FEATURE AND CORPORATE WRITING two-day intensive course
TWO-DAY INTENSIVE COURSE OUTLINE
The course is taught by the leading journalist Marianne Gray.
Writing effective features and professional articles for in-house corporate literature and general publications.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Designed to be practical as well as offering considerable advice and information about the current marketplace, this course should appeal to newcomers to feature writing as well as to those who wish to improve their corporate writing skills and discover more about the industry. The course is suitable for people who wish to develop and improve writing skills, for those who wish to write in-house newsletters, corporate journals as well as for freelance writers. Course delegates will learn how to improve writing style, how to come up with ideas, how to hone these ideas into professional features, how to research and interview successfully, how to sell their features, how to negotiate copyright issues as well as to write more effective in-house corporate material. Course delegates produce a 1,500 word feature each during the ten weeks, following guidelines given during the classes. Topics can be related to either professional occupations or personal interest. Course delegates will receive an ITOL-Approved Certificate on completion of the training and on submission of a 1,500 word feature - submitted two weeks after completing the course.
COURSE CONTENT:
DAY ONE: 10.00 am to 1pm (5 min break at 11.30am) (lunch: 1pm – 2pm)
Morning:
- What you want to write
- What you to hope to achieve
- Assessing a commercial writer's life and skills needed
- Analysis of different types of writing and styles]
- Finding the central idea and building on it
- Building confidence, assessing your skills, writing under presure
- Being aware of potential subjects
- Grammar and punctuation
*Writing under pressure ¬ written class assignment
Afternoon:
- Kinds of subjects and getting ideas
- What subject will sell and to whom, target audiences and reader profiles
- Researching market-place, publication and reader profiles and sourcing information and facts
- Building blocks of writing, structure and planning
- Sourcing information and quotes
- How to set up interviews, do them and get good answers and planning and preparation
- Reworking existing material – adapting style and tone
*A brief but compelling synopsis written class assignment
Homework set for the following date and Notes provided
DAY TWO: 10.00 am to 1pm (5 min break at 11.30am) (lunch: 1pm – 2pm: brief location assignment)
Morning:
- Tools of the trade needed
- How to organise notes/transcripts/research material
- Creating the best order, proof-reading and editing – the importance of structure
- Making a strong start: titles and introductions
- Manuscript layout
- Titles and intros, style and tone
- Finding the right words
*Intro-writing - written class assignment
Afternoon:
* Write a short text on location assignment
- Finding the right contacts and building up relationships
- Selling: pitching to target audience
- Negotiation skills
- Contracts/invoices/expenses
- Keeping accounts/tax
- Copyright and rights
- How to move forwards – a career turning point and improving your existing role
- Brief class discussion
ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATE AWARDED:
A graded Certificate will be awarded to applicants who write and deliver a 1,500 word feature. The feature to be submitted two weeks after completion of the course.
COURSE FEE: £480 + VAT
COURSE START DATE: Thursday 4th November and Friday 5th November 2010
