JOU 453 Writing for Periodicals
Fall Semester 2015
Class: Aven 112; MW; 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Tim Nicholas
Office phone: 601-925-3462
Office e-mail: tnichola@mc.edu
You may contact me at home when necessary as late at 11 p.m.
Prerequisite: JOU 333
Readings: From required text Feature Writing for Newspapers and
Magazines by Friedlander and Lee, 7th ed. 2011
(ISBN 025484662)
Also required: Associated Press Styleguide, any recent edition
Rationale: This course is an in-depth study of the techniques
used in writing articles for publication in popular periodicals.
The course will cover practice in writing and preparing
manuscripts for publication. Information about markets, query
letters and photography will be addressed.
Learning Objectives:
1--Develop an understanding of periodicals and the editorial
process.
2--Develop an understanding of periodicals’ editorial needs and
considerations.
3--Learn techniques required to become a successful contributor
to periodicals.
4--Submit at least one project to a periodical for
consideration.
5--You will write a several feature-type stories.
Academic integrity: Students will perform their own work. Any
student found in violation will receive a failing course grade
and will be reported to the vice president for academic affairs
in accordance with policy 2.19 as stated in the MC general
bulletin. (This means that I have zero toleration for plagiarism
and other forms of cheating.) Also, please note that the general
bulletin outlines the policy that absences of any kind of more
than 25 percent of class periods constitutes failure in the
class. More than five absences will drop grade by one letter.
(Please tell me you understand this.)
All work is due at the beginning of the class for which the
assignment was made. I will not accept assignments via e-mail.
Please talk with me before a deadline problem occurs.
The course:
1--The goal of Writing for Periodicals is just that--writing.
Projects will be assigned for the semester, constituting 60
percent of the student’s final grade. Each project will likely
have equal weight. All work will conform to the AP styleguide.
2--A final project, to be developed by each student and the
teacher, will constitute 30 percent of the final grade. Some of
the grade will come from meeting each deadline.
3--The additional 10 percent of the grade will come from class
participation and scores on incidental quizzes and the readings.
Grade scale: 90-100:A; 80-89:B; 70-79:C; 65-69:D; 0-64:F.
Method of instruction: Lecture, class discussion, and evaluation
of students’ work.
Following is a general outline of the movement of the course. We
may move faster in some areas, slower in others.
Aug. 26--Introduction and understanding the magazine industry;
Loving couples assignment; Assign Prompter project
Aug. 31 and Sept. 2--Simplicity, clutter, style, the audience,
words, usage, unity, leads and endings, bits and pieces;
interview article assigned; Chapter 1; elements of a query
Sept. 7--Labor Day, no classes
Sept. 9--The interview; writing the Pulitzer Prize story; Angelo
Henderson’s story
Sept. 14 and 16--Interview assignment due; idea creation;
Chapter 3
Sept. 21 and 23--The travel article;; travel article assigned;
Chapter 4; Guest?
Sept. 28 and 30--Practicing query letters; query letter clinic;
Write and mail query letters
Oct. 5 and 7--The sound of your voice; enjoyment, fear and
confidence; Developing an idea for a final project; Chapter 5
Oct. 12 and 13--fall break, no classes
Oct. 14--The business of writing for periodicals; humor article
due; Chapter 6
Oct. 19 and 21--Major article assigned, topic/type
Oct. 26 and 28--A writer’s decisions; writing about yourself;
article due; personal essay assigned; Chapter 7
Nov. 2 and 4--Specialty writing: sports; arts criticism; humor;
Nov. 9 and 11--Personal essay due; science and technology;
business writing; Chapter 8
Nov. 16 and 18--write as well as you can; article assigned;
Chapter 9
Nov. 23--article due; what you need to know about copyright and
publishing; what editors really want; Chapter 10
Nov. 25 through 27--Thanksgiving holidays
Nov. 30 and Dec. 2--Sharing our visions with one other; feedback
and its importance; editors as coaches
Dec. 7 and 8--We will be mailing out the final projects this
week.
Final exam day is Monday, Dec. 14, 12 to 3 p.m.
Please note: "Tuition refund cannot be made on dropped
classes after the first week of classes."
---In order for a student to receive disability accommodations
under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act,
he or she must schedule an individual meeting with the
Director of Student Counseling Services immediately upon
recognition of their disability (if their disability is
known they must come in before the semester begins or make
an appointment immediately upon receipt of their syllabi
for the new semester). The student must bring with them
written documentation from a medical physician and/or
licensed clinician that verifies their disability. If the
student has received prior accommodations, they must bring
written documentation of those accommodations (example
Individualized Education Plan from the school system).
Documentation must be current (within 3 years). The student
must meet with SCS face-to face and also attend two (2)
additional follow up meetings (one mid semester before or
after midterm examinations and the last one at the end of
the semester). Please note that the student may also
schedule additional meetings as needed for support through
SCS as they work with their professor throughout the
semester. Note: Students must come in each semester to
complete their Individualized Accommodation Plan (example:
MC student completes fall semester IAP plan and even if
student is a continuing student for the spring semester
they must come in again to complete their spring semester
IAP plan).
Student Counseling Services is located on the 4th floor of
Alumni Hall or they may be contacted via email at mbryant@mc.edu
. You may also reach them by phone at 601-925-7790. Dr. Morgan
Bryant is director of MC Student Counseling Services.