Projects
Grade Breakdown:
• Blog Investigations and Article Tweets 15% (3 at 5% each)
• Feature Article 25%
• Commentary 25%
• Query Letter and Rhetorical Analysis of Target Magazine 25%
• Class Online Magazine and Presentation (final) 10%
Projects:
Blog Investigations and Article Tweets:
As we investigate writing on the web, you will be required to set up a twitter account and submit two tweets a week using the #ENW3560 hashtag. Your two tweets should be posted by classtime on Monday of each week, and the content of these tweets can be links to sample magazine articles, questions that you are pondering about digital magazine writing, or other related discoveries you've had in your own personal exploration of the digital magazine genre. These tweets will be graded on a completion basis and will only negatively affect your blog investigation grade if you do not post anything.
Three times this semester, you will compose a blog investigation of some aspect of digital publishing. Purpose and length of each blog investigation will vary, but they will have an assignment page with a description and evaluation criteria.
Magazine Pieces:
Most of our time in class will be devoted to analyzing, drafting, responding to, and revising texts in genres suitable for publication in digital magazines. For each assignment, you will be submitting a draft for peer response composed in Microsoft Word and a substantially revised, edited, and designed draft in pdf using Adobe InDesign.
Feature Article:
Your first major project involves composing a feature article on a subject or person appropriate for a specific magazine, using both primary (interviews, observations, analysis of primary documents, first-person experience) and secondary (other published accounts) research. (2000+ words)Commentary:
Your second major project involves composing a commentary on a subject appropriate to a specific magazine, using secondary research and personal experience as evidence. (1000-1500 words)
Query Letter and Rhetorical Analysis of Target Magazine:
In your final writing project, you'll attempt to pitch an idea for a publishable digital magazine piece by composing a query letter addressed to a specific magazine. In addition, you'll produce a rhetorical analysis (examining audience, purposes, typical genres, use of research, style, etc.) of that magazine, based on several recent online issues.
Class Online Magazine and Presentation
Since this a class focuses on writing for publication, you will get the chance to apply what you have learned by producing an online magazine made up of writing you've submitted for this class. Everyone will participate in all aspects of magazine production including writing query letters, selecting content, submitting publishable copy, editing and proofreading submitted material, selecting art, and contributing to the design of the magazine. Grades for the class magazine will be based on a portfolio of your individual contribution. We will meet at the originally scheduled final exam time to informally present our contributions to each other and reflect on the future of digital publication.