http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6640Xp7ETBw&hl=en

I took a class in Theater just to spice up an otherwise heavy semester, thinking it would be a lark. Wrong. It was interesting but far more work than I had anticipated, and required a great deal of writing about theater specifics. I found that even though I have a lot of experience writing essays and research-based analyses, I had no framework for writing about theater. This really caused problems when I’d try to describe and analyze not only play content but action, delivery, stage business, set and lighting design issues, etc.

Ferguson’s Short Guide was incredibly helpful. It is indeed short, which means that you can page through, find exactly what you are looking for and get immediate direction on how to organize and express thoughts on the full range of elements that make up a theatrical experience. It provides the structure and the format for your own thoughts, helping the writer form key observations as well as express them. I highly recommend it for anyone who is learning to analyze and more deeply appreciate the traditions and elements of the theater, whether from an audience or a participant point of view.

A Short Guide to Writing about Theatre Feature

• ISBN13: 9780321136732
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A Short Guide to Writing about Theatre Overview

A Short Guide to Writing about Theatre is a succinct introduction to the skills required to write knowledgeably and critically about the theatre. Intended to illuminate the importance of theatre and performance in daily life, A Short Guide to Writing about Theatre engages students with dramatic material as they learn the practical elements of review, analysis, criticism, and research.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6hBI1SAL4&hl=en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkSYxMX6Azw&hl=en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzjW–KUH1g&hl=en

Below are my suggestions of how to prepare an RFP for social media projects, retainers and campaigns. I also suggest doing research online and viewing other Request for Proposals to see what works best for your organization. Keep in mind that whatever format you choose will determine not only how long the responses are, but also what type of focus you are looking for from the respondents. Each section of the RFP is outlined below, along with some explanation and suggested questions. Have fun!

Information about your organization and project

Introduction

The purpose of this section is to give a brief overview of the company issuing the RFP and the social media project or desired work relationship between the company and the vendor. Provide as much information as you feel is necessary to allow vendors to prepare an accurate proposal. If you feel that there is certain proprietary or other information that you do not wish to make public, require a Non Disclosure Agreement be signed before receiving that information. This may limit the participation of vendors, but it is oftentimes necessary to protect private information.

1. Company Overview

• Organizational history
• Your business objectives
• Your company’s history using social media or reasons why your organization intends to begin to participate in social media

2. Overview of Project

• State the project objectives and how they relate to the business objectives stated above. Explain the type of vendor relationship desired i.e. Project-based, Agency of Record, etc. Explain the current involvement your organization has with social media channels and how they relate to both your organization’s primary presence and any related campaigns
• Explain the social media channels you wish the campaign to involve, unless you are looking for suggestions of which to use, then please specify that to the vendors
• Explain how the project fits into your overall marketing strategy (online and offline) and if there is another vendor involved in other aspects of your Advertising and Marketing initiatives
• Explain the measurable outcomes you would like to see
• Explain the duration of the work – is it a temporary campaign, or an ongoing organizational marketing platform?

3. Overview of Audiences and Stakeholders

• List primary audiences for the company, i.e. demographics, psychographics, etc
• List primary information needs of each audience group
• Identify if any market or audience research will be necessary in the execution of the campaign

4. Overview of Response

• Make it clear the type of response you are looking for:
• Are you looking for a hypothetical approach, or an explanation of the vendor’s process of how they will come to create your campaign. Many times a hypothetical approach is not the best way to approach an RFP process simply because a vendor will be missing several key pieces of information that might negatively affect their ability to propose a specific solution. We suggest looking for more general responses and weighing the effectiveness of past client work heavily

