This course is aimed at those who want to develop their skills in the practice of writing longform stories for magazines or literary journals. Crafting these narratives for magazines involves elements of storytelling similar to that used by a novelist or cinematographer: characters, setting, plot development and mood. The writer continually asks tough questions and tests artistic approaches as she pursues a story to its end.
Classroom instruction will include the fundamentals of longform journalism, including the mechanics of pitching an idea and working with an editor. A third of the class time will be devoted to the examination of previously published works. The balance of the time will be spent in an instructor-led workshop in which each student's work is critiqued by the group in a constructive fashion, with the goal of rewriting and improvement.
Each student will write a substantial magazine piece of cover-story length demonstrating the basics of story-finding, reporting, interviewing, narrative architecture and revision. The finished project should be considered "ready for publication" by a quality outlet.