Tabloid Writing
(Lesson from From Don't Forget to Write, 2011)
Sure, they'll never win a Pulitzer, but tabloids have their uses. They teach us to believe (Elvis Lives!), to better ourselves (The Amazing Ice Diet!) and to have compassion (Bat Baby Needs Your Help!). They can also teach us to be better writers.
Tabloids are smaller newspapers that are dominated by large headlines and sensational stories. The following examples of what are contained in tabloids.
Tabloids are smaller newspapers that are dominated by large headlines and sensational stories. The following examples of what are contained in tabloids.
Absurd, Improbably, Supernatural EventsBigfoot, space aliens, Elvis Presley, ghosts, and the like all make their appearance in the tabloid world with amazing frequency. In this way the tabloids are carrying on ancient folkloric traditions, relating to the sort of tales grandma used to tell in hushed tones late at night as the family huddled by the fireplace. Urban myths of the alligators-in-the-sewers-variety are also a key component of the tabloid cosmology. What urban myths have you heard? How do you know they aren't true?
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Malicious Celebrity GossipTabloid readers love to feel like they're invading the privacy of larger-than-life celebrities, but it's not enough to say that movie star X has been spotted canoodling with pop singer Y. There has to be an outlandish twits, preferably one that allows for a bit of schadenfreude (taking joy in another's misfortune). Readers love hearing about the faults, foibles, and failures of celebrities, particularly those of the obnoxiously rich and beautiful, though the just plain annoying will do. What do you think people want to hear about celebrities' private lives?
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Videos for Tabloid Fiction Assignment
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