Have a good holiday

I have returned comments to several of you on rewrites you did of your final projects. I go into the holiday under the impression that I am up-to-date, squared away and even "finished" with all of you.

If, in your mind, that is not true, please drop me a note and I will get right on it -- after the first of the year and after I return from an out-of-town trip.

I'll never really be finished with you. Drop me a line if you have questions about editing or want me to look over something. I'll be happy to do so as time allows.

You've been a great class, willing to speak up in the workshops and to take and give criticism to improve your writing. Much of what I have seen in the last round of rewrites has been better writing because of taking heed of what a classmate said. Way to help each other.

Have fun in Larry's class and please, write often.

Viv shows us FDR's editing

Speaking of edits and rewrites, it is interesting to see the edits that President Roosevelt made to his "Day of Infamy" speech which was delivered to the Joint Session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The Infamy Speech page of Wikipedia has a full analysis of the edits and the reasons behind them. The National Archives Day of Infamy has the other two pages with edits.

The edited text of this first page reads:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The full text and video the speech can be found on The Day of Infamy page of American Rhetoric.

Renata reports on our library session

This past week some of us went to the Suzzallo Library for a session on how to use the UW Library system. I took some notes during the session that may be of use for our research projects.

As continuing education students, we have full access to all UW library resources, and this is a great perk. In addition to the library collection of books, periodicals, microfilms, digital content, etc., we also have access to the WorldCat, a database containing periodicals and academic publications from all over the world.

First thing you should do when looking for library materials from home is to go to the UW Libraries home page and log on using your UW net ID (look for the “Off-Campus Access” icon on the page’s top right).

Once you are logged in, you can do your search using the purple box in the middle of the page.

Here are a couple of good search hints:

• If you are looking for two key words (e.g. art and religion) it’s always good to include the word "and" between your keywords. Research results in some databases may not be optimized if you don’t include "and."

• If you are looking for a word and its derivatives (e.g. art, artistic, artist etc.), you can always include an asterisk after the root of the word (art*), and the search engine will look for all keywords with the same root.

• When searching for exact phrases, include the phrase between quotes (e.g. “Music and the mind”)

• When the search results show up, you can narrow your search by format, author, topic, year of publication and much more (see column on the left side of the results page).

• If you have any questions, you can always reach a librarian via chat (see purple box on the top right).

Big thanks to Deb Raftus, who led the session for us.

Reminder: Class starts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14

JoAnne introduces us to "Hot Writing"

My linear, rule-oriented left brain is great. I don’t mean it any disrespect. It’s served me well over the years and even now it’s my go-to brain whenever I have a problem. But that, sadly, is the problem.

These days my challenges are less likely to be mathematical or analytical than challenges of creation: What’s the story’s arc? My sentences just lie there – why won’t they do anything? What telling detail would establish the mood?

Next time I’m stumped, I’ll reflexively head to my left brain. I always do. But its answers will disappoint. It prefers well-trod paths and familiar imagery. It would do just about anything to avoid a mistake. It’s my mother telling me to be careful, get in before dark, don’t swim after eating. "Better safe than sorry," it whispers in my ear.

Yet who wants to read “safe” writing? When it comes to writing, shouldn’t we all be running around with sharp sticks, diving off cliffs not knowing the depth of the water below? If we poke out someone’s metaphorical eye, we can rewind, undo the damage. Or who knows, maybe they were already one-eyed and we’re finally seeing them clearly.

But how do I escape my left brain? Are there ways to access the dreamy intuitive place just below consciousness where unexpected connections and insights are found?

A writer friend taught me a technique. Hot writing. Here’s my friend’s version: Go to your bookshelf, randomly pull off a book, open it to any page, blindly point to a sentence and read it. Close the book and return it to the shelf. (Here I also politely remind my subconscious of the specific problem I’m facing. Only once though. I try not to nag.) Then go about household chores such as doing the dishes or straightening up. Better still, take a short nap. Make no effort to think about the sentence or the problem.

