Journalism 392W: Writing for the Web

Journalism Program
Fall 2008: Magazine Writing, Writing for the Web
B.J. Roche

Questions to Ask When Revising Your Work

Most of writing is revising, so it’s important to develop your own method for identifying and fixing what’s wrong with your first, second, third, fourth or tenth draft. Read the rest of this entry »

THREE PART SERIES

OPENING STORY
Lays out the topic, provides the foundation

700 WORDS
70 lines
Four sections of  about 18 lines each
LEAD AND NUT GRAF
Anecdote, scene, summary
Nut graf: tells what the story is, answers the question: why read this, why now?
ELABORATION ON LEAD
Take the story forward from the scene or anecdote in the lead
Builds the evidence: three points you want to make
BACKGROUND
Tells  how we got here
Deeper background
CONCLUSION
Summarizes, looks forward
Kicker quote to end story with a bang

BUILDING YOUR NARRATIVE
Mix of expository grafs and quotes
Set a scene
Active verbs and concrete nouns

Here’s an online conversation posted Monday, October 6 that former Washington Post editor Len Downie had with readers, about what they’re looking for in their summer internship applicants. Worth a read!

Here’s another survey! Take Aaron’s survey on the Amethyst Initiative, and please pass along in any way you can so he gets some data….

Here’s an interesting blog about young people and money by a recent Stanford grad.

Hey everyone, help Rich out with his story by taking his survey. Then please pass the link on to all your friends so he can gather some data. Thanks!

Here’s the OIT website with the handouts on blogs.

Okay, I just got a Facebook page over the summer, and an old writer friend, who also had a new Facebook page e-mailed me, saying it was time to sell the stock in Facebook when old geezers like us are using it. True.

I have to say, I am amazed at all the updates people post! Where do you folks find the time to tell me that you’re on your way to the fish market, or that you’re tired, or that you’re having enchiladas for dinner? And why do you think I care?

Do you all care about what people are doing at any particular moment, and if so, why?

And here’s a question: Are you on Facebook as much as you were a year ago? Where do you spend the bulk of your webtime these days?

Here’s a NY Times story about the dangers of texting while driving, walking, er, doing just about anything else. One assertion: Texting temporarily lowers the IQ by 10 points.

Plus, it’s really rude to text while you’re in a class. What, you don’t think the professor can see you looking down furtively into your lap??

Elyse developed a survey. Take a look and take the survey. Send the link to your friends. Let’s see the results. Very unscientific!