English 120, Profile Assignment

First full draft due April 10; final draft due April 15

Length 750 to 1500 words

Double spaced, Times New Roman font, 12 point, for text

Arial, 14 point, for title; Arial, 12 point for headings

Picture(s) with captions beneath them required

Final draft submitted as Word .doc file. Also submit pictures as separate .jpg files.

A profile is a character sketch with a purpose. For this assignment, you are to write a profile of a person for publication on fargolocalfoods.net. In order to select a person to profile, you need to study fargolocalfoods.net, thinking of it as a forum where people having a certain set of interests go to learn more about local foods. When you understand the forum and the audience, then you need to select a person of interest for that audience and determine how you want to narrow your focus when interviewing her or him.

Your primary question should be What is interesting about this person from the perspective of the readers of Fargo Local Foods?

Techniques for gathering material to build profile:

• Meeting the person face to face, if possible, and recording the interview with permission
• Using direct quotations from the face-to-face meeting to bring “voice” in
• Observing surroundings and mannerisms and working them in as descriptions
• Finding out about the person’s motivations
• Finding out about the person’s history and growth
• Finding out about the person’s connections
• Getting at least one story from the person that explains something crucial about her motivations are decisions to pursue a certain project
• Finding out what other people say about the person
• Taking a few pictures to supplement the text

Structural considerations for building a profile:

• Profiles use narrative
• Profiles use description
• Profiles use direct quotations
• Profiles are divided into sections, not necessarily in chronological order
• All sections of the profile contribute to the primary focus of the profile
• Profiles should have titles
• Profiles often have subheadings

How to interview

• Remember that people are busy, and they don't have to give you time for the interview; they are doing you a favor when they agree to be interviewed.
• When you contact the person you wish to interview, it is important to tell her or him what the purpose of the interview is, how long it will take, and whether or not you will be asking for supplementary information. You should also assure the interviewee that you will share the write up of the interview when you are finished and ask for their feedback before it is published.
• Make the interview easy for this person: offer to come to their place of work (you should expect to do this); work around their schedule; if possible give them a list of some questions prior to the interview.
• Developing a list of questions is the hardest part of an interview. When you interview someone, you are assuming the position of an uninformed person approaching an authority; therefore, it is appropriate to treat the person as an expert. On the other hand, you should not expect the interviewee to guess about the kind of information you need. Based on your preliminary research, write questions that will generate information for your profile. It is a good idea to start with questions that solicit general information and then move on to specific information. Although you should have a of questions, you should feel free to generate follow up questions on the spot if you find that you are getting richer information than you expected.
• When you conduct the interview, thank the person for giving you time; remind them what the purpose is, and follow a list of questions you have developed. If you want to record the interview, ask permission to do so; otherwise, take notes. Make sure to note the time, date, and location of the interview. Get the person's name, correct spelling, title, and job description. Stick to your promise about time--don't go over. At the end, thank the person and let them know when they can expect to see your write up.

It is important to create a research and writing schedule.

• Whom will you profile?
• When and how will you make original contact?
• When will you have your list of questions completed?
• When, where, and how will you conduct the interview?
• When will you have the first draft completed and sent to the person you are profiling?
• When will you begin the final revision?
• When will you submit the final draft?