Wednesday, September 18, 2013

What's Your Story?

Please describe the prospective subject of your literary journalism piece.

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 perhaps the most important.

Answer each of the categories in turn. For #2, answer "how" you're going to achieve it -- that is, your ideas for reporting and structuring the piece, what scenes it will include.

Try to be as specific as possible throughout.

Your response is due by 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Story Idea

Please describe the prospective subject of your literary journalism piece.

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 perhaps the most important.

Answer each of the categories in turn. For #2, answer "how" you're going to achieve it -- that is, your ideas for reporting and structuring the piece.

Try to be as specific as possible throughout.

Your response is due by 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

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 4 p.m., Sept. 10.

Writers on Writing (video)

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