Writing & Re-Writing
Dec 13, 2015
Writing & Re-Writing
Who is James Lake? From Chapter 9?
Someone tell me who James Lake is▪ How did James Lake become a feature article
writer
Writers Must be Versatile▪ To be successful
They must learn to▪ Write in different voices▪ Cover wide variety of topics▪ Deliver topics as expected by readers▪ Dry & newsy▪ Dramatic & suspensful
The New York Times Ran a front page story about a man
looking for ▪ Peking Man
Magazine Editor contacted James Lake▪ Wanted feature piece based on times story
▪ What did James Lake do in order to complete the assignment?▪ Including Word Count and time frame
Mens Magazines Despite their different voice & specific
audience Are just as strict on accuracy checks▪ As other publications
What do editors want to do to ensure that articles are publishable?
Editors want to ▪ Review Sources▪ Check for errors▪ Make sure there are no libelous statements
Some types of stories are flexible▪ When recreating scenes
Still require information based on existing facts
A good article▪ Needs to have ▪ An attention getting beginning▪ A good middle▪ A solid ending
▪ Additionally▪ Have clear writing▪ Accurate & thorough reporting
To become a great feature writer▪ You should absorb lessons, techniques & pitfalls
Revising Your Copy▪ One of the toughest things to learn
Good word order, Tone & Quality▪ Come after copy has been refined
Many writers have favor for initial writing▪ It’s tough to toss out what you thought was good▪ Multi-syllable words▪ Unnecessary adjectives
▪ We did peer critiques last week▪ What kind of feedback did you get?
In order to become a great writer You must▪ Learn to use words as tools▪ Stand back from your own copy▪ Study it on its structure and thoroughness
▪ Be able to spot your mistakes ▪ And weed them out
Tip for good writing▪ If time allows▪ Wait a couple days, then re-read your article
Useful Writing Devices▪ When re-writing these can help strengthen material
Be Specific▪ When possible skip generalizations▪ Be concrete – appeal to the 5 senses
▪ Example▪ Mary Jones was attacked by an animal
(General)▪ Marry Jones was bitten on the knee by a 110-pound male
Rottweiler (Specific)
Use Active Verbs Let your subjects DO something▪ Don’t let something be done▪ “The children cheered loudly”▪ “The girl pedaled furiously”▪ “The eyes watched intensely”
Choose verbs carefully▪ Is there a better one? ▪ Be creative, look for synonyms
Find the perfect one for your meaning
Brighten your article with quotes Readers like to hear people talk▪ Use quotes throughout▪ Don’t give the reader pleasantries & small talk▪ Quote authorities, experts, major figures▪ Make sure your quotes are meaningful
Use quotes▪ But don’t over do it▪ Too many quotes can ruin an article
Use characterization Readers also want to see the person▪ Describe the person▪ Give the reader a sense of who they are▪ Personality, appearance, etc▪ What they’re doing
Doing this well▪ Requires keen observation▪ Research & good questions
▪ Pay attention to your subjects and be thorough
Use anecdotes in your copy Giving a story to show your subject
▪ In action▪ Going through an experience▪ Dealing with life
▪ Keeps your readers interested To get info for anecdotes – Ask leading
questions▪ What’s the strangest thing that’s occurred on the job▪ What’s an embarrassing moment you’ve had
▪ However, many anecdotes come from just listening
Show, Don’t Tell▪ Use language to give the reader a visual▪ Remember from earlier - Be Specific
▪ (Ex, The professor acted strange…)▪ Does this give you a visual?
Describe Scenes▪ Use vivid details to put your reader in the scene▪ Strong scene and setting descriptions help immensely▪ Can also help hold readers attention
Use vivid figures of speech If using this, be creative, make sure it’s fitting▪ Avoid clichés▪ Avoid dull or boring statements▪ (ie, “That’s all folks”, “A friend indeed…”)
Use analogies▪ Comparisons that give readers understanding▪ Good ones can create amazing clarity in copy▪ Poor ones can confuse the readers▪ “The young man has the talent to be the next….”
Use Humor▪ For quotes and analogies (if applicable)▪ These can spruce up your copy▪ Be careful though
▪ Humor can be difficult ▪ Usually is poorly applied when forced
Use direct address Put your readers in the story
Use the question asking device▪ Ask readers a question▪ Then provide the answer shortly after
Use carry-over transitional devicesUse overlapping words or ideas
▪ Both are ways to bridge sections of your paper together
Use “Said” for attributions Keep it simple when quoting or referencing
speech▪ Don’t look for long synonyms or complex words▪ The basic “Said” is clear and easy
Above all▪ WRITE CLEARLY
Audience can’t read your mind They only have your words▪ Give them what they need for clarity & understanding
Avoiding Common Mistakes▪ Speling and grammer mistake can hapin too
enyone Take advantage of copy editors▪ Get feedback▪ Learn from your mistakes and improve on them
Writers who repeat the same mistakes▪ Will lose their sales, article placements or job
You must also learn when to use ▪ Formal, conversational, and informal language
Common writing problems▪ These often creep into general English
Eliminate Unnecessary Words Eliminate Clichés
▪ Needle in a haystack▪ Busy as a bee▪ Straight as an arrow
▪ If they sound too familiar avoid them
Don’t overuse adjectives & adverbs▪ They can be juicy for your copy▪ They also can slow the pace
Don’t use too many big words▪ You feel smart, but the reader quits reading
Don’t misuse words▪ A very common error▪ Use a dictionary when writing▪ Lie/Lay, Sit/Set, Affect/Effect, etc
Other things to avoid Jargon Sexist language Mind-read▪ Used when say a person feels▪ “The mayor feels businesses are struggling” Poor▪ “The mayor SAYS businesses are failing” Good
Partial Quotes▪ Get a full quote to give reader best understanding
More things to avoid▪ Redundancies▪ Switching tenses▪ Keep it consistent▪ Especially in the same sentence
▪ Inconsistent style▪ Grammatical errors▪ Exclamation points▪ Punctuation & quotation mark errors▪ Going comma crazy
All of you received at the beginning of the semester an AP style guide for writing feature articles for Magazines and newspapers
How many of you have referred to it when writing your articles?
Writing Subjectively▪ Many writers love opinion pieces▪ They allow you to incorporate your▪ Thoughts ▪ Viewpoints
To be successful you need to ▪ Be able to remove yourself ▪ Write based on facts & information
Even a well rounded writers▪ Have trouble “breaking in”
Some writers (especially reviewers)▪ Demonstrate their abilities for free or low pay▪ Build up a portfolio then get regular work
Putting It All Together Be able to ▪ Write for the specific audience▪ Be versatile
▪ Revise your copy▪ Using various writing devices
▪ Spot and avoid common mistakes▪ Spelling, grammar, etc
▪ Write subjectively▪ Opinion is easy