Guidelines for Proposal Preparation

• In order to give all qualified vendors a level playing field, it’s important to set up an easy to follow schedule for both when your RFP is issued, when and to whom questions are allowed, and when and in what format responses are required
• Specify the date the RFP was issued (Month, Day, Year). If your RFP is publicly listed, it will help those searching for RFPs on Google or by other methods to find relevant Request for Proposals
• An optional requirement is to specify that all interested vendors register their intent to submit a proposal by a certain date – usually within 1-2 weeks of the RFP issue. This is a good way to limit the potential number of vendors who respond if you anticipate a large volume of proposals and would rather receive a smaller amount
• We recommend allowing a question and answer period that ends at least 1 week before the proposal is due. It is up to you whether to allow questions by email, conference call or individual phone calls. We do recommend that you share all the questions (and answers) with all interested vendors in order to keep things as equal as possible. Always specify which format -phone call, email, and to whom these questions should be addressed. We recommend identifying a single person in your organization to be the point of contact. Just make sure vacation schedules, etc don’t interfere with this process, and if there is any other reason why the primary point of contact might need to be out of town during the process, specify a secondary point of contact
• Responses from issuer to be sent by 20XX in the following formats (specify whether electronic submissions, hard copies or both must be either emailed, mailed or hand-delivered)
• On the basis of the replies to the RFP document, a short list of potential vendors will be selected and this group will be asked to present demonstrations of their capabilities and vision for the project. These meetings will be completed by XXth, 20XX
• Awarding of the contract to selected Vendor by XXth, 20XX
• Work to commence by 20XX and to last until (if applicable)

Vendor Questions and Qualifications

The following is a series of questions that, if applicable, we suggest you ask the vendors submitting proposals. Some may not apply, but it is a great idea to get as much of an idea of the vendor’s approach and philosophy on social media as possible. Compare the responses both among each other, and to the research and reading that you have done to make sure that the vendor is up to date with the latest thinking and best practices.

COMPANY DETAILS

• Company name and parent company name
• Ownership structure
• Years in operation
• Mailing address (headquarters)
• Other office location(s)
• Primary phone
• Fax number
• Website and blog URL
• Primary point of contact (name, title, phone and email address)
• Total number of employees
• Number of vendor employees whose primary function is social media
• Current client list with those engaged in social media work identified
• Percentage of total revenue that is social-media related
• Three references for social media work including; company name, primary client name, contact details and brief explanation of services provided
• Any potential conflicts with existing vendor client base and this RFP
• Senior social media staff bios and links to social media profiles where applicable
• Please provide a complete list of relevant social media platform and technology partners
• References from clients currently engaged in social media work with the vendor

CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE

• List all social media and online marketing capabilities
• Do you have any proprietary tools or products related to social media?
• Please list any experience you have with integrating social, paid and/or earned media
• Is there a specific industry or type of work your firm specializes in?
• Please list and provide links to primary social media communication channels for your company (i.e.company blog,Twitter account, Facebook group, blogs authored by principals, etc.)

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGY

• Please outline your social media strategy process
• Which stakeholder groups do you typically include in a strategy engagement?
• Describe the final deliverable of a strategy engagement
• What is your approach to risk management in social media?
• How do you incorporate existing applications, websites, microsites and newsletter programs into your overall social media strategy?
• How do you ensure compliance with client legal requirements?
• Please describe your approach to integrating across client marketing, customer service and corporate communications departments. Please provide an example of your work in this area
• How do you approach adapting a traditional brand into a two-way dialogue?
• Please provide a case study of your strategy work that resulted in a social media initiative and the business results achieved

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT & SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING

• What is your brand/reputation monitoring process (i.e. proprietary tools used, methodology, etc)?
• What is your opinion on automated sentiment analysis?
• What technology do you use to assist in online monitoring?
• How long (on average) between a potential issue being posted online and being flagged to the client?
• What volume of mentions has your organization handled in the past (e.g. 2,500 mentions per week)?
• What is your quality assurance process to ensure that the large volumes of data gathered in the monitoring process are handled efficiently and representative of the overall online conversation?
• Please detail your methodology for handling online crises
• What services do you provide in support of online crisis management?
• Please describe the structure of your crisis management team, including bios and relevant experience
• How do you assess which mentions require immediate responses and which do not?
• Please outline your general approach to sourcing and responding to comments
• Please provide a case study detailing your work for the purposes of managing reputation or online crisis management, including outcomes and lessons learned
• Please include a sample of your monitoring report format and/or a link to appropriate dashboards (specifics should be removed)

METRICS, MEASUREMENT & REPORTING

• What methodology do you use for measuring the success of your social media programs for clients?
• Please provide specific examples based on past work
• Have you developed any proprietary metrics? How have you applied these for clients?
• How have you defined Return on Investment (ROI) from a social media perspective in the past?
• How do you take data points generated from various social media channels and measurement tools and combine to give an objective/comprehensive view?
• What is your approach to server analytics and community analytics for program measurement?
• Do you have the capability to measure cost per lead or cost per acquisition? Please provide an example of a project on which you have done so
• What platforms are you unable to measure accurately, or able to provide only limited measurements from?
• Please provide a sample of a measurement document or final report (specifics should be removed)
• What percentage of the budget do you recommend be dedicated to metrics and measurement?

