English 311

In the sense that education is a process of inquiry, writing may be among the highest forms of education. By providing you opportunities for selecting your own subjects to write about in depth and your own strategies for approaching those subjects, this class is something of an empty frame for you to fill with your own initiative and vision. And by sharing our mutual strengths and methods, we will strive for a synthesis in which we all share the roles of both student and teacher.

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 (newsletter piece, profile, thematic feature), targeted to real markets. The newsletter article is intended for publication in the English Department’s annual newsletter, Tidelines. We will also produce several reports designed to help us to understand the magazine industry and various technical exercises.

You are strongly encouraged to submit your other work for publication.

Reading assignments include professional magazine and newspaper pieces, as well as class mates’ newsletter articles, which will be formally workshopped. My intention is to facilitate a community of mutually supportive writers working together in close dialogue.

Objectives

· To develop the basic skills of magazine journalism and produce a variety of stories worthy of publication;

· To learn practical skills in marketing work to targeted audiences;

· To become familiar with the rules and conventions of Associated Press style;

· To become familiar with state and federal libel law, and journalistic ethics.

“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

* 21st Century Feature Writing by Carla Johnson — Pearson 2005 (“FW”)

* Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law -- Goldstein (current ed.) (“AP”)

* Handouts provided by instructor

Course Requirements

* Regular attendance, active participation. Although attendance will not be recorded in this class, your regular attendance and participation are expected. Likewise, your punctuality in arriving to class and leaving on time. Punctuality demonstrates your respect not only for the instructor and your peers but also for yourself, allowing each of us to participate fully, without distraction. Your focused engagement and class interaction are critically important to your success in this class. They are also important to you beyond this class, as class discussions will frequently range well beyond our readings. Put simply, regular attendance is a minimum expectation of tuition-paying, mature adults in pursuit of a worthwhile goal. As your instructor, I hope to convey my trust that you will approach this course with the maturity, mutual respect and punctuality befitting higher education and career professionals.

* Written assignments and quizzes (full descriptions provided below). All stories must be new (neither reworked from other classes nor previously published). Reporting for stories must be authoritative and original, based on interviews you conduct yourself with relevant experts.

Three Story Assignments:

(S1) 800- to 1,00-word newsletter article plus two drafts & supporting components

(S2) 1,000- to 1,500-word profile plus supporting components

(S3) 2,500+ word thematic feature plus supporting components (and one preliminary draft)

Six Exercises:

(E1) Feature analysis

(E2) Newsletter analysis

(E3) Interview exercise

(E4) Research exercise (canceled)

(E5) Profile analysis

(E6) Query exercise

(E7) Lead exercise

Two Reports

(R1) Magazine report

(R2) Author bio and “personal beat”

Workshop Responses—numerous

Three AP style quizzes

One libel & copyright quiz

* Workshop Drafts. Your newsletter article (S1) will be workshopped twice, once for development, once for copy-editing. You will receive credit for completing the preliminary draft on time and for copyediting another student’s article. (See “Story & Report Assignments” for details). Please make careful note of the requirements and due dates for S1 drafts and workshops.

* Workshop Responses. See below.

* Conference. You are required to have at least one brief conference with me no later than Friday, Oct. 14, either by telephone or in person. Please schedule in advance. Discussing the course capstone, the thematic feature (S4), 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 you must access your campus e-mail frequently. If you prefer, you may have your campus e-mail forwarded to another address (call the Help Desk for assistance, ext. 4357), but I will use only your campus e-mail address. If you run into difficulties with your campus e-mail, it is your responsibility to work with the university’s 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. Keeping an informal reading journal is recommended.

“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 reliability of a free press. Academic honesty, therefore, is among our first principles. Whenever your work is reviewed for publication, here and in the commercial market, your credibility — and so, your future as a writer — is on the line. 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 (available in the online edition of UNCW Code of Student Life). Violations of this honor code will result in an F for the course and potential university judicial action as well.

The two most serious types of academic dishonesty are plagiarism and fabrication.

What is plagiarism?

· Presenting someone else's work as your own, without proper acknowledgement.

· Using some else's opinions, word arrangement or sequence of ideas without proper acknowledgement.

· A violation not only of universal honor codes but potentially of U.S. copyright law as well.

What is fabrication?

· Making up quotes or information from a real source.

· Making up quotes or information from an imaginary source.