After a half hour, write. Anything at all. Write without stopping for 20 minutes. Do not edit, do not punctuate. Just write. Don’t worry if what’s coming up seems unrelated to your problem. If you don’t know what to write, write that. Keep going.

When I try this, my left brain isn’t happy. It offers “helpful” critique, urges me to reconsider an awkward sentence, notes that I am repeating myself. I ignore it.

I let it know that I’ll happily consider its advice when it’s time to revise. But now, I’m trying to find new angles, the deeper story, the unusual image. I want to make “mistakes.” I want to get off the beaten path.

The farther off the better.

Congrats to David, Times guest columnist

Have a look at the editorial pages of The Seattle Times on Friday, Dec. 10, and you will see a familiar face on a piece of writing that will also be familiar to you.

We critiqued David's piece on Seattle Alternative School No. 1 on Nov. 30, and he submitted it to The Times soon after that. And here it is -- published, in print and online.

Way to go, David.

Syllabus for winter

Larry Cheek here with your winter syllabus. I'm looking forward to joining you beginning Jan. 11.

Please note the two new

textbooks listed in the syllabus. I have one surplus copy of the Touchstone collection, new, which I'll sell for $15 (bookstore price $20) to the first person to e-mail me at udubscribes@comcast.net. If you have questions about the course, I'll be happy to answer them at the same address.

Larry

Nonfiction: Writing Seminar & Portfolio

WRI NON CP201 · Jan. 11, 2011 —March 15, 2011

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University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education

Instructor: Lawrence W. Cheek (Larry) • udubscribes@comcast.net or 360.221.0346

Class meetings: 6:15-9:15 p.m. Tuesdays

At bottom, there are just two elements to the writing art. The first is to have something to say.

The second is to say it clearly.

—James J. Kilpatrick, The Writer’s Art

This course will focus on the writer’s art as James Kilpatrick so simply and elegantly defines it. First we will work on enriching our stores of what we have to say—developing and refining ideas, gathering information through observation, interview, participation, and research, and then thinking deeply through what we’ve learned. Then we’ll write and rewrite, with emphasis on clarity, economy, and effective storytelling. We will work on beginnings, transitions, endings, and narrative arc. We will develop our individual voices and narrative styles. We will begin working at the molecular level of sentences, considering how the sound of a particular word conveys meaning, and how the sentence’s rhythm creates atmosphere.

And on the practical end, we will talk about how to make a living through our writing, and stay out of trouble.

Each session will include two or three informal lecture-discussions on the writer’s art, assigned readings, and assignments-in-progress. We will have in-class writing projects and critique workshops. I welcome frank and constructive debate. My aim is to conduct the class so that you gain confidence in your writing and spin away any lingering fear you may have about sharing it.

I don’t make many rules. Respect each other. Turn off cell phones during class.

I’m always available to you by e-mail or phone. If you phone, please do so between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (weekends are OK). I also encourage you to exchange e-mail and phone numbers among yourselves. A good way to extricate yourself from a sticking point is to call someone and talk through the story.

Your assignments should be e-mailed to me at udubscribes@comcast.net, either in the form of a Word attachment (2004 or earlier), an RTF attachment, or pasted into the e-mail. Paper manuscripts are unnecessary except for class readings or small-group critiquing. Deadlines are firm.

We will use two new texts, available at University Bookstore: The Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction, eds. Lex Williford and Michael Martone; and The Best American Essays 2010, ed. Christopher Hitchens. We will also continue using your first-quarter text, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.

You will also choose one nonfiction book to read and present a critique in class during the last 10 weeks. I will pass out a list of suggested titles in January, but you may select a book not on the list by arrangement with me.

Your objectives in this course will be to:

• Practice your techniques of interview and observation, and learn how to conduct deep research in a variety of other forms.

· Identify your audience and write effectively for it.

• Gain confidence in your writer’s voice, beginning to understand techniques such as rhythm and cadence, imagery, texture, and narrative arc.

