Grammar for Writing: Level Blue — Chapter 13

Women in Government Margaret Chase Smith Library Margaret Chase Smith is sworn into office as U.S. Senator from Maine in January, 1949. She was the first woman to be elected to both houses of Congress, and the first woman to have her name placed in nomination for President by a major political party, at the 1964 Republican convention. With the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, women won the right to vote. Today women not only vote, but also serve the United States in local, state, and national offices ranging from city councilperson to mayor, from governor to congresswoman or senator. They also serve in key positions in the President's Cabinet. Today, both as voters and as elected or appointed officials, women are making powerful contributions to government in the United States. Imagine you are a top reporter for a national magazine. You have been assigned to write an in-depth profile of a woman, past or present, who has held or presently holds a powerful government position. For example, she might be Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State, or Attorney General Janet Reno, the first female Attorney General. She might be Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman elected to Congress from the South, and the first to deliver the keynote address at the convention of a major political party (Democratic Convention, 1976). STEP 1: Initial Search Start with visits to the following Web sites: The National Women's Hall of Fame League of Women Voters National Women's History Page Look for a unique slant or an important news "hook" - something that will grab your readers' attention and hold it. Take detailed notes. STEP 2: Expanded Search When you have chosen your subject, do an expanded Internet or library search. Take notes on the woman's background - what experiences and past events led to her current position, her early life, and quotes by and about her. Also photocopy or download and print out photographs. STEP 3: Which Magazine Will You Write For? Choose a publication and write an article for that magazine on the topic you've chosen. Your article should be factual and informative, and should speak directly to the audience of the publication you've chosen. STEP 4: Know the Magazine's Audience Read at least three issues of the magazine. Analyze its writing style and presentation of articles like the one you will write. Are there long, colorful, human interest articles? Or are most articles brief, written for busy professionals? Write a few sentences that describe the audience, and remember your description as you write your article. STEP 5: Define Your Purpose News articles are written to inform or to entertain. What is your purpose in writing the article? Will it be serious, informative, and balanced? Or will it be a lively "human interest" feature, with lots of colorful anecdotes, descriptions, and quotes? STEP 6: Draft Your Article Write the first draft of your article. Include details that will help readers get to know the woman you are writing about, such as anecdotes about your subject's life or family, or quotes from the woman herself about her personal life, her career, conflicts, challenges, and joys she has experienced. STEP 7: Revise for Ideas and Unity Let your first draft sit for a day or so. Then reread your description of the audience you want to reach. Now reread your draft. Think about how to better reach your audience and achieve your purpose. Should you use a more narrative tone, telling interesting stories that bring your subject to life? Be sure to explain anything your audience may not understand, and make sure all of your details are relevant to the main idea of each paragraph. A profile, like any news or feature article, should answer the 5-W and H? questions (who, what, where, when, and how?) concisely and accurately. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, page 11.) Begin your article with an attention-grabbing lead paragraph. Be sure the most important facts come first. Keep your readers interested by varying sentence structure (see pages 36, 133, and 227), and by using transition or introductory words or phrases (pages 27 and 64). Direct quotes will also help make the article lively. Be sure each quote is accurate and correctly attributed to the person who said it. STEP 8: Edit and Proofread Your Article Sentence interrupters and nonessential elements have no place in tightly written, professional news and feature articles. Remove all unnecessary words and phrases. (See Grammar for Writing, Level Blue, page 229.) Frances Perkins was appointed Secretary of Labor by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932. She was the first woman cabinet officer in American history. The comma is probably the most used punctuation mark in English grammar. It turns up all over the place. The trick is learning where and how to use it, and when not to use it. Remember that commas help make meaning clear. If you're puzzling over when to use commas, review pages 225, 227, and 231 in Grammar for Writing, Level Blue. STEP 9: Publish Your Article Send your article to the editor of your school newspaper along with a cover letter in business format that asks the editor to consider publishing it. Or, create a display that includes all the articles written by members of the class, as well as photographs and other materials about the subjects of the articles. Copyright ©2007 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.