Transitions, the 11th of 15 lectures for my online feature-writing class at Bridgewater State University:

For writers, those transitions are our “cuts” and they are particularly useful in helping us accent those “truth is stranger than fiction” tidbits that make nonfiction writing and reading so pleasurable. A foster kid from hardscrabble Lynn going to law school, a victim of sexual assault who still thinks her alleged assailant has the “nicest eyes,” or someone named to People’s most eligible bachelor’s list who is accused of forcing women to have sex with him all take what we think we know and play it against a set of facts that are 180 degrees away from those assumptions.

Previous Lectures:

Nov. 1: Quotes

Oct. 25: Leads & Nut Graphs (or Ledes & Nut Grafs)

Oct. 18: Structure (Part two of two)

Oct. 11: Structure (Part one of two)

Oct. 4: Even More Reporting

Sept. 27: Details, Details, Details

Sept. 20: Reporting Basics — Interviewing

Sept. 13: Third Feature Writing Lecture: Pitching Ideas

Sept. 6: Second Feature Writing Lecture: Generating Ideas

Aug. 30: First Feature Writing Lecture: Course Introduction & Curiosity