Volume 6 Issue 1 – MEMORANDUM

The Art of Professional Writing

The Art of Professional Writing

By Mallorie Turner

The term “professional writing” often invites a myriad of questions regarding what the field is about. You may imagine a person sitting at an ill-lit desk, penning legal documents for long periods of time. This was my exact perception of professional writing when I first applied for the concentration as an English major. As I declared my professional writing concentration, I could feel my identity as an artist start to regress. As infatuated as I was with the formalities of business writing, I couldn’t help but see this prospective career as a threat to my creative identity. I soon learned that there is more to this field than what I thought, both visually and rhetorically, and the artist in me still had a chance to strive.

The Ropes of Creating Documents

If you have been a student in one of UAB’s professional writing courses (specifically, Developing Digital Documents) you would know that students learn on the same publishing technologies that major businesses utilize. One of these is Adobe InDesign, which is used to create letterheads, business cards and other professional documents.

Those who have used this software can tell stories of its bugginess, not to mention the fear of misspelled words in the absence of a spellcheck function. While it might be a tedious digital environment, InDesign has always proven useful to the design-focused professional writer.

In a creative sense, InDesign gives the user free range to design a project from top to bottom—from formatting to color scheme. If someone were interested in designing a magazine using their school’s colors, they would have absolute control over the project’s end result. InDesign is a professional writer’s best friend in this regard. The author has creative control over how they would like their idea to be presented to the world in the same way an artist would.

The Importance of a Good Design

Imagine finding out that there is more to fonts than just fun lettering. Fonts have an emotive quality that sets the tone of a project’s design; professional writers have to make conscious decisions about the fonts they use within a document. These decisions tend to be more significant than whether Times New Roman or Papyrus is more fitting.

A font’s case, weight, width and style all factor into whether an audience will be receptive to the document. For example, the wispy elegance of a script font will not have the right impact for a business report in contrast to the stoicism of a sans serif font. In this way, typographic design is as important to a document as the actual content is.

Professional writing requires a person to master many tools and concepts in order for their work to be marketable. A painter would not be successful if he or she dabbled in realism yet was ignorant of the underlying structure of the human form. Likewise, if a professional writer has no grasp of rhetoric or basic document design, they will not survive in the corporate world. Though there is freedom for creativity in professional writing, there is a standard for marketable work.

The Art of Rhetoric

Rhetoric is an art in itself. Philosophers like Aristotle took pride in knowing the heuristics of persuasive diction. Students studying professional writing look to these philosophers to learn masterful rhetoric they use in business settings.

Visual Rhetoric, a professional writing elective, teaches students the importance of how words and images can create a persuasive message. Professional writers learn that a document is only impactful if it is well-prepared and has a rhetorically sound composition.

Conclusion

Taking professional writing classes has shown me that I am in a creatively stimulating field where both rhetorical and artistic skills are appreciated. As a writer, I actively search for more ways to influence readers with my words. Professional writing has given me new opportunities to do so when I create documents with visual appeal. With the support of the UAB English Department faculty, I know that I can make my mark in the job force with both my writing and design skills.

Professional Writing Within Creative Writing: An Interview with Tina Braziel

By Sam Baine

The writing field offers a multitude of paths for English students to take, but it’s at the intersection of these paths that make a writing career so interesting. Professional writing may conjure up ideas of strict rules and a lack of creative control, but UAB alumna Tina Braziel knows that isn’t the case.

After receiving her Masters in English, Braziel taught at UAB as an English professor for a total of seven years. But she “wanted more instruction and time to write,” so she decided to get her M.F.A as well. Between her degrees, it was the Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop that really drew her back to UAB. Now she works as the director of the three-week long workshop, which offers high schoolers the opportunity to work closely with published writers.

The intensive summer program is aimed at those who are interested in creative writing careers. Braziel uses several different methods to reach out to students; she has had to craft an online presence, post on bulletin boards and draft letters and informational cards for teachers. So, while the focus of her career may lie in creative writing, Braziel uses elements of professional writing to represent her ideas.

