4 Credits

Experience in the techniques and strategies of freelance writing, working toward publication.

Learning results

This class will focus on writing and marketing of manuscripts for both religious and secular publications. Among those topics to be studied will be the writing of book reviews, devotionals, interviews, feature articles, personality profiles, news reporting basics, columns, travel writing, comedy, and opinion and editorial features. The course will consist of reading assignments and writing projects.

Required texts

Watkins, James, editor. Writers on Writing. Wesleyan Publishing House, 2005. Indianapolis.

Watkins, James. Communicate to Change Lives. Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007. Indianapolis.

Optional text

Stuart, Sally E. Christian Writers' Market Guide, latest edition. Shaw/Waterbrook Press, Colorado Springs.

Intergration of faith and learning

The integration of faith and learning in this course occurs in two ways. The text is written from an overtly Christian perspective and the assignments allow the student to write out of their faith journey.

Learning documentation

To determine if the course learning results have been attained, students document their learning by submitting the following assignments:

Please send assignments as attachments directly to jim@jameswatkins.com. Be sure to identify it on subject line as “Assignment X.”

Assignment 1
• Read chapters 1-4 in Writers on Writing; chapters 10 and 11 in Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Write a 1,000-word personal essay evaluating how you measure up to the disciplines listed in Writers on Writing chapter 4.

Assignment 2
• Read chapters 7 and 9 in Writers on Writing; chapters 1-4 in Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Rewrite Assignment 1’s essay using the techniques learned in readings. Provide three possible titles using the brainstorming technique described in Communicate to Change Lives chapter 3.

Assignment 3
• Read chapter 9 in Writers on Writing; chapter 9 in Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Write three 300-word devotionals using the fiction techniques described in Communicating to Change Lives chapter 9.

Assignment 4
• Read chapter 10 in Writers on Writing; chapters 5-7 in Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Write a 750-word editorial.

Assignment 5
Read chapter 11 in Writers on Writing.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of chapter.
• Write a 1,000-word non-fiction article on any subject.

Assignment 6
• Read chapter 12 in Writers on Writing; review personal experience story writing in chapter 3 of Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of Writers on Writing chapter.
• Write a 1,500-word personal experience story.

Assignment 7
• Read chapter 13 in Writers on Writing; chapter 8 in Communicate to Change Lives.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Write a 750-word humor piece on any subject.

Assignment 8
• Read chapter 20 in Writers on Writing.
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of chapter.
• Write a query letter for one of your previous articles. List appropriate publications using Christian Writers’ Market Guide or Writers’ Market.

Assignment 9
• Read chapters 21 and 23 in Writers on Writing ; read online article on writing book proposals at www.jameswatkins.com/proposals.htm .
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of book chapter and site.
• Write a fiction or nonfiction book proposal including cover letter and chapter summaries. List appropriate publishing houses for your book using Christian Writers’ Market Guide or Writers’ Market.

Assignment 10
• Read chapters 22 and 24 in Writers on Writing .
• Write an approximately 100-word summary of each chapter.
• Write a fiction or nonfiction sample chapter for your proposed book.

Celebrate:
• Please let me know, as well as Dr. Dennis Hensley (dnhensley@tayloru.edu), director of the professional writing major, of any published work as a result of this class. We want to celebrate your success.

Learning Evaluation

The evaluation for this course is based on the following point system:

Each of the 10 assignments is worth 10 points. Total possible points are 100.

To enroll

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