How to Write In the Line of Fire
There is a fine art to writing during disasters and heated situations if you are sensitive and amid people who are emotional, angry and sad. I have written numerous articles and books about Hurricane Iniki, The World Series SF Quake, the Oakland Firestorm of 1991, Iraq Army Wives, tainted pet food panic, and most recently, the Angora Tahoe fire, which hit my home town at South Lake Tahoe, California.
The goal of this online class is to guide writers to learn how to dodge the obstacles they will face while writing about a difficult situation under fire, whether it be an earthquake, flood, blizzard, tsunami, blackout, or other natural or man-made disasters.
And let's face it, the world is going through some Earth changes so fine-tuning your craft to write with courage under fire can be rewarding mentally, physically, spiritually--and even financially.
Step-by-step, I will teach you how to get assignments with newspapers, magazines, online publications, and books by gleaning your observations, personal experiences and other peoples' stories who are affected when disaster hits at home.
1. How to deal with emotional interviewees
2 How to stay professional during a disaster
3 How to stay focused amid chaos
4 How to make your emotions (and interviewees) work for you
5 How to be original and standout from other journalists
6 How to use your five senses
7 How to turn the negative into positive cautionary tales or inspirational anecdotes
8 How to land assignments during disasters
Bonus: Tips on how to stay sane and healthy while researching and writing about natural disasters that wreak havoc in your town or around the world.
By the end of this class, students can expect to have a ready-made audience so when your article/book is published people will be ready and waiting to buy and read it ASAP.
Duration: 4 weeks (two steps each week)
Start Date: Contact Instructor
Class Materials: Instructor will provide. An assignment each week to groom you for writing under fire.
Tuition: $100
Cal Orey is an accomplished author and journalist who holds a master's degree in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University. Over the past 15 years, she has written hundreds of health-related articles for national magazines and websites, specializing in topics as diverse as health, nutrition, and sexual health. Her articles have appeared in The Writer, Woman's World, Woman's Day, Men's Fitness, Let's Live, as well as Complete Woman, for which she is a contributing editor. Ms. Orey is also the author of the best-selling book The Healing Powers of Vinegar, and Doctors' Order: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy. Get her new book:
(I will pay for the call!) Ask a professional author anything and everything you were afraid to ask about writing but need to know: How to find a publisher, agent, editor, indexer and more.
Need help with your introduction or ending to an article or book? Want the right sources ASAP?
I can help you do it. Call me and
we'll brainstorm your writing together. I will be there just for you!