· Read a variety of quality contemporary nonfiction, enjoying and understanding the authors’ techniques, and begin to incorporate some of them into your own writing.

· Write a portfolio of publishable quality work that can lay the foundation for pursuing freelance writing opportunities—in print periodicals, books, and electronic media.

The course requirements are to:

• Attend at least 16 of the 20 class sessions, participating in discussion and critiques. Attendance at all sessions is strongly recommended, apart from illness or unavoidable work obligations.

• Research and write all the assigned articles, then revise them based on my critiques and those of other class members.

· Read and critique one nonfiction book approved by the instructor.

Finally, some information required by the University of Washington:

Disability accommodations: The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax) or dso@u.washington.edu at least 10 days prior to the start of your course or date of a UW event you plan to attend.

UW Extension Certificate Program Handbook: Please see www.extension.washington.edu/ext/studentinfo/certhandbook/ for information about policies and procedures concerning students enrolled in certificate programs.

Class closures in inclement weather or emergencies: The university is closed and class meetings are cancelled only under extreme weather conditions or emergencies. For information about class cancellations, call 206.547.INFO or 206.897.8939. Special notices may also be posted on the UW Extension home page.

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We will write four major pieces during the two quarters, plus several to-be-announced short exercises. The four are:

· An article or essay about a person—profile, biographical sketch, etc. ~ 1000 words.

· An article or essay about a place—travel piece, memoir, etc. ~ 1000 words.

· An article or essay about a thing—object, phenomenon, issue, etc. ~ 1500 words.

· A long article, essay or book chapter on your choice of topic ~ 2000-3000 words

The following assignment and in-class schedule is complete only through the winter quarter, ending March 15. The schedule for the 10 classes following spring break will solidify as I get to know you. Your input is always welcome.

Week 1 (1.11) Lecture and discussion: Ideas and inspiration: where we find them.

Lecture and discussion: Writing about people

In-class writing: TBA.

Assignments: “Shitdiggers, Mudflats, and the Worm Men of Maine,” Touchstone; “A Rake’s Progress,” BAE 2010

Write proposal on “Person” article for discussion 1.18.

Week 2 (1.18) Discussion: Assigned readings.

Discussion and workshop: Your article proposals.

Lecture: Participatory journalism and RBHA—Reporting by Hanging Around.

Assignments: “Daredevil,” BAE 2010

Begin work on “Person” article. First draft due 1.30.

Week 3 (1.25) Guest speaker: Diane Mapes: Writing humor, building platform

Discussion: Assigned readings

Lecture and discussion: First person: The curse of me, the opportunity of I.

Assignments. “Interstellar,” Touchstone; “Guy Walks Into a Bar Car,” BAE 2010

Week 4 (2.1) Lecture and discussion. The concept of “added value” through insight and analysis.

Small-group workshops on “person” articles.

Lecture and discussion: Your “person” articles.

Assignments. “World on a Hilltop,” Touchstone

Revise “Person” article. Due 2.8.

Week 5 (2.8) Guest speaker: Craig English, “Inviting the demons in for tea.”

In-class writing. TBA

Lecture and discussion: Descriptions and anecdotes

Discussion: Assigned reading

Assignments: “Brooklyn the Unknowable,” BAE 2010.

Write proposal for “Place” article for discussion 2.15

Week 6 (2.15) Lecture/discussion. Writing about a place.

Discussion and workshop. Your “Place” article proposals.

Assignments. ”Gettysburg Regress,” BAE 2010

Begin work on “Place” article. First draft due 3.6.

Week 7 (2.22) Lecture and discussion: Beginnings, endings, transitions.

Discussion: Reading assignment

In-class writing. TBA

Assignments. “Present Tense Africa,” Touchstone.

Continue “Place” article.

Week 8 (3.1) Lecture/discussion. The essay: window onto a mind at work

In-class writing. TBA

Assignments. “High Tide in Tucson,” Touchstone.

