As a reminder, please remember we'll be meeting in conference from Thursday, Dec. 1 until Finals Week. If you have not signed up for conferences, please do so. The sign-up sheet will be on my office door. During your conference, we'll discuss your final immersion piece and go over any questions you have about your portfolios. Please bring copies of any work you'd like to discuss. Please use your time out of conference to work on your immersion projects. Your project should include evidence of extensive research, hands-on reportage, and understanding of the basics of magazine writing (including angle, focus, voice). Please be sure to target one particular publication as a possible home for your piece, and write for that specific audience. Grammar counts, of course, as does basic AP Style. The length of your piece should be between 1000 and 2000 words.
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Your final portfolios are due in my office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15. There will be a drop-box outside my office door. If you'd prefer to send an e-copy, please compile your portfolio into one single document, save as a PDF, and send to both loj@pitt.edu and lljakiela@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15.
Here again is the checklist:
* Your portfolio should include a total of 11 pieces (including revisions), plus one query letter. Your portfolio will be graded based on completeness, quality of work, evidence of effort in revision, and mastery of magazine-writing basics per our texts, readings and lectures.
Pieces to include:
1. How-To Piece + Revision
2. Fashion Week Tie-In Piece (News Link) + Revision
3. The Profile Piece + Revision
4. Q&A Piece + Revision
5. Trazzler Travel Piece (from in-class assignment)
6. One query letter targeted to magazine/editor for your immersion piece (we'll review how to do this in conference)
7. Final Immersion Piece (1000-2000 word; multi-sourced; first-person reportage)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
NY Times' Tips for Crafting Great Interviews
General tips include these:
Research. Read and obtain background information about the subject, source or topic at hand before interviewing so that you can ask informed questions.
Ask simple questions. Keep your questions short, to the point and focused. Otherwise you risk distracting or confusing your subject, or allowing him or her to answer only part of a complex question. Break down complicated questions into shorter, simpler questions.
Limit closed-ended questions; use mostly open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are yes-or-no questions or those that invite very basic, one-word answers. Open-ended questions often begin with “Why?” and “How?” or phrases such as “Tell me about … ” or “How does that make you feel?” They invite longer, more insightful responses.
Ask follow-up questions. An inexperienced interviewer asks a question, notes the response then moves on to the next question. Don’t stick to the script — listen to the answers and probe further before moving on to your prepared questions. Often it is during a follow-up question that the right quote falls into your lap. “Following up” can also involve a non-question, like a sympathetic response or a gesture of surprise or admiration.
Take notes. While having an audio recorder is helpful, always keep a notebook handy and use it to jot down quotes, statistics or facts that strike you. You might also want to write down physical details about your environment and your subject’s appearance, facial expressions and voice. But be sure to look up from your notebook and maintain eye contact.
Be conversational without having a conversation. Keep the interview informal and casual, not overly scripted, and go with the flow, allowing your subject to switch directions –- as long as you remain in control of the interview and are prepared to steer it back to your topic as needed.
Research. Read and obtain background information about the subject, source or topic at hand before interviewing so that you can ask informed questions.
Ask simple questions. Keep your questions short, to the point and focused. Otherwise you risk distracting or confusing your subject, or allowing him or her to answer only part of a complex question. Break down complicated questions into shorter, simpler questions.
Limit closed-ended questions; use mostly open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are yes-or-no questions or those that invite very basic, one-word answers. Open-ended questions often begin with “Why?” and “How?” or phrases such as “Tell me about … ” or “How does that make you feel?” They invite longer, more insightful responses.
Ask follow-up questions. An inexperienced interviewer asks a question, notes the response then moves on to the next question. Don’t stick to the script — listen to the answers and probe further before moving on to your prepared questions. Often it is during a follow-up question that the right quote falls into your lap. “Following up” can also involve a non-question, like a sympathetic response or a gesture of surprise or admiration.
Take notes. While having an audio recorder is helpful, always keep a notebook handy and use it to jot down quotes, statistics or facts that strike you. You might also want to write down physical details about your environment and your subject’s appearance, facial expressions and voice. But be sure to look up from your notebook and maintain eye contact.
Be conversational without having a conversation. Keep the interview informal and casual, not overly scripted, and go with the flow, allowing your subject to switch directions –- as long as you remain in control of the interview and are prepared to steer it back to your topic as needed.
Charlie Rose Interviews Jann Wenner
A conversation about the magazine's 40th anniversary. Watch here. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Assignment Schedule: Tuesday, Nov. 1, Thursday, Nov. 3
Today in class we'll wrap any final discussions/workshop of profile pieces. Then we'll move on to discuss the Rolling Stone interviews. I'll start with an analysis of the Andy Warhol/Truman Capote interview, focusing on the interplay of personalities and the position of the reporter in the story. Then each of you will begin discussing your assigned interview. We'll continue discussions on Thursday.
