WEEK 1
Jan 25th: Introduction to course |
Class Topic/s: Go over course & syllabus / what is a writer’s portfolio?
Assignment/s for next week:
- Come to class with a list of potential jobs and/or freelance gigs you could imagine getting paid for and write in journal (be prepared to discuss next class).
- Identify two pieces of writing that you believe is among the best that exemplifies your overall talent, skills, and potential as a writer and bring to class next week. Look over your total Fiction Writing experience (both in and out of classes) in selecting your best writing, thinking about what worked well (got published?), what got recalled, or received great feedback or reaction from your classmates and/or the teacher. You will be identifying many such pieces, so don’t worry about choosing “the best.”
- Click on the class blog (above in upper left-hand corner) to post your journal response for next week.
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WEEK 2
Feb 1st: Exploring Professional Opportunities |
Homework DUE:
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Piece of writing you believe to be among your best (be prepared to discuss why you chose this piece).
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Exploring Writers’ Portfolios & Shaping the Portfolio for a Specific Audience” / will include overview of center
Class Topic/s:
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Discuss / explore lists of writing & freelance opportunities
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Making contact with professionals / gathering information
Assignment/s for next week:
- Using the in-class writing you did and the words you were given by your colleagues, write up about a paragraph that best describes the work you read in class today.
- Identify three professionals, publishing houses, journals or magazines, etc. in Chicago that you would be interested in learning more about and gather information (will go over in class) & create entry on class blog (to share your resources).
- Make appointments with a portfolio advisor at the Portfolio Center.
- Start a new digital folder for your writing materials; add the piece you brought today into that folder and anything that you have already published (exactly as it was published).
- For next week, take one of the two pieces that you have already identified and revise it (get it into the best shape possible – creatively, grammatically, stylistically, etc.).
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WEEK 3
Feb 8th: Identifying Your Potential Audience/s |
Homework DUE:
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Paragraph describing the work you read in class
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Revised first portfolio piece (you must turn in both the original and revised versions).
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Blog Entry
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Bring date/time of your portfolio advising appointment.
Class Topic/s:
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Gathering information about employers, publishers, agents, etc. / go over students’ lists & gathered info.
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Informational interviews
Assignment/s for next week:
- Set up and carry out informational interviews (due w/in next two weeks)
- Bring in a third piece of unpublished writing that you want to include in your portfolio to workshop in class
- Once the interview has been completed, type up the information gleaned at interview, including an online blog journal entry on your overall experience
- Revise second piece of writing to include in portfolio
- Find three artist statements that you like online, print out, and bring to class next week
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WEEK 4
February 15th: Planning a Portfolio |
Homework DUE:
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Revised second piece for portfolio (you must turn in both the original and revised versions)
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Third piece of writing to workshop in class
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Three artist statements for class discussion
Class Topic/s:
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Elements of a Portfolio
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The artist statement and resumé
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Collection of materials, documentation, and organization of written pieces
Assignment/s for next week:
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Revise your 2nd piece (or at least what you think are the five best pages)
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On both your 1st and 2nd piece, choose 2-3 paragraphs (or the equivalent thereof) that you think are the most compelling, descriptive, interesting -- (what you might want to use in the short blurb on the web to draw people into wanting to read more)
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Create the first draft of your artist statement, using what you wrote in class (If you weren't in class, write the best artist statement you can -- go to other sites and/or read other artist statements to help you determine what is and isn't working, so you can apply it to your own)
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Try to read a few book reviews between now and next week, and take note as to how they are written (if you find any particularly good example, bring it in). Read them with an eye towards how reviewer's approaches to writing about someone else's writing might be useful to how you write about your writing.
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BLOG about your first informational interview and/or portfolio advising appointment. You should already have your appointment for your informational interview AND portfolio advising appointment; but if you don't, you must make sure that you complete at least ONE for next week and blog about it.
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WEEK 5
Feb 22nd:
Organizing your Portfolio |
Homework DUE:
- Revised 1st and 2nd piece of writing (at least 5 pages of each) -- TO TURN IN TO ME
- Each should be marked in two-three places, indicating which paragraphs you find most compelling
- First full draft of artist's statement
- Come in prepared to talk about a few book reviews you've read
Class Topic/s:
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Finding your professional “style” – discussion on themes, genres, colors, etc. that help create a professional identity
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Layout, sequencing, organization of portfolio pieces
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Use of images / photos / video (readings)
Assignment/s for next week:
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Get up to date on all previous assignments! (by next week, you should have re-written your artist statement, revised three pieces you expect to put into your portfolio, bracketed each piece in three places with a paragraph's worth of what you consider to be the most engaging/seductive text, have spoken with your portfolio advisor, and have the elements of your resume)
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Post all information you find, thoughts about meetings, discoveries, artist statements, and questions online at the class blog.
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* Next week, we will be meeting AT the Portfolio Center in the morning at 8:30 (then go to the classroom for the later half) |
WEEK 6
March 1st: Marketing Your Portfolio & Yourself |
MEET AT THE PORTFOLIO CENTER AT 8:30 a.m.
