Monday, September 21, 2009

Magazine writers launching those 'How-to' stories

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The how-two stories being tackled by the writers in the Magazine Writing class at CSU, Sacramento are not pedestrian - though one does deal with shoes.

The shoe story is actually about ballet shoes - point shoes they are called - the shoes that make all that standing on tippy-toes possible for ballet dancers, it turns out. And when the shoes are purchased, they have to be broken in just so, or else they will be a super pain for the dancer.

Who woulda thunk it?

So is there a market for such a piece? Probably, the class agreed tonight. We'll see. But even if not, now we will know how to break in point shoes. You never know when such things come in handy.

Other stories in process include a piece on how to be prepared to take care of horses during a natural disaster (like a fire or flood). Another is on airline security and all the ways to avoid being the person everyone hates because you forgot your pocket knife, in, well, your pocket.

There were too many good stories to recount them all here.

But in addition to writing the stories (due Oct. 5 by class time via email and in hard copy), the writers will be writing query letters to magazines to try to sell their articles.

Buena suerte, amigos.