We'll also review your ideas for Q&A subjects. Please begin working on your Q&As. Drafts will be due next Tuesday, Nov. 8. Bring copies for workshop.
We'll also review your ideas for Q&A subjects. Please begin working on your Q&As. Drafts will be due next Tuesday, Nov. 8. Bring copies for workshop.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Additional Profile Writing Tips
Mary Yerkes, a writer for Suite 101, has these additional tips for great profile writing:
Tell a Good Story
Profiles require excellent storytelling skills. Follow such fiction techniques as establishing setting, creating visual images in the reader's mind, and including revealing dialogue (quotes) to move your story forward. When interviewing your subject, jot down details about the environment, his or her dress, mood, and facial expressions. Include details in your article that evoke the reader's five senses. Help readers to see, hear, smell, and feel the story as if they were in the room with you and the subject.
Conduct Thorough Interviews
Interviews are the backbone of well-written profiles. In-person interviews, instead of phone meetings, are critical to writing a compelling personality profile. To get the full story, interview not only the subject, but also his friends, family, professional colleagues, and, if appropriate, his critics. Conflict lies at the heart of all good storytelling, so ask questions that reveal areas of struggle. For example:
• Your early years were hard. How did you overcome the obstacles you faced?
• What is your greatest struggle?
• Your critics say. . . . How do you respond?
• You've just won. . . . What do you see as your next big challenge?
• Any regrets?
• To conclude the interview, ask, "Is there anything else you would like to add?"
Use Direct Quotes
Direct quotes breathe life into a personality profile, so always keep a recorder, notebook, and pen handy. They may never be modified, changed, or used out of context to make a point, and to do so constitutes unethical behavior. Instead, use direct quotes judiciously to authenticate your points and to give readers insight into the qualities and attitudes of the subject.
Use the Flashback Technique
Personality profiles, more than any other type of magazine article, use the flashback technique. They present many pitfalls, but when used correctly, they can provide an emotional element to a well-written profile that is hard to match.
To start, grab the reader's interest with an interesting anecdote, a moving scene, or a quote that occurred in the past that hooks readers at the outset. Then, go back to the beginning and tell your story, focusing particularly on scenes that capture the essence of your subject.
Look for Contrasts
People's lives are chock full of incongruities. Listen for contrasts during the interview process, and then use them to grab the reader's imagination. For example, Arthritis Today ran a profile on Tina Wesson of Survivor fame who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease characterized by pain, inflammation, and limited mobility. How did a woman with limited mobility end up on a show like Survivor? More important, how did she win Survivor: The Australian Outback without receiving one vote against her?
Tell a Good Story
Profiles require excellent storytelling skills. Follow such fiction techniques as establishing setting, creating visual images in the reader's mind, and including revealing dialogue (quotes) to move your story forward. When interviewing your subject, jot down details about the environment, his or her dress, mood, and facial expressions. Include details in your article that evoke the reader's five senses. Help readers to see, hear, smell, and feel the story as if they were in the room with you and the subject.
Conduct Thorough Interviews
Interviews are the backbone of well-written profiles. In-person interviews, instead of phone meetings, are critical to writing a compelling personality profile. To get the full story, interview not only the subject, but also his friends, family, professional colleagues, and, if appropriate, his critics. Conflict lies at the heart of all good storytelling, so ask questions that reveal areas of struggle. For example:
• Your early years were hard. How did you overcome the obstacles you faced?
• What is your greatest struggle?
• Your critics say. . . . How do you respond?
• You've just won. . . . What do you see as your next big challenge?
• Any regrets?
• To conclude the interview, ask, "Is there anything else you would like to add?"
Use Direct Quotes
Direct quotes breathe life into a personality profile, so always keep a recorder, notebook, and pen handy. They may never be modified, changed, or used out of context to make a point, and to do so constitutes unethical behavior. Instead, use direct quotes judiciously to authenticate your points and to give readers insight into the qualities and attitudes of the subject.
Use the Flashback Technique
Personality profiles, more than any other type of magazine article, use the flashback technique. They present many pitfalls, but when used correctly, they can provide an emotional element to a well-written profile that is hard to match.
To start, grab the reader's interest with an interesting anecdote, a moving scene, or a quote that occurred in the past that hooks readers at the outset. Then, go back to the beginning and tell your story, focusing particularly on scenes that capture the essence of your subject.
Look for Contrasts
People's lives are chock full of incongruities. Listen for contrasts during the interview process, and then use them to grab the reader's imagination. For example, Arthritis Today ran a profile on Tina Wesson of Survivor fame who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease characterized by pain, inflammation, and limited mobility. How did a woman with limited mobility end up on a show like Survivor? More important, how did she win Survivor: The Australian Outback without receiving one vote against her?
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