Braziel also relies on document design “to make clear what is advertised [and] what the classes will offer.” This is especially useful when building a creative platform, as there can be no creative publication without the traditional markers of technical writing like web design and copyediting.

She must also use professional skills for effective communication when it comes to engaging and recruiting students who aren’t considering college, keeping in touch with other faculty members to expand upon enrichment activities and contacting guest speakers and field trip sites.

Braziel’s work isn’t finished with the end of the workshop, though, as she immediately begins prepping for the next one: drafting donation and thank you letters or sending out copies of The Writer’s Block. She uses professional writing to accurately portray the workshop’s purpose and solidify its logistics so everything runs smoothly.

Outside of the workshop setting, professional writing has benefitted Braziel’s creative pursuits. She uses the same learned techniques—like drafting, critiquing, and revising—to promote her own work. Her poetry has been published in many acclaimed journals and her first poetry chapbook was published by Porkbelly Press in 2016. While Braziel never imagined that technical skills would be so closely related to creative work, she has come to find that this intersection is what makes her creative pieces possible.

However, she says that “the process of getting to that point takes more than just creative skill.” Through the ordeal of submitting (and revising and resubmitting) manuscripts, cover letters and pitch letters, creative writing doesn’t get to speak for itself. Writers must do a lot of additional work “to develop a creative style while honing writing skills,” whether that be applying for residencies and fellowships, accurately marketing yourself or pitching your publication.

There is a fine line to balancing creativity with the technical skills necessary to work throughout multiple genres and platforms. Braziel has worked hard to hone a personal professional language, a valuable skill she highly advises for other writers.

Braziel was recently announced as the winner of the 2017 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry through the Fresno State Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing, which awarded her with the publication of her debut full-length book, Known by Salt, through Anhinga Press.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

By Hunter Freeman

Barrel-chested men donning stars and stripes like bandoliers across their chests march on large posters. A factory worker flexes her bicep under a rolled sleeve, her face equal parts proud and brave. Bold type. Primary colors. Energetic illustrations.

For many, these are the familiar images of propaganda, a hallmark of a bygone era where the war of ideas rivaled, and even supplanted, the war of arms. Propaganda is any message that aims to promote a cause or point of view. These posters set the guidelines for society, encouraging citizens to serve, to ration, to fill the factories, to buy war bonds, and the list goes on.

Despite its notoriety, it can be easy to dismiss propaganda as a thing of the past. Given the highly politicized climate contemporary audiences find themselves in, and considering the new communication roles that modern professional writers are filling, it is important to keep one idea central in the minds of Americans: propaganda is not dead.

How Propaganda Has Changed

As with all forms of communication, propaganda has shifted with the advent of new technology. Gone are the days of large prints stapled onto telephone poles and corkboards. Now, messages can be shared to thousands and even millions of people through digital mediums like social media, aggregate websites, streaming services and media production companies.

In its heyday, propaganda had a recognizable style to it, a cartoonish appeal and primary colors that begged to be noticed. Now, it appears in more subtle versions like a sensationalized (or outright false) headline, a partisan-sponsored YouTube ad or an innocent-looking meme on Facebook.

Modern-Day Examples

There are an infinite number of examples of modern-day propaganda, both liberal and conservative, American and foreign, domestic and international. The US intelligence community has released multiple reports about Russian operatives using social media to create messages intended to influence US elections.

But not all propaganda is created equal. With the distribution and ease-of-access to broadcast technology, many media companies do this same type of ideological influence with partisan politics. Just by looking at some article and video titles, the point becomes self-evident. Listed below are several headlines taken from both conservative and liberal media groups:

This is our contemporary war of ideas. These titles are not blatant in their intention. They are not flashy. They are not decorated with colorful drawings on huge displays. They are not sponsored by governmental organizations. But with the new ways people share information, propaganda does not have to be.

Professional Writing’s Role in Propaganda

Behind each of the examples above is a person who carefully chose words and a thumbnail to fit the message they were creating. The authors wrote their article or script with a call to action in mind. And picking up the torch, each of these professional writers submitted their message to the public discourse with the intention of influencing whoever comes across it.

