Armstrong Atlantic State University
English 4700  Advanced Composition

Graded essays. I've finished grading your issues essays (assignment #5). Folders are available in the box outside my office.

Query Letters. Because we discussed your query letters during class this past Monday, I'm not providing further comments unless you e-mail me with any questions or concerns you might have. If you do have concerns, please e-mail me before this Friday afternoon. Btw, for those who escaped class before I was able to collect your query letters, please include the letter with the draft you turn in next week. Thanks.

Due Date for Draft of Assignment #6 (Feature Story). Drop off in the box outside Victor 1-10 no later than 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4. (By Tuesday evening, I'll leave out for you any brief quizzes and exercises that haven't yet been returned.) I'll post revision suggestions to this web site by Thursday evening, May 6.

Revision of Assignment #6. Due no later than 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 10. No late papers accepted.

Reminders. Let me briefly highlight a few of the key points that we've discussed the past two class meetings and that appear in the handouts . . .

• Guide for Assignment #6 (http://www.nt.armstrong.edu/assign6.htm). Please re-read the assignment guidelines carefully, beginning with the first paragraph on page two:
  
  

  A feature story can take many forms, though I'm asking you to focus on one of the following: informational, profile, historical, or travel (see pp. 84-86 in "The Second Step–Write"). [Other approaches may be possible: e-mail your ideas to me and together let's see what might work.] In any case, this will not be a first-person essay. A strong feature story should have at least one of the following qualities: currency (write about what's happening now–unless, of course, you've opted to take an historical approach, in which case you might relate a past event to what's happening now), character (see guidelines for our profile assignment), impact (how a situation or event directly affects your readers), oddity (the unusual or unexpected). You may return to an earlier assignment (#2, #3, or #4) and consider ways of reworking a topic and approach to suit the magazine that you're targeting.

  And remember that a feature story is built on information–specific, reliable, current, and relevant information. Not opinions, impressions, feelings, or empty stylistic display. Your editor is looking for fresh information–presented in an engaging way.

  
  

• Review the advice provided in "Magazine Editors' Roundtable." In particular, look at what Salerno and Raskin have to say about conducting research and quoting sources, review what all four editors have to say on the subject of style ("when reviewing a writer's clips"), and read Salerno's vision of "the ideal freelancer."
  
  
• In the chapter on "The Second Step–Write," consider in particular the sections on leads (77-78) and endings (82-84), and then look again at the concluding section on revisions and rewrites (90-92).
  
  
• In the chapter on "The Third Step–Publish," review the short section on "Know the Buyer" (105-107): though your query letter has been accepted (congratulations), keep in mind that there's still no guarantee your article will be published. As you work on your draft, make sure you familiarize yourself with the magazine you're writing for.
  
  
• Study the examples (good and bad) in the article "Making Your Article Leads Sparkle." Beware of the cute, the clichéd, the tedious, and the obvious. And remember that you don't have to begin at the beginning.
  
  
• Because many of us have struggled at times to write effective conclusions, pay heed to the article "Twelve Ways to End Your Article Gracefully." (But please skip the fourth way–"The Play on Words.")
  
  
• Though you'll have a week to revise and edit, please submit your drafts following the format discussed in class on Monday. And please include a draft of your cover letter. The format is explained in the "At-a-Glance Guide to Magazine Article Format," and it's illustrated on pages 81-82 from the Guide to Manuscript Formats. Please note how this format differs from the one prescribed for previous course assignments–and remember to include your e-mail address.
  

The remaining handouts ("How to Test Your Articles for the Eight Essentials of Nonfiction," "Revision: Seven Steps to Better Manuscripts," and "Manuscript Mechanics") may be more helpful to you next week when you focus on revising and editing–but read them carefully now. These short articles provide concise summaries of key points we've been considering throughout the term.

Note on editing. Before submitting your draft on Tuesday, review the first five essays you've submitted and take note of any corrections I've made. Then please make a special effort not to repeat any errors (no matter how slight) that may have appeared in your earlier work. By this final assignment, you should know how to arrange and punctuate quotations, how to space ellipsis points (. . .), and how to use conjunctive adverbs (such as however and therefore). You should know the difference between it's and its–and be prepared to check spelling with the aid of a dictionary as well as an electronic spell checker. Above all else, you should know how to learn from your own mistakes–and if you're not sure, please ask me before the revision is due.