· Making up information and not citing a source at all.

· Attributing real quotes or information to a source other than the actual source.

Everyone is expected to do honest, original work at all times.

Deadlines

Writers live and die by deadlines. Assignments are due on the dates specified. However, except for the final assignment, workshop drafts and responses, 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.) Workshop drafts, responses, and the final story assignment if submitted late receive no credit. When in doubt, make no assumptions. Ask your instructor.

AP Quizzes

Three open-book quizzes on AP style will be given, each consisting of 25 problems, worth five points, total. All you must do is indicate whether each problem is or is not consistent with AP style—no rewriting necessary. Quiz problems derive from lists (available here) of some of the most important and commonly used terms. This method obviates the need to memorize the entire Stylebook; however, studying for these quizzes is still necessary: you will not have time to look up every term—each quiz must be completed within 12 minutes.

Libel & Copyright Quiz

A short-answer quiz on libel and copyright will be drawn from the AP Stylebook.

“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. 3746).

Grading & Grade Weights

Here are the point-values of your graded assignments and quizzes:

	(S1) Newsletter Draft 2 (copy edit)-------------	5
	(S1) Newsletter Final-----------------------------	10
	(S2) Profile-----------------------------------------	15
	(S3) Nut draft--------------------------------------	5
	(S3) Thematic feature----------------------------	20
	6 Exercises, 5 pts each---------------------------	30
	2 Reports, 5 pts each------------------------------	10
	3 AP quizzes, 5 pts each--------------------------	15
	Libel & copyright quiz-----------------------	5
	Conference-----------------------------------------	5
	Total.-----------------------------------------------	120 pts

Participation may influence your grade. This is based on the number of written workshop responses you provide on time. Responses sent both to writers and instructor on deadline receive full credit. Half credit is lost for missing deadline or for sending a response to only one recipient. You should maintain a dated record of all the responses you submit (optional form provided).

	16 to 19 responses-------------------------	“+” added to final grade (e.g., B+ becomes A)
	12 to 15 responses-------------------------	No influence on final grade
	9 to 11 responses---------------------------	“–” on final grade (e.g. B– becomes C+)
	8 or fewer-----------------------------------	Final grade reduced by whole letter

Grading Scale

Grading utilizes a plus/minus scale. Calculations will be rounded to the nearest point.

Note: Always, always back up everything you submit by copying your files to an external medium or remote server. (Backup tips here.) This is especially important while an assignment is in progress. If you have problems with your computer or e-mail account, notify the instructor immediately. Failure to submit work on time due to such problems is inexcusable. You are solely responsible for managing your materials.

Assignments may be submitted in hard copy or 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.

All story submissions except the newsletter article (S1) must include the following seven components, edited into a single document. (S1 requires only a sources list.) Major components, such as the query letter, writers’ guidelines, and story should begin on a fresh page. (Insert hard page breaks where needed.)

1. A brief but specific explanation 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...” Also explain how your story suits the style of the magazine as represented by the story sample you provide.

2. Story Sample. Copy the first page of a story similar in type to the one you’re submitting, from the same magazine you’re querying.

3. A copy of the publication's writer's guidelines. 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. Writers' guidelines are frequently available online. If a publication does not publish any, it is up to you examine more than one issue of the magazine and to derive guidelines based on your careful examination of their practices.

4. A sources list showing your primary research and the names of people you interviewed, including their phone numbers or e-mail addresses in case I have questions. Always point out the “extra validity” checks you do on profiles and personality pieces. Example: If you follow a doctor for your profile, be sure to check credentials and possible legal actions and complaints against him.

5. Your query letter, written to the correct style and voice for the chosen publication and addressed to a real editor. Only choose publications for which your stories are of suitable length, subject and style.

6. The story itself. 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 a story of 1,800 words.

7. Checklist. Use the form provided to assess the quality of your work and to check that you have all components.

Identifying Assignments: When submitting assignments electronically, please create easily identifiable filenames that include your last name and the abbreviation of each assignment. For example: SmithS1; SerranoS3.doc; BambergE5.rtf; SternR2.txt

Accuracy is paramount. Points will be deducted from articles for obvious errors in names and facts, egregious lapses in spelling or grammar, and violations AP style. Use the AP Stylebook habitually.

