Lesson 2 Story Structures “A newspaper should be the maximum of information, and the minimum of comment.” --Richard Cobden

Organizing Your Story Now with a strong lead, the time has come to develop the rest of your story that includes the most interesting facts! Choosing the correct structure to benefit your readers is critical to the success of your story! There are 3 typical structures you will be using as a journalist: Inverted Pyramid Storytelling Pattern Chronological Order Pattern Also, you might use these patterns together in the same story!

Inverted Pyramid LEAD Most interesting news stories use this style for many reasons; it benefits: Hurried readers Beginning journalists Headline writers Page layout editors Most Important Details Less important details Least important details This style is beneficial to many different people because less time will be spent on the parts of the story that aren’t as important!

Storytelling Pattern Lead This narrative form captures a reader’s interest without being as obvious as the inverted pyramid. After a beginning, middle, and end, the writer includes a clincher or a kicker which gives the reader something to remember without repeating previous information; a circle kicker returns back to the opening paragraph! Fact Clincher Fact

Chronological Pattern Lead Though similar to the narrative style, this pattern works very well when a writer is trying to convey critical points of a story! Foreshadowing Chronological Storytelling Climax at End

Story Structure Wrap Up Obviously the type of story structure you choose is based a great deal on the content. Keep your readers in mind when organizing your information, drafting your story, and finally revising! This concludes lesson 2 on story structures. Please select the home button to continue the course!