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Professional Identity: Marketing Your Portfolio and Yourself”
Homework DUE:
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All work up to date (all previous assignments should be completed)
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Elements of your resume (as we discussed in class)
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Second revision of your artist statement
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Blog Entry
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Revised third piece for portfolio (you must turn in both the original and at least five pages of the revised version).
Class Topic/s:
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Marketing & Advertising – You and Your Portfolio
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Business cards / Networking intro
Assignment/s for next week:
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Blog about professional event
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Sketch out or create rough draft idea of what you want on your business cards, colors, images, etc. (you must be prepared when you workshop with the graphic designers)
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Revise / edit resumé and artist’s statement
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Bring a rough draft plan/outline for your portfolio, including which pieces you intend to include
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WEEK 7
March 8th: Resumé & Artist Statement |
Homework DUE:
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Rough draft plan/outline for portfolio, including which pieces you intend to include
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Final resumé and artist’s statement
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Business card sketches/ideas for graphic designers
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Blog journal entry about Professional Event
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Business Card Day” w/ graphic designers
Class Topic/s:
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Networking & Self Promotion
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Collaborations / working with other artists
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Schedule individual mid-term conferences
Assignment/s for next week:
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Print out business cards (either via Kinkos or at home) – bring handful to Story Week Festival of Writers next week to hand out
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Identify and make contact with at least three writing professionals next week during Story Week Festival of Writers
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Revise fourth piece for portfolio
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WEEK 8
March 15th: Story Week Festival of Writers |
Homework DUE:
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Revised fourth piece for portfolio (w/ original)
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Blog about contact with Story Week writers / networking
STORY WEEK Event: 11 a.m.- PUBLISHING PANEL: New York and Beyond with Emily S. Cook, marketing and publicity manager, Milkweed Editions; Jessa Crispin, editor and founder of Bookslut.com; Richard Nash, publisher, Soft Skull Press; Cheryl L. Reed, books editor, Chicago Sun-Times; and Donna Seaman, author, Writers on the Air: Conversations About Books, associate editor of Booklist, and host of "Open Books" on WLUW-FM radio.
Assignment/s for next week:
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Revise fifth piece for portfolio
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WEEK 9
March 22nd: Spring Break |
SPRING BREAK!! |
WEEK 10
March 29th: Blogs and Blogging |
Homework DUE:
- Revised fifth piece for portfolio (w/ original)
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Weblogs and Writing Portfolios” / Can or should blogs be in a writer’s portfolio? If so, how so?
Class Topic/s:
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Formatting / documentation for portfolio pieces: web, hand-held, and leave-behind
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Final plan/outline for portfolio
Assignment/s for next week:
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Summarize your final plan/outline for portfolio • Revise any additional pieces for portfolio
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Read handout (TBD) on grammar rule (noted need from work)
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Choose approximately one paragraph from EACH of the revised pieces to highlight in portfolio (may also utilize a description in place of quoting, but still should be around a paragraph in length)
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WEEK 11
April 5th: The Pitch & Query |
Homework DUE:
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The “best” passage or description (approx. a paragraph) out of each of the five pieces
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Final plan / outline for portfolio
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Additional revisions for portfolio (including original)
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Pitch & Query: Writing for Work”
Assignment/s for next week:
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Blog about “Pitch & Query” event
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Write a pitch or query letter for a writing idea you have (or an old idea you revise for this purpose); identify potential agents and/or publications
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WEEK 12
April 12th: How to Protect Your Work & Rights |
Homework DUE:
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Pitch & Query letter drafts
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Blog entry about “Pitch & Query” event
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All images, writing samples, resumé and artist’s statement materials you intend to submit into final portfolio
Class Topic/s:
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Final production of portfolio
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Copyright and business-related issues (contracts, electronic rights, etc.)
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Writer Beware (the pitfalls of freelancing, publishing, having agents, etc.): how to protect your work and your rights
Assignment/s for next week:
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Revise and bring your portfolio-in-progress for next week's professional review (should be close to finalized)
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Revise your pitch and query letter and submit at least one pitch or query letter and/or a piece of writing for publication somewhere
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WEEK 13
April 19th: Writing in Review |
Homework DUE:
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Portfolio (in progress / near final) for Show Off event
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Copy of your pitch/query letter for publication (should include who you sent it to)
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Writers’ Portfolio Review”
Class Topic/s:
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Collaborations / working with other artists
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Freelancing, Grants, Scholarships, etc. (show me the money!)
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Professional reviews of portfolios-in-progress
Assignment/s for next week:
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Update/revise your portfolio – taking into consideration any feedback that you received from professionals
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Blog Entry on your experience with a professional and the feedback you received
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WEEK 14
April 26th: Portfolio Production |
Homework DUE:
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Revisions of portfolio
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Blog Entry
* Portfolio Center EVENT: “Portfolio Production Workshop for Writers”
Class Topic/s:
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Web portfolios, Leave-behinds, and Print Portfolios
Assignment/s for next week:
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Blog about the response/s and feedback you receive during your professional review
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Bring in all of your final portfolio materials (whether handheld and/or digital) for final review and documentation
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WEEK 15
May 3rd: Show & Tell: Portfolios |
Homework DUE:
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Final Portfolio
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Blog Entry
Workshop:
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In class review of final portfolios accompanied by an articulation of your process / discussion
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