I have my story…now what? From Interview to Article

Information Required to Write an Article Research this includes pre-interview research you might have needed to do to prepare, as well as research that might have stemmed from questions raised in your interview about the subject Interview(s) one or more interviews you will use to add information and quotes to create your article

A great story is a combination of: An attention-grabbing headline Background Information Quotations Information obtained from a person but not quoted directly Important Facts Careful Editing

Pizza Perfect This year, the Strong School cafeteria introduced all-natural pizza. According to Mr. Nicol, the pizza in the cafeteria tastes better because of this change. “The ingredients taste fresher, and I feel good about what I am eating,” Mr. Nicol explained. Whole Foods, Inc. is the new distribution company for Strong’s new dough. Their products are gluten free, according to their packaging. The vegetables used for toppings come from Lyman’s new pesticide-free gardens. This ensures healthy toppings for the pizzas, Cafeteria Supervisor Rita Smith maintains.

Sick of Said!!! Said is an extremely over-used word when writing quotations. Here are some great alternatives to saying “said”: added cheered cried agreed chided decided asked claimed declared begged comforted demanded bragged commented denied cackled concluded described challenged confided echoed chanted confirmed elaborated

More Ways to Say “Said” emphasized lectured questioned exclaimed maintained quibbled explained mentioned recounted fumed mumbled replied grumbled murmured reported hesitated muttered scolded hinted nagged screamed implied notified shouted indicated objected teased informed offered uttered inquired persuaded verified insisted pleaded whispered instructed proclaimed lamented protested

Inverted Pyramid 5 Ws: Who, What, Where, Why, When Important Information Other Details Lesser Details

Inverted Pyramid (linear) What event are you writing about? What headline will you use to grab reader attention? List the five Ws of the event in order of importance. Note other interesting details in order of importance. *this is how you will begin piecing your story together.

Steps for Writing Your Article Create an inverted pyramid for your story Review pyramid to make sure information is in the proper section of the pyramid Draft article, remembering to incorporate paraphrasing, quotes, and important information Edit your draft Meet with Mrs. Reddick or Miss Suchy to go over your draft and receive feedback Rewrite article Self-edit Peer edit Meet with Mrs. Reddick and Miss Suchy to submit a final draft

Tips for Writing Articles Use the active voice, not the passive active: The reporter interviewed the principal. (5 words) Chess Club elected officers. (4 words) passive: The principal was interviewed by the reporter. (7 words) Officers were elected by the Chess Club. (6 words) Notice the difference of the word count before and after. You try: Many questions are being asked by students about the athletic code. Practice Quiz Bowl sessions are being offered to prospective members by Mr. Klimas, team advisor.

Tips for Writing Articles Don’t be redundant! ex: Mr. Nicol’s new infant child is a baby boy, just a week old. an infant is “a child in its earliest period of life, a baby”, so this sentence is redundant better: Mr. Nicol’s baby boy is just a week old. Use informative adjectives, not subjective ex: use “final meeting” rather than “worthwhile meeting”; “prize-winning idea” rather than “excellent idea”, “near-capacity audience” rather than “big, enthusiastic audience”

Writing a Summary Lead Sentence The lead is the most important paragraph of a news story. Start from the 5 Ws Avoid beginning stories with a date or time, especially a past one Seek compelling word openers—not The, A, An Limit your lead to under 30 words Choose facts and details to sum up the entire story and give it direction Identify the people named in the lead, but avoid long, complicated titles

Checking Your Lead Headline Identify the 5 Ws With which of the five elements did the reporter begin the summary lead? What questions, raised by the lead, give direction to the rest of the story? How many words are in the lead?

Newsworthy Qualities: Making Facts Count Prominence Magnitude Proximity Uniqueness Timeliness Significance Human Interest