Think Like a Reporter to Write Quickly and Clearly
When I was a reporter for The Associated Press, I often had to quickly file breaking news stories for online use. We were taught to think of online writing in terms of “microbursts” of news: Each sentence, each paragraph, should be a significant little explosion of information.
While I rarely write under such intense deadline pressure any more, I find that many of the tricks for quickly writing short news stories are useful for other kinds of writing, such as blog posts and email newsletters.
Here a few tips to help you write short stories quickly and clearly:
In your notebook or in whatever app you used to make notes for your story, write: “What strikes me?” Then spend a few minutes absorbing the details and points you want to/must make in your story. Highlight, underline, circle, mark with asterisks, etc.
Ask yourself: How would I tell the story to a friend in a conversation?
Use simple, active sentences. Are you typing “and” or “but” or sentences that start with “There is” or “There are?” STOP. Look for a shorter, direct way to write that sentence.
Avoid jargon.
Use quotes sparingly. Make sure the quotes you do use are worth it. Do they illuminate what is being said in the story? Do they add a touch of color or personality?
Be precise and direct.
Write chronologically to help you be more efficient in your storytelling and help the reader understand your story.
Be smart, be punchy and don’t belabor. Make a point and don’t make it again.
Embrace lists and bullet points. They’re easy to read and you can get away with using incomplete sentences.