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  • Friday November 20: (1) The Craft of Journalistic Writing with Tom Miles

Friday November 20: (1) The Craft of Journalistic Writing with Tom Miles

  • 20 Nov 2020
  • 19:30 - 21:00
  • online (via Zoom)

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Friday November 20, 2020

ONLINE WORKSHOP

7:30pm (CET) via Zoom


Journalism (1)

The Craft of Journalistic Writing

with Tom Miles

Content

What makes for a good story? Accuracy and fairness may no longer be a given, but the rules for writing a gripping article remain the same. Whether it's generating buzz from word of mouth or pageviews on BuzzFeed, people have been asking and sharing "what's new" for centuries.

Whether you are writing about current events or timeless themes, similar advice can help you craft better prose regardless of your chosen medium. The poet, the novelist, and the memoirist can all learn tips to apply to their stories. Certainly, the historical precedents and cross-pollination between the literary and journalistic fields are numerous and well-documented.

In this workshop, we will cover the basics of journalism as a craft, including discussion and writing prompts covering the following topics: 

- the importance of a good headline, lede, and introduction

- the "inverted pyramid" structure of a news story

- the importance of colour: dabs, not slabs

- colloquial diction; a.k.a., writing as we speak

- the importance of editing, pacing, and showing vs. telling

- the importance of direct, active language and clear phrasing

- sources and interviews - unlike a courtroom, you'll want to ask leading questions!

... and more!


Short bio

In addition to being a member of the GWG Steering Committee, Tom Miles is a freelance non-fiction writer and editor. He spent 18 years as a correspondent and sub-editor at Reuters, the world’s largest news agency. 

Tom has written and edited news about international politics and economics in Geneva, Beijing, Moscow, Brussels, Hong Kong, and London, and has been frequently republished and cited in international press and broadcast media. 

He has edited several non-fiction books and plays, lectured on journalism and related topics, and has long been an (anonymous) critic writing reviews of books and films. 

Since leaving Reuters, Tom has branched out into non-fiction essays and blogs and is also considering writing fiction and cartoons.


Sign up at genevawriters@gmail.com  


Payments can be made online via the GWG website

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