A weblog for Pete Ellertsen's mass communications students at Benedictine University Springfield.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

COMM 337: Steps in writing ... from class discussion

What are the steps in writing a free-lance magazine article?

1. get an idea what to write about
2. look for markets / audience / buyers
3. query --
4. research – talk w/ experts – interview questions -
5. write the article – edit the article

Compare to chapter headings in "Writer's Digest Handbook" and/or any how-to article on free-lance writing on the World Wide Web.

2 comments:

Mike Timoney said...

Any step- by- step tip sheet for writing freelance pieces seem to be very similar. They may change up the wording but they say about the same thing. And they are good guidelines to follow!

Kaitlyn Keen said...

Well, the tip above was actually made by me, Kaitlyn Keen, but apparently Mike was still logged in. I guess we both get credit! :)

Any step- by- step tip sheet for writing freelance pieces seem to be very similar. They may change up the wording but they say about the same thing. And they are good guidelines to follow!

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About Me

Springfield (Ill.), United States
I'm a retired English, journalism and cultural studies teacher at Springfield College in Illinois (acquired by Benedictine University and subsequently closed). I coordinate jam sessions for the "Clayville Pioneer Academy of Music" at Clayville Historic Site and the Prairieland Strings dulcimer club, and I sing in the choir and the contemporary praise team at Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield. On Hogfiddle I post links and video clips for our sessions and workshops on the mountain dulcimer (a.k.a. "hog fiddle"), as well as research notes on folklore and cultural studies, hymnody and traditional Anglo-Celtic and Scandinavian music. I also posted assignments and readings in my interdisciplinary humanities classes. The Mackerel Wrapper (now on hiatus), carried assignments and readings for my mass comm. students. I started teaching b/log when I chaired SCI-Benedictine's assessment committee, and reopened it as the privatization of public schools grew increasingly troubling and closer to home.