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Foundational Writing Skills: Difference between revisions
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[[Blog_Writing_for_College_Students|Home]] | [[Blog_Writing_for_College_Students|Home]] | ||
[[File:Rubric.jpg|thumb|upright=2|[http://cl.ly/3c0u1Y2K3w3Z The Foundational Rubric] is based on basic writing skills]] | [[File:Rubric.jpg|thumb|upright=2|[http://cl.ly/3c0u1Y2K3w3Z The Foundational Rubric] is based on basic writing skills]] | ||
Before students begin working on their writing for digital media, it is necessary that they have a complete understanding of basic writing skills. The qualities found on [http://mca.maconstate.edu/faculty/lucas/ Dr. Gerald Lucas'] foundational writing rubric outline all the requirements of an acceptable understanding of writing for digital or print media. College bloggers must demonstrate these skills in every facet of their writing online or they risk losing readers and credibility. | |||
==Active== | ==Active== | ||
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''Example of active voice:'' | ''Example of active voice:'' | ||
* | *Sally finished her blog entry. | ||
''Example of passive voice:'' | ''Example of passive voice:'' | ||
*The | *The blog entry was finished by Sally. | ||
To change a passive sentence to an active sentence, follow these steps<ref>Active/Passive Voice. ''Townson University's Online Writing Support''.</ref>: | To change a passive sentence to an active sentence, follow these steps<ref>Active/Passive Voice. ''Townson University's Online Writing Support''.</ref>: | ||
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==Appropriate== | ==Appropriate== | ||
Appropriateness hinges on the writer's ability to address the needs of the user. [[Audience|Audience]] plays a key role in this category. | Appropriateness hinges on the writer's ability to address the needs of the user. [[Audience|Audience]] plays a key role in this category. Dr. Steven Hale suggests that "writing with a specific audience in mind will also give your [writing] more unity of purpose and style and will involve your reader more directly in your argument<ref>Hale, Steven</ref>." | ||
==Aware== | ==Aware== | ||
When writing with '''awareness''' you should do the following: | |||
*Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability | |||
*Never plagiarize. | |||
*Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so. | |||
*Examine your own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others. | |||
*Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, or social status. | |||
*Know your [[Audience]] | |||
For more information on writing with awareness and the ethics of writing, whether it be for a blog, newspaper, or any other source of media, check out the (Society of Professional Journalist) [http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp SPJ Code of Ethics]. | |||
==Brief and Concise== | |||
In writing for any sort of media, [[Brevity|'''brevity''']] is encouraged. Danny Rubin, a national news consultant and former television news reporter, explains, "You don't need to write a lot or use big words to sound smart<ref>Rubin, Danny</ref>." Cutting excess words, phrases, an unnecessary elements of your writing allows you to remain concise. | |||
==Concrete== | ==Concrete== | ||
If a blog is to meet the '''Concrete''' requirements it should have strong supporting evidence that is creditable and appropriate to the topic at hand. | |||
The [http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp Society of Professional Journalists] suggests the following to help maintain strong supporting evidence when writing: | |||
*Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. | |||
' | *Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability. | ||
If your unsure of how to evaluate the credibility of a source then you should review the following wiki while on your quest to find credible sources: [http://www.wikihow.com/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source Evaluate the Credibility of a Source ] | |||
your | |||
==Consistent== | ==Consistent== | ||
The writing should be '''consistent''' meaning that sentences are balanced and free from variation; same structure throughout. Consistent writing makes it easy to follow and read a blog without difficultly. | |||
*Use the same sentence structure throughout. | |||
*Follow a format. | |||
==Imaginative== | ==Imaginative== | ||
'''Imaginative''' writing shows creativity and inventiveness. Figurative language is used when appropriate. Imaginative writing will set your blog apart and make it unique. | |||
*Avoid cliches and business-ese. | |||
*Be creative. | |||
==Precise and Direct== | ==Precise and Direct== | ||
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''In light of'' the recent mistakes in the media, we've decided to withhold the names of suspects until identities are confirmed. | ''In light of'' the recent mistakes in the media, we've decided to withhold the names of suspects until identities are confirmed. | ||
Here, '''in lieu of''' '''means instead of''' or '''in absence of'''. '''In light of''' means '''due to''' or '''because of'''. The two are not interchangeable. Unfortunately this mistake is often made with common phrases and words. As a blogger | Here, '''in lieu of''' '''means instead of''' or '''in absence of'''. '''In light of''' means '''due to''' or '''because of'''. The two are not interchangeable. Unfortunately this mistake is often made with common phrases and words. As a blogger, be diligent in checking for precision in your writing. Lack of precision negates the act of fact checking. | ||
==Presentable== | ==Presentable== | ||
In order to make your writing '''presentable''', you must follow the guidelines of each assignment. Peter Giblett explains, "Being presentable is largely about being effective as a writer, but there is also an element of visual impact<ref>Giblett, Peter</ref>." Pay close attention to the visual appeal of your writing and focus on inspiring interest from your audience. | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
#[http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm Active/Passive Voice]. ''Townson University's Online Writing Support''. Web. 1 May 2013. | #[http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm Active/Passive Voice]. ''Townson University's Online Writing Support''. Web. 1 May 2013. | ||
#Carroll, Brian. (2010). [http://www.scribd.com/doc/64429015/Writing-for-Digital-Media Writing for Digital Media]. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 14 March 2013. | |||
#[http://www.wikihow.com/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source How to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source]. ''Wikihow''. Web. 1 May 2013. | |||
#Giblett, Peter. [http://writinghood.com/writing/making-your-writing-presentable-and-cogent/ Making Your Writing Presentable and Cogent]. Web. 30 April 2013. | |||
#Hale, Steven. [http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/composition/handouts/audience.html Choosing and Writing for an Audience]. Web. 30 April 2013. | |||
#Rubin, Danny. [http://lifehacker.com/5909543/write-less-say-more-the-power-of-brevity Write Less, Say More: The Power of Brevity]. Web. 30 April 2013. | |||
#[http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp SPJ Code of Ethics]. ''Society of Professional Journalist''. Web. 1 May 2013. | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
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*[[Inverted Pyramid|Inverted Pyramid]] | *[[Inverted Pyramid|Inverted Pyramid]] | ||
*[[Proofreading|Proofreading]] | *[[Proofreading|Proofreading]] | ||
[[Category:New Media]] | |||