check e-mail or surf the Internet during scheduled class time. No food or beverage other than water is permitted in computer classrooms. Please turn off or silence your cell phone before class. Special Needs Students with disabilities who need accommodation to complete the course requirements should notify me in writing as soon as possible. Please include a copy of your accommodation letter, available by registering with the Office of Disability Services (ext. 7555). Grading & Grade Weights Here are the point-values of your graded assignments and quizzes:
Participation (attendance) Each recorded absence will reduce grade earnings by 3 points. More than five recorded absences will result in automatic failure for the course. Grading Scale Grading utilizes a plus/minus scale. Calculations will be rounded to the nearest point.
Story & Report Assignments (in chronological order) See information on Submission Components. E1 How-To, Service, or Personal Experience Analysis | Due Jan 24 (5 pts) Examine the assigned article carefully. Write an analysis of the piece that includes the following elements: • One-sentence summation of the article’s central theme • An outline of the story’s major sections with brief notations of the sources cited or implied in each section, plus rhetorical strategies used; e.g., process, narration (scene-setting), cause & effect, comparison & contrast, description, problem-solution, classification & division, etc. • Briefly analyze the lead, conclusion, and any interesting transitions you find. Consider addressing anything else about the story that stands out for you, good or bad: the article’s subtext, conflicts, plot, character, interesting figurative language, etc. E2 Query for Profile | Due Jan 31 (5 pts) Draft a one-page query letter for your profile article (S3). Address it to an actual editor at a real magazine. Keep the language concise and lively. S1 How-To, Service, or Personal Experience Article | Due Feb 07 (15 pts)
Pay special attention to the stepwise process or chronology if you choose the how-to or "come along" story. If you're addressing a problem to be solved, present the problem succinctly and utilize expert interviews. Keep the language plain, the pace lively. E3 Lead Exercise | Due Feb 09 (5 pts) Using the excerpt to be assigned, we will rewrite the lead three different ways (TBA). Part of the challenge is determining where your new version will segue with the original. Length may vary widely. E4 Interview Exercise | Due Feb 14 (5 pts) On Feb 02, you will work in groups of three for round-robin interviews along the lines of this theme: “Close to the Edge: How One Person Averted Personal Disaster.” As the subject of an interview, each of you decide for yourself what personal disaster to share with the class. Swap the names and phone numbers of possible sources (friends, relatives, coworkers) and begin a series of interviews to put together a brief profile of your subject. Before your final draft, do a follow-up interview with your subject to contextualize what your other sources have told you. Use a scene-setting descriptive lead for the story. (This need not be a finished story.) S2 Scene-Setter Lead | Due Feb 21 (10 pts) ● c. 500 words (2 pp) Draft a situation, or narrative, lead for your profile (S3). Using an incident, anecdote or example, and vivid sensory details, paint a word picture that "puts your reader there" or evokes a mood and leads your reader to the heart of the story. Try to select details that foreshadow a theme that will arise from the story; e.g., happiness, love, fulfillment, frustration, despair. Show us, don't tell us. Finish with the nut section. E5 Profile Analysis | Due Feb 28 (5 pts) Analyze the assigned article in much the same way as for E1. Mid-Semester Conference | Deadline Mar 02 (5 pts) S3 Profile article | Workshop draft (S3a) due Mar 14 (5 pts); Revision (S3b) due Mar 28 (20 pts) • 1,000 – 1,500 words (c. 5 – 6 pp) • 4 cited sources, minimum (including the primary) Write a profile of someone your readers would like to know. Do plenty of interviews (five to 10), and bring colorful anecdotes and voices to life. This article will be workshopped in class on March 14. S4a Thematic Feature Nut Draft | Due Apr 11 (5 pts) Draft a preliminary nut section or thesis statement for your final assignment (S4b), articulating the theme, or point, of the article. This draft is intended to provide feedback and to assist you in focusing your effort. E6 Thematic Feature Analysis | Due Mar 21 (5 pts) Analyze the assigned article in much the same way as for E1. E7 Research Exercise | Due Mar 23 (5 pts) Instructions will be provided for two simple background checks. R1 Magazine Report | Due (5 pts) Choose a magazine you admire (not too big, perhaps a regional or city magazine). Get to know its content and your possible job prospects there. Begin by interviewing an editor or editorial assistant to see what opportunities exist on the editorial side of the house. Ask her to switch you to advertising side of the house so you can inquire about job prospects there. Ask for a media kit (they may not provide it), or see if it’s available online. Using this information, write a report addressing these six points: 1. The magazine’s editorial mission and cover strategy. What is the magazine trying to do, for whom, and how does its cover design work to achieve it? 2. Circulation (paid vs. free, if you can find out), including newsstand 3. Five demographic or psychographic characteristics of typical readers 4. Five types of feature articles the magazine runs (or has recently run) and the number of feature articles published per issue 5. Three to five types of entry-level positions for which a college graduate like yourself may be eligible. 6. Finally, check trade magazines for the magazine industry (e.g., Advertising Age, Standard Rate and Data, Folio—some are online), the Magazine Publishers of America Web site, or local media to see if your magazine has been in the news lately and, if so, why. R2 Author Bio & “Personal Beat” | Due Apr 25 (5 pts) Write a stylish one-paragraph bio of yourself (in the third person), listing any publication credits or other information that demonstrates your capability or talent as a writer. In lieu of pub credits, use any relevant work experience, internships, or classes taken. Design your own beats, listing topics, concepts, areas of interest that pique your imagination, ideas you can inhale an thrive on (not specific story ideas). Think broadly, with playful creativity. Think of this as a mission statement, a lens through which to focus your energy and brand your work. S4b Thematic Feature | Due May 04 (25 pts) • 2,500+ words • 6 cited sources, minimum The course capstone. Begun at the start of the semester, this article should be an in-depth, serious, highly polished piece elaborating a theme. This feature is to be based on strong, authoritative and original reporting, and integrate numerous interviews. This article should be pitched to a market that accepts work of the required length. A draft nut (S4a) or thesis, is due April 11. Spring 2006 Class Schedule (Dates and assignments subject to change)
Updated 060131 |
