Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm San Francisco
$95 members/$110 non-members (this class is not currently scheduled)
“I’ve done stories on everything from home computers to a profile of the Emmy Award-winning sound engineer who worked on Basic Instinct,” says Cary Pepper. “But my favorite was the one I did about a new reading program for kindergartners; the kids pulled me right into the class, and I learned more that one day than I ever learned in kindergarten. That’s one of the things I love most about magazine writing — it’s a constant learning process. It gives you a license to probe into the world. It’s also the most accessible way to break into professional writing. Even when you have no publishing credits, if you come up with the right idea, and pitch it to the right editor at the right time, you can get the assignment.”
This down-to-basics introduction to the world of magazine writing will cover: How to get ideas, determine your market, and write query letters that editors will read. “We’ll go over the rules of the game (and when to break them),” Cary says. “We’ll talk about getting rejected (and how to handle it), as well as getting accepted (and how to handle THAT!). We’ll also discuss the ins and outs of dealing with editors, how to be a professional, and how to use one article to get an assignment for another one.” This workshop will give you a keener understanding of the world of magazine writing, and tips on how to get started (or, if you’ve already started, to take yourself to the next level).
Cary Pepper has been a freelance writer for 30 years. He has published dozens of articles in such publications as The New York Times, TV Guide, Premiere, Advertising Age, Town and Country, and Mad. He is also an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He has taught writing at Media Alliance, the San Francisco Art Institute, and privately.