Revise “Place” article. Due 3.15.

Week 9 (3.8) Small-group workshops on “Place” articles.

Lecture and discussion: Your “place” articles.

Discussion/workshop on last week’s TBA writing assignment

Discussion: Reading assignment

Assignments. “The Fourth State of Matter,” “Torch Song,” Touchstone

Writing assignment TBA

Week 10 (3.15) Lecture/discussion. Braiding and layering: developing the big idea

Lecture/discussion. The writing life I: process, rejection, success

Assignments (for reading over spring break).

“Candid Camera: The Cult of Leica” by Anthony Lane. The New Yorker

“The Date,” Touchstone

“Consider the Lobster,” Touchstone

David examines his own world of writing

Marketing writing is full of bad habits. Sentences go on for 30 words with multiple commas. Adjectives and adverbs are everywhere. Among the worst pieces of marketing writing are press releases. I know -- I’ve written hundreds of them and read thousands.

I recently found a blog entry from Don Mecoy, a business writer for the Daily Oklahoman. In it, Mecoy nominates this press release from a technology company for worst press release of 2009, citing the opening paragraph:

"____’s clustered storage and data management solutions drive unique business value for customers by maximizing the performance of their mission-critical applications, workflows, and processes. ____ enables enterprises and research organizations worldwide to manage large and rapidly growing amounts of file-based data in a highly scalable, easy-to-manage, and cost-effective way."

I’ve seen press releases that were much worse than this. In fact, this one is not that unusual. Many – perhaps most - technology press releases read like this one, and most of them are written by people with degrees in journalism.

Why are so many press releases so bad? The answer lies in the way press releases are not so much written as they are “assembled.” A technology press release is usually based at its core on a series of what are known in the industry as “value propositions.” A value proposition is a reason to buy a product. (Except you never call it a product, it’s “a solution” and if it’s a business product, it’s an “enterprise solution”.)

Value propositions are created by product managers, and product mangers try to cram as many reasons to buy the product as they can into a single sentence. It will have more impact that way, the thinking goes. Since the product needs to stand out from the competition, the product manager needs to make sure he uses lots of colorful adjectives and adverbs. The value proposition also needs to be sure to contain all the latest jargon such as “unique business value” and “mission-critical” so that everyone knows the product is on the cutting edge of technology.

This is why press releases have sentences like “____’s clustered storage and data management solutions drive unique business value for customers by maximizing the performance of their mission-critical applications, workflows, and processes.” The value proposition here is that you want to buy this product because it “maximizes the performance” – in other words, it runs faster. That’s it – a very long and tortured way of saying “it runs faster.” The next sentence takes an even longer time to say “it handles lots of data.”

So paragraphs in most technology press releases are really just a series of long sentences expressing value propositions, all crammed together. It’s not an uncommon experience to read a technology press release and then discover around the fourth paragraph, if you’re fortunate, what the product actually does and what the release is talking about.

Fortunately, technology companies are moving away from the press release -- and more to using blogs to announce news, where they are freer to engage in what I like to call “human speak.”

Sarah listens to Jeffrey Steingarten's voice

As anyone who's read Anthony Bourdain or Ruth Reichl knows, “voice” is essential to every food story.

One of my favorite “voices” is that of Jeffrey Steingarten (right).

If you’ve ever watched "Chopped," "Iron Chef" or the "Next Iron Chef," you’ve seen Steingarten – he’s the chubby, spectacle-wearing, white-haired gent in the blazer who swoons over bacon. This was not always the case.

A Harvard trained attorney, Steingarten officially entered the world of food when Anna Wintour asked him to take a job as the food critic for Vogue. He did. That decision yielded him two national bestsellers, a Julia Child Book Award, a James Beard Book Award nomination and countless appearances as a judge on various Food Network programs.

