CSUS Writers hitting journalistic home runs left and write

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The columnistas in the column writing class and the magazine writers in magazine writing at CSU, Sacramento are doing a great job this semester, with several getting promises of publication and/or contacts in the industry.

Alysha Garrett

But in column writing this past week, there was a special event, kind of a journalistic convergence, involving a writer (pictured to the left) who has twin career aspirations: to be a professional writer and a professional model.

And so in the course of writing an excellent column for the class, she ran across a female model (whose photo she used as an illustration in her column this week) with whom she seemed to share a lot of values and ideas.

Why not, she thought?

So Alysha Garrett submitted her modeling portfolio to the model's company. One email later and voila: she is now connected to the modeling agency of Natural Model Management of Los Angeles.

Serendipity is a wonderful thing to witness.

Here is a link to the writer's blog which fills in all the details and has a very cool illustration that helps explain why Barbie and Ken never have food in the Barbie house or camper: The Young Adult

Column writers take on 2nd piece, mag writers work on 'how to'

SACRAMENTO, Calif. USA - The columnistas in the column writing class are scrambling to get their second columns in by a noon Friday deadline. You can find their latest efforts listed with links to the right.

And feel free to comment, by the way. They need to know that it's not just me scanning their efforts.

The topic for this week was either a college-related piece, or if they so chose, they could write about the GOP debate Wednesday night.

Newt Gingrich

Kee-rist it was awful. I fell asleep when Newt Gingrich started foaming at the mouth about the media.

I like Golden Oldies, but in music, not in politics.

The magazine writers are working on How-To stories. We have some how-to-make pizza kind of stories, of course, but a few people are getting daring.

I turned down a couple of sex-related story ideas. I don't care if it is my last semester of teaching.

In the basic newswriting classes, the students next week will start writing in the lab, most getting the shock of their lives when they have to be (to them) unnaturally accurate and clear.

I just love reading those first news stories.

Editor of Sacramento's Comstock's magazine to speak at CSUS

Doug Curley

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - Doug Curley, a CSUS alum - a 1979 graduate of the Journalism Department at the University - will be guest lecturing in Journalism 132 (Magazine Writing) Monday, Dec. 6 in Mendocino Hall.

Curley is currently the editor of Comstock's, a regional business magazine in Sacramento. He will be speaking about his career journey since graduation that led him to various writing and editing positions in California before he took over at the helm of the magazine.

His appearance December 6 coincides with the final meeting of the magazine writing class. Each student has written three stories for the class and are in process of attempting to get them published by print or online magazines.

Two students - Chloe Daley and Kim Reyes - have already been successful in selling stories.

Magazine writers file How-To stories, Breton on tap for column class

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The writers in the magazine writing class at CSU, Sacramento have posted the first drafts of their How-To stories in the last 24-hours. (The drafts are posted to the right of this blog, just below the columns of the column-writing class.)

The pieces vary from How To Lose Weight Without Really Trying (are you ready, Oprah?) to How To Create a Digital Scrapbook. The students will be getting their first drafts returned within a week, with about another week to do a rewrite. In the meantime, what they have written is available to peruse here.

Next up for the magazine writers is to select a person to profile, someone who might figure prominently in their major feature, due at the end of the semester.

And in column writing this week, Sacramento Bee Metro columnist Marcos Breton will be visiting class Wednesday.

Breton has visited the column-writing class for several semesters running, giving the class insight into what it is like being a newspaper columnist - and the challenges of print journalism with so much competing electronic media.

Breton is a dedicated Twitter person, too. He has 1,840 followers as of today.

Marcos Breton

Magazine writers drafting 'how-to' articles this week

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The writers in the magazine writing class at CSU, Sacramento are busy drafting their first "how-to" articles, due Monday.

The articles range from "How to create soy-based candles," to "How to find a job on the other side of the U.S."

And there are 22 other how-to stories in the works, also.

The articles are meant to be short - 500-600 words - but still have to resonate with readers.

Prior to Monday, the writers will be posting their first drafts on their magazine writing blogs, which can viewed at the right, below the columns posted by the column-writing class.

The columnistas of that class are currently drafting columns based loosely on their experiences listening to a speech Monday by Carlos González Gutiérrez, the Consul General of Mexico in Sacramento. His speech was interesting - and pretty much what you would expect from diplomat. The columnists, however, have full rein to go after any Mexico-related topic, provided they have some tie-in to his talk.

The Mexico-related columns come two days after filing columns about last week's Phlagleblast in the University Union.

The columnists' reactions to that event were very mixed, and often quite humorous.

Columnist Christina Hayes found an interesting oversight made by the event's promoter that became the focus of her column, titled: The Phlaglebreast is best. It's funny - as is the video at the end.

Here's the link to the column: The Phlaglebreast is best

Magazine writing class to ponder 'How-To' stories

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The magazine writing class at CSU, Sacramento will be discussing its first writing assignment Monday night - writing a 'how-to' story.

How to stories can encompass anything: How to write a 'how-to' story, How to walk a dog, How to bake a cake, How to get an A in a writing class, How to lose 20 pounds in 20 minutes, How to find a 1964 GTO, and so on... The how-to ideas are only limited by the imaginations of the writers.

The markets for such stories are vast and one of several types of magazine stories in great demand.

My idea for a how-to story for myself is: How to teach a magazine writing class while being required to take 8 furlough days.

An alternative is: How to convince a judge you are unfit for jury duty.

I might have to report Monday morning at the Sacramento County Courthouse.

Arrrrrrgggghhhhh.


Jury box