Saturday, October 23, 2004 2:05 PM
Want to write sharper leads? Want to improve the way you organize your copy before you start typing? Want to edit your copy so your editor won’t have to?
Former Los Angeles Times reporter, editor and writing coach Bob Baker will attack these and other writing issues in “Newsthinking,” a five-hour seminar sponsored by the Press Club and P.R. Newswire on Saturday, October 23. The session will be held at the Press Club, 6464 Sunset Blvd., Suite 806.
This rare chance to learn hands-on from a respected writing maestro is limited to 20 participants. Participants need not be Press Club members.
Baker will use participants’ pre-submitted stories as examples of the qualities that make stories work-and the flaws that sabotage them. Participants will receive a booklet of all clips submitted, and will spend the day analyzing and critiquing them with Baker.
Participants are asked to submit three types of stories to Baker via e-mail at: bob@lapressclub.org by Oct. 1:
A hard-news story of 20 inches or less
A feature story or profile of 20 inches or less
A longer feature or news-feature of 60 inches or less
The seminar will be organized into four sections:
10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.-Nailing the hard news story
11:25 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.-Nailing the short feature
Lunch
1:40 p.m. to 3 p.m.-Nailing longer-form stories
3:10 p.m. to 4 p.m.-Setting goals for your own improvement
“The seminar is organized so that we avoid abstractions and talk about nuts-and-bolts storytelling,” said Baker, a veteran of 34 years in the news business, the last 26 at the Times. In addition to his work at the Times, Baker has taught writing at USC; run a series of statewide seminars for the California Newspaper Publishers Assn.; coached writers at numerous newspapers; authored “Newsthinking,” a book on mental organization for journalists, and currently runs the web site newsthinking.com.
The cost is $75, due by Sept. 30. To register, call us at 323-469-8180, email info@lapressclub.org or use our online form.
Not a member Los Angeles Press Club?
Join now to be invited to the club’s monthly book parties and other activities. Sign up online or call 323-469-8180.
