As you start to think about your major paper for the course, an in-depth profile of a New York City neighborhood, here are a few random thoughts about good and vivid writing that I collected during my many years of working for newspapers. Some are big, some are small, but take a look, and happy to explain anything that’s not clear.

Professor Rosenblum

Tips for writing a strong narrative (in no particular order)

 

1. No matter how newsy the subject, and whether you’re using words, pictures, video or sound, you need to be able to tell a good story.

 

2. Before you start, you need to know what the story is, and why you’re writing it. Why we’re at this party, so to speak. What’s the subtext? One way or another, the best stories are about primal issues – love, death, passion, betrayal, greed, family dramas, etc.

 

3. Figure out what’s the best way to tell the story. Through a character? A place?

 

4. Figure out the structure of your story. Make an outline. Start with what’s most important. Good rule: if you come back from an assignment and the first thing you tell your roommate or your boyfriend is something like: “Guess what? I saw elephants walking down Broadway,” make sure those elephants make their way into your story.

 

5. Chronology is your friend (nearly all the time, so as not to confuse the reader by flip-flopping.) Not to say you won’t use literary devices like foreshadowing, flashbacks, etc.

 

6. Create vivid characters. Look for compelling characters. Tell your stories through characters. Create a sense of place. Construct scenes. Think about mood.

 

7. Let people talk, so you get good quotes, and so all your characters don’t sound alike. Don’t be afraid of silences when you’re interviewing people. Open-ended questions are sometimes good. Don’t be afraid of asking specific questions, even very personal ones (once you’ve gained a person’s trust). It’s amazing what people tell you.

 

8. Get the details. Ask the dog’s name.

 

9. Keep your eye out for small but telling details.

 

10. Stories can be anything – funny, sad, weird. If it’s interesting to you, it’s probably interesting to other people. Trust your instincts. Don’t second-guess yourself.

 

11. When you’re writing, make sure each graph links to the next, to keep the reader interested.

 

12. Beware of clichéd ideas and phrases.

 

13. The ‘Holy shit’ rule. Every few graphs you should have a nugget that makes the reader think: “Holy shit, I didn’t know that.”

 

14. Don’t be afraid of pretty, vivid, eloquent writing. Don’t be afraid to take chances to make your writing beautiful. At the same time, don’t be afraid of simple writing, with simple and direct sentences that let the story shine through.

 

15. The active voice is always good, as is avoiding weak words (it, forms of the verb to be, etc). Avoid echoed words. But don’t be a slave to these or any rules.

 

16. Fold in information as needed, but make sure the story doesn’t get too dense.

 

17. Write as tightly as you can, avoiding excess words or repetition of thoughts, but make sure the writing isn’t so dense that the reader can’t breathe.

 

18. Write as you’d talk. Read your story aloud. Have someone you trust read it.

 

19. The wastepaper basket is your friend. Rewrite. You’ll never make a story worse, only better.

 

20. Beware of technical mistakes. Spell-check isn’t foolproof.