Tips from 25 Great Writers

http://www.slideshare.net/wjbriggs/25-writing-tips-from-25-great-writers?ref=http://episodicmag.blogspot.com/

Writing Advice

http://writerswrite.posterous.com/the-best-writing-advice-these-writers-receive

FINAL/blog post

Read Jimmy Cannon's "LETHAL LIGHTNING" in our text. Describe how the story reflects the defining characteristics or techniques of literary journalism. Your response should be as detailed as you can make it within a single blog post. It is due by 4:45 p.m., Monday, May 14.

Robert Caro's Writing Process

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/04/15/magazine/robert-caro-process-16.html

klosterman interview

http://bullmensfiction.com/jared-yates-sexton/the-bull-interview-chuck-klosterman/

Writing Advice from Harry Crews

http://www.pw.org/content/harry_crews

Cartoon Lecture

http://billanddavescocktailhour.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-truth-in-nonfiction-but-were-afraid-to-ask-a-bad-advice-cartoon-essay/


Where does Thompson fit in these categories? How and/or why?

Respond by Sunday, April 1, 4 p.m.

Dispatches

Compare the structure of the pieces by Davis, Orwell, and Herr. What changes do you notice? How are these changes in form related to the changing conception of imperialism and war? To the changing purpose of literary journalism?

Your response is due by 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 28 .

Orwellian

"I am not commenting, merely pointing to a fact," George Orwell writes toward the end of "Marrakech." Do you believe him? Why or why not?

It'll help you answer the question if you also read this classic essay by Orwell:

http://orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw

Please respond by Wednesday, 4 p.m.

And I Quote

"To be a writer is to sit down at one's desk in the chill portion of every day, and to write; not waiting for the little jet of the blue flame of genius to start from the breastbone - just plain going at it, in pain and delight. To be a writer is to throw away a great deal, not to be satisfied, to type again, and then again, and once more, and over and over...." John Hersey

Juke Joint

Please respond to the post below by 4 p.m.,  Sunday, March  4.

How does Walter Bernstein convey his feelings about Frankie's? Pick an image or phrase or device that you believe helps him get across to readers what he wants them to think about the bar. What is the dominant sense of the place Bernstein wants us to have? How does the technique or phrase (or whatever) you picked reflect that? Caveat: Each of you should pick something no one else has.

Third Winter

Choose one of the following to answer. Please post your response by Sun ,  4 p.m.


1) Describe the relationship between the straight and parenthetical passages in Martha Gellhorn's "The Third Winter." In other words, what is the function of each and how do they function in relation to each other?

2) Analyze an instance of Gellhorn's use of metaphor or simile. Include why she choose this image and whether or not it works and how or why.

Advice to Writers blog

http://www.advicetowriters.com/

Death of Rodriguez

The issue for a writer is how to close the gap, often yawning, between the writer's subject and the reader's experience. Give one example of how Richard Harding Davis creates reader admiration and/or sympathy for Rodriguez in his story. You should cite a specific image, description, etc., rather than make a general statement. Notice, too, how he leads us to feel quite the opposite about the Spaniards.

Please respond by 3 p.m., Feb. 22 (Wednesday.)

writers on writing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE8RAw_uYwU

Traction/Didion

http://www.bu.edu/agni/essays/print/2006/63-birkerts.html

Explain why or why not you think Didion's piece meets Birkerts' definition of "traction." Please respond by 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12.

Story Ideas Revisited

By 3 p.m., Wed., Feb. 8, please briefly describe the incident or scene that you will use as the basis of your short prose submission (no longer than 500 words and closer to 250) to cur.ren.cy. Read the submission guidelines below before posting. It's important that your prospective subject be journalistic as well as literary. Keep in mind Henry James' criteria for judging a piece of writing: 1) What is the writer trying to achieve? 2) Did the writer achieve it? 3) Was it worth achieving? The last is also the most important.

http://www.currencylit.com/submit

Cur.ren.cy

http://www.currencylit.com/submit

how to start a story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOVXOqyEoLQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UsTuzcPU2I

what is style?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upL99XQ5_jQ

Story Ideas

By 3 p.m., Wed., Feb. 8, please briefly describe the incident or scene that you will use as the basis of your short prose submission (no longer than 500 words and closer to 250) to cur.ren.cy. Read the submission guidelines below before posting. It's important that your prospective subject be journalistic as well as literary. Keep in mind Henry James' criteria for judging a piece of writing: 1) What is the writer trying to achieve? 2) Did the writer achieve it? 3) Was it worth achieving? The last is also the most important.

http://www.currencylit.com/submit

Crane-ium

Is Stephen Crane's "Man Falls, a Crowd Gathers" news? Why or why not? (Feel free to respond to each other's comments, not just the question.)

If you prefer, you can answer these questions instead. . .

Morris Markey's literary journalism piece, "Drift," belongs to a genre referred to as "the procedural." To your mind, what characteristics of the piece make it an example of the genre? How does this help with or determine the structure/organization of the piece?

The piece has a noir-ish atmosphere. What is the connection of that atmosphere to the point or theme of the piece?

Remember, we're practicing good writing here, not just literary analysis. Your comments should be crisp and clear. Avoid generalizations, tortured syntax, and muddy language.

Your response is due by 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Welcome to Literature of Journalism

Tell me something I ought to know about you that will help me help you as a writer -- your aspirations, your fears and doubts, your literary or journalistic heroes, etc. Your comments should be as clear and complete as you can make them in a  blog post. Remember this is my introduction to your writing. Impress me. Or at least don't bore me. (Lesson #1: Boring readers is among the worst things you can do to them. What's the worst? Probably to unintentionally confuse them.)

Please respond no later than Wednesday, January 25, at 3 p.m.

13 Writing Tips

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/workshop/essays/chuck-palahniukhttp

Software to Tell "Better" (?) Stories

http://www.observer.com/2012/01/episode-12-evan-ratliff-of-the-atavist-building-software-to-tell-stories/