I usually like to stick to the free multimedia tools, but I’ve found that in recent days I’ve been thinking more about writing. It’s essential to great journalism. Good writing draws readers in and keeps them captive until the end of your story.
I love that I get paid to write every day, but I know that as a young writer, I am still finding my voice and working to improve my craft. For my own improvement and for this blog, I took a random survey of young writers and a few veterans, to get their thoughts. I try to learn something from every person I work with; you can never stop learning. So here’s a sample of thoughts from some of my friends and mentors.
Feel free to add your thoughts!
THE NEWBIES
Matt Chayes, crime reporter, Newsday
I try to read crime stories from competitors to see how they handled the same facts (what they topped it with, what they kicked it with, how they described what I saw, etc.) and try to incorporate that into my writing/reporting style.
But also, I like to read stories published in other non-American English-speaking nations to see if, say, the Brits or the Aussie’s way of doing “the funeral story” or obits or scene setters or reac are better/different from ours,
Stephanie Woodrow, writer, The Advisory Board
“Read 50 ways to write by Roy Peter Clark – It’ll change your life and writing forever.”
Ariel Van Cleave, reporter, WBAA
I approach writing the same way I approached music… practice. Sure, I listen to a TON of NPR reporters throughout the day, and yes, that will of course affect me and my writing, but I practice. I used to take stories written in newspapers and write them in broadcast style. Something else I do is if I’m telling someone a story, I sometimes switch into reporter mode and practice my delivery. That’s not something print folks need to worry about… how you actually say what you’ve written… but it’s a beast of an issue for us radio/TV folk.
The old standby is Hemingway. He wrote in a very straight-forward style that broadcasters can learn from. But Chuck Palahniuk has been an influence on me, too, I think. He writes in a very abrupt sort of way. Sometimes it’s very staccato, but flows really nicely… more like he’s narrating a story rather than writing. Also, I like a lot of Indian authors because of the flow of their text. Jhumpa Lahiri wrote The Namesake and it’s a beautiful piece of work. I sometimes can’t stand reading a book or article or whatever if it’s not conversational. It’s bizarre.”
Kartikay Mehrotra, reporter, Rockford Register Star
I’ve been working on getting frequently used phrases out of my writing. Often times, because of deadline pressures, I skate-by on whatever phrasing I type onto a page first. But when I do have time to really tighten and re-word, my goal has been to break up those syntactical clichés, i.e. skate-by.
Ken Lowe, reporter, Decatur Herald and Review
The biggest challenge has been whipping my leads into shape so that there might be somebody, somewhere, who even wants to read anything I write about. Part of that is trying to find a creative way to say the same thing over and over, particularly when you’re dealing with the city council here, who have been trying to build a new police station since I don’t know when.
THE VETERANS
Gene Foreman, former managing editor, Philadelphia Inquirer
Find some good writers and read their work regularly. This is easier in the Web era than it was before. For example, I would pick out a dozen writers and read everything they write – not to copy their style, but to raise your appreciation of writing skill. An example is Anne Hull, a dogged reporter and a beautiful writer. The New Yorker and Vanity Fair have excellent writers, and you could tap them online if you don’t want to spend the money on the magazines. Poynter produces a book each year on the best newspaper writing, so that too is a good source.
As for practicing, you may have already developed the habit of editing your own copy to tighten and smooth it. Go back a day or a week later and review something you’ve written; with a fresh look, you can improve it even more. Also, and this is something I’ve mentioned before, report deeply. Gather much more information than you need, then select the best details. Don’t leave holes in your stories.
Gene Gibbons, executive editor, Stateline.org
Study poetry, seek good editing, and write outside of work.
John Micek, statehouse bureau chief, The Morning Call
Two books played an absolutely critical role in my development as a young journalist: “Holidays in Hell,” by P.J. O’Rourke and “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas,” by Hunter S. Thompson. Both are all about taking chances with language and finding your own voice as a writer. One of the pitfalls of our industry is our fear of sometimes letting writers have their own voice. The two books are my reminder to always take chances.
Second, I think I benefited by working in college radio and interning in television news as a college student. As a result, I now read every story out loud as a I write it. If your tongue trips over the phrases, then the chances are pretty good that the reader will trip over them as well. Remember, before there was writing, there was oral tradition. If you can’t tell a story out loud, then you probably can’t write it down either.
Jackie Jones, reporter/editor, Jones Coaching LLC
After you finish writing your first draft, get up and walk away for 15-30 minutes, if you can. Watch some TV, have a snack, take a short walk, anything that doesn’t involve reading or writing. Come back and reread your story, out loud. Does it flow smoothly or are you tripping over your tongue? If it’s the latter, that’s usually a sign that there is a mistake somewhere in the sentence. Does the story make sense? Is the narrative easy to follow? If it makes sense and the grammar, spelling and punctuation are in good shape, send it on. If not, work on the corrections and read the ENTIRE story again. If possible, let a friend or colleague read it to see if it makes sense to him, too. Once you’re convinced it’s as good as you can make it, send it to your editor.
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