Professional writers are trained in communication. Even the Professional Writing program here at UAB teaches students the essentials to effective propaganda. Students learn how to make a message visually and logically appealing, how to consider an audience and how to write with purpose.

No, UAB is not a propaganda production company or some hive teaching students the dangerous art of eloquence. However, it is a university with a skilled staff that generates highly-capable, motivated communicators.

With the proliferation of broadcast technology, capability and motivation are the only obstacles now that prevent people from abusing a powerful voice. And so, students in the Professional Writing program are a safety pin away from controlling the masses and destroying the world.

The Big Takeaway

Today’s professional writing students are the next at the helm. Propaganda is not just flyers on a wall or a banner on a website; it is not simply colorful pictures that are emotionally provocative. Writers possess the tools to mobilize audiences, which means that they must be aware of their influence and responsible for the power of the written word.

How to Become a Global Sensation With Professional Writing

A hand holding a globe — Image courtesy of Adobe Stock

Becoming A Global Sensation With Professional Writing

By Skylar Summers

“Despacito” topped the charts, the Korean pop band BTS is being compared to The Beatles, and foreign filmmaking is on the rise. You may be asking what this has to do with professional writing, or even English. Well, a lot more than you might think. Here, we’ll take a look at how to master the arts of editing and technology, and how universal themes are generated to target mass audiences.

As English enthusiasts, our ultimate goal is to create, contribute to, or study these major climactic points that define our society on a global and historical scale. As professional writers, we can learn from these sources in order to globalize our own projects and passions.

For most of history, Western culture has influenced other regions, but now the tables seem to be turning in a phenomenon called cultural diffusion. How does this relate to professional writing? By conducting three interviews, I was able to learn how to attract massive global audiences through new technology, editing according to universal themes and understanding the power of language.

Through interviews with a non-native English speaker from a country with ever-influencing pop culture, a sociologist and somebody with an indifferent stance on the rise of new influences shaping America, I’ve come a bit closer to identifying the cultural tipping point that many professional writers learn to find in order to draw attention to their own projects.

Interview 1: Jay

The backdrop for any global sensation is technology; it’s crucial to learn how to design, market and broadcast any product. In professional writing, a student does just this. By analyzing font types, color schemes and details that draw in audiences, professional writers hone the same skills used by major companies to attain globalization.

Jay, a UAB student born in South Korea, weighs in on this topic. On the subject of Korean pop music, he tells me that he believes it’s the culture shock that typically attracts foreign audiences. The expressive style choices, technicality and overall extravagance presented in K-pop music videos allow a foreigner to escape into a world that isn’t their own. Jay says that most people don’t know what the actual lyrics to “Despacito” mean, but because of its marketing and appeal, it became a hit to English speakers.

Professional writers learn not only how to relate, but how to present our work in way that will inspire a sense of awe in our audience, and to make them truly interested in what we are presenting. Through classes in editing and design, students in the professional writing program are on their way to creating the same widespread appeal around their own projects.

Interview 2: Dr. Szaflarski

Next, I spoke to Dr. Szaflarski, a sociologist and professor at UAB. She explains how this phenomenon isn’t new, yet the presence of technology has created a platform with the power to reshape our culture.

Our discussion centered less around specific media influences than around widespread theories that prove how our world is changing. According to human ecology theory, technology enables new “tipping points,” or the factor that allows for a product to become successful to a large group of people.

Dr. Szaflarski goes on to discuss contemporary theory, or the idea that language and communication helps spread new innovations. As English speaking creators in a highly technological society, we are part of a global system in which cooperation with other nations and cultures is essential. Professional writers learn valuable skills in dealing with phenomena that’s not only embedded in American society, but modern global society as a whole. This puts analytical professional writers at the forefront of creators who can release culturally sensitive products in the midst of a digital age that makes issues like cultural appropriation more prevalent.

It’s important to note that communication is far more than words, but how those words are printed to attract an audience. Knowing what to use to gain viewership and how to create positive global reactions, professional writers possess a set of skills that are essential to the modern world.

