SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A STORY? (PART 2)

I. INTRO — FROM IDEA TO COMPLETION

II. BEFORE STARTING: REMEMBER HOOK, PITCH, AND STRUCTURE

CONSIDER YOUR STORY: REPORTING, ANALYSIS, REPORTAGE

III. WRITING THE LEDE

A. THE LEDE IS OFTEN THE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR STORY

Iraq Feature: At Least 47 Killed in Islamic State’s 2nd Deadliest Bombing This Year

B. THE LEDE IS OFTEN BUT NOT ALWAYS THE HOOK IN YOUR STORY — THE LEDE MAY BE THE OPENING TO THE HOOK, ESPECIALLY IN “ANALYSIS” STORY

https://theconversation.com/the-syria-ceasefire-deal-is-no-such-thing-its-cover-for-the-us-and-russia-54663

C. THE LEDE CAN DIFFER IN “REPORTAGE” STORY — THE “SCENARIO”

IV. GUIDE THE READER

A. SUPPORTING POINTS

1. FACTS
2. QUOTES

B. DEVELOPING POINTS

C. ANALYTIC POINTS

D. THE USE OF SUB-HEADINGS

E. THE CLOSE

1. THE FACTUAL CLOSE
2. THE ILLUMINATING CLOSE
3. THE “HUMAN INTEREST” CLOSE

V. WRITING STYLE

Clear: “Good Prose is Like a Windowpane”
Concise
Personal?

VI. GIVING THE STORY AUTHORITY — REFERENCES AND HYPERLINKS

VII. ANIMATING THE STORY

A. Photographs

B. The Headline

C. Video and Social Media