CLIENT EDUCATION & TRAINING

• Do you offer social media training services for clients? If yes, what formats are they available in?
• What internal processes do you have in place to ensure that your staff is kept current on social media innovations and best practices?
• How do you measure progress and evaluate training effectiveness?
• How do you recommend that clients keep up to date on the latest social media innovations and best practices?

SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER DIGITAL CHANNELS

• What are your design, creative and community management capabilities?
• What percentage of your staff is dedicated to building and deploying social media solutions versus management and consulting?
• Please describe your experience with the following platforms and tactics:

- YouTube or similar video sharing sites

- Blogs, Podcasts, Vodcasts, Forums

- Content Management System (CMS)

- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

- E-mail Marketing

- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing(SEM)

- Facebook Pages, Apps, API integration

- Mobile application development

- Twitter

- News sharing sites (i.e. Digg, Reddit, etc.)

- Virtual Worlds and Augmented reality

- Photo sharing (i.e. Flickr) and other content sharing sites (i.e. Scribd, Slideshare, Delicious, etc.)

- Social Media press releases(SMPRs)

- Crowdsourcing or Wikis

- Real world events organized via social media (e.g. Tweetups)

- Ratings/Customer service sites (i.e. Yelp, ePinions, etc.)

Please provide examples of social media channel development work completed within the last two years

COMMUNITY AND INFLUENCER OUTREACH (SOCIAL PR)

• What is your process for identifying influencers within various social media channels?
• How do you determine and define “influence?”
• What is your outreach process for communicating with identified online influencers?
• What tools and approaches do you use for Influencer Relationship Management? (Third-party, proprietary,etc.)
• How have you integrated Influencer Outreach with traditional communications and/or marketing campaigns?
• How do you approach seeding conversations within stakeholder groups?
• What is your exit strategy with influencers once the initiative is completed?
• How do you ensure authenticity and transparency when conducting outreach on behalf of a client?
• Please provide a case study of an online community outreach project

CLIENT SERVICES & PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• How is a typical client engagement with your firm structured?
• How do you structure your account teams?
• Please outline your internal communication structure. If your account staff is separate from your project management staff, please detail how these teams work together
• If you are selected to provide social media services, who will be assigned to our business (please provide names, titles and short biographical notes)
• What percentage of senior staff involvement is structured in to your projects? What role do they play?
• How are your projects priced? Using an hourly rate? Blended agency rate? If the former, please provide a rate card
• What change management practices does your agency employ?
• What reports will be provided to the client in order to communicate project milestones and overall project health?
• What is the frequency of these reports?
• What is your process for gathering business requirements?

Writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) is a good first step when considering Online Marketing and Social Media work as it takes thoughtful planning to specify and construct an effective, integrated campaign. A well thought-out, quality RFP is essential to a successful endeavor because it helps you to focus on your goals and exactly how to achieve them.

Greg Kihlstrom is the Chief Creative Officer at Carousel30 Interactive in Washington DC, an award-winning digital agency offering online advertising and marketing services as well as interactive design and development for social media, websites and mobile applications.

These are the words of Bryan Beller, whose emergence as a popular magazine and web writer came as a surprise to him. After all he was a professional musician, not a wordsmith. He played bass in Dweezil Zappa’s band, “Z”, and later with Mike Keneally–among many others–and began sending his friends emails to describe his life on the road. This was all before the Internet or blogging was big and his pre-blog, email journaling became his stream of consciousness, which he entitled “The Life of Bryan”.

“This honesty generates action in me,” he continued. “Truthfulness about where the thoughts come from and what action they provoke generate my writing and how I exploit it.” Bryan found out that the more vulnerable and transparent he was as a person and a writer, the more readers swarmed around him. Buzz happens!

