Advanced Writer's Seminar

Catalog description

This course supports the development of advanced writing projects in a range of different genres. COMMS 525 Media Writer's Seminar (3-9 per semester/maximum of 9) This course is an advanced study of narrative styles and research techniques used in various forms of writing, including journalism and creative non-fiction, memoir, opinion pieces, cultural criticism, copy writing, writing for interactive media, and writing for performance media. Offerings in different semesters will focus on different topics in these writing genres. The course prepares students to create original material in a variety of writing genres, and for a variety of media. It is well-suited for the development of creative master's projects, and for extending the student's graduate research into a professional portfolio. The first portion of the course defines the elements of the genre through textual analysis and establishes a theoretical framework. Students will then submit for peer review a project proposal that addresses the appropriateness of the subject to the genre, outlines research methods, defines the intended audience, and provides examples of potential outlets. Students will then submit a first draft for peer review, and finally a finished draft for peer review and evaluation.