Writing for Meaning
Module 1, Activity 6.2 - Using Literary Technique
Student Page
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Introduction:

In this lesson you will practice writing as a literary journalist. You will start by trying an unusual technique to generate additional ideas about a story, then you will try literary journalism.

Activities:

Task One - Stream of Consciousness
Think about the topic you chose for your feature. Remember that you followed all of the elements of traditional journalism when creating it.

Now you are ready to apply the principles of Literary Journalism. If you need to, review those principles before proceeding.

Using a clean sheet of paper start writing about your story. Try not to direct or structure your work in any way. You might talk about what you would like to change or how the story makes you feel, or you might not. Things that are not about the story may come into your mind. Write those down too. Write for 4 minutes and then stop.

Read what you have just written and look for a new way to approach your story.

Task Two: Think, Pair, and Share a Pitch

Think: Start by thinking about a new slant for your story. The only requirement is that this time, you must try to write about the experience from the inside out. For example, if you covered a basketball game, you need to be in a practice or a game and participate.

This is a video of Jason Warick discussing the role of a reporter as a source of perspective in journalism. Warick writes feature pieces for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. The video is 898 KB and you will need a QuickTime plugin to view it.

After watching the movie, think about Warick's point. Will your plan beter inform the audience and make the story more interesting? If it can't do both, revisit your idea and addapt it or start over.

Task Two: Continued. . .
Pair: Join up with a partner you select.

Share: Explain your original idea for your editorial and your new idea to add to it.

As you are listening to your partner explain her idea, you have three jobs.

1. Try to add your own ideas as well.
2. Compare your partner's plan to the principles of literary journalism. Does the plan follow those principles? Will it actually add to the quality of the feature article?
3. Remember the guidelines for ethical reporting. What choices will you need to make to be sure that your plan meets all the standards of your journalistic code of ethics?

Task Three: The Process of Re-framing

Step One: Set up an opportunity for a follow up experience for your feature. Be sure to explain clearly what you are doing and why. Read the self-evaluation sheet before proceeding.

Step Two: Review your plan for your experience before you go. When you are there, try to be as unobtrusive as possible, but make it clear that you are there as a reporter. Your job is to be polite, but not act like a friend. That could give the people you are writing about the false impression that you will write only great things about the situation.

Step Three: Review what you learned from your new experience, and rewrite your feature, or a part of your feature, using the conventions of literary journalism. Be sure to edit so the piece is ready to publish.

Step Four: Complete the assessment of the new piece and hand the new piece, drafts, old feature and assessment in to the teacher.