Chapter 8 Story Organization

The writing process When writing a news story, you need a plan Conceive Collect Construct Correct

Conceive the idea What struck you as most interesting or important What is most newsworthy What is the main point of the story What do readers/viewers need or want to know

Collect the information Get the basics…the 5 W’s Take good notes Jot down details from observations Get quotes, facts, comments from sources Tape interviews for sound bites Don’t rely solely on recording

Note down additional info you will need Background, more details, etc Highlight important points in notes Gather anecdotes Brief stories from sources Consider the your focus as you report

Verify facts, names & spelling Think ahead What do you need to do next Collect documents Verify facts, names & spelling Some of the worst errors to make

Construct the story Find the focus Plan an order Topics Highlights Write a focus sentence on top of your story before you begin Plan an order Topics Main points/highlights you want to cover Highlights If creating a highlights box…what would they be? Time sequence Are there distinct time elements or chronological events?

Block Sources Q & A Free-writing Ending Cover all comments from one source Before moving to the next source Q & A If one paragraph raises questions Answer them in the next Free-writing If you can’t find an order, write what you remember w/out notes Then look for logical arrangement Ending Create a lasting impression Strong quote, future action

Correct the story Read your story aloud Basics Context Check Accuracy One of the best self editing techniques for print publication Basics Are the 5 W’s there Context Background or details to help readers understand story Check Accuracy Double check names, titles and facts

Avoid opinion based adjectives Purge and parroting Let details and sources describe actions and feelings Purge and parroting If quotes/sound bites repeat your transitions or story content Rewrite or cut them Cut useless or excess words Edit the pace Check grammar (subject verb agreement) Cut jargon Read aloud again

Tips for tightening stories Squeeze a fact on every line (one idea per sentence) Focus tightly Think about the REAL story and share what’s important Use impact leads Avoid rehashing known info, apply Spin/Angle on lead Make the story move Make your point early & use info that supports it Keep it tight

Use specific details over adjectives Don’t over attribute “ancient windmill” vs “100-year-old windmill Don’t over attribute No need for he/she said after every sentence But make sure source of info is clear Use strong, lively verbs Hundred of people in the streets vs “lined, jammed, crowded, etc Avoid weak transitions With well organized articles, transitions will be minimal Use quotes that advance story

Story Structure Leads Tips to finding a good lead Remember the 5 W’s What will hook reader’s attention What does reader need to know first/most In order to understand the story? What is the story about Remember the 5 W’s Write a few leads then choose the best one later

Making middles move Vary the pace Parallelism Follow long sentences with short ones This helps readers to follow the story Parallelism Wording sentences in the same grammatical order Even repeating some words

BBI- Boring but important info Break it up throughout the story, not in one long block Simple sentence for complex info Use simple sentences for difficult info Lists Help the flow through middle of story Itemize group of statistics or cumbersome info Highlight key points in a story

Use Active Voice when possible She will always remember her first story VS. Her first story will always be remembered by her Write short, simple sentences Keep the subject and verb close together Write the way you speak To improve reading flow through story

Endings Quote kickers Circle kicker Future-Action Factual Quote that sums up the main idea of story Circle kicker Tying together your lead and ending Future-Action Giving the next step in the development of an issue Factual Short simple sentence that states a fact Could possibly work as a lead

Endings Cliffhangers Out of gas endings Also a suspense ending Used if story will continue on another day Out of gas endings Used when there is nothing more to say Appropriate for hard news stories

Due next Monday (9/17) A news article written by you Headline Lead 400-600 words (Include word count on paper) Headline Lead Body/middle Ending 2 or more primary sources Meaning people you talked to/interviewed Story should relate to school, community or students