Bryan’s truthful, quirky style grabbed the attention of the Editor of Bass Player Magazine, who wrote an article about him as a musician and writer. Further impressed, the Editor asked Bryan to write a regular column for the magazine, using his journaling voice and blending his humor, love of political satire, and personal observations. He was given complete freedom to write on subjects of choice, and recently got the chance to interview superstar “Tool” bassist Justin Chancellor. After a stint in the corporate world with SWR, during which he eventually took over responsibility for writing the company’s entire catalogue, Bryan realized his true calling in his roots as a freelance writer and musician. The last six months have seen him as Contributing Editor for “Bass Player”. He now gets to see his name on the magazine masthead.

“Second, you gotta converse. Writing is a conversation. If you have a clear presence as the writer and are intentional, then you can have a conversation with yourself and with readers. The voices in my head are part of the natural human condition; they reveal inner discussion which can be shared. Of course, if you can also turn off your internal agenda as a writer, you can become far more versatile. You can have a lot more conversations.” Paradox loves dialog!

Bryan recently put himself out there for “At the Table,” a weekly teleconference sponsored by Writers of the Round Table Inc. where participants have the opportunity to hear insider information from successful writers, producers, editors, and agents.

“Third, you gotta have a reason. Why write? Because, unless an event is documented, no matter how momentous or horrible or wonderful that event may be, it soon becomes only a memory to the participant(s)…and a fading one at that. And until something is documented, one can debate as to whether or not it actually occurred at all.”

As Bryan described his early journaling experience, he shared about the vulnerability of auditioning for a band and his false assumption of getting the position, followed by the processing, analysis, and acceptance of not succeeding the way he had hoped. He discovered that he was becoming more and more transparent and authentic in how he processed life, understood himself, and put himself out there for anyone to accept or reject.

“Fourth, you gotta use a process. Put your fanny in the chair, write for several hours without using the back space, put yourself out there, print it out, let it rest 15-30 minutes, read it out loud, and then edit.” Find the process that works for you. Work it, and work wonders!

To backtrack a bit, Bryan has formed a specific definition of himself as a writer. Realizing that the writing process required him to confront his unique and personal truths, he began to understand himself and the power of his unique and intentional voice. In the late 90’s he cloistered himself away and wrote a 625 page novel over about 18 months. He never published it, but says that the process of completing the novel allowed him to call himself a writer because the act of writing transformed his style and honed his craft and strengths. He found his style and the self-editing process that works for him.

His friend, Martha C. Lawrence – the award winning, blockbuster zodiac mysteries writer – mentored Bryan. She offered tough, alternative ways to approach writing. Bryan refers to the lessons learned as a “writers’ group for one.” The writing process she showed him resulted in few edits when publishing. He learned to not overwrite or describe too much and to allow the reader to fill in the blanks.

Bryan’s website will give you more writing advice and a plethora of fun reading: http://www.bryanbeller.com Feel free to subscribe to “BellerBytes”, too!

So, remember:

1. Get Real 2. Converse 3. Have a Reason 4. Use a Writing Process.

In the meantime, keep your rear in the chair, your fingers on the keys, and your writing reaching for the stars!

Writers of the Round Table Inc. is a literary development and author management company providing expert collaboration in crafting significant written works and bringing them to the market. Listen to our free teleclasses and view articles on the writing process at http://www.writersoftheroundtable.com Click on “Teleclasses”. Be sure to join us every Wednesday for an enlightening and entertaining hour.

A Short Guide to Writing About History is a book that has withstood the test of the time over the past two decades. Originally written in 1989 by the late Richard Marius, professor from Harvard University, the book has seen seven updated and revised editions. Marius passed away in 1999 and Melvin E. Page, professor at East Tennessee University, has continued the laborious task of keeping the book relevant as sources of information continue to evolve and appear. Page achieves the goal of keeping the guide short and, most of importantly, useful. History students need not put themselves through the monumental of task of sifting through the near-1,000 pages found in the 15th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style to determine how to write their research papers, because this short guide sums up most of what these students will need when researching.

The book serves two purposes. First, for those not familiar with the basics of researching and writing papers, it provides breakdowns on how to gather information, best practices on recording notes, how to write, and finally, documented sources. Second, the book acts as an easy quick-reference for those already familiar with these concepts. Students unfamiliar on the basic question of where to start will get a good introduction on researching methods. For example, how to approach history with a “who, what, when, where, and why” mentality. In addition, how to narrow down topics and focus in on subjects that the student can tackle with their limited time and resources. The authors state, “The most common flaw in student essays is the topics are so broad that the essays have no focus” (pg 61). For example, the causes of World War II will definitely be too big for an essay. This is an issue I have experienced when doing my own research. The author provides some good approaches on narrowing topics such as changing the angle of vision. Instead of answer how World War II started, change the focus down to groups or even individuals and then re-ask the questions with the new, limited angle.

