Category: Volume 1 Issue 1

Dr. Christopher Minnix is the Director of Freshmen Composition and an Assistant Professor in UAB’s English Department. He came to Birmingham from Tucson, AZ in 2012. Dr. Minnix served five of six years with the University of Arizona as the Assistant Director of the writing program.

Dr. Minnix started his academic career at Grace College, a four year liberal arts school in Indiana. He earned his undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies, now referred to as Theological Studies. His interest for language and literature blossomed when he started at Radford University in Virginia. He met his mentor, Dr. Linda Bensel-Myers, when he took EH 505, a required teaching practicum course for graduate students. It was here he was able to fuse his interest for language, philosophy, and history into a master’s degree in Rhetoric and Composition.

Upon completing the graduate program at Radford, Dr. Minnix moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee. While there he continued teaching while working on his Ph. D. in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics.

As the Director of Freshmen Composition in UAB’s English Department Dr. Minnix hopes to develop the writing program through collaboration with his fellow colleagues. He feels the art of teaching writing goes beyond a focus on grammar and style, but should be geared towards critical thinking and showing students how to develop a relationship with their writing. Dr. Minnix’s goals include providing sufficient resources for other English Composition professors that will open up the discussion for innovation in the classroom. So far, the department has started using new website resources like First Year Composition Resource (FYCRES). The site offers professors a place to share ideas on materials used for first year composition classes. Dr. Minnix encourages a more multi-modal approach to help students develop their writing.

When asked to offer students a single piece of advice, Dr. Minnix responded by advising students to think of their time in college as more than a list of requirements to be met for a degree. He hopes students can see the opportunities college presents for them to collaborate and innovate the future of their program.

Dr. Minnix also teaches graduate students in the Rhetoric and Composition program. In his free time he enjoys playing with his dog, Stanley, and watching Newsroom

BY Olalekan Dada

Choosing to pursue a major or minor in Professional Writing may be nerve-racking. Students who study Professional Writing (PW) may have chosen the concentration because they want to explore the realm of corporate communication or they figured that professional writing would produce more prospective job opportunities. Professional writing is a profession that does not receive as much attention as other disciplines, so many PW students do not know what professional writing is, nor do they know what they can do with a professional writing degree. This, at times, causes students to stress about after-college plans or even forget why they signed up for the Professional Writing program in the first place.

What is Professional Writing?

Professional writing is such a broad, puzzling concentration; many think it refers to writing works of literature like books or poems. However, professional writing is a completely different genre of writing. According to the Department of English at UAB, the Professional Writing program is for students who are “interested in non-fiction writing for corporate and public life.” UAB’s Professional Writing program works towards teaching students “academic and critical writing skills” that will prepare students for careers such as “technical writing, publishing, teaching, editing, and business.”

Professional writers use language to deliver information in a comprehensible manner. Publishing company Pearson asserts that the professional writing industry “is becoming a field of its own,” branching off from its counterpart of literary writing. Professional writing is a practical form of writing that is geared towards the specific needs of a corporation and the desires of an audience. Professional writers use clear and concise language to ensure that the copy they create is easily understood by an audience. This copy can range from an instruction manual for a laptop to a policy handbook for a company to a press release for a non-profit organization. This type of writing is not artistic; however, professional writers must have the finesse to use perfect rhetoric in order to achieve a desired result. Sometimes, this requires professional writers to adopt the “voice” of the organization they are affiliated with in order to convey a message in a certain way. In business contexts, professional writers need to be able to persuade an audience to complete an action desired by a company, whether that is purchasing a product or simply getting the audience to view the company in a good light.

The major theme of Professional Writing is clarity. Unlike creative writing, professional writing requires writers to refrain from using highly decorated language in their writing. This is a skill that seems to be a simple task; however, it is not as easy as it sounds. For example, think about all of those times where your high school teachers told you to keep the “excess fluff” out of your papers and only include information relevant to the topic. Remember how difficult it was to meet the page requirement when you took all of those extra adjectives and unnecessary explanatory phrases out? This is typically the case in professional writing (especially technical writing). There are times when the required word count is higher than you think you can meet, which means you must find more necessary information to place in your writing. Other times, the required word count may be significantly lower than you expect, which may require you to remove a little information. Either way, professional writing requires writers to know when they are saying too much and when they are not saying enough.

