Behind The Scenes: The Voice of Reason

I was really bitter. I wanted to do a magazine instead of a newsletter for my project for ENC3416. I want to be a magazine editor, what better practice? But, the class had spoken. Newsletter it was. I was upset, but then again it could've been a lot worse, they could've hit me with the plain old-fashioned paper, so it wasn't too bad. This project still welcomed my creativity, so I was looking forward to it.

So, I had to create a newsletter suited to guide freshmen into the major. The main topic of this particular newsletter issue was one of the literary terms within the course, chosen by our teacher. When it comes to projects, the first step for me is brainstorming in my head. Yes, I said within my head. For some reason I like to put images together in my head before I put it all on paper, or in this case my computer screen. So, I thought: What would freshmen be attracted to?

I had never written a newsletter before so sadly I had to look up a couple on Google to get a feel for what I was getting myself into. My organization also has a newsletter so I spoke to the editor and got some ideas and suggestions from her. Then I thought about my keyword: voice. I looked it up on different websites and just started gathering pieces of my first draft from there. I made sure to keep my freshman audience in mind, and I designed my newsletter and wrote in a language that suited their understanding. My first draft was done and I had tackled the first, and in my opinion, hardest part of the project.

As soon as I got feedback on what needed improvement from my teacher, I transferred her ideas and suggestions to my draft. I had to do a lot more research, because I had left out scholarly definitions of the key term. I browsed through a couple e-books and found what I needed. I incorporated that, and rearranged a few things, keeping in mind that I need to keep my ideas focused and flowing continuously, another suggestion my teacher gave me.

Now it was onto the actual newsletter. I browsed through newsletter templates on Microsoft, and quickly fell in love with the green one. Green is my favorite color, and it’s very neutral, so I figured it would work for all of my audience. The layout worked for me, it was spunky yet serious, and it gave me room for a lot of images and random quotes and facts on the margins. I inserted all of my text and added images and quotes that complimented each section. Tweaked a couple things and voila. I actually enjoyed putting the newsletter together; the final product was a good one.

I definitely think there could’ve been other things I could’ve done better, such as include more interesting facts and tips. I think I might have put way too much text but maybe it’s just me. Nonetheless I’m confident in what I did. I believe I grasped the concept and relayed it to my audience in the best way I found possible. The Voice of Reason (my newsletter) rocked. I would definitely pick it up and read it!