OBJECTIVE – Interview someone about their composing habits and write a press release.

Part 1 – interview

Interview with Heather Whitaker – transcribed notes (pdf)

I was tasked with choosing an interesting subject (a composer) to interview for the press release. This person needed to be someone with a unique creative process. I chose to interview Heather Whitaker, freelance editor, writer, and teacher.

Our discussion in class about conducting an interview was helpful, especially because I planned to interview Whitaker face-to-face. Interviewing is “active, goal-oriented listening.” This means it’s important to look for interesting angles or threads. An interview is an “artificial conversation,” because I control the direction it takes by asking specific questions.

There are two types of questions – open-ended and close-ended questions. Open-ended questions give the interviewee a chance to open up, to tell stories. These questions can not be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Close-ended questions, on the other hand, are “yes” or “no” questions and allow the interviewer (myself) to seek clarification.

An example of a close-ended question would be, “Do you like your work?”
An open-ended question would be, “What do you like about your work?”

When I met with Heather, I’d already written a long list of both close-ended and open-ended questions. I recorded the interview on my iPhone but also took hand-written notes. It was a half-hour interview, so I had lots of material to work with.

I believe I enjoyed the interview because I’d had previous experience from my work as a member of my high school newspaper staff. I interviewed students, teachers, and administrators to write both news and feature stories for the paper.

Part 2 – press release

Why You Write original press release – print logic

Prior to writing the first draft of my press release, I wrote an “elevator speech” in class. An elevator speech is short and sweet – a clear and concise summary of one’s project.

I’m composing about Heather Whitaker, a freelance editor and writer,
because I want to learn more about her job (writing/editing manuscripts)
in order to understand the relationship between composing and editing.

I struggled to complete the first draft, but the elevator speech gave me focus. I also appreciated our class discussion regarding the genre of the press release and the genre conventions. We concluded that press releases are generally short/pithy, informative, and purposeful.

The press release can be written according to the “inverted pyramid,” which is the method of front-loading the most important information. Typically, the answers to the five w’s (who, what, when, where, why, how) are most important.

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OBJECTIVE – To create a multimodal web story package. To tell the “Why You Write” story using web logic.

Part 3 – web package

Why You Write web package – web logic

As it’s own distinct project, the “Why You Write” web package was about presenting a new take on the subject matter. My web package should repurpose the content of my press release and include at least two additional modes besides text. I chose WordPress as my platform, and I chose the visual and aural modes to accompany the text.

I’m very familiar with WordPress, and I believe it’s an easy-to-use and easily customizable platform. I wanted to associate my web package with my WordPress blog. And, similar to the author interviews I’d previously conducted for my blog, I wanted my web package to have the traditional question/answer structure.

The first step in creating my web package was drawing a mockup. I sketched the general outline/layout of my project on a piece of computer paper. It allowed me to visualize the placement of each individual piece. Take a look at my mockup. 

One of my technological goals in creating the project was learning to edit an audio file. It was exciting to acquire a new skill – I researched online and found a tutorial which taught me to use the GarageBand application on my Mac. I took my original interview with Whitaker and trimmed the audio file. I wanted the audio clips to accompany the text. I was extremely pleased with the outcome – the reader can skim the text but also listen to the audio of Whitaker’s voice.

 

OBJECTIVE – To take an article written with print logic and convert it for a web audience.

Author Veronica Roth Builds Her Dystopian Empire – web logic

I chose an interesting article about popular YA author Veronica Roth. (I’m a huge fan of her Divergent trilogy.) The online article “Chasing Katniss: Divergent Author Veronica Roth Builds Her Dystopian Empire” originally appeared in the October 14, 2013 issue of New York Magazine and therefore made use of print logic.

The article was 1300 words and featured large blocks of text. It was accompanied by only one visual. There were no hyperlinks.

Converting the article for a web audience would include shortening it, changing the headline, inserting headings, and adding visuals and hyperlinks. I was definitely up for the challenge, as I could use my blogging experience. Bloggers are very familiar with writing shorter paragraphs (therefore making copious use of white space and avoiding intimidating blocks of text!) to keep reader interest.

I reduced the article to 560 words, a little less than half its original length. I managed this by narrowing the focus of the article and cutting superfluous information.

I broke up the text using headings and frequent indents. I added five images to illustrate the content of the article. I linked to an article and a video. I used a pull quote to emphasize a main idea.

 

OBJECTIVE: To create a text that articulates the similarities and differences among the Greek schools of thought (Sophistic, Platonic, Aristotelian).

we teach Truth – Plato/Aristotle

Sophisticated Sophists – Gorgias

My project was supposed to “look at the way each school understands the relationship among truth, knowledge, and rhetoric,” and to put them into conversation with one another. Overall, it should demonstrate my understanding of the material.

