Presentation for Real Stories course on self-editing/writing tips: realstories2014.wordpress.com

1. Tips for reporting, writing and self-
editing

2.  Readability requires a combination of factors:
 Strong reporting
 Purpose/focus
 Strong writing
 Clean writing
 Entertaining writing

3.  This seems obvious, but isn’t.
 The goal with any writing should be to find a
good story
 A “good” story is one that people want to read
and takes audience into account
 A “good” story is one that interests you
 A “good story” is one in which you take the
time to report and learn your subject, usually
ending up with too much information
 A “good story” has a main focus

4.  Focus means having one main point.
 This doesn’t mean the story harps only on one
aspect or detail but
 Means the story ties together all its supporting
writing to strengthen one point
 This means making choices about what to
use/what not to use, aka narrative intelligence
 Narrative intelligence means choosing a lead
and supporting detail to guide the reader
through your piece.

5.  Think of the lead as “the hook” or as crucial
real estate
 This applies not just to journalism but to all
writing
 Consider how you read: If the opening is
boring, do you finish (unless it’s homework!
 Many consider the opening sentences of any
article the most important writing in the piece

6.  You decide where your story starts
 With a telling anecdote
 With poetic language, use of rhythm and
cadence
 With a killer quote from an interview
 With an amazing statistic
 Start with an element from your
reporting/thinking that grabbed YOU and
make it grab your readers

7.  Specifics and concrete details: description of
people and places. Don’t just say a building is
large or a person is tall. Again, show it, don’t
tell it.
 Use the show v. tell as well to set scenes and
environment
 Use numbers intelligently
 Avoid jargon and explain what it means
 Avoid vague subjects and verbs

8.  Outlines are used frequently in journalism
 Make a decision about the organization of your
story
 This will free you up to focus on language
 What is the best form for your story: order of
importance? Chronological? Format-busting?
Taking two minutes to decide how to organize
can have an enormous impact on the writing
process and the final outcome.

9.  Sloppy sentences are rewritten by editors and
copyeditors
 Clean sentences stand the test of editing (and
usually win contests, jobs etc)

10.  Use short simple sentences for complicated
ideas
 Use longer sentences for easier concepts
 Don’t try to explain election law using a long
and multi-compound sentence
 Use long sentences to emphasize language
when the idea is easy to understand
 Vary the length and rhythm of sentences

11.  Transitions are important in all writing
 But particularly important in journalism
 Transitions can create suspense and
connectivity
 Never assume the reader can connect one idea
to the next
 Consider your organization and use transitions
in and out of paragraphs to lead the reader
through your story and actually propel them to
keep reading

12.  Review stories for redundancy in
ideas, information and quotes; eliminate
repetition
 Avoid unnecessary adverbs and
adjectives, which are considered “telling”
versus showing.
Example: The mayor wore a festive shirt
(adjective/telling)
The mayor wore a pink and green shirt covered in
balloons.

13.  Don’t use 15 words when 10 will suffice.
 Use subject/verb construction: keep sentences
active
 Self-edit for passive construction, which is
clunky, tedious to read and often confusing
 Review prepositions
 Avoid negative construction: it’s long and
usually muddles meaning.
 Care about every word.
 Be concise, don’t waste words; edit out
unnecessary ones. (P. 207)

14.  Everyone has elements of basic writing with
which they have issues
 Identify your issues, whether it’s plural
possessives, misplaced modifiers, noun/verb
agreement etc.
 Tackling and mastering them now will
improve all your writing FOREVER.

15.  The goal is to use specific, well-considered
language.
 Clichés are considered gimmicky, jargon can be
obtuse, profanity is generally
inappropriate, unless related to the topic.
 So, look on the bright side, shake your head in
disbelief, and remember: Don’t take any
wooden nickles.

16.  Do not use the words:
 Thing/things
 Everything
 Something
Pick a specific subject that describes that which
you are writing about.
“Writing was something she had always liked.”
“English was a subject she had always liked.”

17.  “Get” and “got” do not tell the reader anything
about the action. Read through your work, and
everywhere you see get or got, replace with a
specific verb.
 Got to get you into my life!
 Catchy song lyric; poor writing.
 I desire to suck you into my life.

18.  For example:
 “It is hard to believe Winter is almost here.”
 “There are only 39 days left until Halloween!”
 Instead:
 “Unbelievably, Winter is almost here.”
 “Halloween is just 39 days away!”

19.  A comma splice is when you take two
independent clauses and try to connect them
with a comma. They are incorrect.
 For instance:
 I woke up this morning, it was early.
 I woke up this morning; it was early.
 I woke up early this morning.

20.  Titles: Only capitalize proper titles and only
when they appear directly before a name and
are not separated by punctuation
 Correct: Chair Matt Donovan
 Incorrect: Matt Donovan, Chair of the Creative
Writing Department
 Incorrect: The Department Chairman, Matt
Donovan

21.  Spell out one through nine
 Use numbers for 10 and up
 Except when a number starts a sentence:
 Correct: One hundred days until summer
 Incorrect: 100 days until summer
 Correct: In 100 days, summer will be here
 Incorrect: In one hundred days, summer will be
here
 Ages: use numbers. She is 5 years old.

22.  Spell out the month when it stands alone:
February
 Abbreviate when used with a date: Feb. 14 is
Valentine’s Day
 Don’t abbreviate single syllable months:
March, April, May
 Spell out Street, Road and Avenue when they
stand alone. Abbreviate St. and Ave. when they
are part of an address
 I’ll meet you on Galisteo Street.
 I’ll meet you at 111 Galisteo St.

23. Sounds silly, but having to delete an extra space after every
sentence will drive your editors & copyeditors crazy.

24.  Wrong: For breakfast, I ate:
apples, bananas, and cereal
 Correct: For breakfast, I ate: apples, bananas
and cereal

25.  Be attentive to accuracy and always double-check
how to spell names of people and organization.
 Wrong: St. Vincent’s Hospital
 Correct: CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical
Center
 Avoid loading up a story with useless numbers.
More than three numbers in a short story is too
many.
 Avoid jargon at all costs, even if you talk to people
who use it. Make them translate so you can express
ideas clearly.

26.  We are going to pass each other’s articles
around and each of you (and I) will mark the
articles
 Initial your comments
 Look for unanswered questions, areas you
think more info is needed
 Look for the readability issues we’ve just
discussed
 Writers, you will then be able to review this
feedback and look for common notations to
consider for your final drafts