For those unfamiliar with Steingarten’s prose, “The Man Who Ate Everything” is a must read. A series of essays, it reveals Steingarten as an enthusiastic amateur. His enthusiasm is infectious but it’s his dry wit that leaves me literally laughing out loud. Here’s a small smackerel of Steingarten’s musings on “Greek Cuisine” to whet your appetite.

“The Greeks are really good at both pre-Socratic philosophy and white statues. They have not been good cooks since the fifth century B.C., when Siracusa on Sicily was the gastronomic capital of the world. Typical of modern-day Greek cuisine are feta cheese and retsina wine. Any country that pickles its cheese in brine and adulterates its national wine with pine pitch should order dinner at the local Chinese place and save its energies for other things. The British go to Greece just for the food, which says volumes to me. You would probably think twice before buying an Algerian or Russian television set. I thought for ten years before buying my last Greek meal.“

Advice from Denise: Go Bird by Bird

Anne Lamott writes both fiction and nonfiction. The latter is largely written in autobiographical format, marked by her humor, often self-deprecating in nature, and her transparency. Many of her books have become national bestsellers, including her book on writing, "Bird by Bird."

Named after the advice her dad (an author himself) gave to her brother about writing a report as a child, this book will make you laugh and think while encouraging you to simply keep writing. She shares stories of her own shortcomings that make you believe it’s possible to become a great author, too.

Her advice on writing includes: breaking large assignments into small ones, accepting that all first drafts are, in fact, shitty, and paying attention to the details of life so you can communicate them well.

The book is enjoyable to read even if it’s just for her witty writing. But if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or afraid of putting your words on paper, pick up the book. It’s a wonderful writing companion.

Hi Yo, Highlighter Away!

In the absences of any student blog posts to put up (hint, hint), I thought I'd sneak in here with one more update on what I thought was good material from "On Writing Well," Chapter 21, a good one to read as you settle in to finish your final projects for this quarter.

Facing writer's block? Take a look at Page 243:

"The blank piece of paper or the blank computer screen, waiting to be filled with our wonderful words, can freeze us into not writing any words at all, or writing words that are less than wonderful. I'm often dismayed by the sludge I see appearing on my screen if I approach writing as a task -- the day's work -- and not with some enjoyment. My only consolation is that I'll get another shot at those dismal sentences tomorrow and the next day and the day after. With each rewrite I try to force my personality onto the material."

A note here that as far as I'm concerned, you have until Dec. 19 to console yourself day after day with your final projects.

Continuing in the chapter, there's a good reminder about the importance of accuracy:

"Because authors of fiction are writing about a world of their own invention, often in an allusive style that they have also invented . . . we have no right to tell them, 'That's wrong.' We can only say, 'It doesn't work for me.' Nonfiction writers get no such break. . . With every inaccuracy of reporting and every misstep of craft we can say, 'That's wrong.' "

You should be past the stages of picking a subject to write about and conducting interviews, but here's some good advice on those fronts:

"If you want your writing to convey enjoyment, write about people you respect. . . think broadly about your assignment . . .Push the boundaries of your subject and see where it takes you. Bring some part of your own life to it; it's not your version of the story until you write it."

By the way, I don't consider the above open rein on writing in the first person. Your voice, your style, even your selection of what to include makes it your version of the story without the first person pronoun.

On interviewing:

"Often you'll get your best material after you put your pencil away, in the chitchat of leave taking. The person being interviewed, off the hook after the hard work of making his or her life presentable to a stranger, thinks of a few important afterthoughts."

I like this as general encouragement for the writer:

"If you master the tools of the trade -- the fundamentals of interviewing and of orderly construction -- and if you bring to the assignment your general intelligence and your humanity, you can write about any subject. That's your ticket to an interesting life."

Possible dates to make up the library visit

Deb Raftus from the UW libraries says she is available on Wednesday or Thursday, Dec. 8 or 9, to have us come to Suzzallo to make up the workshop we missed because of the bad weather.

I (John B. Saul) cannot be there on Wednesday evening. Please let me know if you could attend on Thursday, Dec. 9.