A Short Guide to Writing About History may indeed be short, but it has longevity in its usefulness because it is perfect for refreshing one’s self before approaching a new research assignment. The most helpful portions that I will refer to the most are the examples found throughout the book. Not only are there sample papers, but the book provides a concise “Writer’s Checklist of Source Citations” which gives examples on how to cite some of the most commonly referenced materials such as books, articles, and journals. While this section is helpful providing some tricky situations such as how to document an author along with a translator, there is not an example dealing with volumes. While using this checklist over the past month in my own research, this has been the only area where it fell short. Volumes are common in historical research and Chicago Manual of Style has a quirky method for documenting them using “Vol.” with a capital “V” in bibliography references and “vol.” with a lowercase “v” in notes. Other than that, the checklist is nearly complete offering examples even in obscure sources like DVDs, thesis papers, and photographs.

The full-blown paper examples in the back are also helpful. There is one research paper, a book review, and a short essay. In my experience, I have seen many teachers provide sample research paper examples, but few provide examples on book reviews or short essays. This, unfortunately, leaves students continually questioning themselves on the best way to approach these assignments. For reviews, the book provides guidelines on what to focus on as well as tips like “don’t feel compelled to say negative things about the book” (pg 192). While pointing out inaccuracies or disagreements with the author is perfectly acceptable, “passionate attacks” are not necessary (pg 192). In the realm of short essays–probably the most common assignment I have seen in my undergrad years–the book goes into detail on how to approach essays of 500 words or less. Though shorter than a regular essay, students should still answer the “who, what, when, where, and why” questions along with providing a clear thesis statement at the beginning.

Even though the book is just barely over 200 pages, it still provides some in-depth analysis crucial to any student of history. “Historical fallacies” gets a whole section going into detail on the pitfalls that even published and accomplished historians use. For example, putting too much emphasis on a single cause to explain why an event occurred. The book provides a good fallacy example in that the South lost the American Civil War only because General Robert E. Lee lost at Gettysburg. While a student or historian may feel the need to express the importance of their particular topic of research, the book points out that “events were caused by complex influences, and you should take care to acknowledge those complexities” (pg 41). Another great fallacy tackled by the book is the notion of avoiding mistakes by learning about the past. Many students point to this concept as a reason to learn about history, but “new inventions, new ways of thinking, or new combinations of ideas can upset all predictions” (pg 42). Finally, the most common fallacy I have encountered in historical works, be they by students or professional historians, is the straw man, or the fake opinion. A straw man argument provides a writer with a “cause” to rally against, but since there is no one holding the opinion he is attacking, it is a waste of his and the reader’s time.

A Short Guide to Writing About History is a solid book. The examples are, for the most part, exactly what students will need. The checklist for citations will be the most used portion of the book and the paper, book review, and short-essay examples will give them solid comparisons when writing. The fallacies will help any researcher–regardless of their level–avoid the common pitfalls that plague even professional historians today. The biggest criticism I can provide on this book is the price. The .00 price tag is hefty for such a short book. Some students may find earlier, used editions at a cheaper price to be just as helpful. Either way, the book is a useful tool for any history student and I will definitely keep it on my shelf.

Short Guide to Writing about History, A (7th Edition) Overview

An ideal complement for any history course, A Short Guide to Writing about History helps you learn how to think and write like an historian.

This engaging and practical text helps you get beyond merely compiling dates and facts; it teaches you how to incorporate your own ideas into your papers and to tell a story about history that interests you and your peers. Covering brief essays and the documented resource paper, the text explores the writing and researching processes, different modes of historical writing (including argument), and offers guidelines for improving style as well as documenting sources.

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When I mentioned to a friend, a man with many years’ experience in the movie industry, that I was working on a script, he (figuratively) twisted my arm behind my back and told me in no uncertain terms that I /had/ to have at least one book on scriptwriting, if only to know how to correctly format the script. He recommended several, including this one.