Appearance: The physical appearance of submissions influences the editors assessing them. So take great pains in creating attractive, professional manuscripts and query letters. Poor document design will have a negative impact on the grade of an assignment. Spell-check every assignment twice before submitting it.

Format: Typescripts for all written assignments should use the following format:

• page 1: Your name, abbreviation for assignment, date submitted, word count of story (It’s useful also to indicate whether a submission is a first or second revision, final draft, etc., of a previously submitted version.)

• page numbers in upper right-hand corner (It’s also a good idea to place your last name in every page header)

Photos: If you have the capability to take photos for your projects, you are encouraged to provide them. Photos can greatly improve the marketability of your articles.

Sources: Typically the number of sources you interview for a story is directly proportional to the length of the story. Some 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.

IMPORTANT: Failure to meet the minimum requirements for length, quoted sources, or submission components automatically renders a story unacceptable—equivalent to a grade of D. This may put such an assignment in danger of failing, should additional shortcomings exist. See descriptions of individual assignments for details.

Workshop Responses

Responding judiciously to other people’s writing helps you develop your own aesthetic. So at each workshop, you are required to provide a written critique of the articles under discussion (expect three per workshop). Be prepared to provide oral commentary as well.

Two copies of each response are required—one for the author, one for the instructor—no later than the night of the scheduled workshop. You will receive credit for each response submitted in duplicate, on deadline. Responses sent late or to only one person receive half credit. The total number of written responses submitted will influence your participation grade (see “Grade Weights” below).

Responses should present your estimation of the strengths and weaknesses of each article, plus any suggestions you’d like to make. Address the writer directly. Tie your comments specifically to the text. Provide the kind of useful responses that you would like to receive yourself, but please, no cheerleading.

Examine the assigned article carefully, reading it at least twice. Write an analysis of the piece (outline form is OK) that includes the following elements:

• Structural outline of the story’s major sections with a brief notation of the rhetorical strategies used in each section; e.g., process, narration (scene-setting), cause & effect, comparison & contrast, description, problem-solution, classification & division, etc.

You may also wish to consider addressing the article’s subtext, conflict(s), plot, character, and any interesting figurative language. Make note of any passages that stray from, or are especially well tied to, the central theme.

Analyze the assigned newsletter article in much the same way as for the feature article in E1.

On 8/30, you will pair off with a classmate and interview each other along the lines of this theme: “When the Going Got Tough: One Person’s Struggle with _____.” Each of you will fill in the blank—decide for yourself what personal struggle 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 partner. 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.)

Acting as a copywriting team, we will create the English Department’s promotional newsletter, Tidelines. You will prepare a report on your preliminary findings in a classwide budget conference. You each will be assigned a story, and drafts will be workshopped twice in class. Much as a “work for hire” in a professional setting, your article will be edited by your instructor and by department faculty. All stories of sufficient quality* will see publication in the spring, including your by-line. This project focuses largely on audience, purpose, factual accuracy, integration of sources, and rhythm. Keep the language plain, the pace lively. The supporting components required for this assignment are items #3 and #5 (see list above).

* Final selection of stories for publication will be made by the department, not by your instructor, after the conclusion of the semester. Whether or not your piece is chosen for publication has no bearing on your grade.

A Word of Caution: This article will be workshopped in class over a period of weeks. The workshop schedule will undoubtedly pose time-management problems for those at the beginning and those at the end of the workshop cycle. Therefore, workshop dates will be assigned randomly. Be mindful of your workshop date and plan ahead.

A number of newsletter stories will be presented by the department, but more will be needed. This is your opportunity to pitch original story ideas.

Emulating a publication’s editorial budget meeting, this class will require an oral presentation of your preliminary findings on the story you have been assigned. You will receive assistance from the entire team. Come prepared also to ask and to respond to questions. If you anticipate obtaining photographs to accompany your article, feel free to bring along.

Workshop dates will be drawn randomly. Writers must send an electronic copy of their complete drafts and source lists to the instructor one week prior to their scheduled workshop dates (TBD). The instructor will distribute the articles to the class by e-mail. Be certain to include your e-mail address in the typescript. A second draft will be copy edited in class.

Reviewers must send written responses to each writer and to the instructor by the end of the appointed workshop day. You will receive credit for each response submitted, in duplicate, on deadline. Responses sent late or to only one person receive reduced credit. The total number of written responses submitted will influence your participation grade (see “Grade Weights” below).

