Ian Reeves

The Golden Rule

Be Interesting

What your readers should feel Alarmed Delighted Outraged Moved Tense Shocked Inspired Entertained Upset Like writing a letter to the editor Like Tweeting their followers

What your readers should not feel Bored Baffled Lost Diffident That they know more about the

subject than you do

Key ingredients

Angle Focus on specifics: people, ideas, companies,

regions, communities, demographic groups etc

Action Keep the story moving

Anecdotes Provide compelling human interest evidence Case studies: real-life examples to illustrate

wider point

Key ingredients

facts quotes descriptions stories opinions analysis Data conflicts trends

The intro

Your single most important paragraph

Establishes your tone and voice Sets the scene Compels the reader to go deeper

Types of intro

Scene-setter Shocker Dropped Question Direct quote Indirect quote Direct address Anecdote

Intro pitfalls

Too much detail Too little detail Too rambling Too obvious – particularly with

asking a question Too many questions Too hypothetical

Cliched intros

“John Smith is a man on a mission.” “It is a truth universally acknowledged

that...” “I’ve been sitting in the hotel lobby for

over an hour when the PR calls to tell me Lady Gaga is running late.”

“Picture the scene:” “The good news is... The bad news is...” “At first glance...” Plenty more here:

http://www2.copydesk.org/hold/words/clicheleads.htm

Classic intros

“Two rivers run silently through London tonight, and one is made of people. Dark and quiet as the night-time Thames itself, it flows through Westminster Hall, eddying about the foot of the rock called Churchill.”

Vincent Mulchrone, Daily Mail1965

Classic Intros

"Gary Robinson died hungry.He had a taste for Church's fried chicken. He wanted the three-piece box for $2.19, plus tax. Instead he got three bullets...“

Edna Buchanan, Miami Herald 1985

Classic Intros

“On Sundays, I do what most people do. I don't buy the Independent on Sunday.”

Kelvin MacKenzie, The Sun

More intros advice

Because it sounds awkward, never start with a subordinate clause

Think about what tense you are going to write in

The middle Even the best intro in the world can’t

save a feature that has no point to make

Show, don’t tell Descriptive writing is about bringing

your story to life, not showing off how many adjectives you know

Use quotes sparingly to add power, drama and authority

A feature without facts is like an omelette without eggs

The middle

“Most feature sections cry out for sharper research and less indulgent writing” – David Randall

Case studies

Many features will include case studies to bring a personal angle to the story.

Don’t underestimate how difficult they can be to find

Either incorporate them into the overall structure of the feature

Or use them as separate boxouts

The end

Can come in many forms Brings some sense of closure to the

piece Can be a quote For narrative features, a return to

the beginning can be effective

Feature writing

Find your voice Sketch out your structure Use detail to illustrate wider story Don’t forget to explain Choose your quotes carefully Rewrite Rewrite Rewrite

Pitfalls

Too broad – vague, fuzzy, boring. Get focused

Too safe – get out of your comfort zone. Don’t just write about what you know.

Too low-level – talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey

Too shallow – dig deeper for more detail. Talk to more people.

Too few quotes – variety of voices keep the reader engaged

Too static – keep the story moving. Try to find a narrative arc.

More information

Melvin Mencher on writing leads: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/client_edit/Mencher.html

Edna Buchanan profile: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1986/02/17/1986_02_17_039_TNY_CARDS_000342687

Steve Buttry: http://collegejournalism.wordpress.com/

2008/07/15/writing-your-lede/ Write Stuff: writing advice:

http://writestuff.journalism.cuny.edu/category/writing-advice/