Given the near-reverence in which this book is held, I bought a copy of the current edition. It’s a near-perfect example of how a “how-to” book should be written. It’s divided into sub-books, each of which covers a particular aspect of writing and selling a script completely and in depth. The organization is outstanding, and contrary to another reviewer (writing five years ago), you won’t find yourself flipping from one page or section to another. What little overlap there is, is necessary, and not the fault of poor organization.

It’s also extremely well-written. Trottier explains everything in a simple (but not simple-minded) fashion, without fuss, without constantly repeating himself, almost as if he were talking directly to you. (No surprise; he teaches courses in scriptwriting.) If you don’t understand this book, the problem is with you.

However… you should be warned about David Trottier’s biases, and what is /missing/ from the book. Though the book is a “guide to writing, formatting, and selling your script”, Trottier’s view is that there is no point in writing a script that won’t sell. To put it a rudely… Trottier cares about the artistic quality or originality of your script only to the extent that they make the script marketable. If you’re looking for advice on how to write the next “Amadeus”, * you won’t find it here.

Nor does Trottier spend much time discussing /why/ particular scripts are poor. ** This is perhaps significant, because the samples he provides from his own scripts, though well-illustrating the points he’s making, are dreadful commercial hackwork. If there were ever an example of “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”, Trottier is it.

He is, however, an excellent teacher. Read this book and learn.

* A high-quality film can be both a popular and critical success. “Amadeus” took in almost three times its production costs in the US alone.

** One of his criteria for a “good” script is terseness (with which I agree). I was therefore surprised that, although “Hook” is mentioned in passing (for some reason I don’t remember), he doesn’t point to it as an example of a horribly over-written script.

The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script Feature

• ISBN13: 9781879505841
• Condition: New
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The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script Overview

This is six books in one. Book 1 – A screenwriting primer that provides a concise presentation of screenwriting basics. Book 2 – A workbook that walks the writer through the writing process, from nascent ideas through revisions. Book 3 – A formatting guide that presents correct formats for both screenplays and TV scripts. Book 4 – A spec writing guide that demonstrates today’s spec style through sample scenes and analysis. Book 5 – A sales and marketing guide that presents proven strategies to help you create a laser-sharp marketing plan. Book 6 – A resource guide that provides addresses and contacts for industry organisations, schools, publications, support groups, services, contests, etc. Among its wealth of practical information are sample query letters, useful worksheets and checklists, hundreds of examples, sample scenes, and straightforward explanations of screenwriting fundamentals.

The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script Specifications

How does a spec script differ from a shooting script? What kind of fasteners should one use to bind a script? How did the term MOS come to mean without sound? You’ll find the answers to these pressing questions and much more in David Trottier’s eminently usable Screenwriter’s Bible. The avuncular Trottier–a writer-producer, script consultant, and seminar leader–has written a friendly guide through the Hollywood morass. He touts it as six books in one: it’s “a screenwriting primer, a screenwriting workbook, a formatting guide, a spec writing guide, a sales and marketing guide, [and] a resource guide.”

Much of Trottier’s advice is common sense: “Don’t write anything that cannot appear on the screen”; to keep casting options open, don’t make your physical descriptions too specific; “don’t say Ron Howard is looking at the project if he is not.” But there are things to know about Hollywood that are, well, quirkier. Don’t write the title of your script on the front cover or side binding; present action sequences using the “stacking action” style; in query letters and scripts alike, avoid “big blocks of black ink.” Trottier’s guidance–from character development and revision to queries and pitches–is invaluable. Getting in the door can seem impossible, but it’s not, necessarily. “If you write a script that features a character who has a clear and specific goal,” says Trottier, “where there is strong opposition to that goal leading to a crisis and an emotionally satisfying ending, your script will automatically find itself in the upper five percent.”

(By the way, MOS is said to have “originated with German director Eric von Stroheim, who would tell his crew, ‘Ve’ll shoot dis mid out sound’”). –Jane Steinberg

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Reflect, Inform, Persuade: College Writing Today Overview

Reflect, Inform, Persuade examines the purposes for writing while demonstrating the varying processes writers employ to reach an end.  The low price (~ net*) and practical three-part organization make Reflect, Inform, Persuade an option for a variety of interests or course objectives.  Author Elizabeth Kessler hones in on three important points: improving academic writing skills; writing for various purposes, gradually moving from self to a focus on the wider world; and using materials that can be used as models for good writing.

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