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Writing. Uncover the Angle. Organize your post-it notes Categorize by verbal & visual options Determine your approach Address readers’ wants & needs Introduce angle in headline & lead Avoid repetition of information Develop in single story presentation or collective alternative stories.
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Uncover the Angle Organize your post-it notes Categorize by verbal & visual options Determine your approach Address readers’ wants & needs Introduce angle in headline & lead Avoid repetition of information Develop in single story presentation or collective alternative stories
Reporting Focus // Identify Verbal/Visual Options Float Building Spirit Captain Hat Dance Class Yells Parent Pep Talks Dress-up Days Skit Practices Skit Practice Cheer Squad Band & Drill Team Team Support Charity Money
Pre-Write Draft Highlight high interest material in different colors for easy recognition Headline content Lead & conclusion details Informational facts Important figures Insightful feelings (quotes)
Write Rough Draft Combine facts, figures & feelings into main, cohesive story Lead Quote/Transitions Conclusion
L Q Q Q C T T Storytelling // News Feature
Avoid the Obvious Don’t begin with a, an or the Don’t use ‘this year’ or the school name, initials or mascot Don’t incorporate editorialized adjectives or adverbs Don’t use label leads Don’t begin with names
Consider Lead Options Content-focused leads One word: single, key word introduction Contrast: two extremes or opposites Astonisher: exclamatory statement that catches readers off-guard Punch: dramatic or action-packed statement Quotation: an unusually insightful direct quote Question: query that compels readers to want more Sequential: events in the order they happened Sights & sounds: an image appealing to one or more of the five senses Grammatical leads Prepositional phrase: shows aspect of the story that deserves attention Participial & gerund phrases: features action, manner in which action is accomplished or unusual circumstances Infinitive phrase: features purpose, dramatic action or creates a minor note of suspense Causal clause: begins with because, since or because of Conditional clause: begins with if, unless or provided
Storywriting // Headline & Lead First & 10 Spirit peaks as varsity football team captures premier state championship A feverish pitch resonated throughout the commons and infused the crowd as senior captain Jason Chastain nervously waited to make his debut center stage to “perform” the traditional hat dance at the state championship game pep rally November 11.
Quality Quotes Quotes are intimate enough when only the person quoted could tell that specific story Partial or quickie quotes Story quotes Anecdotes
Storytelling // Quality Quotes Good “It was fun being captain one week and getting to do the hat dance. We played to win each and every game.” Great “I barely remember shoving my way through the crowd to where my mom was waiting at the ‘W’ for me. I just remember thinking that I couldn’t look at her or I would start crying. She danced the dance with me—that moment I will never forget.”
Smooth Transitions Transitions work effectively when they link together two paragraphs with informational & insightful facts & figures Between lead & first quote Between quotes Between quote & conclusion
Storytelling // Smooth Transition Good Many students attended the pep rallies to support the varsity team. Great An average of 925 out of 1050 students attended 16 pep rallies including a full five days of homecoming spirit week celebrations ranging from dress-up days to a record-setting 23-float parade.
In Conclusion Conclusions make the most impact when they bring the story full circle Reference the angle of the lead Add new information & insights Logically wrap up the story
Storytelling // Conclusion Good Congratulations to the football team, cheerleaders and band for winning state championships this year. Great On a chilly November Friday night, three state champions bonded mid-field to celebrate the thrill of victory—football players screamed ‘We’re number one” while cheerleaders cried tears of joy and the marching band played on.
Story Packages Quick reads combine to tell the story Facts Figures Feelings Appeal to selective readers Open up reader-friendly design options
Just the Facts Factoids/infographs Listings Question & answers Interactive tests & quizzes Maps & diagrams Definitions, index & glossaries Statistic boxes
Go Figure Pie charts, bar & line graphs Numerical tables & charts Schedules Calendars Timelines Scoreboards
Get the Feeling Partial quickie quotes Story, featured quotes Anecdotes Advice & how-to’s Personality sketches
Writing Checklist • Fresh, lively angles • Informational & insightful Little-known, fascinating facts & figures One-of-a-kind, quotable quotes • Attention to the five senses • Unquestionable accuracy • Refined style & design
Editing & rewriting Revision considerations Content Accuracy Style Design
Common Problems Boring nouns Student, members, players Weak verbs/passive voice Appears, seems Is, are, was, were, be, being, been Long paragraphs Word overuse School name, initials, mascot, “this year” or the year Editorializing Busy, diligent, successful, hard-working Use of second person Labels & names
Common Courtesy Editing suggestions Focus on Improving word choice Adding/deleting content Conforming to style Show consideration by Encouraging self-editing Writing in margins & not in red Balancing positive/negative Returning personally & explaining expectations
