This course will help you build and polish the repertoire of skills you need to become a professional nonfiction writer. To do this, you will study texts that suggest ways to develop professionalism. You will read, analyze, and learn from the work of fine writers. You will practice both the large and small skills required of a professional writer. You will coach one another and be coached by the instructor. You will search the current magazines for examples of good and weak writing to share in class. You will have constant opportunities to write with the object of widening your writing skills and creating excellent, well-written articles.

Because professionalism in your writing is so important--and so basic, the course will begin with a "Writers' Bootcamp." The object is for you to permanently dispense with any mechanical errors that still cling in your writing after your 12 to 14 years of schooling. Bootcamp will open with an editing test. You will identify your own weaknesses and focus on correcting them. No more errors in elementary school spelling words!

The first in a two-part series, this course emphasizes writing for specific publications in a staff writer-type role. (The second course in the series, JMC 120, emphasizes the freelancer's role, marketing, long-form writing, and literary techniques.) Thus, after Bootcamp (if you survive), you will "apply" to "work" for one of four magazines. The magazine you are "hired" for becomes your target market for assignments during the semester and you work in a team with other students assigned to the same publication. All work must be aimed written for a specific section of your "employer" magazine.

This will be an exciting semester for us and a great way to end the 20th century. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the semester I first taught article writing--back at Ohio State University.

---

The specific skills you will build this semester include:

Professionalism: high quality presentation of your written work, including solid basic English usage, plus extended knowledge of more complex editing issues, such as AP vs Chicago styles, active vs passive voice, and eliminating wordiness, incorrect idioms, exclusive language, and misuse of various commonly confused expressions (composed of/comprise, hopefully, and the like). Students will be graded on their macro and micro editing of their own and others' writing. Poorly edited writing assignments will be strongly downgraded.

Substance: thorough knowledge of both primary and secondary research sources for articles, ability to synthesize and analyze (and tell the difference), and skill at basic interviewing of both public and private figures. Each feature-length article must have a minimum of 5 sources, a mix of primary and secondary, with personal experience and "local" (i.e., Drake) quotes not counting in the 5. All articles must be accompanied by a professionally presented source list.

Superior Writing: informative, engaging, stylish writing, cohesive, with strong forward "flow." Well-organized articles, packed with information and built around a specific thesis or focus. On deadline (downgraded one letter per day for lateness). Draft and rewrite required for each submission.

Beyond Intuition (Westfall)
On Writing Well (Zinsser)
Introduction to Magazine Writing (Fink and Fink)
Additional readings, as handouts

---

 

1. Complete a draft and final version of

- three "briefs,"
- one service article,
- one profile, and
- one general feature.

Your final grade on each element will be an average of the grades for your first turned-in version and your second. (Notice I don't refer to these as "first" or "second" drafts. The first turned-in version should be your best work, a result of three or four drafts.)

2. Attend class and participate thoughtfully. The campus attendance policy is in effect. For each two unexcused absences, your final grade is lowered by one letter. Many absences may mean you cannot pass the course, since every class meeting includes essential information and discussion. Participation includes diligence in working with your editorial team, quality input in working with classmates, and intelligent presentation of ideas, articles, editing, and the like.

3. Complete two in-class examinations, which will require application of principles from the class and readings.

---

Each article will be returned with a score sheet to help you determine specific strengths and weaknesses of the work.

Overall standards are these:

A = exceptional work, far above average, with solid research, control of voice and tone, strong focus/thesis and refocusing as necessary to carry the flow of the piece, clear narrative (no hasty jumps, no you-know-what-I-means), organization appropriate to the material and audience, polished and accomplished prose style, appropriate to the named market, with complete sourcing.

B = good work, above average. Well-written and edited, with weakness in only one of the areas mentioned in the "A" section. Within range of being publishable.

C = average work, perhaps superficial, with weak sources, poor selection of quotes, or a limited display of proficiency in selecting and carrying out a prose style, focus, voice and/or organization. (An article weak in all these areas would, of course, not receive a passing grade.) Could be polished with editing and careful redevelopment.

D = dull story, poor work. Needs major rewriting or heavy editing for weak writing or mechanics. Careless or sloppy writing. Frequent style errors. Unsupported but challengable assertions or careless or inadequate reporting.

F = unpublishable story. Late, or poor in content or structure. Fact errors, spelling or grammar errors abounding, misspelled proper nouns.

Certain errors are "fatal" in a professional setting. For each occurrence of any of these, expect a letter-grade cut:

factual error,
misspelled proper noun,
misspelled first-grade spelling word (i.e., it's/its, their/there/they're, and the like), or
three or more basic mechnical errors in any 3-page span.

---

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and need assistance, please notify Drake's Disability Resource Center (104 Memorial) and me immediately. Reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

My apologies to those of you who would never dream of cheating but...this policy helps protect you from those who would. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication's policy on plagiarism is in effect in this course. As your instructor, I define plagiarism as: theft of the ideas, work, designs, or any intellectual property of another. It is not acceptable to merely paraphrase existing writing or designs. If you are found to have copied another's work on any assignment, you will receive an F in this course. The incident will also be reported to the Dean for disciplinary action, as outlined in the SJMC policy. I am also handing out the School's plagiarism and absence policies.

The honest student's responsibility? Report cheating as soon as you notice it. A claim of cheating reported after the fact is much more difficult for the professor to substantiate.

---

our course syllabus in paper version
School plagiarism and absence policies (blue handout, first day)
article writing score sheet
schedule of readings and assignments.

---

copyright Lee Jolliffe 1999