Careers for Professional Writers

Since professional writing is such a broad subject, the number of careers available to professional writers is huge. Some professional writers land careers in the technical writing industry. Technical writing is a form of writing that is used to relay information about products in a simple manner. Projects for technical writers range from writing owner’s manuals for products to creating procedure handbooks for companies. This field requires writers to learn about the various tasks that occur at their company and be able to effectively communicate these tasks with others. Having knowledge of technologies and corporate software is also of significance for many technical writers because, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, they work with “engineers, scientists, computer specialists, and software developers.” Technical writers work with a variety of disciplines, so they must be flexible and able to learn the basics of a company’s work in order to successfully complete their work.

Business writing is another field professional writers can be found in. Also known as “corporate communicators,” these writers work towards building and maintaining the brand of a company or organization. Much like technical writing, business writers must keep their language simple and easy to understand. Dana Driscoll of the Purdue Owl states that “[b]usiness writers should consider the tone of their message, whether they are writing a memo, letter, report, or any type of business document.” A business writer acts as the voice of the company she or he is working for, so it is imperative that their work is not offensive or harsh. The work of a business writer ranges from conducting research to create strategy statements to writing press releases for a corporation. Business writers adopt the voice of the organization they are representing by carefully analyzing the company’s mission statement and purpose.

Although there is a range of careers to follow in writing, not all professional writers have the desire to write for a company. Many students pursue a degree in professional writing to supplement their law career. According to University of Texas blogger Wayne Schiess, lawyers must be professional writers for there are various people and things at stake with their writing. Schiess says the written work of lawyers is “subject to serious scrutiny.” So many people have to approve or hear the writing of a lawyer (the client, opposing counsel, judge), so it must be clear and accurate. Being a professional writer allows lawyers to communicate their message effectively.

Professional writing may be a concentration that does not call for literary creativity; however, there are opportunities for professional writers to use their ability to summarize and get to the point in advertising. Copywriting is a career path for professional writers who have a passion for clear writing, yet still want to hold on to their creativity. Copywriters write text for advertising purposes. These writers may work on create brochures and flyers for companies, television commercial scripts, and company slogans. A professional writer that goes into copywriting has the ability to condense the values and mission of an organization and communicate it to varying audiences. Copywriters typically work for public relations businesses or marketing departments in a company.

Pursuing a degree in professional writing does not have to be as scary as a decision as it seems. There are numerous opportunities available for professional writers, and this may be the concern of many students in the professional writing disciple. Professional writing is a far-reaching concentration that is beneficial in any discipline. So if you plan on going to graduate school or directly into the workforce after graduation, keep in mind that there are many opportunities for professional writers.

BY Ethan Gissendaner

The ever-growing creative community within Birmingham is a field of opportunity for the skills unique to a professional writer. Revitalization efforts in the city are largely spearheaded by an up-and-coming generation of city residents who have taken great personal stake in the social and business success of Birmingham. This affords them many chances to utilize numerous channels to send their projects and work across the city. Loose social ties are the currency that keeps this community going and within it, connections to almost anything social or professional exist. Exposure and experience are two crucial components in the field of technical writing and like dots on a map they can lead to the x-marked career you are seeking. The easiest way to plug into this community of writers and creators is to go where they find inspiration and common ground: the creative space that is the Desert Island Supply Company in Woodlawn (DISCO).

Just outside of downtown Birmingham along First Avenue North lies DISCO—as it is lovingly called—like treasure beneath the sand. DISCO is a creative writing non-profit organization that provides a safe creative space for students in the Woodlawn neighborhood and the greater Birmingham area. Throughout the year writing and design workshops as well as after school tutoring are offered by day. By night the space hosts events such as concerts, adult spelling bees, and live storytelling.

Captain on the desert island and University of Alabama professor Chip Brantley created DISCO loosely based on similar programs across the country that provide literary and creative services to children in at-risk parts of large cities. Each has a unique theme that permeates the space and workshops held there. DISCO’s angle creatively provides its visitors with all one would need to survive on a desert island: stories to keep the mind engaged and body prepared for all possible scenarios one could encounter while stranded. Workshops, which take place all over Birmingham, focus on various forms of writing and creativity.