Viv introduces us to several writing sites

During the course of this Nonfiction Writing class I have found so many stellar writing sites and resources out on the web that at times I have felt overwhelmed by the riches.

My very favorite is Daily Writing Tips. Though the site is wonderful, the true benefit comes when you sign up to receive Daily Writing Tips via email. Each day you will receive a well written, concise discussion of a topic such as two words that are often misused (“Blatantly” and “patently”) or word use (Is “into” after “invade” really necessary?) and many other writing tips. I do not usually sign up to receive daily emails from anywhere or anyone, but I find I look forward to the writing wisdom I receive from the Daily Writing Tips. An additional benefit of signing up for the emails is you receive a free download of a 34-page PDF on basic grammar, which is quite good.

A new favorite is InkyGirl.com. It is the brainchild of Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who is a writer, illustrator and teacher. These cartoons are both by Debbie. (Do you think John would come in a close second to her Champion Line Editor?) I enjoy the sense of humor Debbie brings to the challenges all writers face. Debbie also appears to be an avid Twitterer (or is that a Twit?). She can be followed @inkyelbows.

My other new find is an annual list of the 101 Best Websites for Writers published by Writers Digest. To download the 2010 list you need to sign up for their e-newsletter. I did, and so far I have not been spammed by them so it looks to be a safe site. The listing of their top websites is a candy store of resources.

There is one site that did not make it onto the final 101 list that deserves a special mention. While not a nonfiction site, Brian Stokes' Random Logline Generator is a lot of fun. A logline is a distillation of a plot to one line. The site generates the plot, and your exercise is to write the story. My two favorites from a recent foray are "Seven sexually-repressed fiddle players learn CPR." and "An advertising executive and a team of astute CIA agents find a lost bumblebee in a dangerous alley."

It appears to me that we writers often take refuge in sharing our knowledge (and our trials, tribulations and woes) on the web as an outlet and a diversion from the larger writing task that haunts us. How much more simple to write a blog post or a couple of witty comments than to face the tyranny of the blank screen waiting for the next chapter of our book or the article with the looming deadline. Which explains why I have found all these great sites!

Tobin recommends "Methland"

I'm reading "Methland: The Death and Life of a Small Town," a recent book about the impact of crystal meth on the small town of Oelwein, Iowa. Author Nick Reding explores what must be the most devastating storm to hit the Midwest since the Dust Bowl of the Thirties.

Reding writes with fondness for an intriguing band of hometown characters:

-- Clay Hallberg, the family doctor, who knows everyone and doesn't miss much.
-- Lori Arnold, the entrepreneurial meth marketing queen of the Midwest who after her first prison term began a second career as a middlewoman for the big Mexican cartels who needed local help to hustle their mountains of dope across the boundary lines of racial prejudice.
-- "Batcher" and super-addict Roland Jarvis, who burned his own nose off his face and still keeps the warm pipe close at hand.
-- Police Chief Jeremy Logan and his crew of skinhead cops, who wage a minor guerrilla war on local cooks and tweakers.

Reding interweaves his stories with an insightful analysis of farming history, DEA strategies, the power shift from Colombian to Mexican drug cartels, and the general collapse of small-town economies in the face of globalized competition that pushes down wages and leaves standing only large-scale operators like Tyson meat packing plants.

From topics of Nazi Dope brewed on bicycles to blown-out brain neurotransmitters to burned out crank-lab trailers to vacant store fronts and empty city coffers, Reding reveals hidden dimensions of an epidemic that's transforming rural communities in the Midwest.

A recent movie addresses similar topics of meth's impact on a family in the Missouri Ozarks. Look for "Winter's Bone" at this year's Oscars. Haunting.

Dec. 7 class starts at 6 p.m.

We will start the class in Denny Room 206 at 6 p.m. and try to get in a critique before the meeting at Savery Hall on the anthology publication. I will be attending that meeting along with anyone else who wants to.

Please do not throw erasers or spit wads while I am gone.