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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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”

12. 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

13. 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?

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