The physical space is picturesque—maps adorn exposed brick walls, hodgepodge globes cover every flat surface. Ropes knotted and tied litter bookshelves that overlook massive oak tables worthy of the ship captain’s quarters. A giant swordfish swims amid exposed rafters overhead. The store front provides all one could need to survive on a desert island like original-bound story books and unique writing utensils, of course.

Finding one’s place on the island is as simple as walking through the front door and picking up a pencil. Volunteers are readily welcomed and have so many outlets to choose from. Workshops and tutoring sessions require proctors who can facilitate discussion and have a creative eye. More than that though, DISCO manufactures a lot of signage for events and maintains a very modern website. The skills of a professional writer are highly useful in the organization’s marketing and branding ventures as well. Preparing write ups and publicity statements, posting online to social media, and creating digital designs are some tasks professional writing volunteers could do while at DISCO. The small staffing structure of the organization allows for volunteers to have significant roles in the execution of projects and take leadership at times. Volunteering is an excellent component of a résumé that shows dedication to a profession or field. Having the specialized experience that DISCO provides is a strong addition to a résumé as well.

The professional writer’s skills will be most cultivated by the interactions DISCO facilitates and the relationships it fosters. Volunteers have a plethora of resources just by working with Chip Brantley and Lillis Taylor, the directors of the organization. Chip is a journalism professor who has his hands in most everything happening in the creative sector of Birmingham. He is a published author and feature writer for AL.com. His academic connections stem throughout the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa collegiate systems—did I mention he is also married to UAB poetry professor Elizabeth Hughey Brantley? Talk about an impressive and effective recommendation letter.

Lillis Taylor, artist extraordinaire and DISCO’s hands and feet, serves as program director for the organization. She networks and plans for workshops and events held at DISCO. Lillis is the contact and the face of the organization which puts her face to face with notable professionals and people in Birmingham. Knowing Lillis is knowing many others. Volunteering at DISCO puts one right in line to encounter so many influential people in the city as they are patrons and loyal supporters of DISCO and its mission. Leaders of non-profits throughout the city, professors, and city wide movers and shakers fill the space weekly. DISCO has been featured in Birmingham Magazine and Southern Living publications so chances are—even as a volunteer— you can be seen.

Loose social ties are one of the most influential components in attainting a job and success throughout life and even more so in professional writing as one’s exposure to the job market is very important. Time and time again a job has been secured because of a casual conversation that turned into business or a positive word of approval that tipped a decision. Solid, long-standing relationships are important, but people and potential employees who have more loose social ties in their respective communities experience more success. When applying for positions, having connections within a potential employer can be the needed edge in a highly competitive job pool. Not to mention many opportunities can spawn from those casual conversations, chanced interactions at a read-a-thon or spelling bee.

As a seasoned volunteer of two years, I can vouch for the experience DISCO has generously given me. I’ve seen the inside operations of a non-profit organization from start up to full scale operation. I’ve gained invaluable writing experience from Chip’s influence and I have seen my personal writing style evolve since my discovery of the desert island. My knowledge of professional writing as a practical skill has been heightened and expanded. Relationships have been formed at DISCO—that otherwise would have never been created—that have benefitted me academically and already professionally. DISCO has been a very common and beneficial thread between me and others in the young professional scene in Birmingham. I have been exposed to current opportunities that I never knew existed in Birmingham and some that will be available later on by being a volunteer with DISCO. Volunteering at DISCO is as easy as visiting this website to sign up and stopping by the location at 5500 First Avenue North.

Connectedness is just as much a component of being a successful professional is as having the ability. In a city that is so rich with opportunity, having connections in a field that will later become the source of a career is a strategic and highly beneficial move. DISCO is an epicenter of sorts for the creative community in Birmingham and the connections that exist in within the organization almost outnumber the nautical decorations that cover most every space in the building. Volunteering positions one full access to those connections and social resources afforded by the directors and patrons of the organization. One conversation, one contact could very well be the difference in beginning a career or seizing a new opportunity. It really is all in who you know.