Rough Cuts and Revision Plans

This is the post for the November 10, 2014 class meeting.

roughwolfToday’s reading is about “Drafting and Revising Your Project”—and in particular rough cuts and revision plans. This week, you should be working on a rough version of your project (if you are not already there).

Chapter 7 of Writer/Designer suggests that the different phases of work on your project are separate and definite, but in truth they rarely are. During the next week, you may find yourself tweaking your storyboard or mock-up while you are placing assets in your rough cut and at the same time searching for more assets. Creativity can be messy. Don’t be surprised if your process is a little different from the general version in the textbook.

Rough Cuts, Rough Drafts, and Revision Plans

  • A rough cut is rougher, or less finished, than a rough draft.

  • The “Planning Your Rough Cut” section of Chapter 7 (pp. 107–109) includes lists of the basic decisions you should make by the time you have a rough cut. I recommend that you have most of these decisions in place by Wednesday.

  • You will use the information on explaining your rhetorical situation (pp. 111–112), providing feedback (pp. 112–115), and revision plans (pp. 116–118) next week when we have peer review. You will also use the revision plan information for your final exam.

Writing Schedule and Homework

  • Monday, 11/10: Write and publish a blog post for today that talks about what you have accomplished since your last post and why you did what you did. In your post, link, insert, or embed a mock-up and/or storyboard for your project.

  • Wednesday, 11/12: We will talk about publishing your project and your presentations, using information from Chapter 8.

  • Friday, 11/14: Lots of independent, in-class work.

  • Monday, 11/17: Lots of independent, in-class work. Presentation Sign-Up at approximately 10:15.

  • Wednesday, 11/19: Bring your book to class. Have a rough cut or rough draft of your project that you can share with two other people in class for feedback. Be prepared to provide a summary of the project’s rhetorical situation, using the questions on pp. 111–112. When you provide feedback on someone else’s project, use the guidelines in the section of the book on “Providing Feedback as a Stakeholder” (pp. 112–115). Your blog post for the 11/14 class should be a first draft of your revision plan for the project.

  • Friday, 11/21: Independent, out-of-class work. For your blog post, write the usual what you did and why you did it sections, but include a selfie that shows you working on your project. If you hate selfies, just be creative and choose some alternative photo. I want to see concrete, visual evidence that you were working on your project even though you were not in the classroom. Get your blog post with a selfie published by 11:55 PM on November 23 for credit.

  • 11/22 to 11/30: Thanksgiving Break.

  • Monday, 12/1: Discussion of the reflection memo for Project 3. Last day of independent, in-class work.

  • Wednesday, 12/3 to Wednesday, 12/10: In-class presentations. Link to your presentation due by 11:55 PM the day before you present.

  • Wednesday, 12/10: Reflection Memo and Project 3 links due by 11:55