I had the opportunity to choose my medium and genre, so long as my selection was “rhetorically-based.” In other words, I needed to keep my audience – novice Editing, Writing, Media undergraduate students – in mind at all times.

As the most important part of the project was about putting the three schools of thought into conversation, I began to think about how I could do that in an informative and interesting way. I chose to create blogs and to write from the perspectives of each of the rhetoricians – they could then comment on one another’s blog posts.

This turned out to be a bit ambitious, as I had to create/set up the blogs and then add the content.

I chose WordPress as my blogging platform. I registered the domain names and installed themes. I made many conscious design choices during this period of setting up the blogs – layout, color scheme, etc.

When I began adding content, I reminded myself of the conventions of blogging. Shorter sentences and paragraphs, informal/colloquial tone, use of multiple modes. Each of the blog posts I wrote were short and sweet, and typically contained text alongside images or embedded video. I bolded and italicized important concepts. I used hyperlinks to reference outside sources.

After submitting my blogs, I was required to write a “rhetorical rationale,” justifying the decisions I made regarding my project and why I believed it was an effective text. Read my rhetorical rationale.

OBJECTIVE – To practice editing in a print situation.

Part 1 – editing with a partner

My partner and I both read the class document and emailed each other with the inconsistencies we caught. We put together a list and helped add to the ‘style sheet’ during class.

The style sheet was new for me – I’d never used something like this before. Basically, it’s a proofreading checklist for the purpose of being consistent throughout the document. It’s helpful for the editor when it comes to remembering stylistic decisions – font size, capitalization, numbers.

Part 2 – substantive querying – blog post

class document – critique of “Belleville” – (pdf)

I reread the class document and made my own ‘substantive edits.’ Substantive editing/querying is all about meaning, consistency, and clarity. This type of edit is not merely surface level. It does not address issues like grammar and spelling.

I added my comments to the document using track changes in Word. I’d actually had previous experience with this feature, and also with substantive editing. I have two critique partners, and we frequently exchange our work to provide feedback for one another. Nevertheless, editing the class document was great practice.

I took screenshots of my query and included them in a blog post, detailing my overall process and editorial decisions.

blog post detailing editorial decisions

During this stage of the project, I gave conscious thought to my role as editor and what it entailed. We discussed best practices and behavior in class, including the importance of posing questions to the writer, balancing “negative” comments with positive praise, and offering not only feedback but also suggestions for improvement. While working on my own, I recognized it was helpful to read the text as a whole before commenting, to respond as a reader might respond, and to refrain from forcing my own personal style on the author.

Part 3 – individual edits

individual print edit 1 – letter – (pdf)

individual print edit 2 – essay – (pdf)

I chose two documents to edit individually for this portion of the project. I was given an opportunity to use what I’d learned in stage 2. I was required to make ten sentence-level edits and ten substantive edits, and to write a brief paragraph to the author describing the strengths and weaknesses of the piece. I was also required to provide a context sheet, outlining the rhetorical situation (author, exigence, audience, purpose, constraints, genre) of both documents.

individual print edits context sheet – (pdf)

 

OBJECTIVE – To create a new media essay.

This personal essay making use of new media was the final project for my “Reading, Writing, Speaking in the Digital Age” class with Ned Stuckey-French.

Part 1 – new media blog

Prior to the final project, I’d been tasked with assembling a blog about new media.

The description in our course syllabus read, “This will be a site where you explore an aspect of new media that interests you. You will update it and add at least six posts over several weeks during the course. This site should be seen as a way to communicate your thoughts about new media to your classmates and the instructors as that thinking evolves and as you search for a topic for your New Media Essay.”

I chose my personal WordPress blog as the platform, and my scheduled posts were about creating a Snippet (which would become my final project / new media essay). In my series of blog posts, I chronicled my process of creating the Snippet:

• Week 1 – Introductory Post
• Week 2 – Snippet – Getting Started
• Week 3 – Snippet – Brooke Reviews “Let Go”
• Week 4 – Snippet – Tools
• Week 5 – Snippet – Content & Layout
• Week 6 – Snippet – Multimedia

Part 2 – final new media essay

Building a Better Blog – Snippet

The project introduced me to the concept of multimodality. My essay needed to make use of images and hyperlinks and potentially sound and embedded video.

I learned a good bit about Snippet through my new media blog. I chose a topic, “Building a Better Blog” and began putting my Snippet together. I designed the cover and header images. I took screen shots to add as visuals. I used hyperlinks. My final project was a “how-to” of sorts.

The Snippet was featured in the 2015 FSU Digital Symposium.