The Q&A profile:

1. Alternative form of storytelling.
2. Readers like them. These are written in chunks, but are connected and revealing.
3. Give a sense of hearing the subject talk. You want both the question and answer to sound conversational — not like you’re reading from a list of question and not listening.
4. Create a story with a beginning, middle and end. As such, be mindful of your first question and how you follow up. Your last question/answer should feel like you are bringing the conversation to a close.
5. You can edit your questions so that they are concise and clear. (This is not a transcript.)
6. You must edit the answers so that they don’t run on too long.
7. You can shuffle the order of the questions from when you asked them. The idea is to tell a story. You are in charge. Organization — and focus— is essential. Ask yourself: what is this Q&A about? Don’t veer off in several directions. Go deeper and deeper.
8. The intro – No more than 100 words. This is really your nut graf. You want to introduce not only your subject, but the focus or theme of the story — the news hook. This is not a biography. It is a snapshot. Keep the intro tight and focused.
9. Parameters: 900 words, maximum — including your 100-word intro. You need between 8 and 12 questions. Keep answers concise and on point. No wordy questions or answers.
10. REQUIRED: Include a photograph or two embedded in the Word doc.
11. Deadline: Friday , Nov. 22 — midnight.

The photo story

Your assignment is to come up with the story you can tell visually, with the help of cutlines (or captions). Be creative. Your choices are limited only to your imagination. In this assignment, the news hook is less important. Follow these directions below, review photo essays readily available at nytimes.com or elsewhere online, and you’ll do fine. I will try to find some from previous classes as well.

1. Minimum of 12 photos. Maximum of 15.
2. Taken as a whole, the photos should tell a story that suggests a beginning, middle and end.
3. Be sure to include three different kinds of shots: wide shot, medium range, close-up/detail. When you order your shots, make sure to vary these focal lengths to avoid too much visual repetition. Choose your opening and closing photos carefully, like leads and endings.
4. First photo should include a short paragraph, like a nut graf, that sets up the narrative (100-125 words max). Each photo after should carry a one-sentence cutline that briefly describes the photo and/or further explains the story. Include names if you are photographing people.
5. Organize your photo story in Spark. This is a great, easy-to-use format for organizing your photo story. Use it creatively.
6. Deadline: Wednesday, Dec. 4. We will review all of them together in the last class. You will post the link to your photo story on the class blog, and also send me the link in an email. I will evaluate your final assignment in a return email.