Tag: media tutor

Homework: Media writing workshop June

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Thanks to everyone who attended yesterday’s workshop at CHIC Chester [pictured above].

There was some great debate about how to pitch (please see links below) and some thought-provoking discussion about the problems we all face when approaching commissioning editors.

There’s a short Vimeo from the session here:

Now for the homework before our next session in July.

Here’s the brief:

Based on the feedback yesterday, please redraft your 150-word, three-paragraph pitch.

Think about the hook, your expertise and who you would quote in the article. Try to highlight the angle on the story.

Deadline: Friday, June 26, 5pm. Please post your work as comments below this post for feedback from the group.

And to help you reflect on your pitching skills, check out these links to further reading:

BBC Academy of Journalism: Pitch meetings

How to pitch a freelance article

How to: protect your ideas as a freelancer

I look forward to reading your homework over the next weeks and welcoming some of you back for our final sessions in July.

If you have comments about yesterday’s session, please post then below. Thanks. 

Media writing workshops: news of the next classes from May to July this summer

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It’s time to reveal plans for the next round of workshops.

Having listened to feedback from the first two groups for more one-on-one tuition time, I’ve decided to run a two-hour split session.

Here’s how it will work.

We will spend the first hour exploring a topic in depth with guided content from me, drawing on real-life experience as a jobbing freelancer and academic theory from my role as a journalism lecturer at UCLan.

The first three topics I am proposing are:

  • Interview skills (May)
  • Pitching ideas to editors (June)
  • Going freelance (July)

The second hour will be given over personal tuition (say 10-15 mins each) and will require you to come with a work-in-progress draft of an article, a blog post, a pitch etc.

I am expecting small groups for these workshops – probably around six people per session.

The proposed dates (*subject to change) are as follows:

  • Thursday, May 14, 7-9pm
  • Friday, June 12, 10-12 noon
  • Thursday, July 16, 7-9pm

You can book one session for £40pp, or book all three and receive a discount price of £100. Your place is only confirmed once I have received a payment – ideally by PayPal via the workshops link at my website.

All three sessions will be hosted at the new CHIC Chester co-working hub, located right next to Chester train station. You can find out more about the venue at the CHIC website.

The venue offers complimentary tea and coffee. We will send out for sandwiches for day sessions and retire to a local pub after evening sessions for a pint.

Please email me with your queries.

Liked this? Try also Feedback from learners at the second workshop.

Comment below.

Writing for online: The feedback from the learners at the second workshop

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So busy day then.

I ran the second workshop in my media masterclass series today. This time we looked specifically at writing and pitching stories for online.

Here we are [pictured above], hard at work in the Glynne Arms, Hawarden.

I structured the session around four key themes:

  • Getting ideas
  • Writing for the screen
  • Taking it multimedia
  • Getting paid

Here’s what people had to say about the experience at the end of the class:

“A great section on how to get ideas and develop them.” – Philip Parry

“In terms of structure, this has helped to demonstrate how to format my future blog posts differently.” – Shaun Best

“Very informative about how to get your message across, engage readers and build community online.” – Anya Hughes

“I liked the stories from personal experience and the point that writing is work and worthy of a fee.” – Bill Webster

“I’m going t use what I learned today to get my first article published.” – Conor O’Gorman.

The next workshop is pencilled in for late April. Please sign up for the newsletter on my home page for the latest news and updates.

Do you have a questions about this post? Post your views below. 

 

New course: HOW TO PITCH AND WRITE FOR ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

 

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Publishing is migrating online. So, if you don’t want to miss out, then you need to adapt your writing for digital devices.

Building on ideas from the first workshop in October 2014 [pictured above], I will share my insider tips on how to get your story ideas published – and get paid for it.

But, in this three-hour session, I will look specifically at how to work online, including writing blogs, guest posts and online features.

It runs Friday, February 6, 2015 in Hawarden, near Chester.

By the end of the course you will be able to pitch, secure commissions and file great copy. We will consider the following:

  • Why do you need to adapt your writing style for the screen?
  • What style, structure and tone devices can you employ to make your writing stand out online?
  • How do you add worthwhile multimedia content to your work?
  • How can you build a community of editors and readers around your writing?

The morning starts with coffee on arrival, then three hours of personal tuition and exercises. You have the option to pick my brains informally over lunch afterwards (lunch not included in the cost).

I’m a freelance writer and independent media tutor with 15 years experience of making a living from selling words. My portfolio includes travel features for the Daily Telegraph, guest blogger for Visit Wales and online copywriting for various tourist boards and travel companies.

The cost of this workshop is £60 per person, including refreshments and e-learning support before the course.

The next courses will run March to May 2015 as part of the Monthly Masterclass series to be hosted at CHIC in Chester – watch this space for more details.

Liked this? Try also Media masterclass: the feedback from learners at the first course.