Post Your Immersion Billboard Here

It was due Sunday, Nov. 14, but nobody noticed.

Post Your Human Interest Story Billboard Here

It's due Sunday, Nov. 7.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #15 Here

It's due Sunday, Dec. 15.

That's it, folks!

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #14 Here

It's due Sunday, Nov. 28.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #13 Here

It's due Sunday, Nov. 22.

Do I see light at the end of the tunnel?

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #12 Here

It's due Sunday, Nov. 14.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #11 Here

It's due Sunday, Nov. 7, too.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #10 Here

It's due Sunday, Oct. 31.

Post Your Human Interest Story Proposal Here

It's due Sunday, Oct. 31.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #9 Here

It's due Sunday, Oct. 24.

File Your Cool Feature Idea #8 Here

It's due Sunday, Oct. 17.

File Your Trend Story Billboard Here

It's due Sunday, Oct. 17.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #7 Here

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #6 Here

It's due Wednesday, Oct. 6.

Post Your Trend Story Proposal Here

It's due Wednesday, Oct. 6

Post Your Quiz Questions Here

They're due before class Wednesday, Sept. 29.

Kim Murphy

PROFESSIONAL

Los Angeles Times, since July 2003
Has worked as a foreign and national correspondent for the past 15 years covering assignments in the Middle East, Balkans, Afghanistan and the Pacific Northwest. Joined the Times Orange County Edition as a general assignment staff writer in 1983.


Orange County Register
Assistant metro editor, 1982-83; reporter, 1980-83.

Minot (N.D.) Daily News
Reporter, 1978-80.

The North Biloxian (Miss.)
Assistant editor, 1973-74.

EDUCATION
Minot State University — Minot, North Dakota. B.A., English Literature, 1977. Magna cum laude.

PERSONAL
Born: August 26, 1955. Indianapolis, Indiana.
Married. Two children.

AWARDS
• Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delt Chi, foreign correspondence, 1993.

• Los Angeles Times Editorial Award for the best project by a team of reporters from any department, 1991. Presented for a special section on the Persian Gulf War, "Witness To War."

• Los Angeles Times Publisher's Prize, for Persian Gulf War correspondence, 1990.

• Orange County Press Club Watchdog Award, 1985.

• Orange County Press Club Awards 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

• North Dakota Sigma Delta Chi Award, first place for best news story, 1979.

• North Dakota Press Women Award, first place for best news story, 1979.

File Your Cool Feature Idea #5 Here

File Your Profile Billboard Here

Remember, I'm looking for one sentence summarizing the subject and alluding to its significance.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #4 Here

Post Your Profile Proposal Here

Classmate Story Assignment

Round 1
Monday, Sept. 13

•    Spend about 15 minutes interviewing your assigned classmate. Be sure to get basic biographical info, such as age, hometown and family members. Try to get your classmate to volunteer something revealing about herself or himself.
Pay attention to descriptive detail, such as appearance and mannerisms.

•    As you conduct your interviews, try to develop a good human-interest angle as the central theme of your story. (Look at the list below, copied from “Vieth’s Six Secrets,” for examples of the universal themes that make people stories more interesting.)

Profile Assignment

PROFILE— Report and write a minimum 750-word biographical story about an interesting person you don’t already know. The subject does not need to be rich, famous or powerful; some of the most compelling profiles focus on ordinary, overlooked people. Unless I agree in advance to an exception, profiles of close friends or relatives are not allowed. Your finished story must contain original, current reporting and quotes from a minimum of three interviews. It must be suitable for publication with all sources fully identified. Your story must be accompanied by a publication-quality photograph and a source list.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #3 Here

Denise Gamino

Click this link for more info on Denise.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea #2 Here

Post Your Revised Immersion Idea & 5 Scenes Here

Technology & Long-Form Journalism

Click here to read the Poynter Institute column.

Syracuse Diners Project

This multimedia package was produced by journalism students at Syracuse University.

Click here to see the student project.

Click here to read a story about the project.

Vieth's Six Secrets of Successful Feature Writing

VIETH’S SIX SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL FEATURE WRITING

1) The best way to improve your writing is to improve your reading.

If you regularly read the best writing you can find, you will begin to absorb its characteristics by osmosis. Your vocabulary will expand. Your wordcraft will improve. Your words will flow more gracefully and powerfully. It’s analogous to an Olympic athlete’s training or a master craftsman’s skills.

Post Your Cool Feature Idea Here

Post Your Immersion Story Proposal Here

Post Your Street Story Proposal Here

Street Story Ideas

Some of the better street stories from previous classes:

-getting clipped at Lindy's barbershop
-turning 21 at the Library Bar
-getting the full treatment at Pro Nails
-blizzard shopping at Wal-Mart
-kids flailing at Conan's martial arts academy
-teeing up at the Glen Eagles country club
-slow day at Dunkin' Donuts
-ticket scalpers in action at Lloyd Noble
-rehearsing for the kiddie play
-old woman biding her time in nursing home
-cacophony at the Tulsa boat show
-clerk clowning at the hippie food store
-standing in line at the post office
-step dancers rehearsing for Stompdown
-lifeguard in action
-inside a high school cafeteria
-kiddie bowling tournament
-bboys battling for supremacy
-OU traffic cop making the rounds
-beer ponging
-kid pen at the shopping mall
-karoake night
-driving to a concert

Immersion Story Ideas

Here are some of the immersion stories produced by students in previous classes:

-preparing for the MCAT exam
-student teacher's trial by fire
-cutting away in cadaver class
-OU women's Ultimate Frisbee team
-final weeks of a 14-year-old's pregnancy
-ballet dancer's big moment
-shedding 14 pounds on Weight Watchers
-former preacher struggling with homelessness
-preparing the stage set for a high school musical
-dog shelter volunteer falls in love with puppy
-Norman jam band rehearses for stardom
-two sorority sisters give up sweets for Lent
-diabetic student's daily ordeals
-hippies squabbling over a community garden
-OU Symphony preparing for a show
-campaigning for CAC chair
-Sooner Racing Team preparing to peel out
-recording sessions for a new CD
-high school senior preparing for graduation
-woman preparing to be a cop
-children's community theater

Welcome Aboard!

This is the official class website of JMC 3023 Feature Writing for the fall semester of 2010. It will serve as our class bulletin board, message center and publication site. Please check it frequently for new information about class assignments and activities.
Warren