Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Feature Story Brainstorm


1. Who is your main subject?
Our family friend Doug Craig.

2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to)?
Wife Elizabeth, stepdaughter Ava. 

3. What is the topic or potential topic?
His upcoming cross-country trip on his mobility scooter to raise money and awareness for muscular dystrophy, which he has.

4. Which angle from above will you write the story?
Human Interest

5. Then to help you get going faster, come up with 20 questions that you can ask your main subject. Type these in your blog.
1. When were you diagnosed with muscular dystrophy? 
2. How does it affect your life on a daily basis?
3. How does it affect your family's life?
4. How has your disability changed the way you perceive the world?
5. How has your disability changed your outlook on life?
6. What made you come up with idea for your cross-country trip?
7. When will you start the trip?
8. How are you raising money for the trip?
9. How will this trip help raise awareness for muscular dystrophy? 
10. How will your mobility scooter hold up for the long trip?
11. Are you going to be staying in hotels or with friends/acquaintances? 
12. What sort of obstacles are you facing as you prepare for the trip?
13. What sort of obstacles will you face during the trip?
14. Where will you start your trip?
15. Where will you end your trip?
16. How long will the trip take?
17. Will the trip help raise money for muscular dystrophy?
18. If so, is the money being donated to research or to people with it?
19. Are you going to try to get more visibility about your trip?
20. If so, how? The media? 
6. Once you complete that portion, you need to come up with 5-10 questions you need to ask your supporting interviews. Type these into your blog. You may need different questions for each supporting subject.
1. Are there any concerns you have about Doug's trip?
2. Will you be going on the trip?
3. Or will you meet him at certain points? 
4. How has Doug's disability affected you?
5. What affects have you seen it have on his attitude or personality?
7. You will need to do a little research on the topic you expect to interview your main subject about. Take a little time and do some google searching - find at least 5 new things about the intended topic you should know before you interview your main subject. List those on your blog.
Before I interview I will need to know
  • What exactly muscular dystrophy is
  • What it does to a person's body
  • What sort of research is being done for it
  • How long it takes to become actually noticeable/visible
  • How it affects a person's general health

8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)?
Thanksgiving break while we're staying with Doug & Elizabeth. 

9. Where you will interview them (some interviews are better to do in the persons environment, while others should be done in public places, ALL interviews should be done in person)?
At their apartment in Jersey City.

10. How will you record the information? (taking notes is ideal, and if you want to record the conversation you MUST get permission. You can do both if they will allow you to record, this is a really strong technique that you could use.)
I will take notes and record the conversation.

2 comments:

  1. Who is the audience and what is the purpose for this piece of writing? Consider offering a suggestion if either the audience or purpose is not clearly established.
    I don't understand why this is important, so really convey that in your piece.

    What do you see as the writer’s main point in these questions?
    Your topic is really good, I like the cross-country theme.

    Which part of these questions interests you the most? Why?
    I like the question abut how it affects him, because its interesting.

    Where do you feel you would like more detail or explanation on any questions?
    Add more detail to your questions.

    Where do you need less?
    You don't need any less you just need more.

    Do you find any questions unclear, confusing, or undeveloped?
    The question about when it is is undeveloped but still a good question

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  2. Who is the audience and what is the purpose for this piece of writing?

    I understand how this is an important event and how it must mean a lot to this family but I think you should talk more about why it would be important to others and how it would affect them.

    What do you see as the writer’s main point in these questions?

    I liked the over all theme of your story and I think it will defiantly be of interest if you add all the right elements and make sure to include background information about the disease.
    Which part of these questions interests you the most? Why?

    I like the questions about how it has effected him physically but I also think you should talk more about how it affects him emotionally.

    Where do you feel you would like more detail or explanation on any questions? Where do you need less?

    I don't think you should do anything less but mate rethink some of your questions that would end up being a yes or no answer.

    Do you find any questions unclear, confusing, or undeveloped?

    I think the questions about how he has dealt with it in the past are very good but the questions about the actual event its self should be given more depth and thought.

    ReplyDelete