At the start of the summer, I reached out to the Daily Kos Community to ask how we might best help writers (and would-be writers) who were interested in honing their skills. The response was overwhelming, if not always on topic, and I’m excited to announce that we’ll be having our very first Daily Kos Writing Workshop this September!
This closed Zoom workshop (cameras off for participants, so don’t fret about your hair!) will feature thoughtful and accessible skillshare presentations from two of the site’s managing editors, as well as data-driven details to confirm the guidance you’ll receive, courtesy of our content strategist. We hope it will be a launching pad for attendees to write about the issues that matter to them most with increased confidence and skill, which will, of course, benefit the readership as a whole and help the Community as we fight to raise visibility for progressive values, as we create more news you can do something about.
This 75-minute workshop held on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET is free for all to attend. Just bring yourself.
We’ve built it, so what awaits you if you come?
We’ll be offering 45 minutes of instruction, followed by a 30-minute minute Q and A session.
- Storytelling basics led by Community Content Managing Editor Jessica Sutherland (20 minutes)
- Story formats and analytics led by Content Strategist Cara Zelaya (10 minutes)
- Quick tips for writers led by Trending News Managing Editor Jen Hayden (15 minutes)
- Q and A (30 minutes)
First, I’ll be focusing on the two topics you chose in June’s poll: the basic tenets of storytelling and storytelling for today’s audiences. As readers, we all know when a story is (or isn’t) told well, but that reader instinct can be extremely challenging to apply when we’re creating content ourselves. I’ll help take some mystery out of key storytelling techniques—those that are invisible when done well but downright painful when omitted.
I’ll also help demystify what works for today’s internet consumers. I'll teach you techniques to keep readers engaged with your content, from compelling images to using tweets and videos for visual variety, emphasis, and human impact.
And Cara will share data to back it all up.
To close the session, we’ll offer some quick tips for writers, including another top interest, as indicated by June’s poll: creating a stellar headline. The fastest way to not get read is with a bad headline, but good headlines are hard. Jen will spend some time breaking down what makes a great headline and make it a little easier for writers and teaching attendees how to navigate the Image Library and embed external media from sites like YouTube and Twitter.
There will be plenty of time for questions every step of the way for those who need clarification. And once we’re done, we’ll have a recorded version and each topic’s presentation available for anyone who missed the show.
We’ll tackle even more topics in the next workshop, but if you’re interested in being part of this one, simply send me a Kosmail* to RSVP, and I’ll let you know the next steps.
See you there!
* To send me a Kosmail, simply hover over my username in my byline or in the Tip Jar (or other comments) below, then click on my username in the box that appears. That will take you to my main profile page where you can click “send message” to start a Kosmail.