by Joe Hight.
A useful list of suggestions that helped me a lot. Just wanted to share that with you all.
- Realize you are human and will make mistakes. So that means that you need to self-edit. Remember what Ernest Hemingway said: "Prose is architecture, not interior decoration." Think what that means to you.
- Always get the names right. Ever had your name misspelled?
- Double-check your facts. Mistakes will be made, but careful writers and editors catch as many as possible. They also always double-check sentences that they've rewritten.
- Know grammar. Didn't listen to your English teacher? Well, there are lots of books to help you catch up.
- Use simple words. Clarity in writing is vital, and the basic components of clear writing are simple: brevity and simplicity.
- Use those simple words correctly. Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and a lightning bug."
- Shorten your sentences. Your stories should contain sentences with a variety of lengths, but most should be fewer than 30 words.
- Listen. Ever know a person who didn't listen? Good interviewers ask well-prepared questions, then listen for answers.
- Use great quotes! Don't use them for facts; use them for emphasis and flow.
- Think, write and rewrite. First prepare for your story through research, then write it and then rewrite it. The rewrite may be most important.
- Just write! After you've done your research, then write. Let your rewrite become your masterpiece.
- Be original and relate to your reader. The best writers eliminate clichés, journalese and jargon and find ways to explain and use elements that readers will understand.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: Feature people, not things. People add life to stories, help people relate to statistics, help them form opinions about issues.
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