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