Interview 3: Ashley

Ashley is a UAB student who sheds some light on my final question: how does the English language tie into all of this? Globalization and language are closely correlated, as language is essential to communication, and becoming proficient at analyzing trends is the goal of any writer, editor, marketer or global sensation, whether that be a musical artist, a filmmaker, or a series creator.

English students analyze texts such as novels and poetry with longstanding significance in many of our required classes, and a common denominator are themes that shape generations. This universality of topics can be applied on an even greater scale. Ashley gives a more a more objective opinion on this matter, particularly in the K-Pop genre. She says that themes like love and the universal appeal of certain features being deemed “attractive” allow this type of cultural diffusion to soar.

If you can learn how to analyze longstanding values, themes and cultural norms (as one does in an English class), you can acquire the tools that could make you successful in nearly any field that requires creativity, expression or “selling” an idea.

Conclusion

Globalization and cultural diffusion are very real aspects of our lives in the 21st century. It is important to understand not only what a piece of media is, but how it uses technology, editing according to universal themes and language to attract massive global audiences.

Professional writing encompasses these aspects and more, and is therefore rising in prominence as a viable path of study. So, next time you listen to listen to “Despacito” or watch Pokemon, perhaps you’ll notice how these phenomena appeal to their audiences, and through professional writing, your understanding could grow even deeper.

Advice from a Professional Writing Storyteller

Advice from a Professional Writing Storyteller

By Laura Jane Crocker

Professional writers are often labelled as having a certain skillset. Usually, this would imply a background in document design, editing or technical writing, among other things. However, there are plenty of ways that creative writers may find themselves in a career that requires professional writing. Making this transition may not be as uncommon as one would think, and for Brett Bralley, a writer on UAB’s University Relations team, focusing on professional writing has led to a successful career that combines her creative background with practical communication skills.

Bralley studied journalism at the University of Alabama, and her career eventually led to UAB. She works on the content team, which is in charge of creating and editing copies for university initiatives.

“I write a wide variety of content,” Bralley explains. “Sometimes it’s a shorter, dynamic copy for a brochure or a website landing page. And sometimes it’s an in-depth feature for UAB Magazine. All of it is focused on telling the stories of students, faculty, staff and friends of UAB.” Although the art of storytelling is more frequently attributed to creative writing, professional writers like Bralley are often tasked with achieving this goal with limited word counts, focused target audiences and design in mind.

With a creative writing perspective, Bralley has been able to approach the challenges of a professional writing career from a unique angle. “My background in journalism prepared me for almost every aspect of this job. I learned editorial judgement, story structure, how to interview sources, how to always consider my reader, the importance of accuracy and attention to detail, and—of course—how to tell a story in meaningful, effective way,” she says. Together, Bralley and her coworkers implement a diverse set of skills that are fundamental to professional writing.

As opposed to writing careers that focus on churning out content, Bralley is often tasked with considering design. Depending on the project, the design may be created around a copy that has been written, or the content may need to fit a specific layout, and that’s where Bralley must use her judgement to create captivating copies.

“Good writing can be all for naught if the design isn’t there,” Bralley says. “The presentation of the work has the power to entice the reader and make them want to dive into your content. A clean, legible font, a lovely layout and the right medium for sharing your work is paramount to creating quality content.”

But the process is not as strict as one might think. Often, professional writers must be in touch with their creative side to ensure that content is engaging for their audience—this requires Bralley to be adaptable. She explains, “A fun part of my job is that I’m doing all kinds of writing, so I get to exercise all sorts of skills. When I’m writing for a professional audience, whether by crafting an internal newsletter or putting together an email for a source, I think about the most informative and simple way to connect. I want to keep it engaging, but I also want to get the point across quickly.”

When asked if she had any recommendations for young professional writers, Bralley says, “Write as much as you can! Build your portfolio with a variety of work. Take classes or workshops to learn new skills. Connect with a mentor who can give you advice and help you along. When someone edits your work, review those edits and see how you can improve. The more you work at it, the better a writer you can be! And when it comes time to show off your work, don’t be shy.”