Responses should present your estimation of the strengths of, and your concerns about, each article. Address each writer directly. Be specific, tying your comments to the text. Provide the kind of detailed, useful responses that you would like to receive yourself — but no cheerleading!

For the article assigned, write an analysis (in outline form) that includes the following elements:

• Structural outline showing the major sections of the piece. Provide a brief notation of each section, it's rhetorical strategy, and the names, titles and number of sources identified in the piece. Be especially conscious of the writer's use of chronology.

• Brief description of the type of lead, major transitions, and conclusion. Note the use of any figurative language.

Provide the instructor one hard copy of your revised newsletter article (earns 5 points). A copy-editing workshop will be held the following class (10/27), at which you will edit a peer’s article.

Draft a one-page query letter for your profile article (S2). Address it to an actual editor at a real magazine. Keep the language concise and lively. You will have the opportunity to revise it before resubmitting it with the article itself.

Using the excerpt to be provided, 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.

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. (I will gladly provide initial feedback if you send me a description of your subject, theme and nut graf at least a week prior to your due-date.) You have the option of submitting a revision of the profile no later than December 1st. However, merely submitting a revision does not guarantee an improved grade.

Draft a preliminary nut section for your final assignment (S3), articulating the theme, or point, of the article. This draft is intended to provide feedback and assistance you in focusing your effort.

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 calling the editorial department and talking to 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 as articulated by them or evaluated by you. In other words, what is the magazine trying to do, and how does their cover design help to achieve it?

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 online (Advertising Age, Standard Rate and Data, Bacon’s Folio, the Magazine Publishers of America Web site) or in local media to see if your magazine has been in the news lately and, if so, why.

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 researcher and 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 unnerving creativity. Think of this as a mission statement, a lens through which to focus your energy and brand your work.

The course capstone. Begun at the start of the course and worked on throughout 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.

Week	Date	Writing Due	Reading Due	Topics
1	8/18			Introduction
2	8/23		FW ch. 1; Shabana	Story structure (feature)
	8/25	E1: Feature Analysis	FW ch. 3	Story structure (newsletter)
3	8/30		FW ch. 5	Interviewing I (pair off)
	9/01		FW ch. 2	AP Quiz 1; Interviewing II
4	9/06	E2: Newsletter Analysis	FW ch. 10	Newsletter orientation
	9/08	E3: Interview Ex.	FW ch. 4;	Research I
5	9/13	Newsletter Proposals	FW 6; Tidelines online	Newsletter assignments
	9/15		FW ch. 7	Research II
6	9/20	Preliminary newsletter reports	FW ch. 8	Budget Meeting
	9/22		“Fisherman,” “Wild Life”	Profiles
7	9/27		NEW! Tidelines story assignments and workshop dates
	9/29	No Class; S1: Newsletter Workshop Draft and Responses
8	10/04	E5: Profile Analysis		S1 Workshop
	10/06	Fall Break; no class
9	10/11	No Class
	10/13			S1 Workshop
10	10/18			S1 Workshop
	10/20	Conference deadline!		S1 Workshop
11	10/25			S1 Workshop
	10/27	S1: Newsletter Copyedit Draft		Copy editing
12	11/01		FW ch. 9	S1 Copy-edit Workshop
	11/03	S1: Newsletter Final	Review Ch. 7	Queries
13	11/08	E6: Query for Profile (S2)		Leads
	11/10	E7: Lead Ex.		AP Quiz 2
14	11/15	S2: Profile article
	11/17		FW ch. 11	AP Quiz 3; The market; marketing & rights
15	11/22	S3: Nut Draft		Personal Beat
	11/24	Thanksgiving Break; no class
16	11/29	R1: Magazine Report	AP Briefing on Media Law: Intro, ch 1–6	Libel; Libel quiz
	12/01	R2: Bio & Beat; Deadline for S2 revisions	AP Briefing on Media Law: ch 7–9, 11–13	Rules, Tips, Privacy, Copyright
	12/06	S3 Feature due by 5:00 p.m.		Final Deadline

A	94 – 100 % Superlative	D+	68 – 70 %
A-	91 – 93	D	64 – 67 Unsatisfactory
		D-	61 – 63
B+	88 – 90 %
B	84 – 87 Outstanding	F	< 61 % Unacceptable
B-	81 – 83

C+	78 – 80 %
C	74 – 77 Satisfactory
C-	71 – 73