76-271
Intro to Tech & Prof Writing
Department of English
Carnegie Mellon University
Karen R. Schnakenberg
245 G Baker Hall x 8-2659
krs@andrew.cmu.edu
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REQUIRED TEXTS
- Coursepacks available for purchase at CopyCat, 3945 Forbes Avenue in Oakland.
Note: The coursepack comes in 2 parts --"Readings" and "Assignments & Samples." You need both for the course:
- Duplication fee of $10 for additional class materials. Due in class on Wednesday, January 17. Any portion remaining at the end of the term will be refunded to you.
- Cook, Claire K. Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing. New York: MLA and Houghton Mifflin, 1985.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE
Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing is designed specifically for declared majors in technical or professional writing. The main work of the course is a series of six main writing assignments spread over three broad and often overlapping areas -- business/professional writing, media writing, and technical writing -- and a final portfolio. The range of assignments allows you to try your hand at a variety of writing tasks that professional writers often encounter and gives you experience with the general demands of each situation. As you work through the assignments, you should learn both conventional forms and patterns of organization for the various documents you will write as well as a broadly applicable procedure for analyzing novel situations and adapting and combining standard forms to meet the unique demands of new situations and tasks.
The class is a writing workshop, so classroom sessions typically focus on two related activities: 1) discussing, analyzing, and planning the assigned writing tasks with particular attention to how the demands of purpose, context, and readers' expectations always shape the writer's selection of appropriate content, organization, emphasis, and style, and 2) critiquing and revising sample texts and students' drafts-in-progress.
You will complete the main writing assignments plus a series of editing and revision tasks based on the Cook text and related handouts. In addition, you will submit short writing tasks as assigned in preparation for the main assignments and actively participate in critique and editing sessions to provide and receive feedback on work in progress. The main writing assignments and preparation for them will be the focus of most class sessions. Some class time will be devoted to the editing and revision assignments, but you will, in general, be expected to complete and submit these on your own according to the instructions provided in class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- To increase your awareness of various types of professional and technical writing that you might consider as areas for further specialization
- To introduce rhetorical analysis and increase your ability to analyze writing tasks in terms of audience and purpose and to use the results of your analysis to both produce and judge written documents
- To increase your understanding of conventional forms and strategies and their direct relationship to the rhetorical demands of audience and purpose
- To begin to develop your awareness of how text organization and the strategic use of visual elements contribute to the effectiveness of a document
- To push you to develop both your writing style and each written document to a polished and professional level
- To develop your editing skills in relation to both your own work and documents produced by other writers
- To begin to accumulate a portfolio of your work to submit for publication and to prospective employers
Overview of Six Main Assignments
#1 Applying for a Professional Position: The Resume and Letter of Application
You will first locate an actual internship or advertised position for which you are qualified and then write a resume and letter of application that you could actually send as an application for the position. The position should be related to your major field of study and may be located through personal contacts, placement office information, newspapers, or library resources.