Interview with UAB Alum Emily Wiginton

By Nora Krall

Emily (Em) Wiginton graduated from UAB in 2017 with an English degree and a concentration in Professional Writing. Emily was raised on a farm in rural Alabama and spent her college years working at the public radio station 90.3 WBHM. During her time at UAB, she was President of the Professional Writing club. Post graduation, Emily is located in North Carolina at UNC Chapel Hill and lives with her partner and their cat Jiji. Emily is a queer writer, artist, and communicator who loves traveling, Korean food, and video games.

1. What made you want to major in professional writing?

I initially went into Professional Writing because I was interested in a practical application of English, but also because I was terrified to talk to anyone. As an incoming freshman, I thought that Professional Writing sounded like a field that wouldn’t require a lot of communication with other people, but boy, was I wrong. PW ended up making me a much stronger communicator—and a better writer to boot.

2. How is your degree useful to you?

A lot of my job involves sharing and explaining critical information between Women’s Health organizations across the globe, and PW really helped me learn how to consider my audience when communicating to certain groups. I also self-publish autobiographical comic zines on the side, and learning how to use software like Illustrator and InDesign to design and print my own materials is still something I use literally every day.

3. What was your goal after you graduated from UAB and how did English/PW help you get there?

My goal after graduation was basically just to get a job—any job. A lot of PW focuses heavily on professional development, so by the time I graduated, I had a fully developed LinkedIn, a gorgeous resume, and a working knowledge of how to apply for positions or market myself in the industry using sites like Indeed. I also learned how to make a web-based portfolio (emilyrosewiginton.wordpress.com) through my PW classes, and having a website really gave me an edge in interviews.

4. What was your thesis on?

For my thesis, I created a sample email newsletter for the UAB-based PW publication, Memorandum, along with a user guide that could be used in both print and PDF formats. The user guide ended up being something I took to job interviews with me as an example of my skillset—people really like it when you have a tangible example of work you’ve done, especially one that combines writing, design, and self-publishing.

5. How did you get to UNC?

I got into UNC by working a few temp jobs when I first moved here. I can’t stress enough what a useful tool this was for breaking into the job market. The best advice I can give for recent grads is to apply to as many temp pools as you can get your hands on. There are tons out there, especially around Universities, and often for communications and writing-related positions. I was at the Department of Music here at UNC, then landed a permanent position at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Research Evidence in Sexual and Reproductive Health (WHO CC for short).

6. What are you doing at UNC now with your English/PW degree?

Here at the WHO CC, my official job title is Public Communications Coordinator, which means that I’m not only the front-facing person for our offices, but also serve as a connecting point between us and other Women’s Health Organizations around the world. We work to develop programs that apply implementation science to Women’s Health research, with a larger goal of ensuring reproductive health and justice for all. It’s challenging work, but honestly a dream job for me. As a queer, gender-nonconforming woman, I have a huge passion for reproductive justice in a global health context, and am so grateful to be working in a position that directly contributes to that.

7. What do you want to do in the future? Are you getting another degree?

My dream for the future is admittedly little less career/academia-focused. I mentioned earlier that I illustrate and self-publish comics in my spare time, and I’d love to get more serious about that while still maintaining a day job similar to what I do now. I’m so grateful to have such an amazing career, but my real joys in life come from making art, traveling with my partner, and pursuing my hobbies. However, I feel super fortunate that I can work in a position that matches up with my political and ethical convictions.

8. How did your undergraduate experience at UAB help get you to where you are today?

Professional Writing equipped me with the skills I needed to find a job pretty quickly after college, as well as the skills to pursue the things I wanted to do outside of a professional setting. Above all, however, PW helped me grow into a confident and effective communicator and leader. Professional writing is curriculum that teaches people how to write for certain audiences, interface with contemporary discourses and find work in a complicated job market which is more vital than ever, and I’m thankful that it was part of my education.

In Conclusion

Emily’s professional writing degree has propelled her into the job market seamlessly and with it, she acquired her dream job. The professional writing concentration offers skills that are necessary for most every major and vital to any job. Emily’s work post-graduation is proof of effective communication skills at work and has made the transition into the job market a rather easy one. A degree in professional writing gives you a skillset that is useful and relevant in any job.