Learn both the mechanics of feature journalism – from pitching to editing – and the art of writing a great piece
Overview
Learn how to find, pitch and produce eye-catching, insightful and memorable stories worthy of any magazine or newspaper supplement with this intensive two-day masterclass.
Led by Rob Orchard, Publisher of Delayed Gratification magazine, and featuring numerous guest speakers, a series of seminars and workshops will help you discover the tone and style of your individual voice, learn how to structure a piece for maximum impact, and offer tips on improving your writing with ruthless self-editing.
You'll also learn practical ways to get your stories into print, including the secrets of successful pitching. Supported with detailed handouts explaining all the jargon of features journalism, you'll leave with two finished feature pitches, and suggestions of titles to send them to.
Course description
- Making first contact with commissioning editors
- How to pitch (and how not to)
- Analysing publications to work out what they're looking for
- Different feature structures, treatments and formats
- Tone and style
- How to improve your writing and self-edit
Tutor profile
Rob Orchard is the co-founder and editorial director of the Slow Journalism Company, the publisher of Delayed Gratification magazine, which revisits the events of the preceding quarter and makes a virtue of being "Last to Breaking News". He spends his days writing and editing long form features for the publication, which he describes as offering an "antidote to PR-driven stories, knee-jerk reactions and churnalism". Prior to starting the Slow Journalism Company, Rob launched and ran magazines for Virgin Atlantic, created the Middle East's biggest travel magazine and worked as the editor of Time Out Dubai, Time Out Croatia and Time Out Paris.
Speaker profile
James Montague is an award-winning freelance journalist and author, who writes regularly for CNN.com, the BBC, the Blizzard, World Soccer, Esquire, GQ and the New York Times. He specialises in middle east football stories, but also writes about politics, culture and society. His latest book, When Friday Comes has just been rereleased by deCoubertin books.
For October dates only
Elizabeth Day is an author and journalist. She is a feature writer for the Observer, where she has a wide-ranging brief to write across the paper, incorporating everything from celebrity interviews to crime reportage. Elizabeth grew up in Northern Ireland and her first job was for The Derry Journal. Since then, she has worked for The Evening Standard, The Sunday Telegraph and The Mail on Sunday. She won a British Press Award in 2004 for Young Journalist of the Year. She has also written for numerous other publications including Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, the Lonely Planet Magazine, Saga, She and Red Magazine. She is a regular contributor to the Sky News paper review and has appeared on Daybreak, Radio 4's Woman's Hour and TalkSport's Late Show.
One speaker to be announced for September date.
To book
Use the box below for Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2013
Use the box below for Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 2013
Testimonials for Rob Orchard
Rob Orchard is not only one of the most amusing and entertaining features writers I've ever come across, he also edits one of the best magazines currently being produced in the UK. Tim Arthur, Editor in Chief, Time Out London
Rob is a fantastic editor to work with due to the combination of his incisive intelligence, impressive knowledge range, and passion for understanding exactly what makes an article come alive. So few editors these days make it feel like your work with them is a collaboration, but with Rob it really is. There's a genuine sense that your writing goes on a journey which ends at a more satisfying destination. Rachel Halliburton is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Spectator, the New Statesman, Prospect, the Independent, Delayed Gratification, the Evening Standard and the FT.
Rob is without exception the best editor I have ever worked with. If it weren't for his guidance, his almost otherworldly ability to sniff out what will work and what will crash and burn and his meticulous nature I would have fallen at the first hurdle. He's also a terrific journalist in his own right. James Montague, author and journalist working for CNN, the New York Times and GQ.
Testimonials from past Guardian Masterclasses
The course covered all imaginable aspects of Feature Writing, and a few I would have never dreamt of.
Rob was an enthusiastic and knowledgable tutor. His morale-boosting support of everyone in the room was gratefully received.
Full of useful and interesting information, delivered well, very engaging. Loved it!
Details
Dates: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2013 OR Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October 2013
Times: 10am-5pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, King's Cross, London N1 9GU
Price: £349 early bird (limited), £399 standard (includes VAT, booking fees, lunch and refreshments)
Maximum class size: 16
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 28 days before the course start date. After this time, up to 7 days before the course start date we may accept tickets and attempt to resell them on your behalf if the event is sold out. If the ticket is resold you will receive a refund of the ticket price, minus an administration fee equal to 10% of the ticket price. We cannot offer any refunds or attempt to resell your ticket less than 7 days before the course start date. Tickets may be transferred to another name, however they are not transferable to other courses or dates. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.