week 2 : 6 april
storytelling

• Review winter quarter feedback
• Review reading
  • Small group work
  • Images controversy
    Poynter, Slate, NYT, GOP Forum
• Elements of good stories - ppt
  From small groups:
  • Relevant to the audience
  • "Less is more" - economy of words (clarity)
  • Focused
  • In-depth
  • Captivating/aesthetically pleasing
  • Has a "hook" - title draws you in
  • Provides examples (concrete)
  • Relevant illustrations
  See also :
  • A Dozen Online Writing Tips
  • Essential elements in good writing
  • Types of POV

  The best stories have a strong theme, a fascinating plot, a fitting structure, unforgettable characters, a well-chosen setting, and an appealing style. Try for all of these. - Aaron Shepard

• Teamwork
  • Encourage you to revist the team process from last quarter: identify individual goals for the quarter, make team goals, develop team decisionmaking model/method, establish team guidelines/rules
  • Team work and team building: how to work as a team
• Examples of online stories:
  • Colorful news writing? Try 1923 - column - 31 Mar 04
  • Communicating off the page - explanatory essay - 15 Sep 01
  • Content Development - columns/advice
  • Four purposes for blawgs - explanatory essay - 4 Feb
  • How the mind makes meaning in e-learning - white paper, 15 Apr 03
  • Leading the Pack: Librarians Create an Original Model for a Customer-Friendly Publications System - magazine feature - Jan/Feb 04
  • Muhammad Ali - student project, bio
  • Poynter, ASNE Release "Best Newspaper Writing 2003" - multi-media - 18 Aug 03
  • Recommended reading on the Library Field - column [four (short) book reviews]
  • Storytelling Medicien - news/feature
  • Study: First Impressions Most Important - news - 6 Apr 04
  • U.S. Web Usage and Traffic, February 2004 - statistics/news - 23 Mar 04
• Examples of personal blogs:
  • Daily dose of imagery - photoblog from canada
  • caitriona - photoblog from ireland
  • Dawn's sparklin weblog - Canadian student, traditional journal plus commentary
• Examples of business blogs:
  • The Trademark Blog - to promote law practice

Assignments

• Read and summarize any "ah-ha's" for ePost. Also, how do traditional narrative elements of storytelling relate to other writing genres?
  * How to Write a Good Story in 800 Words or Less, Roy Peter Clark, Poynter Institute
  * The elements of good storytelling
• Begin working on how-to article, due 20 April
• Reminder: minimum two posts to your blog per week