"Nonfiction writing is a state of mind, a way of life, an extra set of eyes and ears. It's a key that can open many doors, a passport to travel far and wide, an introduction to fascinating people, a guide to wonderful adventures, an excuse to ask any question you want, a reason to be curious and to learn, a way to reach out to readers and to the world."
—John M. Wilson,
The Complete Guide to Magazine Article Writing
In the Extended version of this workshop, you will have more time to work on your reading and writing assignments. This is the ideal starting place for those whose busy lives don't allow for much writing time each week.
No other market is as open to the freelance writer as the magazine market. From trade and association publications, to special interest magazines, to regional and national consumer publications, editors are looking for writers who can deliver well-researched, reader-targeted articles on deadline. To make it in this market, you need to know how to identify a magazine’s editorial needs and—most important—how to fill them.
In this workshop, you will work with a published article writer to develop, research and write two articles suitable for publication in magazines you’ve identified as appropriate markets. You will get feedback from your instructor on your first and second draft of both your articles.
To get the most from this workshop, you should already have a very good grasp of mechanics and composition, as well as an understanding of basic creative writing skills and techniques (the Fundamentals of Nonfiction Writing Workshop is strongly recommended as a preliminary).
This workshop will consist of seven four-week sessions. Each session will include online lectures and associated textbook reading assignments, along with a writing assignment drawn specifically from the work in progress, which will be submitted to the instructor for private review at the end of the second week of the session. During the third and fourth weeks of each session, work will be posted for group review and feedback. Throughout the workshop you will be able to participate in asynchronous lecture discussion and encouraged to take advantage of ongoing informal discussions and posted self-directed writing exercises. (2.8 CEUs)
| Workshop length: |
28 weeks |
| Textbook(s) to purchase: |
Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing, edited by Michelle Ruberg, Writer's Digest Books, 2005 |
| Course Developer: |
David Fryxell |
| Tuition: |
$500.00 |
Workshop Outline
Session One: From Concept to Article Idea
The components of an article idea; Know your audience before you start; Coming up with an appropriate angle or slant; Studying the magazine markets
Writing Assignment: Narrative summaries of two article ideas you want to develop in this workshop (maximum 250 words each), plus an indication of what audience each one would appeal to and one or two appropriately targeted magazines for each idea.
Session Two: Research & Interviewing
Research resources; The importance of primary research; Professional interviewing techniques; Attribution of sources; Legal & ethical considerations
Writing Assignment: A research plan for your two article ideas. If your articles contain interview material: A recap of the interview using the techniques discussed in this session (maximum 500 words for each article idea). If your articles do not contain interview material: A recap of the primary research you've conducted (or will conduct), listing reference sources and the credentials of individuals you'll contact (maximum of 250 words for each article idea).
Session Three: Article Structure & Outlining
Effective leads and conclusions; Developing a working outline
Writing Assignment: A working outline for both article ideas (maximum 250 words each); A first draft of the first half of one article (up to 1,500 words)
Session Four: The Body of the Article
Stating your article's theme; Using the body of the article to develop your theme; "Body-building" techniques
Writing Assignment: A first draft of the rest of the article in progress (up to 1,500 words).
Session Five: The Second Draft
Writing tight; Word choice; Revision
Writing Assignment: The complete second draft of the article in progress, up to 3,000 words.
Session Six: Polishing Your Prose & Approaching Editors
A checklist for your final draft; Query letters
Writing Assignment: The final draft of your first article (maximum 3,000 words); A one-page query letter to one of the magazines you selected in Session One as an appropriate market for this article (maximum 250 words); The first draft of your second article idea (maximum 3,000 words).
Session Seven: Keep Writing
Workshop wrap-up
Writing Assignment: The final draft of your second article (maximum 3,000 words); A one-page query letter to one of the magazines you selected in Session One as an appropriate market for this article (250 words maximum).